If you've been following this blog for long, you probably remember that I've posted about chicken teriyaki before. It was a grilled preparation that involved brining, grilling and basting the chicken, and while delicious, it's a fair amount of work.
While teriyaki may have originally been a grilled dish, these days in Japan, the chicken is pan-fried more often than not due to busy schedules and a lack of charcoal grills. It doesn't have the smoky flavor that grilled chicken teriyaki has, but pan frying produces chicken that's more moist and tender. The best part is that the chicken and teriyaki sauce can be made in the same pan, which not only makes it fast and easy, it means there's one less pot to wash.
Since discovering this method for easy chicken teriyaki, I've honestly been using it more than the grilled method because it produces great results with much less effort, and so I wanted to share it with all of you.
In case you're wondering why there's no cornstarch in the sauce, it's because the soy sauce and sugar caramelize during cooking, naturally thickening the sauce. If you add cornstarch it not only clouds the sauce, your teriyaki sauce will taste flat in comparison because it hasn't had a chance to caramelize.
This can be made with any cut of chicken, but in Japan the thigh meat is preferred because it has more flavor. In Japan, "chicken thighs" include both the meat from the drumstick and thigh, so one "thigh" ends up making for a large steak-sized fillet of chicken. In the US, you can either buy whole legs and fillet them yourself, or you can just use more of the smaller chicken thighs. Either way, make sure the fillet is as even in thickness as possible otherwise you'll end up with parts that are undercooked and other parts that are overcooked.
📖 Recipe
Units
Ingredients
- 340 grams boneless skin-on chicken thighs
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger (grated)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon mirin
- 1 tablespoon sake
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sake
Instructions
- Rub the ginger and and salt into the chicken and let this sit for at least 30 minutes. After it's marinated, use paper towels to dry the chicken as best you can, removing any excess ginger pulp.
- Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed frying pan over medium heat. You don't want to start the chicken off over too high a heat otherwise it will not cook through before burning. Place the chicken skin-side down in the pan and fry until golden brown on one side.
- Flip the chicken, then add 1 tablespoon of sake and quickly cover the pan with a lid. Steam the chicken until it is just cooked through (about 5 minutes).
- Prepare the teriyaki sauce by mixing 1 tablespoon each of: honey, mirin, sake, and soy sauce. Stir to combine.
- Remove the lid, and drain any remaining liquid and oil. Use a paper towel to sop up any excess oil.
- Turn up the heat to high, then add the teriyaki sauce. Let this mixture boil, while flipping the chicken repeatedly to coat evenly.
- The chicken teriyaki is done when most of the liquid has evaporated and the sauce forms a thick glaze around the chicken. Slice and pour the remaining teriyaki sauce over the chicken.
cylis lamb says
why does the recipe say there are two tablespoons of sake
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Cylis, one tablespoon is for steaming the chicken (step 3) the second tablespoon is for the sauce (step 4).
Ramona says
My daughter uses an air fryer I have never done that . I wonder if this could be used here. Anyone have a good orange chicken recipe?
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Ramona, I wouldn't recommend it. An air "fryer" cooks by convection (i.e. it circulated hot air around the food). For things that you want crispy (like battered or breaded meat) this works well enough, but with uncoated meat like this you'll end up making the meat tough and chewy. You'll get better results in a regular frying pan, and your chicken will probably be lower in fat as you're going to be able to render out more fat from the skin than you would in an air fryer because it's in direct contact with the metal pan. As for orange chicken, here's my version: https://norecipes.com/orange-chicken-recipe/
lucy says
is there a substitute for salt or just less salt ?
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Lucy, the chicken won't get seasoned to the center, but the teriyaki sauce has plenty of flavor so you can skip the salt if you like.
Debbie Cummings says
I have made a variety of Chicken Teriyaki recipes. They are all great. But this one is the greatest.
Marc Matsumoto says
Wow Debbie, I'm glad to hear you enjoyed it so much! Thanks for stopping by to let me know!
Setsunna says
I made a slightly modified version of this assuming I had the bulk of the ingredients. Experimentally used Barefoot Moscoto in place of mirin and a teeny bit of sugar. Then did the rest the same as this recipe calls for. When it was done I added a splash of "bottled teriyaki" marinade ....and oh em gee this was amazingly good. Chicken thighs were tender and had a nice succulent glaze that went straight to the bone. Definitely making this again!!!
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Setsunna, I'm glad to hear you enjoyed this!
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Giftz, pork isn't all that common and can be substituted for other meats, but sake is admittedly is many things. Mirin is also a rice wine, so if you can't eat food with sake in it you also shouldn't eat food with Mirin. Actually if you are really being strict you should not eat bread or soy sauce or pretty much anything that has been fermented either because they contain trace amounts of alcohol. That being said, in this particular recipe most if not all of the alcohol should be evaporated since the sauce it reduced down (alcohol has a lower boiling point than water, so it boils off first).
DJ says
Trace amounts of alcohol in the atmosphere, too, such as ethanol. I'd recommend no breathing just to be super safe. Oh, and wear a mask, too....forever.
mal says
Funny and true
Giftz says
wow, all Japanese reciPies contain either pork or alcohol. Not fair!!!!!!! Replacement for sake. Can't use it for religious reasons but mirin is okay.
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Regina, glad to hear you like it. Great idea premixing the sauce ingredients!
Regina Pelayo says
This is a great recipe! Super easy, little clean-up, and delicious! I've memorized this recipe and it's now my go-to quick dinner! I just mix extra teriyaki sauce beforehand and cook as directed... Didn't have to make the extra separately.
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Randy, I'm so glad to hear you enjoyed this. Takes a bit of technique, but such an easy preparation right? Hope you enjoy my Tsukune
Randy says
So easy, so good. Thx I finally decided to learn how to do this properly and finally finally I got that crispy outside, tender inside, w/glaze. I'm going to tackle your tsukune next.
Clare says
simple and tasty. Love it!
Debora Norz says
This was delicious! I only had thin sliced breast but it worked too. Also substituted white wine for sake in pan and dry sherry for mirin and sake in marinade. Next time I'll get other but still tasty. Ginger in a tube works well and keeps a long time.
charlier says
Hi Nicole:
Honey, I just haven't had the time. I have my Mama who is 92 living with me and she is in hospital at the moment. It hasn't been priority one. But give it a try. I have used liquid smoke in other things and it always turns out lovely.
Nicole Nunya says
Charlie, did you try the liquid smoke? How did it taste?
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Vicky, this is a little tricky to do in bulk because you need a high enough heat to reduce the sauce without overcooking the chicken in the last step. One option is to make the sauce separately ahead of time, but combining the sauce ingredients (multiplied by the number of servings you want to make) in a very large pot (it will boil over easily) and reducing it until it's most of the way there (if you fully caramelize the sauce, it will literally turn into a hard caramel when the sauce cools) and then adding the reduced sauce to the chicken at the very end. As for making the chicken ahead, you can, however if you cook the chicken just right, it will still be fairly moist and prone to leaching out water and making the sauce watery. The only way to get around this is to deliberately overcook the chicken so it's no longer juicy (which will prevent the sauce from getting watery if you let it sit).
Vicky Tong says
I'm so glad I found this recipe! I'd like to make it in bulk to feed 20 people. How would you recommend I go about this? Can I do any of it in advance? Thanks!
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Treatmaster, I'm glad to hear you enjoyed it! Yep, you can absolutely do some extra in a separate saucepan. The ratio of ingredients scale, so when I do this for restaurants, I do huge batches in 10 gallon pots.
treatmaster says
This is an amazing recipe and it was so delicious!! Thank you for sharing it. One Question; can I make extra teriyaki sauce 'on the side' in a different saucepan to save for later, or is having the chicken be in the sauce a key component?
Also, what vegetable recipes from this website would you suggest complement this dish well?
Susan Liu says
This has been my full-proof teriyaki chicken recipe since I discovered it! Tasty, easy, and reproducible! Thank you!
Sam says
I agree with Marc, but looking at the list of ingredients, the most common problem I would see is the soy. Many people, myself among them, are allergic to soy. I use coconut amino instead of soy sauce, and get that lovely flavor without the allergic reaction. But do get tested. BTW, I don't eat 'normal' chicken as it does bother me sometimes - I only eat the free range, organic (in smaller portions as it is expensive) and now enjoy my favorite chicken dishes once again, no problems.
Megan Pawlenty says
alcohol is illegal/ forbidden in his religion period.
Rolf Meyer Jr. says
I've made this a few times. With and without, I did it with some garlic powder instead since my family loves garlic
Rolf Meyer Jr. says
If you're worried about serving this to children, the alcohol will be cooked off rather quickly. Same way wines alcohol content cooks off in red sauces for Italian dishes.
বেঙ্গা বয় says
Is there any non alcoholic alternative rather using sake and mirin? BTW, thank you so much for the recipe.
Liz Chin says
This is a fabulous recipe - my husband and I loved it! I used a high quality honey and the special flavors in it came through. Will certainly make this again. Thank you for your wonderful website, I really like your cooking style. Cheers!
Lia Crane says
Thank you for the recipe. It was easy to make and we all loved it. I used sherry but I will get mirin for the next time.
As for those who worried about alcohol, it will evaporate completely during cooking.
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi DV, sorry to hear it didn't work out for you, but substituting red wine vinegar for sake is a bit like substituting apple juice for chicken stock in a recipe, they're both liquids, but with totally different tastes. Hopefully you'll go get the right ingredients for your second attempt, but if you can't find sake, water would be the best replacement. It won't add any flavor, but at least it won't give you the wrong flavor.
D V says
Unfortunately for me my first attempt at this recipe turned out to be an utter disaster! It ended being black, burnt and taste was so off. I made the mistake of putting red wine vinegar to replace the sake, and after reading the reviews here, it was indeed a big mistake. Hopefully my second attempt another night turns out better.
Michelle says
Thank you for the recipe. It was simple and delicious. Everyone loved it.
Stephanie says
Just made it- really delicious! I didn't make a single change to the recipe. Will be making it again and again. It was so simple and quick!
G K says
Thank you so much Marc
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi GK you should go see a doctor to be tested for food allergies.
G K says
hi Marc i ate teriyaki chicken and i got a serious allergy and i take normal chicken.
what could be problem? help a sister
Laura says
Great! Thanks for the reply! My fiancé and I loved this dish! We made it with rice and asparagus, which, I think, is the perfect vegetable to compliment this dish. Will definitely keep this one around to impress family and friends 🙂
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Laura, yep, you can absolutely leave it out. Adding ginger is actually not very traditional, but I find most commercial chicken in the US(even the ones that claim to be organic or free-range) kind of gamey tasting which is why I like to add the ginger to offset the smell. If you use high quality free range chicken from a small farm, you shouldn't need the ginger.
Laura says
Hi, Marc! I tried searching for a similar question below, but I didn't find it. Do you think the ginger is crucial to the recipe? I'm not a fan of ginger, but if you think it's needed..
Thanks!
Marc Matsumoto says
If it's made properly premade sauce will also have sake and or mirin. that said, the boiling process burns off the alcohol (in this recipe and in the premade kind). I'm not sure where you heard about using vinegar, but that's a terrible idea, as it will make your sauce sour(kind of like substituting salt in place of sugar in a smoothie).
It's obviously not going to taste the same, but but due to your dietary restrictions, you can substitute water for the sake and mirin in this recipe.
Maria says
Ready dip sometimes has alcohol in it. I have read suggestions for using vinegar instead
Mohamad Rakbe says
Hi marc i wanna try this recipe and i do not use alcohol and another issue do want to use alcohol , so a ready teriyaki sauce dip bottle will work instead of the mirin and the sake,
Peter says
Just tried it and it was brilliant! Thank you Marc!
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Crystal, I've tried this brand before and it's not horrible but it's not good. Mirin should be a darker color that ranges from dark amber to soy sauce colored. This comes from aging the mirin to develop its flavors. Judging by the color of this one it probably has not been aged at all. It also has added salt, which means your sauce may end up too salty.
Crystal says
I found this one at amazon. It has salt in it though. Would it still be a good choice? https://www.amazon.com/Eden-Foods-Mirin-Rice-Cooking/dp/B000QSTJTE/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1432608000&sr=8-3&keywords=mirin
Darrell Kahoalii says
How about using wood chips on your grill for a smokey flavor? Use can use tinfoil with any wood chip you like and smoke the chip from your grill.
Marc Matsumoto says
Yep, that should work.
ADBLOCK WORKS WONDERS says
Probably.
Uhuru says
Thank you so much for your prompt reply. One more question. Can I follow the recipe as it and make the sauce separately like 8 TBs of everything? Will it still caramelize without the chicken in it?
charlier says
Hine: I don't know if you know this or not, please excuse me if you do.
The alcohol in the sauce burns off when exposed to the high heat.
I hope this helps.
charlier says
Marc: For the smokey flavour of the grill, would a couple of drops of liquid smoke work?
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Uhuru, it's not surprise it didn't taste right since worcester sauce tastes nothing like soy sauce. As for increasing the quantity of sauce, just double the amount of sauce ingredients.
Uhuru says
I cooked it yesterday with Worcester Sauce as I did not have soy sauce but it was not like it tasted when i prepared it with friends. Also the sauce was not enough (i presented it with white rice). My friends did not know any better as it still tasted great but I want to remake it for them. So how can I increase the sauce?
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Hine, it's not going to taste the same as the sake adds umami to the sauce and the mirin adds flavor and sweetness, but you could still make the sauce with water, soy sauce and sugar albeit it will have a flatter taste.
hine says
I want to use this recipe for my business class. Will there be any affects if I didn't use the alcahol?
Marc Matsumoto says
Prep and cook time takes about 10 minutes if you let the chicken marinade that will take an additional 30 minutes.
May says
How long does it take to make?? to prep and to cook? 🙂
Marc Matsumoto says
Depends on a number of factors, but this takes me about 10 minutes.
May says
How long does it take to make?
Andreas Björkman says
Sake should be easily obtainable at any decent liquor store for some $10 (or your regional equivalent, give or take) for a 750mL bottle.
Replacements for sake:
- Shaoxing wine
- dry vermouth
- dry sherry
- white whine
I really would advice against replacing sake though, the flavor will be off.
As for mirin replacements:
- Sake with a few pinches of sugar
- sweet sherry
- Shaoxing wine
Really though, if any liquor store around you carries sake it's the best option.
Jc says
Thank you !
Acey says
What if I don't have sake or mirin, what other alcohol alternative I should use?
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Jc, Mirin is a type of alcohol, so not having alcohol in it would be like an alcohol wine or beer. My suggestion is to read the ingredient label. If it has anything other than rice, water and koji in it, it is not mirin.
Jc says
Oops with Alcohol in it *
Jc says
I have mirin with alcoholic it and mirin with out. Which is better ?
Stephanie says
Great article!! So useful. I used it tonight and it worked out great. Thanks a bunch!
Naitud says
Just tried this recipe, it tasted great! Thank you very much!
Tina g says
That's what I was going to have him do anyways...
Marc Matsumoto says
Ahh, sorry for step 3 just use water.
Tina g says
Thanks for such a quick response. So if I'm understanding you right, he should just skip step three just finished the chicken w/o sake? Then he can start at step five with the sauce he brought from home.
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Tina, one possibility is to make a big batch of sauce ahead of time and partially reduce it so that the alcohol burns off. Then your husband could keep a bottle of the sauce at work and then make the chicken as per the recipe up to step 6, adding the sauce instead of the individual ingredients.
Tina g says
I made it last night and my family love it. THANKS!!!
My husband wants to make it at work but is not allowed to have alcohol at the facility is there any thing else you can use for the sake?
Cybelle says
This was perfect - thanks!!!
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Alisa, just use a bigger pan or 2 separate pans. The process is the same.
Alisa says
Hi Marc, this looks awesome! How do I prepare it for 4 people? Do I cook all the chicken and sauce (x2) at the same time? Thanks, Alisa
Sidney says
Made this tonight. It was wonderful!
Marc Matsumoto says
HI S Reid, sake is a type of rice wine. What kind of rice wine do you have? Worst case you can use water, but it will not have as much flavor as using sake.
S Reid says
Hello Marc,
I'm making this for dinner tonight and my roommate is a chef, so i want this to taste fabulous to impress him. I do not have sake and i was wondering if there was a substitute like maybe rice wine or something else that may already be in my cabinets.
L Golden says
Thank you! Your reply helps out a lot! I am looking into it now!
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi L Golden, unless you have a commercial kitchen with some very large pans and large burners, I would not recommend this for such a large number of people. This really needs to be served right away because the chicken will start leaking juice, watering down the sauce, if you let it sit. That's why you'd need to cook all 20+ portions at the same time. Instead, I'd recommend going with my grilled chicken teriyaki: https://norecipes.com/chicken-teriyaki-recipe/
The grilling method is a lot more practical to do 20 portions at once on a grill or under a broiler in a home kitchen. Also, since the chicken is pre-marinated, it's not too big of a deal if the sauce gets watered down because the chicken is already seasoned to the core.
L Golden says
This looks perfect! I am hosting a swim team dinner and thought I'd have the team veer away from the "traditional" pasta dishes. How would this work for 20+ servings and will it provide enough sauce if I added vegetables and rice?
Jennifer says
Great recipe. This is delicious. I like to add a little extra sugar.
boob says
you are a nerd
Danica says
My dad is making this for me right now!
Marc Matsumoto says
I Kyle, you can either bake/roast/grill the chicken leg whole, or remove the bone. As for the bottled sauce, if you're asking my permission, then sure, go for it.
KyleC says
Hello Marc. How should I do it if there is only the whole chicken leg available in my country? I bought ta bottle of teriyaki sauce instead of making because I could not find mirin. Is that fine? Thanks!
Marc Matsumoto says
Sounds great Maggie, I'm glad to hear you enjoyed it!
Maggie N says
Thanks Marc, made this for tonight and it was FANTASTIC! I didn't have sake so I used some whiskey instead, and I threw on some chopped garlic in the sauce too since I like it garlicky. I just use the bone-in chicken thighs sold at US supermarkets, remove the bone and some of the skin (for health reason....) and it works out great. I modified it a little bit ( 4 tbs mirin, 4 tbs soy sauce, 2.5 tbs honey, no salt rubbing) and I like it since I don't eat very salty stuff. I'll try a skinless version next time to see how it goes. Thanks again!
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Howard, you could certainly use breast meat, but it will be more dry and less flavorful than using thigh meat.
howard says
can you use boneless chicken breast and not thighs :S
Marc Matsumoto says
That looks great to me! If you're saying the color is a little light, I wouldn't worry to much about that, it's possible your soy sauce was a little light in color to begin with, but this shouldn't effect taste.
Lumica Wangluyao says
I used the yamasa naturally brewed soy source， do you think it's because of that？
Guest says
Thank you so much for sharing the amazing recipe! I tried it just now and it taste soo good even I used the drum!! but somehow the color is off...can you please tell me if I did any steps wrong?
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Cassy, I wrote this recipe for people who want to cook from scratch and avoid the preservatives and high fructose corn syrup in pre-made sauces. If you'd prefer using a premade sauce, you're certainly welcome to do so.
cassy says
I have Kikkoman teriyaki sauce so I don't need to make the sauce..Could I skip the rest of the ingredients and just marinate the chicken the sauce or do I need to add some of these ingredients?
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Bella, I'm glad to hear you enjoyed it! Have a good week.
Bella says
Amazing!!!! So delicious, thank you for sharing your recipes and I think its really great that you take the time to reply to people as well! Keep up the great work 🙂
Splaticus says
I made this last night, my wife and mates loved it. Thanks for this, it is awesome.
Joyce says
I've buy kikkoman primeum soy sauce,
I'm in Malaysia so not many choice
And I can't get sake and mirin in the supermarket
I found 1 big bottle sake,
It's about 2 litter
But I didn't buy it because it's too expensive for a meal
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Joyce I actually use their JAS certified organic one, but it's only sold in Japanese supermarkets like Mitsuwa in the US. Flavorwise, I'm really not too picky about the brand of soy sauce as long as it's Japanese. There's nothing wrong with other styles of soy sauce(I have Chinese, Korean and Indonesian soy sauces in my pantry), but for Japanese food, you need Japanese soy sauce.
Joyce says
Hi Marc,
Thanks for your sharing,
But which kikkoman do u use?
I saw there's few choice of kikkoman soy sauce.
Regular,super primeum etc.
Hin says
Got it,thanks alot!
Marc Matsumoto says
I use just regular Kikkoman.
Hin says
Hi Marc,
Mau I know what kind of soy sauce you using?
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Laurie, cooking chicken breast without drying it out is much more difficult than cooking chicken thighs, even if it's cooked perfectly it's still not going to be as moist or as flavorful as a chicken thigh. That said, if you're okay with these tradeoffs, then breasts will work fine. As for the amount of sauce, this makes just enough sauce to coat the chicken, if you're adding other things, you may want to double the amount of sauce. Keep in mind that the sauce is very salty as it's intended to flavor the meat which is not very absorbent, so you may want to drizzle the sauce on your broccoli rather than add the broccoli to the sauce as broccoli will soak up the sauce like a sponge.
Laurie says
Hi Marc,
Can I use boneless chicken breast? I don't want it to be dry and is it enough sauce I wanted to add broccoli and make white rice
Vanessa says
Hi Marc.
I love this teriyaki chicken. It's so easy and the chicken is so tender and full of flavor. Ive cooked this recipe about 4 times now and I'm cooking it again tonight. I have trouble sourcing Sake in New Zealand so I exchange it for Japanese cooking rice wine.
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Candace, the one in the photo is an entire chicken leg (not just the thigh), so if you look at the weight measures, I think you'll find that this is about equivalent to 2-3 thighs. Increasing the number shouldn't be hard, you'll just need to use a larger pan and possible double the amount of sauce.
Candace says
Hi Marc, this looks amazing and I'm planning to make it this week for my family. I am cooking for 4 and wondering how I can alter the recipe to make more than one piece of chicken (4 thighs) at a time, if possible. Thank you!
Marc Matsumoto says
Looks good, thanks for sharing!!!
Guest says
here's mine! 🙂
Ultimatejo Tan says
Greetings from Singapore! This dish is superb! Thank you Marc 😀
Witkowski Rafal says
Very very good chicken, best thanks from Austria
N says
made this - it's ace
REYAY says
lollool
Marc Matsumoto says
Hahaha, thanks Annalisa:-)
Annalisa Johnston says
You are amazing. Just saying 🙂
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Afshan, it's hard to make suggestions without knowing where you live, but sake and mirin have such a unique flavor there isn't a similar alcohol that I'm familiar with. The most neutral thing you could substitute is water, but the sauce is not going to taste the same.
Afshan says
Hey, I really want to try this recipe but where I live Mirin & Sake are not available, please tell me what can i use to substitute it.
Jacqueline says
Thank you Marc, tried the recipe again worked out perfectly this time!! I'm ready for the beef teriyaki, a little scared of this one.
Marc you make it really easy, thank you for responding!!!
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Jacqueline, the the thighs won't stay crisp because of the steaming and sauce. If you want them to stay crisp you can try the technique outlined here: https://norecipes.com/spicy-crispy-chicken/ and then just make this sauce separately and pour it on top of the crisped chicken.
Jacqueline says
Tried this recipe, sauce was great, thighs, did not get crispy at all. I used the wrong pan. Scraped the dish, will try again with a better pan.
ann says
hi Marc, this is easily one of the best chicken teriyaki recipe i've ever tried! also marinading the chicken in ginger and salt make a big difference in the final product. thank you Marc!
jane says
my son loves the chicken teriyaki. This is by far the best chicken teriyaki recipe i've cooked.
emilyhwp says
Hi Marc, I stumbled upon your blog when I was searching for "chicken teriyaki"; years of living in Switzerland inspired me to finally make my own sauce! Being a Singaporean who has been spoilt with excellent Japanese cuisine, teriyaki sauce out of a bottle just doesn't cut it :-p
I followed your recipe to a "T", twice within 1 week and both times turned out beautifully! My husband and nephew are still raving about it!
I will try your mouthwatering Red Cabbage one soon as well. Thank you for taking the efforts to post these easy-to-follow recipes!
Stacy Deason says
This looks mouthwatering. Thanks for sharing such a simple and easy chicken recipe. I am definitely going to try this recipe in weekend! 🙂
Shirley says
So simple and delicious! I made it tonight with chicken thigh meat and it was wonderful.
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Joy, rice vinegar and mirin are totally different ingredients (one is a sour vinegar, the other is a sweet wine), you could certainly add vinegar but it will make your teriyaki sour (maybe a bit like Filipino chicken adobo). If your intention isn't to make it sour, you could substitute sake with a little extra sugar or use water instead.
joy says
hi marc, can i substitute rice vinegar for mirin?
Mary says
hank you very much perfect timing because my parents are coming tonight and i don't want it to be a disaster
PK says
I tried this recipe last night too and it worked out great! Did you start the pan from cold and kept the fire at medium? Perhaps your chicken wasn't patted dry or the fire was too high. If there's too much fat, you could use a paper towel to soak up the excess
Mary says
Hi Marc, do you have anything or anyway to stop the oil from prickling on my face my face is a little burned did i do anything wrong?
Pokai says
Update: I tried it today with the brining + threw in some ginger. I also used the drumstick with as much of the tendons and ligaments cut off. Rest of the procedure followed the pan-fried recipe. So it's kind of like a hybrid of your 2 versions. Results: issues fixed. Texture great and tastes great. Best chicken teriyaki I've ever had. Better than any restaurant's. looks exactly like pictured. Thank you again
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Eric, glad I could help. As for the soaking, it works well with bones like in the case of Seolleongtang, but I'm not sure how much use it will be with meat. Also, by soaking in water you're going to be increasing the water content of the meat. You could try and soak the chicken in a brine if you want more flavor to the center of the meat. See my grilled chicken teriyaki post for the details on that. https://norecipes.com/blog/chicken-teriyaki-recipe/
Pokai says
Thank you for your reply. Thigh meat it is then for teriyaki. Hahah yeah, it's just that drumsticks are always on sale and I always fully intended to master using them. But...you know the rest. I bought these batch from Central Market. I did see a little bit of blood but they should be up to standard. I'll try again next time from another supermarket. On a side note, you know how Koreans soak their meats before prep, does that really drain out the blood? and will it change the texture of the meat?
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Eric, it sounds like you may want to find a new butcher. The blood should be removed from the chicken when it's processed and my guess is that the gamey taste you're referring to is the left over blood. As for the tendons and ligaments, the only way to make them soft is to cook them for a long time at a low heat (braising), so in the case of chicken teriyaki the only way to make sure they don't interfere with the texture of the meat is to remove them all when deboning. It sounds like the thighs work okay for you, so why not just skip the drumstick portion and only use thighs? When I lived in the US I usually used thigh meat, but here in Japan, you can't buy the thigh meat without the drum stick portion attached.
Pokai says
Hi Marc. I love your website. I stumbled upon it when I was trying to
made pork ramen 🙂 Thank you for sharing your recipes. I have a couple
questions that I hope you could answer. I don't have a problem handling
chicken breasts and thighs but when it comes to drumsticks part, I could
never get the ligaments and tendons soft enough. I don't know if it's
the heat or my timing or my methods. I tried to cut as much of the
ligaments off when deboning but there's always some inside all the
muscles. Also, I can never get rid of the "bloody" taste of chicken
drumsticks. My flavors/sauce tend to just stick on the outside and the
rest of the meat tastes like gamey chicken. Any tips on these issues?
Thank you.
Npriscilla Chan says
That's awesome! I will give a go! Thank you!
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Priscilla, that would work, but it will not be the same as finishing the chicken in the sauce. A better approach might be to cook all the chicken most of the way through, then make a big batch if sauce, and finish cooking a few legs at a time in the sauce. The only challenge will be to keep the sauce from burning, so you might want to keep some water or same handy to add in if the sauce gets too thick. —
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Npriscilla Chan says
I cooked that yesterday and it was very mild and tasty! Thank you!
I was wondering if there is a way to cook many legs at one go if I'm preparing for a feast? Can I cook the teriyaki sauce separately and dunk the legs in at the last minute just to coat with the sauce?
Marc Matsumoto says
It will work with any chicken, but it works best with red meat with skin on because the meat has more fat it has more flavor and prevents the meat from drying out. The worst would be skinless breast meat (white meat) because it has very little fat and will dry out easily. —
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Pernille says
Do you have to use a chicken leg, or can you use any kind of chicken? Becuase in the supermarket we have near where i live (denamrk) they have frozen chicken, or just new fresh chicken parts, like Chicken Fillet, cna that be used ?
Nay Jade says
finally i got teriyaki sauce recipe instead of instant teriyaki sauce.. cant wait to make it
FreeRange Pamela says
Just have to say thank you as this recipe was a big hit with my family. Yum! We recently purchased a rice cooker and I'm always looking for an excuse to cook something with rice. This will definitely become a part of our regular recipe rotation!
Nero di Seppia says
Hi Marc, thanks for the reply! I did this last week and it was amazing, see here: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=676786009005063&set=a.676491749034489.1073741824.201706923179643&type=1&theater
Marc Matsumoto says
You should cut it after you cook it as it will keep the meat more moist.
Ciara SuperNinja White says
I am interested in making this, but I like it in little pieces can I cut up the chicken before I start cooking it or should I wait
bethsco says
Thank you! Thank you! One of my husband's favorite foods is chicken teriyaki and now it's one of mine. We didn't like any store bought teriyaki sauces but now I can make better teriyaki than the restaurant which kinda gives me super hero status around here! It took an extra trip to find sake and mirin but totally worth it! You are awesome! Oh I used light olive oil instead of evoo, chicken breast without skin to cut fat, used a meat tenderizer first and had to steam 10 min before it was cooked but followed everything else. It was incredibly moist and tender.
Marc Matsumoto says
Japanese rice is short-grain and sticky. It's usually sold in the US as Japanese Rice or Sushi Rice. Here's how to cook it: Weigh out 325 grams of rice. Wash the rice until the water runs almost clear. Add the drained rice to a pot with 400 ml of water. Bring it to a boil, then turn down the heat and cover with a lid. Cook for 15 mintues, turn off the heat and let it steam undisturbed for 10 minutes. Fluff the rice and serve.
Nero di Seppia says
Hi Marc, this looks delicious and I am definitely trying it tonight. I just have one question: what is the rice that goes with the dish and how should it be prepared? I searched for "white rice" recipe in the blog but couldn't find any, except from the sushi rice. I know this might sound like a silly question, "how to make plain white rice?" 🙂 but I am Italian and more familiar with pasta I'd say 🙂 Thanks!
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi kurlgurl, when it comes to cooking there's no right or wrong, just things you like and don't like. If you like garlic then you should add it! But if your asking if teriyaki traditionally includes garlic, then no, it not usually added.
kurlgrl1985 says
I love your method and can't wait to try this recipe! However I have never made teriyaki without garlic.... have I been making it wrong? If I add garlic will this ruin the recipe?
shan says
ang sarap neto
Marc Matsumoto says
The only way to get this thick is to boil off almost all the water. By adding water you're working against yourself. It will take longer to boil off and overcook the chicken, which will then start releasing its own liquid making it very difficult to get the sauce thick. If you want to reduce the salt you should skip salting the chicken, or use low sodium soy sauce.
Czapangel says
Thanks for the reply! I used sake in place of mirin since I don't have it. But yeah I did add a couple of tablespoons of water to reduce the saltiness. It was a tad too salty for my palette. So the problem lies with the extra water? Not because I replaced honey with plain sugar?
Marc Matsumoto says
Did you substitute water for the sake or another liquid or did you add extra water on top of the liquids called for in the recipe? If you added extra water, that's most likely the cause. Otherwise, you just need to boil off more liquid, there should only be a few drops of sticky sauce clinging to the pan when this is done.
Czapangel says
I substituted honey with regular sugar and my sauce was still runny even all the liquid has almost evaporated. What am I doing wrong? I added equal parts of water with soy sauce to reduce the saltiness. Could this be the reason why?
Marc Matsumoto says
The alcohol in the sake burns off during cooking so there should not be any alcohol in the finished sauce. You can substitute water for the sake if necessary, but it will not have the same taste.
a al mamun says
would u please tell me how to made teriyaki sauce and is there have any ingredients to use instead of sake? I search in Google the mining of sake. its saying the mining is wine. I don't drink alcohol. that's why I m asking. thank u
Marc Matsumoto says
Hahaha, glad to hear you enjoyed it:-)
aika says
i tried this and my god im inlove with you! lol
Aaliyah says
Or Just Use Low Sodium No count Soy Sauce
Aaliyah says
Then Dont cook it Or Just Use Balsamic Vinegar.......
Malin says
This is the best recipe ever! So easy to make and absolutely scrumptious! Thank you.
Ola says
Tried this recipe and wow I didn't think chicken could taste this good
Bojo says
You are ridiculously emphatic about people attempting to kill you on a food blog. Get a life!
kirstine says
Marc, I've just tried this recipe today and it's working. I follow all the instructions and it turns out to be the best teriyaki chicken I've ever made 🙂
thank you for your advise and helpful feedback, am so lucky to have found your site accidentally and I will definitely try your other delicious recipe as well.
thanks again !
Medicineman78 says
Low sodium Soy sauce, or you could even try Tamari, which is wheat free and generally lower in sodium also
Marc Matsumoto says
Really, the best thing to use is chicken that's never been frozen, but if you must use frozen chicken, leave it in the fridge overnight to defrost. If you find there's a lot of water that comes out of the chicken after it's defrosted it's possible the chicken wasn't frozen properly to begin with. Frozen meat should be flash frozen (very rapidly), otherwise, ice crystals form that rupture cell membranes, and so when you defrost it all the moisture leeches out of the meat, making it tough. Also, make sure you're using chicken thigh meat. Breast meat is especially prone to problems when frozen/defrosted because it has very little fat. At least with thigh meat it has a higher fat content so even if you lose a bunch of moisture in the defrosting process, it doesn't become dry. Lastly, don't overcook the chicken. The a couple minutes of frying time and five minutes of steaming should be enough to completely cook the chicken. If you're worried about the chicken not being cooked, cut into it, the liquid that comes out of the chicken should be clear, not pink. You could also buy an instant read thermometer to check the temperature (it should register around 160 degrees F).
kirstine says
thank you Marc for your respond. I will buy the sake then, as I want to try all of your other recipes as well. In regards to the meat problem, yeah you were right Marc. I bought the frozen one and sometimes defrosted it for too long before start to cook it. Could you please give me the guidance then? Thank you again & I will definitely try to make it.
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Kirstine, Chinese cooking wine is not the same thing as sake and will give the sauce a different taste. You can certainly use it, and I'm sure it will taste fine, it just won't taste like teriyaki sauce. As for the pre-made sauce I'm not really sure what you are asking? I put this recipe up so people can make an authentic teriyaki sauce from scratch and without unnecessary additives, if that's not a concern for you then you should use whatever sauce you like. As for the meat not being tender, what kind of chicken are you using? If you're using breast meat, cooking it for 30 minutes will definitely make it tough. Chicken breast has so little fat it's easily overcooked and will become tough. Even if you were using thigh meat, 30 minutes sounds way too long. If you're worried about undercooking the chicken go buy an instant read thermometer. The chicken is done when it hits 165 degrees F (it shouldn't take more than 10 minutes). It's also possible the chicken you are using was previously frozen and not defrosted properly, which would cause all the moisture to leech out of the meat, making it dry and tough.
kirstine says
hi Marc,
can I use chinese cooking wine instead of sake? or can I use the ready to use Teriyaki sauce like Lee Kum Kee brand? I tried once but the meat isn't tender although I've cooked it for half hour. What's the problem? thanks
Marc Matsumoto says
Glad I could help! Welcome to the Internet:-)
Joany H says
God Bless You Mark, we haven't had Katsudon and a good
teriyaki chicken since we lived in Phoenix,AZ. and that was 20 years ago,just got my first computer,only on line 2 weeks and I found you!
Puspamurti Limopranoto says
Love all your recipe. You are making it so simple to cook it. THANK YOU for sharing itwith us.
Thomas Abraham says
You can buy low sodium soy sauce, I had high blood pressure when pregnant and used it then.
Thomas Abraham says
I always buy either Yamasa or Kikkoman by the gallon tin. Do you ever buy it by the drum? I've always wondered if it's possible, even when cooking with it constantly, to use it all...
Ernest says
I bought the Eden foods mirin, and it's much cleaner flavor than kikkoman. Thank you MARC (I apologize for butchering your name in the previous post)
Marc Matsumoto says
There are two online grocery stores that sell Japanese ingredients in the US, Mitsuwa and Marukai, they both have a selection of mirins, but unfortunately they don't list the ingredients online. One way to get a pretty good idea of whether it's real mirin or not is by the price as real mirin is aged and costs a lot more to make than the fake stuff.
While real mirin definitely makes things taste better in this particular recipe, you may not notice a huge difference because the soy sauce is pretty intense.
Marc Matsumoto says
If you go to Japanese grocery they should sell little 350ml bottles of sake. Yep if you keep it in the fridge it will last indefinitely. It will start taking on different flavors as it ages (kind of like whiskey), so it might not be good for drinking, but it will be fine for cooking.
Ernest says
Thank you Mark. I'm in Dallas, Texas and I have looked around, the closest I have found without additives is Eden Foods Mirin from whole Foods. Most of the Asian markets here stock Aji-Mirin.
I'll keep looking.
Marc Matsumoto says
Great question! Unfortunately many of the brands in the US are just sake with sugar or corn syrup mixed in. Your best bet is to go to Japanese grocery store (or somewhere they have a large selection of mirin) and read the labels (they should have translated english labels with a list of ingredients if you're in the US). The one I'm using right now, I bought in Japan, so it probably wouldn't help you much even if I could read the label and tell you the name:-)
Savannah says
Thanks for the advice. Maybe I will get a little bottle of sake and try and use it just for cooking. Will it last in the fridge like a white wine would? I don't mean to sound daft, but I would love for this recipe to taste as good as it looks. 🙂
Ernest says
Hey Mark, what brand of Mirin do you recommend? I've heard things like Kikkoman Aji-Mirin is not really Mirin, I see some MIrin with added sugar etc. Quite frankly I'm lost when it comes to Mirin.
Marc Matsumoto says
No, that would not be good substitute. Sake is not acidic and teriyaki sauce should not be sour. Rice wine vinegar (like wine vinegar) has undergone the last stage of fermentation where the alcohol turns into acetic acid and doesn't taste anything like sake. Sake makes for a great cooking wine because of it's low acidity and abundance of umami so it shouldn't be hard to use a whole bottle, but if you must use a substitute, use water. It's obviously not going to taste the same, but it will taste a lot closer than using rice vinegar or regular white wine.
Savannah says
Can you substitute rice wine vinegar for the sake? I don't think we'd ever need a whole bottle of sake. Thanks! Recipe looks great very much want to try it!
Helen in Houston says
DELICIOUS and makes my mouth water for more! Easy to follow instructions and terrific step-by-step photos. I followed the recipe to a T, and it looks just like your photo. I'm so glad I found your site.
Thomas Abraham says
I read this No Recipe yesterday & raced out to the store to pick up what I needed. I had some issues: I couldn't find Sake, so sub'd with a white wine & rice vinegar mix; I added too much soy sauce; & I over caramelized the sauce (almost burnt it).
Even with all that it was AMAZING!!!! The sauce/glaze was thick and a perfect texture, it looked just like the last photo! The chicken was tender and moist and flavorful!Things I learned:1) I found it saltier than I prefer, partly my fault from adding too much soy sauce, but I would cut down on the salt in the marinade.2) I would love to try with Sake. It's on my list!3) Marinade the chicken for longer than 30 minutes.4) Wipe off the ginger thoroughly, I barely dabbed at the ginger, thinking it would add more flavor. But it over cooked in the pan & was it's flavor was a distraction to the amazing goodness of the sauce & chicken.5) Keep and eye on & keep stirring the sauce in the last step, I stepped away for 'just a minute,' a bit too long...
Thanks Marc, for the Easy & Quick recipe!!
Helen in Houston says
DELICIOUS and makes my mouth water for more! Easy to follow instructions and terrific step-by-step photos. I followed the recipe to a T, and it looks just like your photo. I'm so glad I found your site.
amelia says
looks like perfection, even in such a short time!
Marilia says
I read this No Recipe yesterday & raced out to the store to pick up what I needed. I had some issues: I couldn't find Sake, so sub'd with a white wine & rice vinegar mix; I added too much soy sauce; & I over caramelized the sauce (almost burnt it).
Even with all that it was AMAZING!!!! The sauce/glaze was thick and a perfect texture, it looked just like the last photo! The chicken was tender and moist and flavorful!Things I learned:1) I found it saltier than I prefer, partly my fault from adding too much soy sauce, but I would cut down on the salt in the marinade.2) I would love to try with Sake. It's on my list!3) Marinade the chicken for longer than 30 minutes.4) Wipe off the ginger thoroughly, I barely dabbed at the ginger, thinking it would add more flavor. But it over cooked in the pan & was it's flavor was a distraction to the amazing goodness of the sauce & chicken.5) Keep and eye on & keep stirring the sauce in the last step, I stepped away for 'just a minute,' a bit too long...
Thanks Marc, for the Easy & Quick recipe!!
Ronald W. Gumbs says
What about my high blood pressure which directly increasing with concentration of sodium in my diet? Are you trying to kill me? Why can't I just eliminate the soy sauce by adding some balsamic vinegar? If I do, can still call it Chicken Teriyaki?
Marc Matsumoto says
Yep, absolutely. I've spent some time in various ryotei kitchens in Japan, and they almost all use plain old Kikkoman, not some fancy small batch brand as you might expect.
Frank says
That looks both easy and amazingly tasty - I'll definitely be trying it!
samnmini says
Is Kikkoman shoyu your preferred soy sauce? It was the brand my mother always kept in her pantry.
kathleenditommaso says
Yep, I've done that before + I read too fast. Your style is a great teaching method. The 1st time I came across what I thought was a misprint (ingredient listed twice), I slowly read the recipe again & understood. Listing it twice saved the meal & my day, thank you!
Marc Matsumoto says
Thanks for the suggestion. The trouble is the platform I use only has a limited amount of space after the ingredient for notes. In this case it would have worked, but sometimes I need the space for other instructions. If I'm going to break with traditional recipe writing style I at least wanted to be consistent about it. Also, I figure that listing it twice for two steps shouldn't make someone mess up the recipe, while only listing it once and having someone accidentally add too much of an ingredient certainly would.
E says
"2 tablespoons, divided"?
Marc Matsumoto says
Actually the recipe calls for 2, it's listed twice. When my recipes call for the same ingredient twice, I usually list it twice because people tend not to read and end up adding too much of it in the first time:-)
Marilia says
Looks great ... Interesting how the cuts of meat are different in other places 🙂
linda says
Does this recipe actually call for 2 tablespoons sake then? The recipe calls for one, but you have me add it in twice (once with the lidded chicken and one mixed in to the sauce).
Lynna says
Delicious!
Lynna says
Delicious!
@lina_to_u says
It does look good:-)