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This easy Teriyaki Chicken recipe is a meal the whole family will love. The marinated chicken is grilled allowing the teriyaki sauce to caramelize on the chicken.
There are all kinds of ways to make teriyaki chicken. I often make it in the crock pot. But today we have a more authentic, traditional version.
The word teriyaki comes from the Japanese root words teri, to shine, and yaki, to broil or grill. That’s the way traditional teriyaki looks, it’s shiny and has grill marks.
Homemade Teriyaki Sauce Ingredients
Soy Sauce. I prefer to use low sodium soy sauce. You can also use Tamari if you need a gluten free version.
Mirin. This is a Japanese rice wine vinegar and gives the sauce a subtle sweet tang. I highly recommend using it. You can find it in the Asian aisle of the store along with the soy sauce. If you can’t find it, you can substitute dry sherry, sweet marsala wine, dry white wine or rice vinegar will also do, though you’ll need to counteract the sourness with about a 1/2 teaspoon of sugar for every tablespoon you use.
Garlic. I use fresh minced garlic.
Ginger. If you don’t have fresh you can substitute dried ginger but use half the amount.
Sugar. Use granulated sugar or you an substitute honey.
How to Make Homemade Teriyaki Sauce
- Combine the soy sauce and sugar in a sauce pan and bring to a bowl, stir so that the sugar dissolves.
- Reserve 1/4 cup of this for later.
- Let the 3/4 cup of mixture cool and then add in the garlic, ginger and mirin and blend in the blender.
How to Make Teriyaki Chicken
Chicken. I like to use boneless, skinless thighs for this recipe but you can also use boneless skinless chicken breasts if you prefer. Trim excess fat off of the thighs.
Teriyaki Sauce. Set aside 1/4 cup of teriyaki sauce to pour over cooked chicken before serving. Pour 3/4 cup over the raw chicken in a zippered bag and allow to marinate in the refrigerator for an hour or overnight.
Cook. I use a gas grill but you could also use a grill pan on the stove top, you just want those grill marks for a more authentic teriyaki chicken. Cook until meat is cooked through and then slice.
Serve. Slice the chicken, and place on a serving plate. Pour remaining sauce over the top. Serve with rice and garnish with green onions.
How to Serve Teriyaki Chicken
A fun way to serve Teriyaki Chicken is as a rice bowl. Fill your bowl with rice, add in the chicken and then top with carrots, roasted or steamed broccoli, or any other veggies you might have on hand. Drizzle with your remaining teriyaki sauce and garnish with sesame seeds if you like.
Frequently Asked Questions
Store any leftover teriyaki chicken and rice in separate containers in the fridge for up to 4 days so that the sauce doesn’t make the rice soggy..
My favorite veggies to add are bell peppers, broccoli, mushrooms. Saute them in some light oil until tender and then serve them with the chicken over the rice.
More easy dinner ideas include:
Teriyaki Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 cup low sodium soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp mirin
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar or honey
- 1 tsp ginger minced
- 4 tsp garlic minced
Instructions
- In a sauce pan combine soy sauce and sugar. Bring to a boil and stir to dissolve sugar. Cool. Set aside 1/4 cup.
- Combine 3/4 cup of soy sauce mixture with mirin, garlic and ginger. Place in blender and blend until smooth.
- Pour mixture over chicken in a zipper bag. Marinate for at least one hour to overnight.
- Grill chicken. Slice and pour reserved sauce over top.
Tips & Notes:
Nutrition Facts:
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