Teriyaki Chicken Recipe

This homemade teriyaki chicken uses deboned thigh meat marinated in soy sauce and mirin, pan-seared until golden, and then braised in my homemade teriyaki sauce until it thickens into a glossy syrup. I like serving it sliced over rice, and dinner is ready in just 30 minutes.

We absolutely love chicken in our house, but I totally get how easy it is to get stuck cooking the same things over and over. This teriyaki chicken is a recipe that breaks the routine, much like the chicken pan sauce recipe I posted recently. When you make it with all the ingredients from scratch, it is absolutely delicious and way better than anything from a takeout container. If you are looking for more ways to cook chicken, my wet brine chicken breast recipe and my dry brine chicken breast recipe are two more favorites that keep dinner interesting.

Teriyaki Chicken

Chicken teriyaki is a Japanese dish featuring chicken that is glazed or braised in a sauce made from soy sauce, mirin, sake, and a sweetener. The technique has been used in Japanese cooking for centuries, but the teriyaki sauce that most Americans know was created by Japanese immigrants in Hawaii who combined soy sauce with pineapple juice and brown sugar. Today there are countless regional and cultural variations, but the core idea remains the same: protein glazed in a sweet, savory, and slightly salty sauce.

The technique I use here starts with deboning the chicken thighs myself. I buy bone-in, skin-on thighs, remove the skin and bone, and save both for stock. The dark meat stays juicier and more tender than breast meat, which is why it is the most commonly used cut for teriyaki. The most important part is to marinate the thighs well, coat them in cornstarch, and then pan-sear them in peanut oil.

To finish, I simply pour the teriyaki sauce directly into the pan and braise the chicken. I like slicing the chicken, serving it over rice, and finishing it with sesame seeds and sliced green onions. The classic way! Below, I will show you step by step how to make this delicious teriyaki chicken at home, along with some cooking tips to get it right every time.

Ingredients and Substitutions

This Teriyaki Chicken recipe has two stages: a quick marinade for the chicken and a braising step with the teriyaki sauce. These are all the ingredients I use:

• Chicken Thighs – I use boneless skinless thigh meat. I debone them myself from bone-in thighs. You can use pre-deboned thighs or boneless skinless chicken breasts if you prefer, but dark meat stays juicier.
• Soy Sauce – You can use dark or light soy sauce, but dark will be more intense in flavor.
• Mirin – One tablespoon in the marinade. Mirin is a sweetened rice cooking wine. Sherry wine is the closest substitute.
• Egg Yolk – It helps the cornstarch adhere to the chicken and adds richness.
• Garlic – Three finely minced cloves mixed into the marinade.
• Cornstarch – I mix this into the marinated chicken. It creates a light coating that browns in the pan and helps thicken the teriyaki sauce as the chicken braises.
• Peanut Oil – I prefer peanut oil or sesame oil for the pan. Any neutral oil with a high smoke point will work.
• Teriyaki Sauce – I recommend making my homemade teriyaki sauce. This is the braising liquid that reduces down into the glaze.

How to Make Easy Teriyaki Chicken

Debone the chicken (optional): I remove the skin and bone from each thigh, saving both for stock. I tenderize the deboned thighs using the back of my knife in a chopping motion across both sides to create small grooves.

Prep the chicken: I add the chicken to a large bowl with salt, pepper, soy sauce, mirin, egg yolk, and minced garlic.

Marinate: I mix until well combined, then thoroughly mix in the cornstarch until the chicken is coated.

Sear the chicken: I pour peanut oil into a large frying pan and heat over medium heat for about 3 minutes. I place the chicken thighs in the pan and cook for 3 to 4 minutes per side until lightly browned.

Braise in the sauce: I add all the chicken back to the pan and pour the teriyaki sauce over the top. I cook over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally and moving the chicken around, until the sauce reduces to a thick syrup and the chicken is cooked through.

Slice and serve: I remove the chicken from the pan, slice it, and serve over steamed rice. I drizzle the remaining glaze from the pan over the top and garnish with sesame seeds and sliced green onions.

chef tip + notes

The key to great teriyaki chicken is getting the sauce reduction right. I highly recommend to coat the chicken in a thick and glossy layer, not pool at the bottom of the plate.

• Tenderize with the back of the knife: This creates small grooves that allow the marinade and sauce to penetrate deeper. It also helps the chicken cook more consistently.
• Do not skip the cornstarch: The cornstarch coating serves a dual purpose: it helps brown the chicken in the pan and it thickens the teriyaki sauce as it braises. Without it, the sauce will be thin.
• Cook in batches if needed: Overcrowding the pan drops the temperature and causes the chicken to steam instead of sear. I cook in rounds and add all the chicken back before pouring in the sauce.
• Save the skin and bones: If you debone the thighs yourself, keep the skin and bones in a bag in the freezer. Once you have enough, they make an excellent homemade chicken stock.

Serving Suggestions

I serve this over a bowl of garlic fried rice so the teriyaki glaze pools into the grains. A side of garlic green beans rounds out the plate, and I always place extra sesame seeds and sliced green onions at the table.

When I have my loved ones over for dinner, I serve the teriyaki chicken alongside my steak fajitas for an Asian-meets-Mexican dinner that my daughter loves. And for dessert I love ending the night with a slice of pistachio cake or some chocolate chip cookies because why not?

Make-Ahead and Storage

Make-Ahead: This recipe is meant to be eaten as soon as it is done cooking. I keep the chicken warm in the sauce on very low heat, covered, for up to 20 to 30 minutes before serving.

How to Store: I cover and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. It freezes well, covered, for up to 3 months. I thaw it in the refrigerator for 1 day before reheating.

How to Reheat: I add the desired amount of chicken and sauce to a small pan over low heat until warmed through.

More Chicken Recipes

• Chicken Marsala
• Coq Au Vin
• Chicken Adobo
• Souvlaki
• Chicken Salad

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Teriyaki Chicken Recipe

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5 from 27 votes

This homemade teriyaki chicken uses deboned thigh meat marinated in soy sauce and mirin, pan-seared until golden, and then braised in my homemade teriyaki sauce until it thickens into a glossy syrup. I like serving it sliced over rice, and dinner is ready in just 30 minutes.

Servings: 6

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Ingredients 

US CustomaryMetric

• 2 ½ to 3 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon mirin or sherry wine
• 1 egg yolk
• 3 finely minced garlic cloves
• ¼ cup corn starch
• 3 tablespoons peanut oil
• 1 cup teriyaki sauce
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• Mix the chicken in a large bowl with salt, pepper, soy sauce, mirin, egg yolk, and garlic until well combined.
• Next, thoroughly mix in the corn starch until combined.
• Pour the cooking oil into a large frying pan or rondeau pot and heat on medium heat for 3 minutes.
• Place in the chicken thighs and cook for 3-4 minutes per side, they should be lightly browned.
• Pour the teriyaki sauce into the pan with the chicken and cook over medium heat for 8-10 minutes or until the sauce becomes thick like a syrup and the chicken is cooked through.
• Slice the chicken and serve over rice and garnish with optional sesame seeds and sliced green onions.

Notes

The key to great teriyaki chicken is getting the sauce reduction right. I highly recommend to coat the chicken in a thick and glossy layer, not pool at the bottom of the plate.

Tenderize with the back of the knife: This creates small grooves that allow the marinade and sauce to penetrate deeper. It also helps the chicken cook more consistently.

Do not skip the cornstarch: The cornstarch coating serves a dual purpose: it helps brown the chicken in the pan and it thickens the teriyaki sauce as it braises. Without it, the sauce will be thin.

Cook in batches if needed: Overcrowding the pan drops the temperature and causes the chicken to steam instead of sear. I cook in rounds and add all the chicken back before pouring in the sauce.

Save the skin and bones: If you debone the thighs yourself, keep the skin and bones in a bag in the freezer. Once you have enough, they make an excellent homemade chicken stock.

Make-Ahead: This recipe is meant to be eaten as soon as it is done cooking. I keep the chicken warm in the sauce on very low heat, covered, for up to 20 to 30 minutes before serving.

How to Store: I cover and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. It freezes well, covered, for up to 3 months. I thaw it in the refrigerator for 1 day before reheating.

How to Reheat: I add the desired amount of chicken and sauce to a small pan over low heat until warmed through.

Nutrition

Calories: 365kcalCarbohydrates: 14gProtein: 40gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 212mgSodium: 2199mgPotassium: 581mgFiber: 1gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 89IUCalcium: 34mgIron: 3mg

Course: Main

Cuisine: Japanese

Author: Chef Billy Parisi