Chicken Teriyaki
Real teriyaki sauce is just soy sauce, mirin, sake and a little sugar, reduced to a thick, shiny glaze — no cornflour or garlic powder required. We fry the thighs skin-side down until properly crisp, then glaze them in the same pan in a couple of minutes.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 30 min
- Servings
- 4
- Level
- Easy
- Per serving
- 400 kcal
Ingredients
For the teriyaki sauce
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What to use instead
Swap the sake for dry white wine or water, and the mirin for 60 ml water plus 1 tbsp sugar.
For the chicken
Makes: 4 servings
Shopping list
The ingredients for the servings you chose — copy them or send them to a messenger. Tick what you already have at home: only the rest goes on the list.
Method
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Step 1: Mix the sauce
In a small bowl, stir together the soy sauce, mirin, sake and sugar until the sugar dissolves.
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Step 2: Prep the thighs
Pat the thighs dry with paper towels. If some parts are much thicker than others, make a few shallow cuts on the meat side so they cook evenly.
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Step 3: Fry skin-side down
Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat and lay the thighs in skin-side down. Cook for 7–8 minutes, pressing down with a spatula, until the skin is deep golden and crisp and the fat has rendered.
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Step 4: Cook the other side
Flip and cook for another 4–5 minutes, until the thickest part reaches 74°C (165°F). Pour off or blot up most of the fat in the pan with paper towels.
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Step 5: Glaze the chicken
Pour in the sauce — it will bubble up immediately. Reduce for 2–3 minutes, turning the thighs and spooning the sauce over them constantly, until it's as thick as runny honey and coats the chicken in a glossy glaze.
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Step 6: Slice and serve
Move the thighs to a board, slice into 1.5 cm strips, spoon over the remaining sauce from the pan and sprinkle with sesame seeds and thinly sliced spring onions.
Tips & variations
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Tip
Watch the glaze closely at the end: the sugar and mirin caramelise quickly and can burn.
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Swap
Swap the sake for dry white wine or water, and the mirin for 60 ml water plus 1 tbsp sugar.
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Variation
For a gluten-free version, use tamari instead of regular soy sauce.
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Storage
Keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in a pan with a spoonful of water to bring back the shine.
Nutrition
| 1 serving | Whole dish 4 servings | |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 400 kcal | 1,600 kcal |
| Protein | 32 g | 128 g |
| Fat | 24 g | 96 g |
| Carbohydrates | 13 g | 52 g |
Approximate values calculated from standard ingredient data.
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