Home-Style Chicken Teriyaki
This classic Japanese staple offers a perfect balance of savory soy, sweet mirin, and aromatic ginger. It’s my secret weapon for a high-impact weeknight meal that comes together in under 30 minutes.
By @yuki.tanaka
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Ingredients
for 2 servings
- 500 gchicken thighs — skin-on, trimmed of excess fat
- 60 mlsoy sauce
- 60 mlmirin
- 30 mlsake
- 15 gbrown sugar
- 15 gfresh ginger — finely minced
- 3 clovesgarlic — minced
- 15 mlvegetable oil
- 1 tspsesame seeds — toastedoptional
Equipment
checked against your kitchen
- ✓stovetop
What cooks learned
Only 5 cooks have logged this one in Cook Mode so far — not enough to say anything about where it goes wrong.
Method
- 1
Mince the ginger and garlic cloves until they form a fine paste.
3 min - 2parallel track
Whisk together the soy sauce, mirin, sake, brown sugar, minced ginger, and minced garlic in a small bowl to create the teriyaki sauce.
3 min→ the sauce
- 3parallel track
Pat the chicken thighs very dry with paper towels and season lightly with a pinch of salt.
2 min - 4
Heat the vegetable oil in a large heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. Place chicken skin-side down and sear until the skin is golden brown and crisp (about 6-8 minutes).
8 min190°C surfaceDone when: the skin is deeply golden and releases easily from the pan
- 5
Flip the chicken pieces over to the flesh side. Pour the prepared sauce mixture over the chicken.
2 min - 6
Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer the chicken in the sauce for about 5 minutes until the liquid thickens into a glossy glaze.
5 min⏱ the sauce has reduced to a syrupy consistency that coats the back of a spoon · 5 minDone when: the sauce has reduced to a syrupy consistency that coats the back of a spoon
→ the finished chicken
- 7
Remove from heat and garnish with toasted sesame seeds before serving.
1 min