Saucy, succulent, and sure to satisfy, this Chicken Teriyaki recipe is sure to become a regular favorite! This chicken teriyaki rivals your favorite takeout or restaurant version and comes together so quickly, there’s simply no good reason not to make it at home – not to mention it’s much healthier (no preservatives or additives) and tastes even better!
Takeout always sounds great… until you sit back, puffy from sodium and drowsy from oil, to behold the abandoned containers and discarded plasticware that litter the kitchen table. This recipe is the perfect way to beat the post-takeout bloat. After searing, slicing, and saucing some chicken teriyaki, you’ll consider yourself an honorary hibachi chef.
Teriyaki, the sweet Japanese sauce that characterizes the cooking technique, goes hand in hand with teppanyaki, the large iron griddle on which an array of Japanese dishes are customarily cooked. While your grill or broiler is probably a far cry from a teppanyaki, you can easily prepare chicken teriyaki-style at home.
Besides being delicious, something I love about teriyaki sauce is its versatility: It acts as a marinade, a glaze, and a condiment throughout the steps in this recipe. Aside from the traditional ingredients in teriyaki sauce, we’re also adding some pineapple juice as an important ingredient for marinating process. Besides adding a pleasant sweet-tanginess, pineapple juice contains an enzyme called bromelain that will tenderize the chicken. A slurry of cornstarch is used to then thicken our marinade into a sauce to be drizzled over or served alongside the plated dish as a condiment.Â
One ingredient in this recipe that might be unfamiliar is mirin. Mirin is a Japanese rice wine that is similar to sake but is sweeter and has a lower alcohol content. As such it is a popular cooking wine in Japanese cuisine and adds depth and umami to a variety of sauces, marinades, broths, and soups. Â
Make Chicken Teriyaki Work for You With These Swaps
- To lower the sugar in this recipe, you can make several modifications: use a sugar-free brown sugar replacement (several brands offer this product) and/or substitute the honey with 1 tablespoon of agave nectar or liquid sweetener of your choice.
- If you don’t have mirin and don’t want to make a trip to the grocery store, sherry is an adequate substitute. But for the best results we highly recommend mirin.Â
How to Serve Chicken Teriyaki
I recommend serving chicken teriyaki sliced over a mound of steamed rice – the optimal blank canvas for this culinary delight. Add some steamed vegetables of your choice for a complete and balanced meal.
Chicken Teriyaki Recipe
This recipe follows four easy steps:
- Make the Marinade: Place all the sauce ingredients in a small saucepan, bring it to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 4 minutes. Then let it cool completely because we’re going to use it to marinate our chicken.
- Marinate the Chicken:Â Place the chicken in a large ziplock bag, pour over the cooled teriyaki sauce, massage the chicken to thoroughly coat with the sauce (it’s really quite therapeutic!), and let it marinate in the fridge for at least 4 hours but preferably overnight.
- Thicken the Teriyaki Sauce: Pour the marinade back into a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and stir in the cornstarch slurry, simmering until slightly thickened.
- Cook the Chicken: Remove the chicken and either broil or grill for about 3 minutes on each side or until done (depending on thickness), brushing it occasionally with the teriyaki sauce.  Transfer the chicken to a plate and let it sit for one minute before slicing into strips. Arrange the chicken on plates with some steamed rice and veggies and drizzle with some teriyaki teriyaki sauce. Garnish with some thinly sliced green onions.
And that’s all there’s to it! This teriyaki chicken also makes great leftovers – simply reheat in the microwave.
Enjoy!
In the mood for more Asian food? Be sure to try these Asian favorites:
- Mongolian Beef
- Mongolian Chicken
- Teriyaki Tofu
- Orange Chicken
- Beef and Broccoli
- Sesame Chicken
- Orange Beef
- Kung Pao Chicken
- General Tso’s Chicken
- Sweet and Sour Chicken
- Thai Peanut Chicken
- Char Siu
Chicken Teriyaki
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup tamari (can substitute soy sauce but we prefer the flavor of tamari)
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- OR brown sugar alternative (low sugar option)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
- 1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic
- 3 tablespoons mirin (can substitute sherry)
- 2 tablespoons pineapple juice , fresh or canned (helps tenderize the chicken and contributes flavor)
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 8 boneless/skinless chicken thighs or 2 large boneless/skinless chicken breasts (if using breasts cut them in half lengthwise to make two filets from each breast)
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in 3 tablespoons water (for thickening the sauce at the end)
- thinly sliced green onions/scallions for serving
Instructions
- To Make the Marinade: Place all the sauce ingredients in a small saucepan, bring it to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 4 minutes. Let it cool completely.
- To Marinate the Chicken: Place the chicken in a large ziplock bag, pour over the cooled teriyaki marinade, massage the chicken to thoroughly coat with the marinade, and let it marinate in the fridge for at least 4 hours but preferably overnight. Â
- To Make the Teriyaki Sauce: Pour the marinade from the chicken back into a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and stir in the cornstarch slurry, simmering until slightly thickened. Â
- To Cook the Chicken: Remove the chicken and either broil or grill for about 3 minutes on each side or until done (depending on thickness), brushing it occasionally with the teriyaki sauce.  Transfer the chicken to a plate and let it sit for one minute before slicing into strips. So serve, arrange the chicken on plates with some steamed rice and veggies and drizzle with some teriyaki teriyaki sauce. Garnish with some thinly sliced green onions and a few sesame seeds if desired.
Nutrition
Originally published on The Daring Gourmet September 5, 2021
Horst Lucht says
I will try this recipe. I had a wonderful experience using a ROEMERTOPF in what is named Beggars Chicken.
What is your idea on clay cooking?
Kimberly Killebrew says
Hi Horst, I have my Römertopf that I brought with me from Germany. I’ve used it for making stews and baking bread but it’s been packed away for so long I had almost forgotten about it until you mentioned it. Thanks for reminding me! :)
Esther says
In step 3 you pour the marinade back into the pan, but in step2 you have mixed it in with the chicken. Is there some error? Please clarify? I’d like to make this.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Esther, first you add the marinade to the chicken and let it marinate. Then you pour that same marinade from the chicken into the saucepan to make the teriyaki sauce. Happy cooking!
Tracy and Weston says
Had this for dinner tonight and it is hands down, the best teriyaki chicken I’ve ever had. I left the garlic out so I could share with my dog. We both couldn’t stop making yummy noises during our dinner. Thank you for the incredible recipe!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I’m so happy to hear that, Tracy and Weston, thank you! :)
Michael Whaley says
Made this, excellent. The sauce is just right. Going to try it on pork tenderloin.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Michael, thank you!
Lorna Henderson says
I have a friend allergic to pineapple, what can I substitute, I have verjuice or anything else. Thanks I love your recipes and make many of them.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thanks so much, Lorna, I appreciate that! :) Just leave the juice out, it will still taste good.
Jen says
Hi. You have “minced fresh garlic” listed in the ingredients twice. Should this be ginger?
The recipe looks great and I’ll be making it soon :)
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thank you, Jen, and yes, that should read ginger and garlic! :)