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A plate of Teriyaki chicken with rice and steamed broccoli.
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Teriyaki Chicken

This easy Teriyaki Chicken recipe makes delicious, juicy chicken that is perfect for rice bowls, stir-fries, and salads. The teriyaki sauce doubles as both a marinade and a serving sauce and can be used with other meats and veggies as well.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Asian
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 4 servings (6 oz chicken + 3 tbsp sauce each)
Calories 403kcal

Ingredients

For the teriyaki sauce:

For the chicken:

Instructions

To make the teriyaki sauce:

  • In a small saucepan, combine soy sauce, sugar, water, mirin, ginger, garlic, and red pepper flakes, if using. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium and simmer.
  • To make the cornstarch slurry, remove 2 tablespoons teriyaki sauce to a small bowl and whisk in cornstarch. Return to the saucepan and continue simmering until the sauce thickens slightly, about 5 to 8 minutes (you should have 1 cup sauce).
  • Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Reserve 1/4 cup marinade for the chicken and refrigerate the remainder until serving time.

To make the chicken:

  • In a plastic zipper-top bag or glass dish, add chicken and 1/4 cup reserved, cooled teriyaki sauce. Marinade at least 30 minutes at room temperature or up to 4 hours in the refrigerator.
  • Heat olive oil in a large skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add chicken in a single layer and cook until browned on one side, about 5 minutes.
  • Flip chicken, reduce heat to medium, partially cover, and continue cooking until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees on an internal thermometer, about 10 to 15 minutes longer. Transfer to a cutting board and let chicken rest 5 minutes before slicing. Serve with the remaining teriyaki sauce and garnish with scallions and sesame seeds if desired.

Notes

  1. Mirin: Mirin is a Japanese cooking wine that is widely available at grocery stores, Target, and Walmart. If you can’t find it, substitute 2 tablespoons dry white wine OR rice vinegar AND 1 teaspoon sugar for the 2 tablespoons mirin in this recipe.
  2. Ginger: Store the whole root in the freezer, as-is and grate it when you need it. Some grocery stores also sell tubes of grated ginger in the produce area and it works perfectly here (I usually pick up a tube of the garlic paste, too, if I'm going to make teriyaki sauce).
  3. Red pepper flakes: Maybe omit these if you're feeding children (I always do) or add more if you love heat.
  4. Chicken: For more surface area, butterfly chicken breasts before adding to the bag with the marinade (or buy chicken breast filets or tenders).
  5. Yield: This recipe makes 4 servings, 6 ounces of chicken and 1 1/2 ounces (3 tablespoons) teriyaki sauce per serving.
  6. Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Nutrition

Serving: 6 oz chicken | Calories: 403kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 39g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 109mg | Sodium: 1886mg | Potassium: 700mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 32g | Vitamin A: 88IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 17mg | Iron: 1mg