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Crispy skin, juicy inside! Basic Teriyaki Chicken

4.6

(941 reviews)

Time

approx. 30mins

A favorite with both kids and adults, this is the basic way to make teriyaki chicken. You don't need store-bought teriyaki sauce—just combine simple seasonings you likely already have at home, in an easy-to-follow ratio. Coat well-seared chicken in a sweet-savory sauce, and it’s so delicious you won’t be able to stop eating. It’s great as a main dish with rice, and it also works well in a rice bowl. You can also enjoy it in many variations: with mayonnaise and shredded cabbage in sandwiches, toasted sandwiches, or burgers, or even as a pizza topping.

  • Calories

    331kcal

  • Carbs

    8.2g

  • Fat

    20.8g

  • Protein

    21.5g

  • Net Carbs

    8.2g

  • Sodium

    628.8mg

* per serving

* Nutritional values are based on the Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan and may differ from U.S. food composition data.

* Sodium is estimated from the recipe's salt content (1 g salt ≈ 393 mg sodium).

Ingredients [ 4 servings ]

  • chicken thigh2 (500 g)
  • salt and peppera pinch
  • vegetable oil1 tablespoon

☆ Sauce

  • sake2 tablespoons
  • mirin2 tablespoons
  • sugar1 tablespoon
  • soy sauce2 tablespoons
Cooking notes

Please Note

Ingredients may vary by product and region. If you have food allergies or dietary restrictions, please review all ingredient labels carefully before cooking. Consult your doctor or a registered dietitian if you have any health concerns.

Instructions

1

Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Remove the yellowish fat between the skin and meat. Place the chicken skin-side down and use the full length of the knife to make 4 shallow lengthwise cuts. Turn it over and prick the skin with a fork or similar utensil. Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper.

Note:

Score the chicken to help it cook evenly. It also prevents shrinking and helps the seasoning absorb better.

2

Heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the chicken skin-side down and cook over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes, until deeply browned and crisp. Press it down with a spatula from time to time so the entire skin side browns evenly.

3

Flip the chicken over, cover, and cook over low heat for about 3 minutes. Add the sauce ingredients marked with ☆, then simmer over medium heat, spooning the sauce over the chicken occasionally, until the sauce thickens.

Reviews

4.6

(941 reviews)

*Automatically translated from reviews posted in Japan.

  • 🇯🇵 User from Japan

    I added a little potato starch to the sauce so it would coat the ingredients more easily! It turned out delicious 😊

  • 🇯🇵 User from Japan

    I added too much salt and pepper, so it turned out a bit strongly seasoned, but it was still delicious! Be careful not to overdo the salt and pepper!! It was great as a snack with drinks, haha. After I added the sugar, I realized honey might have worked well instead.^_^ I tried adding just a little, and it was delicious.^_^ I’d love to make it again!

  • 🇯🇵 User from Japan

    I like to cook the skin thoroughly and let it brown a little. Using chicken thighs makes it easy to prepare and delicious, so it’s one of my favorite recipes.

  • 🇯🇵 User from Japan

    The flavor was perfect, and it turned out really delicious. I was concerned about the oil, so before adding the mixed seasonings, I wiped the oil from the frying pan with a paper towel.

  • 🇯🇵 User from Japan

    It turned out very tender and delicious. Making slits in the meat and pricking it with a fork helped prevent it from shrinking or curling, and the flavor soaked in well. The cooking time was shorter than the teriyaki chicken I had made before, but with proper prep, the right heat level, and covering it with a lid, it cooked through and stayed tender. A lot of fat came out of the meat, so before adding the seasonings, I soaked it up with three sheets of paper towel. I also used a bit more sugar based on other people's reviews, which gave it more thickness and shine, and the flavor turned out even better.

  • 🇯🇵 User from Japan

    Delicious 👍

  • 🇯🇵 User from Japan

    It’s easy to make, and teriyaki is always popular, so I often make it when I’m craving meat.

  • 🇯🇵 User from Japan

    It was easy since I just had to bake it. And the flavor was spot-on.

  • 🇯🇵 User from Japan

    It turned out super crispy and delicious ❤︎ I covered it and started over low heat, then checked the timing and lowered the heat once it had browned! It was crispy and juicy 🤤

  • 🇯🇵 User from Japan

    It was delicious, so I’ll make it again. It’s also tasty if you take out the meat and simmer just the sauce left in the frying pan a little longer before pouring it over.