Chicken Teriyaki

Name: Chicken Teriyaki
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: asian, japanese
Ingredients: 1 cup soy sauce; 1 cup granulated sugar; 1 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar; 6 garlic cloves, crushed in a press; 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger; 1/4 teaspoon black pepper; 1 3-inch cinnamon stick; 1 tablespoon pineapple juice; 8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs; 2 tablespoons cornstarch

Recipe from Sujan Shrestha

Adapted by John T. Edge

Updated Feb. 13, 2024

Chicken Teriyaki — Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

Total Time: 30 minutes, plus marinating
Rating: 5(5,213)
Comments: Read comments

Teriyaki is derived from the Japanese root words teri, which means “to shine,” and yaki, which means “to broil or grill.” That’s the way traditional teriyaki looks: shiny and incised with grill marks. In Japan, teriyaki is a mix of soy sauce, sake and the rice wine mirin, which imparts a subtle sweetness. The teriyaki found throughout Seattle, of which this is an adaptation, is a bit more showy. Cooks sweeten with white sugar and pineapple juice. They thicken with cornstarch. Ginger and garlic go into the mix because of the Korean ancestry of many cooks. It is not at all traditional, but it is simple to prepare and a pleasure to eat. Be sure to plan ahead as you do need to marinate the chicken before cooking. An overnight stay in the fridge is ideal, but many readers have been happy with a quick marinade of an hour or so. —John T. Edge

Featured in: A City’s Specialty, Japanese in Name Only

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Ingredients

Yield:8 servings

1cup soy sauce
1cup granulated sugar
1½teaspoons brown sugar
6garlic cloves, crushed in a press
2tablespoons grated fresh ginger
¼teaspoon black pepper
13-inch cinnamon stick
1tablespoon pineapple juice
8skinless, boneless chicken thighs
2tablespoons cornstarch

Ingredient Substitution Guide

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Preparation

Step 1
In a small saucepan, combine all ingredients except cornstarch and chicken. Bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and stir until sugar is dissolved, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. Discard cinnamon stick and mix in ½ cup water.
Step 2
Place chicken in a heavy-duty resealable plastic bag. Add soy sauce mixture, seal bag, and turn to coat chicken. Refrigerate for at least an hour, ideally overnight.
Step 3
Remove chicken and set aside. Pour mixture into a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to low. Mix cornstarch with 2 tablespoons water and add to pan. Stir until mixture begins to thicken, and gradually stir in enough water (about ½ cup) until sauce is the consistency of heavy cream. Remove from heat and set aside.
Step 4
Heat a broiler or grill. Lightly brush chicken pieces on all sides with sauce, and broil or grill about 3 minutes per side. While chicken is cooking, place sauce over high heat and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a bare simmer, adding water a bit at a time to keep mixture at a pourable consistency. To serve, slice chicken into strips, arrange on plates, and drizzle with sauce.

Ratings

5 out of 5

5,213 user ratings

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Comments

Mary7 years ago

For those of you put off by the quantity of sugar, the introduction explains that this is a sweet, Seattle-specific, inauthentic version of Teriyaki. Perhaps a more authentic recipe would be more to your taste? This site has several less-sugary options, including Melissa Clark's Yakitori sauce. Google authentic Teriyaki, and wow, do the internets yield results! Or stick with this one, and reduce the amount of sugar. So many options that don't involve sugar-shaming other readers.

Janet7 years ago

This is so much tastier than any bottled teriyaki sauce, though I'm grateful for readers' suggestions for how to reduce the amount of sugar. Another thing: I wish the editors would stop using plastic bags in the recipe directions for marinades etc. Nonreactive bowls with a plate on top work fine.

Linda Criss7 years ago

Make the marinade
Do not heat
Make a bed of onion and carrot chunks
place bone in - skin on - chicken thighs on top of vegetables
Pour marinade over the dish
Bake 350
Two hours

Sarah1 week ago

For a BBQ, I bought enough bone-in chicken thighs for 25 people. (Removed the skin--so much cheaper than buying boneless/skinless!) Hardly needed to double the recipe to marinate it all overnight in a bowl. A few hours before the party, I grilled them on both sides to give some flavor and char, then transferred to the oven to finish. Before serving, I drizzled with the cooked sauce and reheated a bit. A huge hit, that left time for the hamburgers and hotdogs to be made to order.

Taylor A.2 weeks ago

I made this for the first time several weeks ago and we can't get enough. I've been using the marinade/sauce on salmon and pork chops as well. Simply perfect. No notes.

SeattleCindy1 month ago

Good for chicken but too gingery for salmon. Added mirin, cut out some of the white sugar. Served with a stir-fry of onions broccoli, carrots, and sweet red pepper plus jasmine rice. Today will make baked "fried" rice using all the ingredients, including extra sauce.

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