Recipe
Chicken Teriyaki
Tender chicken thighs coated in a glossy soy, mirin and ginger glaze, served with steamed rice and fresh spring onions for a balanced Japanese-style dinner.
Ingredients
Method
15 mins prep20 mins cook35 mins total
Pat the chicken dry and season it lightly with the salt and black pepper. Have the soy sauce, mirin, sake, brown sugar, ginger and garlic measured before you start cooking.
Heat the vegetable oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken in a single layer and cook for 6–8 minutes, turning occasionally, until browned and cooked through.
Lower the heat to medium. Add the soy sauce, mirin, sake, brown sugar, ginger and garlic, then stir around the chicken. Let the sauce simmer for 4–6 minutes until it reduces to a glossy glaze that coats the pieces.
Taste the glaze and remove the pan from the heat. Serve the chicken and sauce over steamed rice, then scatter with toasted sesame seeds and sliced spring onions.
Notes
Cut the chicken into evenly sized pieces so they cook at the same rate. Keep the heat moderate once the sauce is added: it should reduce to a glaze, not catch on the base of the pan.
About this recipe
This chicken teriyaki is built around tender pieces of chicken and a glossy glaze that balances salty soy sauce with mirin, sake, brown sugar and fresh ginger. It is a straightforward Japanese-style dinner with a clean savoury sweetness and enough sauce to soak into steamed rice.
The chicken is browned first so it develops a little colour before the sauce is added to the pan. As it bubbles, the liquid reduces around the pieces and turns shiny without needing cornflour. Finish with toasted sesame seeds and spring onions for freshness and contrast, then serve while the glaze is still warm.
