Get ready for a meal that will become staple in your home! If you're into Asian flavors, this is for YOU! This specific Teriyaki Chicken recipe is a top 5 meal in our house. It's not hard to make and has such satisfying flavors.
It's one of my favorites for busy weeknights, only taking 30-40 minutes to make and it makes for great leftovers. I often serve it with sushi rice and some steamed broccoli or asparagus. To make this even more lower calorie then simply leave out the brown sugar and minimize your rice serving.
This Clowers Family ALWAYS craves asian cuisine. We often get in a hurry, we order take out and then we end up disappointed. Let's face it right? Nothing beats homemade! And the best part about making these dishes at home...is going to the local Asian grocery store and supporting the community! I learn something new from the clerks every time I go there.
In 1999 to 2002 I was a missionary living in the Philippines and was able to travel to many countries in Southeast Asia (Thailand, Singapore, Hong Kong, China, Japan, India, and Laos). Needless to say, I easily developed a love for Asian Cuisine. Two of my kids are half Asian as well and we all share this love!
Asian Cuisine Favorites
Teriyaki Chicken is not my only Asian dish on my website. I have many others and some of them are fusion dishes where I like to take East meets West and combine flavors from different countries around the World. See below!
- Asian Cucumber Salad
- Asian Broccoli Stir Fry
- Korean Steak Tacos
- Texas Korean Ribeye
- Kimchi Fried Rice
- Bacon Sushi Roll
The History
Teriyaki Chicken dates back as far as the 16th Century in Japan. Although you'll find this on menus in Chinese, Indonesian and Thai restaurants..it is indeed a Japanese style of cooking.
Teriyaki itself is a cooking method with Soy Sauce, Mirin and sometimes sugar. It's also argued by some historians that the teriyaki sauce originated in Hawaii (where they originally used pineapple juice). Then the process of cooking teriyaki made its way to Seattle where it BOOMED! In the 1970's there were close to 80 teriyaki shops in Seattle alone.
What Chicken to Use
I personally recommend thighs because that's what all the Japanese Chef's use. The tenderness of the thigh's also give you a much better flavor. Chicken breasts work just fine, but I'm sticking with thighs for the win!
What about the sugar?
Sugar being used in this dish is not traditional because the sweetness from the MIRIN (a Japanese cooking wine) is naturally sweet. Our family enjoys the sweetest, so for this recipe I did add brown sugar, but you can certainly leave it out.
Now let's get to the recipe and all the ingredients needed as well as some cooking items and utensils for this dish.
Helpful Items for this Recipe
- Wok - I love my Hexclad products! Quality goes a long way, so don't skimp on your pans 😉
- Saute Pan
- Mixing Bowls - I use these every time I cook and having a set with different sizes is so helpful.
- Flint and Flame Knives - I use these daily and have had them for over 2 years. I've yet to sharpen them! Definitely great quality knives. Code CHEFTIM40 to get 40% this knife or their entire website
- Bench Scraper - What I use for easy clean up on my cutting boards when chopping.
- Soy Sauce - My go-to Soy Sauce!
- Mirin - My go-to Mirin!
- Sushi Rice - I often buy this locally, but if you don't have a store close, this brand is great!
- Rice Cooker - This 4 cup rice cooker is great for small families! They also come in a 6 and 10 cup option.
Ingredients you'll need for Teriyaki Chicken with Rice
*This recipe makes 3 Servings*
- 3 Cups Sushi Rice, cooked
- 6 Boneless Chicken Thighs (2lbs) or 2 Breast around 2 lbs.
- 3 tablespoon Ginger
- 5 Cloves Garlic
- 3 tablespoon Scallions
- 3 teaspoon Sea Salt
- 3 teaspoon Pepper
- ⅓ Cup Flour
- ½ Cup Sesame Seeds
- 1 Cup Mirin
- 1 Cup Soy Sauce
- ⅓ Cup Brown Sugar
- 2 tablespoon Vegetable Oil (or frying oil of choice)
Detailed Instructions for Teriyaki Chicken
Prep Rice, Chicken and Ingredients
Step 1 : Gather all your ingredients. Wash your rice under cold water to rinse off the dust and remove any excess starch. Rinse it until the rice water is completely clear. Trust me on this. You will enjoy the rice much more! Cook rice in rice cooker.
Step 2 : Mince the garlic and ginger. Chop scallions saving the green for toppings. Set aside. Note : I like to use ramekins to keep all my ingredients organized.
Step 3 : Place chicken on a sheet pan or a covered surface. Pat chicken dry and then season both sides with salt and pepper. Then, lightly dust both sides of the chicken with flour. Set aside.
Toasting Sesame Seeds and Making Sauce
Step 4 : Heat a small skillet over medium low heat for 2 minutes. Add in sesame seeds and begin toasting them. You will move around the seeds about every 20 seconds or so for 3-4 minutes. We're looking for a golden brown color. Once done, remove from pan and set aside.
Step 5 : To make the sauce, get a mixing bowl and simply pour your soy sauce, mirin, ginger, garlic and brown sugar into this bowl. Mix it with a wire whisk ensuring you broke apart any sugar lumps.
Cook Chicken and Plate
Step 6 : Preheat wok on medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Place your chicken in the skillet. Once chicken is cooked half way, flip it over. When chicken temp reaches 145°F you should see edges are completely brown. Then, it's time to sauce!
Step 7 : Once they are golden brown, pour 1 cup of the sauce over the chicken. Reduce over a medium low heat for 5 minutes. Pour in the rest of the sauce and continue cooking until the sauce has thickened. It should become a gravy-like texture.
Step 8 : It's officially time to plate! Slice chicken and let rest for 5 minutes. Place rice on a plate, top with the sliced chicken, toasted sesame seeds, and then green scallions.
*This post may contain affiliate link(s), so we may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on our site at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support and understanding.
What are the "must haves" on your family menus? Let me know your families favorite recipes in the comments! I love gathering ideas from fellow cooks!
Recipe
Teriyaki Chicken
Ingredients
- 3 Cups Sushi Rice cooked
- 6 Boneless Chicken Thighs or 2 Breast around 2 lbs.
- 3 tablespoon Ginger
- 5 Cloves Garlic
- 3 tablespoon Scallions
- 3 teaspoon Sea Salt
- 3 teaspoon Pepper
- ⅓ Cup Flour
- ½ Cup Sesame Seeds
- 1 Cup Mirin
- 1 Cup Soy Sauce
- ⅓ Cup Brown Sugar
- 2 tablespoon Vegetable Oil
Instructions
Prep Rice, Chicken and Ingredients
- Mince garlic and ginger. Chop scallions saving the green for toppings. Set aside.
- Pat chicken dry and season both sides with salt and pepper. Then, lightly dust both sides of the chicken with flour. Set aside.
Toasting Sesame Seeds and Making Sauce
- Heat a small skillet over medium low heat for 2 minutes. Add in sesame seeds and begin toasting them. You will move around the seeds about every 20 seconds or so for 3-4 minutes. We're looking for a golden brown color. Once done, remove from pan and set aside.
- To make the sauce, mix together soy sauce, mirin, ginger, garlic and brown sugar into a bowl. Use a wire whisk to break apart sugar lumps.
Cook Chicken and Plate
- Preheat wok on medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Place your chicken in the skillet. Once chicken is cooked half way, flip it over. When chicken temp reaches 145°F, move to next step.
- Once golden brown, pour 1 cup of the sauce over the chicken. Reduce over a medium low heat for 5 minutes. Pour in the rest of the sauce and cook until the sauce thickens.
- Slice chicken and let rest for 5 minutes. Place rice on a plate, top with the sliced chicken, toasted sesame seeds, and green scallions.
Notes
Nutrition
*This post may contain affiliate link(s), so we may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on our site at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support and understanding.
Chef Tim Clowers says
Its by far my favorite ASIAN dish I make.
Musabbir Hossen Khalid says
This teriyaki chicken recipe is fantastic! The flavors are perfectly balanced, and the steps are easy to follow, making it ideal for both beginners and experienced cooks. Kudos to the author for creating such a delicious and well-presented dish!
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CookitwithTim says
Thanks so much. Hope you enjoy making this dish.
ellen says
hello, just wondering which wok you are using? I would like to purchase the same one. Thank you.
CookitwithTim says
This is a Hexclad Wok! My favorite.