Chicken Teriyaki

Recipe from Sujan Shrestha

Adapted by John T. Edge

Updated February 12, 2024

  • Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
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Total Time
30 minutes, plus marinating
Rating
5(6,123)
Comments
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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

  • 1 cup soy sauce

  • 1 cup granulated sugar

  • 1 ½ teaspoons brown sugar

  • 6 garlic cloves, crushed in a press

  • 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger

  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper

  • 1 3-inch cinnamon stick

  • 1 tablespoon pineapple juice

  • 8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs

  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)

31 grams carbs; 189 milligrams cholesterol; 557 calories; 13 grams monounsaturated fat; 7 grams polyunsaturated fat; 9 grams saturated fat; 32 grams fat; 1 gram fiber; 1908 milligrams sodium; 35 grams protein; 26 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
6,123 user ratings
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Comments

Mary

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.

Janet

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 Criss

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

Justyn Green

I have made this a handful of times now and find it to be a real crowd pleaser. I always make is when I have a pineapple at home and crush up a few extra ripe chunks to include in the recipe in place of pineapple juice. Chicken thighs are a must in my book. I love the tiny bit of char this sweet marinade produces on the grill as well as the glisten the reduced glaze provides in the finished dish. Everyone I have made this for comments on how delicious it is. I will be making this again!

BP

Why are we instructed to boil the sauce in step 3 and step 4?

Jason H.

We used a similar shortcut to what @Marybeth wrote eight years ago. Rather than marinating the chicken thighs, I prepared the sauce. I used tapioca powder in lieu of corn starch, as we're out. Mixed all ingredients together, minus the chicken, then stir fried the chicken. (Sautéed it, my spouse will remind me.) Once the chicken was cooked, added the sauce, the pineapple (rings cut into chunks) and chopped bell peppers. Served alongside jasmine rice. All in all made a very good dish.

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Credits

Adapted from Sujan Shrestha, Tokyo Garden Teriyaki, Seattle

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