Super Easy Teriyaki Chicken

Teriyaki Chicken is a staple in our house. It is quick and super easy and very delicious. It is loved by everyone and is my no-brainer “go to” meal. I make my sauce from scratch and have tweaked several different recipes, as I often find Japanese sauces to be ever so slightly too sweet, sometimes.

I use this same recipe with salmon fillets, and you could literally put anything with it. Tofu steaks would be delicious, as would thinly sliced beef.

Teriyaki is said to have originated in Japan around the 17th century, however the sauce that most people recognise as teriyaki sauce may have it’s roots with Japanese immigrants in Hawaii. In Japanese 照焼 teriyaki comes from teru which means to illuminate or shine and yaki which means to grill. Yaki is the cooking method for many types of Japanese cuisine, such as okonomiyaki, yakitori, sukiyaki and yakiniku.

Teriyaki Chicken

Ingredients

1kg chicken thigh (skin on or off)

Flour for dusting chicken

Sesame Seeds (black or white)

Rice Bran Oil

Koshihikari Rice

Teriyaki Sauce

 4 tablespoons soy

4 tablespoons mirin

4 tablespoons cooking sake

1 ½ tablespoons brown sugar

Method:

• Make the sauce first. Mix all ingredients in a saucepan and heat until sugar is totally dissolved.
• Prepare and cook the rice by absorption. Ratio of 1: 1.5. Wash the rice and drain three times before cooking.
• Take the chicken thighs and lightly dust them in flour.
• Panfry the chicken thighs whole (skin side down- if relevant) in a little rice bran oil over a medium heat.
• Fry until golden brown, covered, around 10 minutes and turn over. Continue frying for another 10 minutes.
• Pour the teriyaki sauce over the chicken thighs and turn off the heat. Add the sesame seeds.
• Remove the thighs, one by one, and cut them into large cubes. Return to the sauce.
• Serve the chicken and sauce over the rice.

I usually serve mine with broccolini in gomae (sesame dressing)…