This traditional teriyaki recipe combines sweet and savory flavors in a quintessential Japanese dish. Serve atop a bed of steamed rice or alongside crisp stir-fried vegetables.
Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 30 min Serves: 4-6
Ingredients:
6-8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, patted dry
Salt
For teriyaki sauce:
2 tablespoons sake
4 tablespoons mirin
8 tablespoons soy sauce
4 tablespoons white sugar
4 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon water, for slurry
Green onions, sliced, and sesame seeds for garnish
Hint:
To get the most flavor into your chicken, it’s important to get it nice and brown on the outside. If you lightly salt the chicken, before pan-frying it. This coaxes out any excess moisture from the surface, and then you can use paper towels to remove the liquid, along with the salt before frying it.
Preparation:
1. Once the chicken is salted and patted dry, place skin-side down into a cold non-stick pan. There’s no need to add any oil since the skin will render out plenty of fat.
2. Cook the chicken slowly over medium heat until the skin side is crisp and browned. Then flip it over to brown on the other side. Remove from pan and set aside.
3. Drain off any excess oil, then use paper towels to wipe up any remaining oil left in the pan.
4. In a bowl, mix together the soy sauce, sake, mirin, sugar, and 4 tablespoons of water.
5. Return the chicken to the pan, skin-side up. Pour the sauce over the chicken, bring to a simmer, cover, and cook until chicken is cooked through. Be sure to jiggle the chicken pieces around occasionally, to avoid scorching the bottom.
6. Scoop out any fat that has rendered and is floating on the top, and discard.
7. Now that the chicken is cooked, remove it from the pan and arrange on a serving platter.
8. Prepare a cornstarch slurry, with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch to 1 tablespoon of water. Heat the remaining sauce to a boil and slowly add the slurry to make a nice thick sauce.
9. With a spoon, ladle the sauce on top of the chicken, making sure to coat well.
10. Garnish with sliced green onion and toasted sesame seeds.