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Teriyaki chicken

Crisp-skinned thighs lacquered in a soy, mirin and sake glaze, sliced over sushi rice.

35 min 25 min hands-on Serves 4 Asian Kid friendly

Teriyaki chicken glazes pan-seared chicken in a glossy sauce of soy, mirin, and sugar that reduces to a sticky coat. The name refers to the shiny glaze as much as the dish. It is a quick, reliable dinner that pairs naturally with steamed rice.

Ingredients

  • 300 g sushi rice
  • salt, a pinch for the rice, plus 1/2 tsp for the skin
  • 4 chicken thighs, skin on, boneless, about 600g
  • 1 tsp vegetable oil
  • 4 tbsp soy sauce
  • 4 tbsp mirin
  • 2 tbsp sake, or dry sherry
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 1 thumb ginger, peeled and finely grated (optional)
  • 2 spring onions, thinly sliced, to serve
  • 1 tsp sesame seeds, to serve (optional)

Method

  1. Rinse the rice until the water runs almost clear. Put it in a pan with 400ml of water and a pinch of salt and bring to the boil over a high heat. Cover, turn to the lowest heat and cook until the water is absorbed and steam holes dot the surface, 10 to 12 minutes. Take it off the heat and leave it covered to keep steaming.
  2. While the rice cooks, whisk the soy sauce, mirin, sake, sugar and the ginger, if using, in a jug until the sugar dissolves. Pat the chicken very dry with kitchen paper and sprinkle the skin with the 1/2 teaspoon of salt; dry skin is what turns crisp.
  3. Lay the thighs skin side down in a large, cold non-stick frying pan with the oil, then set it over a medium heat. Cook without moving them for 10 to 12 minutes, pressing them flat now and then with a spatula, until the fat has rendered and the skin is deep golden and crisp.
  4. Turn the chicken over and cook for 3 to 4 minutes more, until cooked through with no pink in the middle and the juices run clear (75°C on a probe). Tip the fat out of the pan, holding the chicken back with the spatula, so the glaze is not greasy.
  5. Pour in the sauce; it will bubble hard straight away. Let it reduce for 2 to 4 minutes, spooning it over the chicken and turning the pieces, until it thickens to a glossy syrup that coats the back of a spoon. Take it off the heat as soon as it does, since the sugar keeps cooking.
  6. Fluff the rice with a fork and spoon it into bowls. Slice the chicken into strips, lay it over the rice and spoon over the glaze from the pan, then scatter with the spring onions and the sesame seeds, if using. Steamed broccoli or a quick cucumber salad goes well alongside.

Tips

  • Sear the chicken until golden first, then add the sauce and let it reduce so it clings as a glaze.
  • A little cornflour slurry helps thicken the sauce to a glossy, sticky coat if it stays thin.
  • Use chicken thighs for a juicier result that does not dry out as the sauce reduces.

Common questions

What is teriyaki sauce made of?

Classic teriyaki is soy sauce, mirin, sake, and sugar, simmered until it thickens into a glossy glaze. Many home versions skip the sake.

Can I make it gluten-free?

Yes, use tamari or a gluten-free soy sauce in place of regular soy, and check your mirin is gluten-free.