Chicken Teriyaki (Japanese Pan-Glazed Chicken Thigh)
Cuisine: Japanese
Region: 日本各地
Servings: 2人分
Chicken Teriyaki, also described as Japanese pan-glazed chicken thigh, is skin-on thigh browned first, then finished in a shiny sauce of soy, mirin, sake, and sugar. The rendered skin and sweet-savory glaze make it a staple with rice and in bento boxes.
At a glance
Time: about 25 min · Serves 2 · Difficulty: easy-medium · ≈ 520 kcal per serving (estimate)
Chicken Teriyaki, also described as Japanese pan-glazed chicken thigh, is skin-on thigh browned first, then finished in a shiny sauce of soy, mirin, sake, and sugar. The rendered skin and sweet-savory glaze make it a staple with rice and in bento boxes.
Ingredients
- Chicken thighs (skin-on) 2 pieces (about 500–550 g total)
- Salt and black pepper a pinch
- Neutral oil 1 tsp
- Soy sauce 3 Tbsp
- Mirin 3 Tbsp
- Sake 2 Tbsp
- Sugar 1.5 Tbsp
- Grated garlic (optional) 1/2 tsp
- Toasted white sesame seeds and thin green onions (optional) as needed
Steps
- Trim excess fat from the chicken thighs and butterfly any thick parts so the pieces are even. Score the skin in a shallow crosshatch and season both sides with salt and pepper. Mix the soy sauce, mirin, sake, sugar (and garlic) to make the glaze.
- Heat a skillet over medium heat, add the oil, and lay in the chicken skin-side down. A light weight or a second pan on top helps the skin brown evenly. Cook 5–6 minutes until the skin is nicely browned.
- Turn the pieces and cook over medium-low heat 3–4 minutes, until cooked through. If extra fat has rendered, blot it or pour it off.
- Pour in the glaze and cook over medium heat 2–3 minutes, turning the chicken, until the sauce turns glossy and clings. It scorches easily, so adjust the heat and spoon the glaze over the meat as it reduces.
- Let it rest briefly, then cut into easy-to-eat pieces and plate. Spoon over the remaining glaze and, if you like, scatter sesame seeds and green onions.
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Notes
Starting with the skin side lets excess fat render and gives better aroma and texture. Adding the glaze from the start makes it burn easily, so cook the chicken through first, then coat it.
Uneven thickness often leaves one side undercooked. Butterfly the meat so it is even, watch the doneness, and give it a short rest.
The basic sweet-savory glaze is about 3 parts soy sauce, 3 parts mirin, and 2 parts sake, plus sugar. Add a little more sugar if you like it sweeter, or reduce the soy sauce by 1 teaspoon if you want it less salty.
Leftovers keep about 2 days in the fridge once cooled. For a bento, cool the chicken before slicing so the glaze does not dry out. Thin slices also work as a topping for rice bowls or salads.
It uses the same family of sweet-savory glaze as yellowtail teriyaki, but here the fat and crisp skin of chicken thighs are the point. If you switch to skinless breast, shorten the cooking time and add the glaze sooner so the meat does not dry out.
Time and temperature
Trim and mix the glaze about 10 min · Medium heat, skin-side down 5–6 min · Flip, medium-low 3–4 min · Add glaze, medium heat 2–3 min · Rest, then slice
Nutrition
520 kcal · Protein 38 g · Fat 32 g · Carbs 18 g
about 1 thigh / half the recipe (estimate)
Substitutes
- Skin-on thigh → skinless breast (shorter cook, glaze sooner)
- Mirin → sake plus an equal amount of sugar
- Sake → a splash of dry white wine
- Grated garlic → omit, or use a thin slice of ginger
- Sesame / green onion → chopped scallion, or skip
Storage
Cool, cover, and refrigerate about 2 days. For a bento, cool completely before slicing so the glaze does not dry out. Thin slices work on rice bowls or salads. Whole pieces can be frozen and reheated in a pan; the skin will be a little less crisp.
FAQ
- Why does the glaze burn right away?
- The sauce usually went in before the meat was cooked, or the heat was too high. Cook the chicken through first, then reduce the glaze over medium heat; pour off extra fat if the pan is swimming in it.
- Why is the center still pink?
- Thick spots were not butterflied, so they cooked unevenly. Open those parts so the piece is even, give the second side 3–4 minutes, and rest briefly before slicing.
- Can I make chicken teriyaki ahead?
- Yes. Cool and refrigerate it, then rewarm gently the next day, or slice it cold for a bento. Keep the leftover glaze with the meat so the flavor stays intact.
- What if I do not have mirin?
- Replace the mirin with sake plus the same amount of sugar for sweetness. Keep the rough 3:3 soy-to-sake idea and add sugar to taste; reduce the soy by 1 teaspoon if you want it less salty.
- How do I get the skin crisp?
- Start skin-side down over medium heat and press lightly so the skin stays in contact with the pan. Pat the skin dry first and avoid flipping back and forth.
Origin and history
Chicken teriyaki is a staple home meat dish: chicken thighs are pan-cooked, then coated with a glaze of soy sauce, mirin, sake, and sugar until they take on a glossy teri shine. Like fish teriyaki, the method uses a sweet-savory sauce to lacquer the surface, and it is made all over Japan as a rice side and a bento classic.
It is also one of the originals behind the flavor known overseas as teriyaki. In Japan the usual approach is simple: brown the skin until fragrant, then coat with the glaze. The ingredient differs from yellowtail teriyaki; the appeal here is the juiciness of chicken and the bite of the skin.
This recipe uses two portions of chicken thigh and follows the sequence of browning the skin, cooking the meat through, then reducing the glaze around it. The point is a glossy finish without scorching.