Quick Chicken Teriyaki (Printable)

Tender chicken glazed in homemade savory-sweet teriyaki sauce, ready in 25 minutes.

# What You Need:

→ Protein

01 - 1.1 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces

→ Teriyaki Sauce

02 - 1/4 cup soy sauce, low-sodium recommended
03 - 3 tbsp mirin (or substitute with dry sherry plus 1 tsp sugar)
04 - 1 tbsp rice vinegar
05 - 2 tbsp honey or brown sugar
06 - 1 tbsp sesame oil
07 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
08 - 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
09 - 1 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tbsp water to form slurry

→ Garnish & Serving

10 - 2 tbsp sesame seeds
11 - 2 spring onions, thinly sliced
12 - Steamed white rice for serving

# How To Make It:

01 - Whisk together the soy sauce, mirin, rice vinegar, honey, sesame oil, garlic, and ginger in a small bowl until well combined.
02 - Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken pieces and cook for 4 to 5 minutes until lightly browned and nearly cooked through.
03 - Pour the teriyaki sauce mixture over the chicken. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes while stirring until the sauce begins bubbling.
04 - Stir in the cornstarch slurry. Continue cooking for another 2 to 3 minutes while stirring constantly until the sauce thickens and evenly coats the chicken.
05 - Serve hot over steamed white rice, sprinkled with sesame seeds and sliced spring onions.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • Better than delivery in less time than it takes to decide what to order
  • The sauce doubles beautifully and keeps in the fridge for a weeks worth of quick meals
  • Cheap ingredients that transform into something that feels fancy and intentional
02 -
  • Cornstarch needs a full minute of boiling to actually thicken or you will end up with thin sauce and a strange texture
  • The sauce keeps tightening as it cools, so remove it from heat slightly earlier than you think
  • Leftovers reheat beautifully but add a splash of water before microwaving to loosen the sauce
03 -
  • Cut your chicken into uniformly sized pieces so everything finishes cooking at the same time
  • Have your cornstarch slurry ready before you start cooking, it needs to be added quickly once the sauce bubbles
  • Room temperature chicken cooks more evenly than cold straight from the fridge

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