Teriyaki chicken is one of the regular dinners in our monthly rotation. Frankly, teriyaki anything (beef, pork, salmon) is a welcome meal in many Hawaii homes. It’s savory and sweet at the same time so everyone old and young will gobble up food made with teriyaki sauce.
Another plus is that teriyaki sauce is so easy to make at home that you can adjust the salt and sugar level as you need to fit into your personal dietary needs. Need to watch your salt intake? Add less soy sauce. Cutting out added sugar to foods? Add just a little bit of coconut palm sugar or natural sweetner (honey, agave) to give it that teriyaki flavor. That’s what’s so great about cooking at home with a base recipe like my Simple Teriyaki Sauce.
This is traditionally served with steamed white rice. If you are not a rice person, slide a chicken thigh on a toasted hamburger bun of your choice with your favorite burger fixings for a teri chicken burger! If you need a higher protein alternative, cooked quinoa is a great substitute.
Why chicken thighs make the best teriyaki chicken
Chicken thighs are fattier than chicken breasts which makes them taste so good. Chicken breasts with teriyaki sauce are better suited for a stir fry where the chicken thighs are cut up into bite-size pieces, marinated, and quickly cooked with vegetables and served with a teriyaki sauce glaze to bring the dish together. But when you want tender chicken with a sweet char, go for the boneless skinless chicken thighs.
How much sauce to use
The amount of sauce to use for chicken will depend on the type of container you use to marinate the chicken. You can use a lot less sauce (about 1/8 cup per 8 ounces of chicken) if you put everything in a plastic resealable bag and mix the chicken around one or two times by massaging the outside of the bag.
When using a glass or plastic container with a cover, you’ll need more marinade. You’ll need about ¼ cup per 8 ounces of chicken to make sure all the chicken is submerged in the marinade.
Looking for other tasty plate lunch main dish recipes? Don’t forget to check out these Hawaii classics!
Teriyaki Chicken
Equipment
- 1 large cutting board
- 1 chef's knife
- 1 plastic zip seal bag or container with lid
- measuring cups and spoons
- 1 10" saute pan
- 1 tongs or chopsticks
- 1 small sauce pan optional
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs fat trimmed
- ¼ to ½ cup Simple Teriyaki Sauce or store-bought teriyaki sauce
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Trim the fat off the chicken thighs. Place chicken thighs in a plastic resealable bag or large container.
- Add teriyaki sauce and mix until the chicken is well coated. Cover and put in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 days.
- Optional: take the chicken out of the fridge for 15 minutes before cooking. (This helps to bring your chicken closer to room temperature so it cooks quicker, but it is not required. You can include this time in your marinating time.)
- Heat 10” saute pan to medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil to the pan. Add half of the meat to the pan, flipping the meat after 5 to 6 minutes of cooking and cook for another 5 to 6 minutes on the other side. Remove the cooked meat after checking that the internal temperature reads over 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Add the remaining olive oil to the pan and cook the remaining meat for 5 to 6 minutes on each side. Remove the cooked meat after checking the temperature and let it rest.
- Optional: to make a teriyaki glaze, put 1/8 cup teriyaki sauce into a small pot on medium heat. While the sauce is warming, mix a slurry of ½ tsp cornstarch and ½ tsp water. Add the slurry to the sauce and mix well to combine. Turn the heat up to medium high. Let it come to a boil and turn the heat off immediately. Stir the glaze and set it aside to top on the teriyaki chicken for extra flavor.
