Chicken teriyaki is quick to prepare and has a savory, tangy flavor that the whole family will enjoy! Once I gave it a try, it quickly became a family favorite.
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What is Chicken Teriyaki?
Chicken teriyaki is chicken cooked in a tangy teriyaki sauce that gives it a unique flavor that’s hard to beat. The chicken is then either cut into slices or bite-sized chunks and served over a bed of rice or with vegetables. I often will serve it with coleslaw or combine it with rice and vegetables to make a chicken teriyaki bowl. If you really want to get creative, you could add your chicken teriyaki to a sushi roll to make a chicken teriyaki sushi roll.
While many Westerners, think of chicken teriyaki as a quintessential Japanese dish, the teriyaki that we think of today was actually first created in the United States by Japanese-American immigrants in the 1950’s.
How to Make Chicken Teriyaki
You can use a wide range of chicken for this dish. I prefer to use boneless chicken thighs with their skin on as I think this is a more flavorful piece of meat than chicken breasts. However, chicken breasts will also work well for this recipe.
Below are step-by-step instructions on how to prepare this quick and easy meal:
1. If needed, flatten the chicken thigh so it’s roughly the same thickness throughout.
2. Add oil to the skillet and heat on medium heat.
3. Once the pan is hot, add the chicken breasts to the skillet, skin side down.
4. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and cook for 5-7 minutes, moving the chicken as little as possible. This gives the chicken a good sear.
5. After seven minutes or so, flip the chicken and cook for an additional five minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked.
6. After around five minutes, around 1/4 of a cup of teriyaki sauce over the chicken and cook until the sauce thickens the chicken is coated (around a minute or so). Use a spoon to continuously baste the chicken as it’s cooking.
7. Remove the chicken teriyaki from the heat and slice into strips.
8. I usually serve with a bed of rice or Japanese coleslaw. Enjoy!
Chicken Teriyaki Recipe
Chicken Teriyaki Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Bamboo Sushi Mat
- 1 Pot for cooking sushi rice
- 1 Sauce Pot for Cooking Teriyaki Sauce
- 1 Skillet for Cooking Chicken
- 1 Sharp knife and cutting board
Ingredients
- 2 Boneless Chicken Thighs with Skin on Roughly 4 oz. each
- 1 Tbsp. Avocado Oil Vegetable oil will also work
- 1/2 Cup Teriyaki Sauce
- Salt
- Pepper
Instructions
- If needed, flatten the chicken thigh so it's roughly the same thickness throughout. You can use chicken breasts as well if you like but I prefer the skin on thigh as I think it's more flavorful.
- Add oil to the skillet and heat on medium heat.
- Once the pan is hot, add the chicken breasts to the skillet, skin side down.
- Season the chicken with salt and pepper and cook for 5-7 minutes moving the chicken as little as possible. This gives the chicken a good sear.
- After the first side is done cooking, flip the chicken and cook for an additional five minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked.
- After the chicken is cooked, pour 1/4 of a cup of teriyaki sauce over the chicken and cook until the sauce thickens the chicken is coated (around a minute or so). Use a spoon to continuously baste the chicken as it's cooking.
- Remove the chicken teriyaki from the heat and slice into strips.
- I usually serve with a bed of rice or Japanese coleslaw. Enjoy!
Video
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions
Is chicken teriyaki gluten-free?
When ordered from a restaurant, chicken teriyaki will almost always contain gluten as the teriyaki sauce often contains gluten. However, you can make your own chicken teriyaki with a gluten-free teriyaki sauce. Everything else in the dish is naturally gluten-free.
Is chicken teriyaki healthy?
Yes. Chicken, being a lean protein, is very healthy for you. I just wouldn’t go too crazy with the teriyaki sauce as that is higher in calories with little nutritional benefit.
Final Thoughts on Chicken Teriyaki
If you’re looking for a quick meal that the whole family will enjoy, teriyaki chicken is definitely worth a try. My kids were skeptical at first but quickly changed their minds after trying it. Happy cooking!
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