- Calories
- 340
- Protein
- 36g
- Fiber
- 1g
- Sat. fat
- 3g
- Sodium
- 620mg
- Added sugar
- 6g
What this recipe does for you.
Teriyaki chicken with a glossy, clingy glaze that tastes of more than sugar: soy, mirin, fresh ginger and garlic reduced with just a spoon of honey instead of half a cup of sugar. 36g protein per serving.
Why this works
Every recipe on this site ships with an explanation of the technique decisions, why sear then braise, why the acid goes in at the end, why the fat renders before the aromatics. The method below is those decisions, in order.
Ingredients
Serves 4- 1.5 lbboneless skinless chicken thighs · cut into bite-size pieces
- 1 tbspavocado oil
- 1/3 cuplow-sodium soy sauce · or tamari for gluten-free
- 3 tbspmirin
- 1 tbsphoney
- 1 tbsprice vinegar
- 2 clovesgarlic · grated
- 1 tbspfresh ginger · grated
- 1 tspcornstarch · slurried in 1 tbsp water
- 1spring onion · sliced, to finish
- 1 tsptoasted sesame seeds · to finish
Method
Skip the bottled sauce, it is mostly sugar
Supermarket teriyaki is corn syrup with a whisper of soy. Real teriyaki is soy, mirin and a little sweetener reduced to a glaze. Making it takes five minutes and lets you use one spoon of honey where the bottle uses six of sugar, so the sauce tastes savoury and deep, not cloying.
Reduce the sauce separately first
Simmer the soy, mirin, honey, vinegar, garlic and ginger in a small pan until it coats a spoon, about four minutes. Reducing it away from the chicken means you control the thickness and never scorch the sugars against hot meat. A cornstarch slurry at the end gives it the gloss.
Sear the chicken dry before it meets the sauce
Pat the thigh pieces dry and sear them hard in a hot pan until browned on two sides. Browning is flavour, and a wet glaze poured over pale chicken just steams it. Get the colour first, glaze second.
Glaze at the very end, off high heat
Pour the reduced sauce over the seared chicken and toss for thirty to sixty seconds until every piece is lacquered. Any longer over high heat and the honey burns bitter. The residual heat is enough to cling the glaze on.
Grate the aromatics, do not chop
Grated garlic and ginger dissolve into the sauce and flavour every bite. Chopped pieces sit as chewy nuggets and can catch and burn in the reduction. A microplane is the right tool here.
Finish with sesame and spring onion
A scatter of toasted sesame seeds and sliced spring onion greens adds nuttiness and a fresh bite that cuts the richness. Add them off the heat so the onion stays bright rather than wilting into the sauce.
Variations
Substitutions and adaptations land with the photography shoot. The method holds across most reasonable swaps.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 to 4 days, sealed. Freezer: up to 3 months. Reheat covered to retain moisture.
Frequently asked
- How is this lower in sugar than takeaway teriyaki?
- Restaurant and bottled teriyaki often carry twenty grams of sugar or more per serving from added corn syrup. This version uses one tablespoon of honey across four servings, so it lands around six grams of added sugar per plate while still reducing to a proper glossy glaze.
- Can I make it gluten-free?
- Yes. Swap the soy sauce for tamari and check your mirin, as some brands are fine but read the label. Everything else in the sauce is naturally gluten-free. Serve over rice or cauliflower rice as you like.
- Breast or thigh?
- Thigh stays juicy under the glaze and forgives a slightly long sear. Breast works if you cut it into even pieces and pull it as soon as it is cooked through, but it is less forgiving. Either way, dry the meat before searing.
- What should I serve it with?
- Steamed rice or brown rice soaks up the glaze, and a fast side of steamed broccoli or a smashed cucumber salad balances the sweetness. For a lower-carb plate, cauliflower rice and stir-fried greens work well.
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