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Teriyaki Chicken

Teriyaki chicken with dark amber, caramelized edges glazed in a thick, glossy homemade teriyaki sauce. Marinated chicken thighs cook fast in a skillet for sticky, shiny coating over steamed rice with sesame and green onion.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
marinating 20 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Japanese-American
Calories: 760
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken thighs
  • 1.5 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
Teriyaki marinade and sauce
  • 0.33 cup soy sauce
  • 0.25 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 2 tbsp mirin or rice vinegar
  • 2 tbsp sake or dry sherry (optional) Optional, for depth.
  • 3 garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch
  • 2 tbsp water For the cornstarch slurry.
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
Serving
  • 1 sesame seeds
  • 1 sliced green onions
  • 1 steamed rice

Equipment

  • 1 large skillet

Method
 

Make the teriyaki sauce and marinate
  1. Whisk soy sauce, brown sugar, honey, mirin (or rice vinegar), sake (or dry sherry if using), garlic, and ginger until the sugar dissolves and the mixture looks uniform. Reserve half of the mixture for the sauce and marinate the chicken in the other half for 20 minutes in the refrigerator.
Caramelize the chicken
  1. Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers, then add the marinated chicken in a single layer. Cook 5-6 minutes per side until caramelized with dark amber blistered edges and the internal temperature reaches 165°F, then remove to a plate.
Thicken and glaze
  1. Pour the reserved marinade into the pan and bring it to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits. Stir in the cornstarch slurry and cook 2-3 minutes until the sauce turns thick and glossy.
  2. Return the chicken to the pan and turn to coat until the sticky teriyaki glaze clings evenly to the surface and looks shiny.
Serve
  1. Serve the teriyaki chicken over steamed rice and drizzle with any extra sauce from the pan. Garnish with sesame seeds and sliced green onions.

Notes

For the stickiest glaze, don’t overcrowd the skillet—sear in batches if needed so the edges blister. Refrigerate leftovers up to 3 days; reheat in a skillet until warmed through and glossy. Freezing is not recommended because the chicken texture can soften after thawing. For a lighter option, use skinless chicken breast or boneless turkey thighs while keeping the same sauce ratio.