Teriyaki Chicken is a beloved dish known for its perfect balance of sweet, savory, and slightly tangy flavors. The tender, juicy chicken is glazed with a rich homemade teriyaki sauce, creating a dish that’s both comforting and packed with flavor. Whether you’re serving it for a weeknight dinner or as part of a special meal, Teriyaki Chicken is sure to satisfy your taste buds.
The key to great Teriyaki Chicken lies in the sauce. Traditional teriyaki sauce is made from soy sauce, sugar, ginger, garlic, and a splash of vinegar, simmered together to create a perfectly balanced glaze. The result is a thick, sweet, and salty sauce that sticks to the chicken, infusing it with rich flavor as it cooks. While store-bought teriyaki sauce is convenient, homemade sauce takes this dish to another level, allowing you to adjust the sweetness and saltiness to your liking.
To make Teriyaki Chicken, boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs are often used. The chicken can be marinated in the teriyaki sauce to soak up the flavors before being grilled, pan-seared, or baked. As the chicken cooks, the sauce caramelizes, forming a beautiful golden glaze on the surface. The result is a dish that’s both juicy on the inside and crispy on the outside, with each bite offering a savory, sweet explosion of flavor.
Teriyaki Chicken is versatile and can be served with a variety of sides. It pairs wonderfully with steamed rice, sautéed vegetables, or a crisp salad. For a complete meal, you can also serve it with stir-fried vegetables or add it to a bowl with some quinoa and greens. The dish also works well as a filling for wraps or sandwiches.
One of the best things about Teriyaki Chicken is how quickly it comes together. Whether you marinate the chicken for a few hours or just coat it with the sauce before cooking, the process is quick, making it a great option for busy nights. And with just a handful of ingredients, it’s easy to prepare, yet feels like a restaurant-quality meal.
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken thighs boneless, skinless
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup mirin
- 1/4 cup sake
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tbsp ginger grated
- 1 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 1 tbsp water
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine soy sauce, mirin, sake, sugar, garlic, and ginger. Stir until sugar is dissolved.
- Place chicken thighs in a resealable plastic bag or a shallow dish and pour the marinade over chicken. Marinate for at least 30 minutes.
- Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken thighs and cook until browned on both sides, about 5-7 minutes per side.
- Pour the marinade into the skillet and bring it to a boil. Reduce heat and let it simmer until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has thickened.
- If the sauce is too thin, add the cornstarch mixed with water and stir until the sauce has thickened.
- Serve the teriyaki chicken over steamed rice and garnish with chopped green onions or sesame seeds if desired.
Nutrition
Honestly this taste like soy sauce with sugar… i mean teriyaki is just that right? 😅 Didn’t wow me, but my family ate it all.
This teriyaki chicken is amazing! So flavorful and easy to make. My family loved it!
Nice and easy, but my sauce stayed kinda salty even after thickening. Next time I’ll cut the soy sauce or add a touch more sugar.
I don’t have mirin, can I use vinegar instead? 🤔
So good! My kids loved it. I’ll definitely make this again!
That’s awesome to hear! I made it for my family too and they couldn’t get enough. It’s definitely a keeper!
I’m not sure about the sake. Do you really need it? Can you substitute with something else?
Honestly… it’s just chicken in sweet soy sauce. Not bad, but not life-changing. I think store-bought teriyaki would get you 80% there.
I don’t know how to make the sauce thick. Help!
Quick question—can I skip the ginger?
You can, yeah. The ginger adds a little brightness, but the garlic + soy/mirin/sake/sugar will still taste very “teriyaki.” If you skip it, just make sure you simmer a bit to let the flavors meld.
Looks great, but I don’t have mirin. Can I just use more sake? 😕
I just don’t like how the sauce turned out. Next time I’ll skip the sugar.
Yummy! I added some sesame seeds and it was fabulous!
Anyone knows what to do if my chicken is still raw inside? I followed the time but it doesn’t seem cooked.
This was an absolute hit at my house! Super easy and delicious.
I made this for my kids and they loved it! So easy!
OMG, I can’t stop eating this! Best chicken ever!
Yesss! I tried this recipe too and it was a hit! My family loved it, just like you said! 😊
I didn’t have mirin, so I used a little extra sake + a pinch more sugar. It was still really good, just not as sweet. Will make again with proper mirin someday.
Nice! Sake + a little extra sugar makes sense—good save. I also find the sauce gets less “glossy” without mirin, but still totally works.
Hmm I tried teriyaki with no mirin once and it tasted kinda flat to me. I’m glad yours came out good though—next time maybe add a tiny bit of honey instead of more sugar?
Mine stuck to the pan a little and I had to add more oil. Also marinating only 30 minutes wasn’t enough for me—next time I’ll do longer. Flavor was still nice.
Yum! 🍗🍚
This recipe was a hit at my family dinner! The flavor was spot on. Thanks for sharing!
Why use sake? Can’t just use more soy? Seems fancy.
Sake adds a depth of flavor that soy sauce alone can’t achieve. Trust me, it’s worth it!
Made this last night—so good. The ginger + garlic combo really shows up, and the sauce thickened perfectly after the cornstarch step.
Yes!! I did the same—once it hits that boil + simmer the sauce turns glossy. The ginger really punches through for me too.
I tried it but I think I cooked the sauce too long—got kinda sticky. Next time I’ll add the cornstarch step only if it needs it. Still decent though!
Too sweet for me. The sugar plus mirin and sake made it kinda dessert-y… maybe I’ll halve the sugar next time. Also I didn’t have mirin so I subbed something and it tasted off.
Teriyaki is too sweet for me. I prefer spicy food!
Chicken thighs were great, but I burned the sauce once because I kept the heat too high when bringing it to a boil. Learned my lesson—medium-low simmer works.
This is way better than the bottled stuff. My family actually asked for seconds. The sauce is sweet-salty in a good way.
Mine came out a little too salty, and I think it’s the soy sauce. Maybe reduce soy slightly or choose low-sodium. Other than that, solid.
Made it for dinner and my husband was impressed! Thanks for sharing!
The chicken was dry! I don’t know what I did wrong… maybe cook less next time?
Not gonna lie, teriyaki is usually sweeter where I’m from. This was more savory for me—could add a touch more sugar maybe?
This is just chicken with soy sauce anyone can do it. Not impressed.
This came out way better than I expected. The sauce really clings to the chicken—sweet, salty, and not too heavy. I marinated longer (about 2 hours) and it was even nicer.
I made this with drumsticks instead. Still turned out great!
I don’t usually use sake, so I subbed in dry sherry (same amount). It worked, but the aroma was different. Overall tasty and easy.
Yum! The ginger really makes it pop! Who would’ve thought mirin would be so good?
Yummy! But I had ketchup instead of mirin… I substitute everything, no worries!
Too much sugar for my taste. Maybe I’ll cut it down next time. Not a fan.
I tried this recipe, but the sauce was way too salty. Maybe I used too much soy sauce?
Ok, but why 1 lb thighs and only 1 tbsp ginger? Feel like it needed more. 😅
Good question 😄 I think the ginger amount is meant to be more subtle since there’s already plenty of garlic + the sweet mirin/sugar balance it out. If you like a brighter ginger kick, 2 tbsp would probably be perfect.
This was so easy to make! My kids loved the flavor. Definitely making it again!
Honestly, I find teriyaki chicken too sweet. I like things spicy, not sugary. But I’m glad your kids enjoyed it.
I’m so glad your kids loved it! This recipe is definitely a winner. I’ve made it twice this week already!
Pretty good! Next time, I’ll double the garlic.
I think I overcooked the chicken. Tasted fine, but a bit tough. Gotta pay more attention next time.
Really liked the sweet-savory balance. Only thing is I had to simmer longer than the instructions said for the chicken to fully cook. Still delicious though.
The sauce didn’t thicken as much as I hoped, any tips?
Maybe you didn’t cook it long enough? I usually let it simmer longer to get it thick.
I was skeptical about mirin + sake, but wow. Tastes like the restaurant version. I used chicken breast once and it was still good, just cooked a little less.
That’s awesome to hear! I’m always surprised how mirin + sake pulls it together. Also good call on chicken breast—usually I just reduce the cook time so it doesn’t get dry.
Something went wrong. Mine didn’t taste like teriyaki at all. Wasted chicken. 😔
This recipe is like a hug in a bowl! So good with rice!
I tried this and it tasted too salty. Maybe use less soy sauce?
I can’t find sake where I live, so I used dry sherry. It came out alright but kinda different. If you’re substituting, start low with sugar, okay?
Dry sherry makes sense—mirin + soy are already doing a lot. I’d just reduce sugar a bit and simmer a touch longer so it thickens like usual.
I don’t really get the appeal of teriyaki sauce. Seems too sweet for me. Prefer BBQ.
Too sweet? Just add less sugar or use a low-sugar soy sauce. BBQ is okay, but teriyaki can be really tasty if you give it a chance.
I actually love teriyaki! The sweetness balances the savory flavors. BBQ is great too, but teriyaki has its charm. Give it another try!
Made this tonight—super solid flavor. The ginger/garlic combo really pops. I simmered a little longer so the sauce got glossy like in the photos I always see.
Could be just me, but the chicken tasted kind of plain at first—then I realized I didn’t bring the marinade to a boil long enough in the skillet. Once I did, it clicked.
Made this last night—so flavorful! The ginger/garlic really pops. I simmered a few extra minutes and it thickened perfectly over rice. Will cook again.
Yes!! That ginger/garlic combo is the best part. I also like simmering a bit longer—thick sauce over rice is how it should be 😄
I dunno, mirin + sake is a lot for my budget so I used just soy + a splash of vinegar and brown sugar. Turned out… ok? Still thickened, just not as fancy. Might try your method though.
This was mid for me. The chicken was fine, but the marinade didn’t taste as “teriyaki” as I expected. Might be the ratio of sake/mirin?
Followed it, but my chicken took longer than 5-7 minutes per side (thighs were thicker). Not a big deal—just cook until done, not by the timer.
This is exactly right—timers are just a guideline. Thicker thighs definitely need longer. Glad it still turned out!
I mean… 5-7 min per side seems low. Unless your pan runs super hot, mine always takes longer too. Just saying, “until done” works better than stopwatch cooking 😅
Flavor was good but mine got a little too salty—maybe because I used regular soy sauce instead of low-sodium. Next time I’ll cut the soy sauce or simmer it a bit longer to balance.
Good call on the soy sauce swap—regular soy can definitely push it salty. Cutting back a little (or adding a splash more sake/mirin) usually fixes it. How much longer did you end up simmering?
Made this for my Asian studies class. They loved it!
OMG sooo good! I’m making this again for my friends next week. 🥡🍗
Tasted amazing with rice. I added green onion and sesame and felt fancy lol. Also, the smell while simmering is unreal.
That sounds so good—green onion + sesame is exactly the move. The simmer smell really is next level.
The cornstarch step saved it! I almost skipped it because my sauce looked fine… it was not fine. Thick and glossy now.