Ella Walter
Chicken teriyaki is a popular dish that can be made in a single pan. It is a quick and easy meal that can be served with rice, noodles, or vegetables. The chicken is typically marinated in a sauce that includes soy sauce, mirin, and ginger, and then pan-fried until cooked through. The key to a successful chicken teriyaki dish is achieving a balance of sweet, salty, and savory flavors in the sauce, as well as ensuring the chicken is tender and moist. While chicken breasts are commonly used, chicken thighs are also popular, especially in Japan, as they have more flavor.
Characteristics of Pan-fried Chicken Teriyaki
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Cookware | Skillet, cast iron pan, frying pan |
| Chicken | Thighs, drumsticks, wings, breast |
| Chicken preparation | Flatten, marinate, dry |
| Marinade ingredients | Soy sauce, ginger, garlic, salt, sugar, sake |
| Oil | Olive oil, sesame oil |
| Sauce ingredients | Soy sauce, mirin, honey, brown sugar, rice vinegar, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, cornstarch, water |
| Garnish | Green onions, sesame seeds |
| Sides | Rice, noodles, roasted vegetables, pineapple |
| Nutrition (per serving) | Calories: 272-418kcal, Carbohydrates: 37-49g, Protein: 20-31g, Fat: 5-10g |
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What You'll Learn
Chicken Teriyaki is best cooked in a cast iron pan
Chicken Teriyaki is a popular dish that can be cooked in a variety of ways, but using a cast iron pan is the best option. This is because a cast iron pan provides even heat distribution, which is essential for achieving the perfect browning and flavour development in the chicken.
To start, you'll want to prepare your chicken by pounding it to an even thickness of around 1/4 inch. This can be done with a meat mallet, and helps ensure the chicken cooks evenly. You can then marinate the chicken in a mixture of soy sauce and your choice of sugar or honey. This step adds flavour and moisture to the meat.
Next, heat your cast iron pan over medium heat and add enough fat or oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Once the pan is hot, add the chicken and cook until browned on both sides. The cast iron pan will give you a beautiful, even sear. If you're using thicker pieces of chicken, you may need to lower the heat to ensure the meat cooks through without burning.
Once the chicken is cooked, you can set it aside and make the teriyaki sauce in the same pan. The sauce typically includes ingredients like soy sauce, mirin, honey or brown sugar, rice vinegar, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, and cornstarch. Whisk the ingredients together and let the sauce simmer until it thickens. Finally, add the chicken back to the pan and coat it with the sauce.
Chicken Teriyaki is best served fresh and warm, often with sides like rice, noodles, or steamed vegetables. The cast iron pan ensures your chicken is cooked to perfection, with a delicious sear and flavour that will impress your family or guests!
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Use chicken thighs for more flavour
Chicken teriyaki is a versatile dish that can be made with any cut of chicken. However, chicken thighs are a popular choice, especially in Japan, due to their superior flavour and larger size compared to chicken breasts.
When using chicken thighs for your teriyaki dish, it is recommended to remove the bones and skin beforehand. This is because boneless and skinless thighs are easier to cook evenly and are also better for leftovers, as the skin does not become soggy.
To prepare the chicken thighs, start by pounding them lightly with a meat mallet to flatten them to about 1/4 inch thick. This step ensures even cooking and reduces the cooking time. Next, prepare your teriyaki marinade by mixing ingredients such as soy sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, garlic, ginger, and pepper. Place the chicken thighs in a sealable bag, pour in the marinade, and ensure that the chicken is evenly coated. Marinate the chicken in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to two hours, depending on your desired flavour intensity.
After marinating, heat oil in a heavy-bottomed frying pan or skillet over medium heat. Place the chicken thighs in the pan, skin-side down, and fry until golden brown. Flip the chicken, add a tablespoon of sake, and quickly cover the pan. Steam the chicken for about five minutes, or until just cooked through. Finally, prepare your teriyaki sauce by mixing ingredients such as honey, mirin, sake, and soy sauce. Increase the heat to high, add the sauce to the pan, and repeatedly flip the chicken to coat it evenly. Your chicken teriyaki is ready when most of the liquid has evaporated, and a thick glaze has formed around the chicken.
Using chicken thighs for your pan-fried chicken teriyaki results in a dish that is full of flavour, moist, and tender. The larger size of the thighs compared to breasts also makes for a heartier meal.
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Marinate the chicken for at least 20 minutes
To make chicken teriyaki, you can use any cut of chicken, but chicken thighs are preferred because they have more flavour. You can either buy whole legs and fillet them yourself, or you can just use more of the smaller chicken thighs.
To marinate the chicken, place the chicken in a freezer bag or a pan and pour over the soy sauce and sugar of choice. You can also add other ingredients like mirin, sake, brown sugar, fresh garlic or garlic powder, onion powder, red chilli powder, pepper, or even orange peel. Make sure that the marinade is evenly covering the chicken and place it in the refrigerator.
You can marinate the chicken for as little as 20 minutes for a light taste, but if you have the time, it's better to leave it for longer—up to 2 hours for a stronger flavour. If you're really organised, you can even marinate the chicken and freeze it, letting it continue to marinate as it defrosts.
While the chicken is marinating, you can prepare the teriyaki sauce by mixing soy sauce, honey, mirin, sake, and brown sugar. You can also add other ingredients like rice vinegar, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, and cornstarch.
After the chicken has finished marinating, use paper towels to dry the chicken and remove any excess marinade. Then, you can start cooking the chicken in a pan over medium heat.
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Fry the chicken skin-side down until golden brown
When cooking chicken teriyaki, it's important to ensure your chicken is evenly coated in marinade and flattened to a consistent thickness. This will ensure even cooking. To flatten your chicken, place it between sheets of plastic wrap and use a meat mallet to pound it to your desired thickness.
Once your chicken is prepared, heat oil in a heavy-bottomed frying pan over medium heat. You can use olive oil or another fat of your choice. When the oil is hot, carefully place your chicken skin-side down in the pan.
Now, for the crucial step: frying the chicken until golden brown. Adjust the heat to medium-high and let the chicken fry until the skin side is a rich, golden brown. This should take around 3 to 4 minutes. Keep an eye on the chicken to ensure it doesn't burn, as this will impact the flavour and appearance of your dish.
Once the skin side is golden brown, it's time to flip the chicken and cook the other side. This side will take a little less time, around 3 minutes, and you'll know it's ready when the centre of the chicken registers about 160 degrees Fahrenheit.
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Cornstarch is critical to the recipe to thicken the sauce
Chicken teriyaki is a popular dish that can be made in one pan and is ready in 30 minutes. The recipe involves cooking chicken chunks in a skillet and coating them with a teriyaki sauce. The sauce is a critical component of the dish, and its thickness is essential to its taste and presentation. This is where cornstarch comes in.
Cornstarch is a thickening agent that is commonly used in sauces and gravies. In the context of chicken teriyaki, cornstarch is added to the teriyaki sauce to give it a smooth, thick, and glossy consistency. It helps the sauce coat the chicken pieces evenly, resulting in a more flavourful and appealing dish. Without cornstarch, the sauce may be too thin and runny, detracting from the desired texture and taste.
The process of thickening the teriyaki sauce with cornstarch is straightforward. Cornstarch is mixed with cold water to create a slurry, which is then slowly whisked into the sauce. This mixture is then cooked until the sauce reaches the desired thickness. The cornstarch slurry helps to stabilise the sauce and prevent it from becoming too thin or watery.
While cornstarch is the most commonly used thickening agent for chicken teriyaki, alternatives such as arrowroot starch can also be used. Additionally, the amount of cornstarch added can be adjusted to personal preference, with some recipes calling for a teaspoon of cornstarch, while others suggest adding it gradually until the desired consistency is achieved.
In conclusion, cornstarch plays a critical role in the chicken teriyaki recipe by thickening the sauce and enhancing the overall flavour and presentation of the dish. Its ability to create a smooth and glossy coating on the chicken pieces elevates the dining experience and makes chicken teriyaki a favourite among home cooks and diners alike.
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Frequently asked questions
A cast iron pan is best for browning and flavour, but a stainless steel pan will also work. Make sure to use a pan with a heavy bottom and a large non-stick skillet or wok.
You will need chicken, oil, cornstarch, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, honey, mirin, sake, and brown sugar. For garnish, you can use green onions and sesame seeds.
It takes about 30 minutes to cook chicken teriyaki. The chicken should be marinated for 20 minutes to 2 hours, depending on how strong you want the flavour to be.
