Teriyaki Chicken
This Teriyaki Chicken recipe is so simple — and so delicious. We made the marinade from scratch with soy sauce, sugar, garlic, ginger, black pepper, pineapple juice and cinnamon, and it was the perfect balance of salty and sweet with just the right amount of umami. The marinade comes together in a snap, so you get the satisfaction of a homemade marinade with minimal effort.
The trick to quick, crispy chicken is using the broiler, which turns the chicken a perfect brown in just 3 minutes per side. Every broiler is slightly different, though, so you’ll want to watch the color and make sure the chicken hits an internal temperature of 165 F.
We served this flavorful chicken with broccolini, but you could substitute any bright green veggie, like broccoli or bok choy. Or use this chicken as the protein in a rice or quinoa bowl; drizzle some extra sauce on top and you have a comforting meal bursting with flavor and texture. There’s no need to go out for teriyaki chicken when you can make it so easily at home.
6 to 8 servings
Preparation time: 8 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes (plus marinating)
Ingredients
½ cup soy sauce
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon brown sugar
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cinnamon stick
1 tablespoon pineapple juice
½ cup plus 1 tablespoon water, divided
1 1½ – 2 pound package Bell & Evans skinless, boneless chicken thighs
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Cooked white rice, for serving
Green onions, for garnish
Directions
- In a small saucepan, combine soy sauce, sugars, garlic, ginger, black pepper, cinnamon stick and pineapple juice. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and stir until the sugar is dissolved, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. Discard the cinnamon stick and mix in ¼ cup water.
- In the bottom of the Bell & Evans chicken package, pour the marinade over the chicken. Refrigerate for at least an hour, ideally overnight.
- After marinating, heat the broiler.
- Place the chicken on a plate and set aside. Pour the marinade into a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low. Mix the cornstarch with 1 tablespoon water and add it to the pan. Stir until the mixture begins to thicken while gradually stirring in ¼ cup water until the sauce is the consistency of heavy cream. Remove the mixture from the heat and set aside half the marinade.
- Using the other half of the marinade, lightly brush the chicken pieces on all sides with sauce and broil for about 3 minutes per side, until browned and the internal temperature reaches 165 F. If the reserved marinade is too thick, add water to the mixture until it is a pourable consistency. Slice the chicken into strips. Serve with rice, drizzle with sauce and garnish with green onions.Adapted from New York Times Cooking.
