3shares
Share
Pin
Email
Sub

Chicken Teriyaki is one of the most popular Japanese dishes in the West, along with sushi and sashimi, and it has become a recurring recipe for lovers of Japanese cuisine.

Japanese cuisine, natural and harmonious, is one of the healthiest in the world, and not by chance. All Japanese dishes are very easy to prepare, they taste great, and are perfectly balanced and flavorous.

Until the middle of the 19th century, in Japan, religion forbade the consumption of meat. That is why, meat is used in very small quantities, served with sauce, and strongly spiced. Often, the Japanese prepare meat with fruits like pineapple, bananas, and nuts like almonds. Unlike fish or white meat, red meat contains a lot of saturated fat, which can trigger obesity and cardiovascular disease. Therefore, chicken is often used in Japanese recipes. Chicken Teriyaki is one of the delicious and flavorful recipes the oriental cuisine.

Chicken teriyaki or chicken in teriyaki sauce is the ideal second course if you love oriental flavors. The chicken is cut into small pieces and left to marinate, then cooked in the teriyaki sauce. The Teriyaki sauce is a caramelized emulsion based on soy sauce, brown sugar or honey, juice. orange, sesame oil, and ginger. The chicken is cooked on high flame, served with the thickened sauce in a pan, and garnished with sesame seeds and chopped shallots.

What is teriyaki sauce?

Different from sushi, which can be quite laborious when preparing, teriyaki chicken is a very simple recipe that we can easily make at home without any specific tools. Actually, teriyaki is a culinary technique that consists of cooking food in a sweet sauce, either baked or grilled.

The word teriyaki derives from Teri, referring to the gloss that the sauce in which it is bathed gives it. And yaki, indicating the cooking method by dipping the product into the sauce.

We can make teriyaki with other types of meats such as pork, beef, tuna, and salmon. The sauce in this recipe is prepared by heating and reducing various ingredients: soy sauce, sugar and sake, and ginger can be added as a dressing.

Chicken Teriyaki is an authentic dish within the chicken recipes that you can find on the blog such as Chicken Meatballs, Roasted stuffed chicken breasts with cheese, and Chicken Fritters. Chicken Teriyaki is something different from the chicken preparations we usually prepare at home, yet, it is an easy and delicious recipe. What are you waiting for? Surprise your friends and family.

Ingredients for Chicken Teriyaki

As the title suggests, the recipe is made with chicken meat and teriyaki sauce. These are the basics of cooking a luscious second course in a matter of minutes. Therefore, you will need the following ingredients:

Chicken. Chicken breasts or boneless and skinless chicken thighs are perfect for the recipe. I personally prefer the chicken thighs because the meat has a bit more fat, therefore, it is softer and juicier when cooked.
Broccoli
Shallots
Bell peppers
Zucchini

For the Teriyaki Sauce:

Soy sauce. It is the base ingredient for the teriyaki sauce. Use low-sodium soy sauce because it has a less salty taste and a milder flavor.
Brown sugar or honey
Garlic. You can use both fresh minced garlic or garlic powder
Rice Vinegar
Starch
Chili Flakes, optional. I just love the light spiciness in the teriyaki sauce. However, if you don’t feel like using it, just skip the chili flakes.
Sesame seeds. Toast the sesame seeds to sprinkle over the sauce upon serving. The seeds will only enhance the aromas of the recipe.

There is no need to use alt as the soy sauce will add enough saltiness to the dish. Also, you might add a bit of the Worcestershire sauce because it complements the chicken meat perfectly.

How to prepare meat for chicken teriyaki?

The chicken teriyaki is very simple in preparation. Always start your cooking by preparing the meat. Thus, wash the meat, chicken breast of boneless and skinless chicken thighs under running water. Use paper towels to absorb excess water. Further on cut off the pieces of fat if there are any and use a sharp knife to cut the chicken into cubes.

Slice the meat crosswise into straight, even strips of 1/2 inches wide. Then hold the knife perpendicularly to slice cubes of 1/2 inch in diameter. Try to cut the cubes equally, this is how you ensure even cooking of the meat later on. Place the chicken into a large bowl and spice it up with salt, pepper, and some paprika. Mix well using a spoon or by hand and let the chicken marinate for at least 15 minutes.

During this time the spices will soften the meat and it will soak in all the flavors. Thus, you will shortly cook a luscious and fragrant teriyaki chicken.

How to prepare the teriyaki sauce?

The teriyaki sauce is made in a matter of minutes. For the sauce, you will need a bowl to mix all the ingredients. Therefore, mix the soy sauce with brown sugar, minced or granulated garlic, rice vinegar, one teaspoon of starch, and chili flakes, optionally. Mix well the composition. Your sauce is ready and you will soon need it.

How to cook chicken teriyaki?

While the meat is marinating, go ahead and slice the vegetables. Slice them of the same thickness. As soon as the marinating time expires, the meat is ready to be prepared. Heat up a frying pan, add a few tablespoons of olive oil, wait about 30 seconds, and add the sliced vegetables one by one. Fry the shallots first for about 3 minutes. Stir continuously. Put aside in a bowl then add one more tablespoon of olive oil and fry the broccoli. Repeat the same procedure for all the vegetables.

Subsequently, add the chicken cubes. Cook the meat on high flame, stir continuously. Do not cover the meat to avoid it releasing its juices. Cook the meat for about 7 minutes, then add the teriyaki sauce and cook until it becomes sticky, similar to honey. The meat will be coated in the sauce and will be a little crispy on the outside while soft in the interior.

Finally, mix the chicken teriyaki with the vegetables, your dish is ready to be served.

How to serve the chicken teriyaki?

Serve the luscious chicken teriyaki with vegetables over boiled rice, it is how the Japanese originally serve the delicious sour-sweet meat. For a more elevated chicken teriyaki presentation, toast some sesame seeds and sprinkle them all over the serving plate. Also, fresh green shallots or spring onion finely chopped add graciousness and freshness to the rich dish.