Chicken Teriyaki
A lot of people have teriyaki all wrong. It is a beautiful, subtle, simple recipe that actually does not have all the ingredients you would think it does. Its a juicy chicken thigh with shatteringly crisp skin on it paired with a sweet, salty, sticky sauce.
Ingredients
- 2 large bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- 2 g kosher salt
- 5 g oil
TERIYAKI SAUCE:
- 60 g soy sauce
- 60 g mirin
- 60 g sake
- 45 g sugar
Instructions
Prepare the Chicken
- Use a sharp knife to debone the chicken thighs. Make two slices along either side of the bone to expose it then carefully cut along the bone to remove it while keeping the knife in contact with the bone to avoid losing excess meat. Remove any cartilage from the larger end of the thigh, being careful not to pierce the skin.
- Leave all excess skin intact as it will shrink significantly during cooking.
- Score the flesh side of each thigh with ½" deep cuts spaced 1 to 1.5 inches apart in a crosshatch pattern.
Seasoning
- Lightly salt the flesh side of the thighs.
- Do not salt the skin side to keep it dry for better crisping.
- Pat the skin dry with a towel before cooking
Cooking the Chicken
- Heat a nonstick pan over medium-low (4/10) heat.
- Lightly oil the pan and place the chicken skin-side down.
- Immediately press down on the chicken with a heavy saucepan (~3 lbs) to prevent the skin from shrinking excessively. Allow allow the thighs to cook undisturbed under the heavy pot for 5–6 minutes
- Remove the pot and continue cooking for another 4-5 minutes
- Check the skin, it should be deep golden brown, not just lightly browned.
- Flip the thighs and cook for 2 minutes over low heat to finish cooking through.
- The internal temperature should reach 170–180°F (77–82°C).
- Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes on a wire rack.
Making the Teriyaki Sauce
- Wipe excess fat from the pan, leaving behind any browned bits.
- Add soy sauce, sake, mirin, and sugar to the pan.
- Stir to dissolve the sugar, then bring to a simmer.
- Continue cooking over high to reduce the sauce until it becomes slightly thick and sticky. It should leave a visible trail when a spatula is dragged through it.
- Avoid over-reducing; the sauce should be glossy and cling to the chicken without being overly thick and gloppy
Finishing
- Brush the sauce onto the rested chicken, coating it evenly.
- Slice the chicken into 5–7 pieces, cutting skin-side down to prevent tearing the crispy skin.
- Serve over steamed medium-grain rice and top with sesame seeds
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