Chicken Teriyaki

MARCH 22, 2012

by NAMI

When I first came to the US as a foreign student, I didn’t have a car for the first few months because I lived in a dormitory and my parents assumed that I would eat at the cafeteria at school, and I did…for a few months.

Then I got bored with the cafeteria’s menus, got my first driver’s license and car, and moved into an apartment.  I started to cook on my own mainly because I missed my mom’s food.  The closest Japanese supermarket was miles away and I was still scared of driving on the high speed American freeways back then.  Luckily, American supermarkets in the area carried some Asian products so I could get some basic ingredients there, which saved the cost of flying back home to ease my craving for my mom’s home cooked meals.

Today I’m guest blogging at The Three Little Piglets, where my blogger friend Jen shares easy,healthy, and budget-friendly recipes.  When she asked me if I can make a Japanese dish with a few easy-to-find but essential ingredients, I thought authentic Chicken Teriyaki would be a great first introductory dish for cooking Japanese food.

Just so you know, the “chicken teriyaki sauce” in a bottle does not taste like real teriyaki sauce in Japan.  Like I mentioned before in my Beef Teriyaki post, teriyaki is a cooking technique: terimeans “luster” given by the sweet soy sauce marinade and yaki means “cooking/grilling” and it’s not really the name of the sauce.

Please click HERE to check the recipe and say hello to Jen.  If you enjoy baking, you will love following her blog.  I personally can’t wait to try her Just Like Doubletree Cookies and Orange Cardamom Madeleines.  Hmmmmm!  Just talking about them make me drool!

So dear readers, when you think of Japanese food, what dish comes to your mind first?

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Chicken Teriyaki Recipe

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Yield: Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 1 lb boneless chicken breast/thigh (I used 3 pieces of chicken thigh with skin)
• 2 Tbsp. sake for steaming
Teriyaki Sauce
• 2 Tbsp. soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp. water
• 1 Tbsp. sake
• 1 Tbsp. mirin
• 1 Tbsp. sugar
• 1/4 onion, grated, including juice (This is a grater I use.)
• 1 inch ginger, grated, including juice

Instructions:

1. Rinse chicken in running water and cut into smaller pieces. I cut one thigh into 4 small pieces so the chicken will be cooked through quickly and we can use chopsticks to eat. Then prick the chicken (not the skin side) with a fork.

2. Combine Teriyaki Sauce ingredients in a bowl or Ziploc bag.

3. Add chicken and marinate for 2-3 hours.

4. Heat oil on medium high in a large skillet. When it’s hot, place the chicken pieces from skin side. The marinade will burn easily so try not to add any liquid in the pan. Do not throw away the marinade.

5. When skin side is nicely browned, flip the chicken (now skin side is up). Then add sake and cook covered for 8-10 minutes.

6. Then remove the chicken to a plate and clean the skillet.

7. Heat a little bit of oil and put the chicken back to the skillet, skin side down first to make the skin crispy.

8. Then flip again (now skin side is up) and pour the Teriyaki Sauce. Cook until the sauce is reduced a bit. Use spoon to pour on top of chicken a couple of times while you are cooking.

9. Serve the chicken and pour sauce on top.