This Quick Chicken Teriyaki recipe is perfect for those busy weeknights when you want a delicious meal without spending hours in the kitchen. Made with tender chicken breast cooked in a sweet and savory teriyaki sauce, this dish is sure to become a family favorite. Serve it over rice with steamed vegetables for a complete and satisfying meal that’s ready in no time.
Ingredients for Quick Chicken Teriyaki:
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup mirin (Japanese sweet rice wine)
- 2 tablespoons sake (Japanese rice wine) or dry white wine
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon grated ginger
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced (for garnish)
- Sesame seeds (for garnish)
How to Make Quick Chicken Teriyaki:
- In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, mirin, sake, sugar, honey, garlic, and ginger to make the teriyaki sauce. Set aside.
- In a large skillet or wok, heat a tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until browned and cooked through, about 5-7 minutes.
- Pour the teriyaki sauce over the chicken and stir to coat. Cook for an additional 2-3 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened slightly.
- In a small bowl, mix together cornstarch and water to make a slurry. Stir the slurry into the chicken and sauce mixture, and cook for another minute, or until the sauce has thickened to your liking.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and let it sit for a minute to allow the sauce to thicken further.
- Serve the chicken teriyaki over steamed rice, garnished with sliced green onions and sesame seeds.
About the Main Ingredients:
- Chicken: Chicken breast is a lean protein that cooks quickly, making it perfect for this quick and easy teriyaki recipe. You can also use chicken thigh if you prefer.
- Soy Sauce: Soy sauce is a key ingredient in teriyaki sauce, providing a salty and savory flavor that balances the sweetness of the mirin and sugar.
- Mirin: Mirin is a sweet rice wine that adds a sweet and tangy flavor to the teriyaki sauce. It also helps to tenderize the chicken.
- Sake: Sake is another type of rice wine that adds depth of flavor to the teriyaki sauce. If you don’t have sake, you can use dry white wine as a substitute.
- Sugar and Honey: Sugar and honey are used to sweeten the teriyaki sauce and balance the salty and savory flavors of the soy sauce and mirin.
- Garlic and Ginger: Garlic and ginger add a flavorful kick to the teriyaki sauce. They are minced or grated to release their flavors into the sauce.
- Cornstarch: Cornstarch is used as a thickening agent for the teriyaki sauce, giving it a glossy and velvety texture.
- Green Onions and Sesame Seeds: Green onions and sesame seeds are used as garnishes for the chicken teriyaki, adding color, flavor, and texture to the dish.
