Chicken Teriyaki Bowl
Teriyaki chicken is super quick and perfect for a weeknight dinner—you can make it in under 30 minutes. Served with rice and some vegetables, it makes a well-balanced and satisfying meal.
I prefer chicken thighs over chicken breasts—they’re more flavorful and cook faster, too. I usually buy bone-in thighs and debone them myself. To debone, use a sharp knife. I use a honesuki, a Japanese boning knife that I got from Korin. The honesuki is specifically designed for deboning poultry. It’s sturdy and allows you to cut through cartilage easily.
Once the bone is removed, trim any excess fat (those yellow blobs that come with chicken thighs) and any extra cartilage hanging around. A pair of kitchen scissors works great for this—I like using Joyce Chen’s kitchen shears. They have a short blade and are super handy. I highly recommend them. After trimming, prick the chicken skin all over with a sharp fork to prevent it from shrinking and curling up while cooking. (And no, I don’t have a specific sharp fork recommendation—just use what you have!)
My well seasoned Honesuki Knife and Joyce Chen Scissors
Once your chicken is prepped, let’s cook. For the best results, start with a cold pan—just like when you're cooking duck. While chicken thighs don’t have as much fat as duck, this method helps render the fat slowly and gives you beautifully golden, crispy skin. Add a bit of oil, place the chicken skin-side down in the cold pan, then turn on the heat to medium. As the chicken heats, it may start to buckle or curl. Use a fish spatula to press it down gently to ensure even cooking.
Heads up: the fat will splatter a bit. If that bothers you, try using a deep, heavy-bottomed cast iron pot to contain the mess. Once the chicken is cooked through, there will be quite a bit of rendered fat in the pan. Wipe it out with a paper towel before adding the sauce—otherwise, the teriyaki will be too greasy. (Or keep the fat! It's delicious. You can toss in some parboiled potatoes to soak it up.)
Some chicken teriyaki recipes call for coating the chicken in potato starch or cornstarch before cooking.I skipped this step in this recipe just to speed up the overall cooking time but if you’re curious, feel free to try it—just sprinkle about a tablespoon of starch on the chicken before cooking for a different texture.
The sauce is simple: soy sauce, mirin, sake, and a touch of sugar. Mix it together and reduce it in the pan until it reaches a syrupy consistency. Serve your teriyaki chicken over rice with your favorite vegetables. I added blanched broccoli tossed with grated garlic and sesame oil, and some cucumbers marinated in chili crisp. It turned into a satisfying and well-balanced meal.
I hope you’ll give it a try and enjoy it as much as I did!
Teriyaki Chicken Bowl
Prep time 10 minutes
Cooking time: 20 min
Makes 1
1 bone-in, skin-on chicken thigh
2 tablespoons mirin
2 tablespoons sake
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon neutral oil, such as canola, avocado, or grapeseed oil
1 cup cooked rice
Preparation
Debone the chicken. Use a sharp knife to make a long incision along the bone. Trim any excess fat and cartilage if needed. Prick the skin with a sharp fork and set aside.
In a small bowl, mix the soy sauce, sake, and mirin. Set aside.
In a cast iron or non-stick pan, add the oil. Place the chicken skin-side down, then turn on the heat. Cook over medium-high heat until the skin is golden brown. Flip the chicken and cook for 3–4 minutes, or until the thigh is cooked through.
Flip the chicken once more, skin-side up. Add the teriyaki sauce and let it reduce until it reaches a syrupy consistency, about 2–3 minutes, basting the chicken with the sauce.
Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and slice into bite-sized pieces. Serve over rice with vegetables.