Equipment
Ingredients
Rice
- 150 g short-grain white rice
- 180 ml water
Chicken
- 300 g boneless skinless chicken thighs, raw
- 15 ml neutral cooking oil
Teriyaki Sauce
- 45 ml soy sauce
- 45 ml mirin
- 15 ml sake
- 15 g sugar
Garnish
- 20 g pickled ginger
- 15 g green onions, thinly sliced
- 5 g sesame seeds, toasted
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 637 kcal
- Protein
- 37 g
- Carbohydrates
- 81 g
- Fat
- 15 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
- Sugar
- 18 g
- Sodium
- 1541 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 3 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 3 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Cholesterol
- 141 mg
- Potassium
- 548 mg
- Calcium
- 58 mg
- Iron
- 2.6 mg
- Magnesium
- 79 mg
- Phosphorus
- 404 mg
- Zinc
- 3.6 mg
- Vitamin A
- 33 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 1 mg
- Vitamin E
- 0.3 mg
- Vitamin K
- 5 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.9 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.9 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.22 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.39 mg
- Niacin
- 10.2 mg
- Folate
- 16 mcg
- Water
- 246 g
- Alcohol
- 1 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Rinse the short-grain white rice under cold running water in a fine-mesh strainer until the water runs mostly clear, then drain well.
Combine the rinsed rice and water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat to the lowest setting, cover tightly, and simmer for 15 minutes.
Remove the rice from the heat and let it rest, keeping the lid securely on, for 10 minutes to finish steaming.
While the rice is cooking, cut the chicken thighs into 3cm bite-sized pieces on a clean cutting board.
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, mirin, sake, and sugar until the sugar is mostly dissolved.
Heat the neutral cooking oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken pieces in a single layer and sear without moving for 3 minutes until golden brown. Flip and cook the other side until the internal temperature reaches 74°C/165°F.
Pour the teriyaki sauce mixture over the cooked chicken in the skillet. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the sauce thickens and tightly glazes the chicken.
Fluff the rested rice with a spatula and divide it evenly into two serving bowls. Top with the glazed teriyaki chicken and spoon any remaining syrupy sauce from the skillet over the rice.
Garnish each bowl with pickled ginger, sliced green onions, and toasted sesame seeds just before serving.
Chef's Notes
- For the most authentic flavor and texture, always use boneless, skinless chicken thighs over breasts; the extra fat keeps the meat juicy during the high-heat reduction of the glaze.
- True Japanese teriyaki relies on the simple ratio of soy sauce, sake, and mirin to provide both flavor and thickening power. Avoid adding thickeners like cornstarch; let the natural sugars slowly caramelize to form a perfect glaze.
- Washing your rice gently but thoroughly is critical. Removing the surface starch prevents the grains from becoming a gummy paste, resulting in distinctly fluffy, slightly sticky grains perfect for picking up with chopsticks.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store rice and chicken in separate airtight containers to prevent the rice from absorbing all the sauce.
Freezer: 1 month — Chicken freezes well; cooked rice can be frozen in tightly wrapped plastic.
Reheating: Microwave rice with a splash of water covered. Reheat chicken gently in a skillet or microwave until warmed through.
Troubleshooting
Sauce is too thin and watery after boiling
Cause: Chicken released too much moisture or sauce was not reduced for long enough.
Fix: Remove the cooked chicken from the pan to prevent overcooking, turn the heat to medium-high, and boil the sauce alone for 1 to 2 minutes until it becomes syrupy.
Prevention: Pat raw chicken dry with paper towels before searing and ensure the pan is hot enough before adding the meat.
Sauce burned and tastes bitter
Cause: Heat was left on high after adding the sugary liquid, causing the sugars to burn rapidly.
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Always reduce the heat to medium immediately before or right after pouring in the sauce mixture.
Cultural Context
Teriyaki refers to a cooking technique rather than just a sauce, combining the Japanese words 'teri' (meaning luster or gleam) and 'yaki' (meaning grilled, broiled, or pan-fried). While authentic Japanese teriyaki is a simple reduction of soy sauce, sake, mirin, and sugar, it has evolved globally into a widely beloved flavor profile. Serving it over steaming short-grain rice as a 'donburi' (rice bowl) provides the perfect starchy canvas to absorb the sweet, savory glaze.
