Easy Chicken Teriyaki with Marinade
This easy chicken teriyaki is marinated then grilled, baked, or stir fried until perfectly cooked and juicy! Glaze with teriyaki sauce for the best chicken teriyaki that's even better than takeout! Works great with chicken breast or chicken thighs!
Prep Time15 minutes mins
Cook Time8 minutes mins
Total Time23 minutes mins
Course: dinner, lunch, Main Course
Cuisine: Asian, Japanese
Servings: 2
Calories: 412kcal
Chicken Teriyaki Marinade & Sauce
- ⅓ cup low sodium soy sauce
- ⅓ cup mirin see Note 2 for substitutions
- ⅓ cup sugar see Note 3 for substitutions
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic or ginger (optional)
Prep chicken: Flatten the chicken so it's about ¾ inch thick for even cooking. Place in a zipper bag or large bowl to marinate.
Marinade: Combine the ingredients for the marinade and mix together until the sugar dissolves. Reserve half for later use and marinate the chicken with the remaining half for at least 15 minutes to overnight in the fridge.
⅓ cup low sodium soy sauce, ⅓ cup mirin, ⅓ cup sugar
Cook Chicken (Grill, Pan fry, or Bake)
- You can use both skinless or skin-on chicken thighs or chicken breast.
- Mirin - substitute with sake or any white wine. Non-alcoholic substitute: use stock or water with a few drops of vinegar or lemon juice.
- Sugar - substitute with honey, agave, or brown sugar
- When baking, keep an eye on the chicken as the sugar in the marinade can easily burn if your oven is too hot.
Note: Recipe photos used grill pan method.
Variations:
Teriyaki marinade - Though not traditional, feel free to add garlic, ginger, or green onions.
Stir fry chicken teriyaki - Cut the chicken into bite size pieces, no need to marinate. Stir fry with half of the marinade until chicken is fully cooked and sauce is thickened. Add any vegetables you'd like during the last 5 minutes.
Spicy chicken teriyaki - Add red pepper flakes, sriracha, or chopped jalapeno or serrano peppers.
Calories: 412kcal | Carbohydrates: 53g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 162mg | Sodium: 1869mg | Potassium: 494mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 43g | Vitamin A: 41IU | Calcium: 23mg | Iron: 2mg