Recipe Background
Hurry-Up Teriyaki Chicken is a quick, flavorful dish perfect for busy days.
The first time I made Hurry-Up Teriyaki Chicken, I had just moved into a cozy, character-filled apartment with creaking windows and a surprisingly functional mid-century stove. It was my first meal after spending the day unpacking boxes and figuring out which light switch corresponded to which room. The kitchen was still half-stocked, but I managed to find a stash of low-sodium soy sauce, a tiny bottle of mirin I'd forgotten about, and incredibly, a can of sake I'd picked up for a weekend cooking class. These were just the ingredients I needed to create a quick and satisfying dish.
The chicken thighs came from a last-minute grocery run, already boneless and skinless—perfect for fast cooking after a marathon moving day. I discovered the delight of freshly grated ginger, finding it lifted the flavors in the teriyaki sauce remarkably. I quickly learned a chef’s trick: letting the sauce simmer just to the point before it thickened too much, ensuring a glossy finish that clung effortlessly to the chicken. Before serving, a scatter of sesame seeds added a simple but delightful finishing touch.
In my near-bare kitchen, I found comfort in the familiar rhythm of whisking together ingredients like cornstarch and brown sugar. It's curious how a dish so rich in flavor comes together swiftly with minimal effort. Sitting down with a steaming bowl of this teriyaki chicken, fluffy white rice, and tender baby broccoli, I felt settled, ready to turn this new space into a home.
Ingredients
For the teriyaki:
- 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 1/4 cup mirin
- 1/4 cup sake or dry white wine
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger grated
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 1/2 pounds chicken thighs boneless and skinless
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Optional, for serving:
- sesame seeds to taste
- 2 cups white rice steamed and hot
- baby broccoli to taste, cooked and hot
Directions
- In a small bowl, add the soy sauce, the mirin, the sake, the brown sugar, the honey, the garlic, the ginger, the cornstarch, and the water and whisk to combine. Set the teriyaki sauce mixture aside.
- Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
- Season the chicken pieces evenly with the salt and the black pepper.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the vegetable oil.
- Add the chicken pieces to the hot oil and cook, while stirring occasionally, until they are browned and reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, about 6-8 minutes.
- Pour the teriyaki sauce mixture into the skillet over the chicken pieces and stir to fully coat.
- Cook the chicken mixture until the sauce thickens, about 1-2 minutes.
- Sprinkle with the sesame seeds.
- Serve with the steamed rice and the baby broccoli.
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