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sesame teriyaki chicken thighs
Victoria Haneveer

Sesame Teriyaki Chicken Thighs

Teriyaki sauce is a popular choice but did you know you could make your own homemade version without all the additives in there? Of all the dishes in Asian cooking, teriyaki sauce dishes have a special appeal for their sticky sweetness. This sauce has a wonderful balance of sweet with a bit of tang to it and in my opinion that makes it a true must-eat. Any trip to a Japanese restaurant isn't quite complete without at least one teriyaki appetizer or maybe two. The only real issue I ever have is deciding on beef or chicken. This recipe is made with chicken (but you're free to sub beef of course!)
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 6
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
 

For the Sesame Teriyaki Chicken:
  • 2 pounds (900g) chopped boneless chicken thighs
  • 2 tablespoons minced garlic
  • 2 tablespoons cooking oil
  • 1 teaspoon roasted sesame oil
  • 4 sliced green onions (spring onions), for garnish (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds, to garnish (optional)
For the Homemade Japanese Teriyaki Sauce:
  • ½ cup (125ml) dark soy sauce
  • ¼ cup (60ml) mirin
  • ¼ cup (60ml) sake
  • 1/8 cup white sugar

Method
 

  1. To make the sauce, bring the soy sauce, mirin and sake to a simmer in a pan on the stove.
  2. Mix in the sugar until dissolved and simmer until thick like syrup.
  3. Meanwhile, heat the cooking oil in a wok or large skillet over a medium heat.
  4. When hot, add the chicken pieces, stirring to cook all sides evenly and to brown.
  5. When the chicken is golden, go ahead and add the homemade teriyaki sauce to the chicken, and allow it to a simmer gently.
  6. Put a lid on the pan, lower the heat and allow to simmer for 5 minutes.
  7. Carefully take the lid off, and toss the chicken pieces in with sauce.
  8. Cover the pot, and simmer until the chicken is cooked all the way through. Bear in mind the sauce at this point will be rather watery.
  9. Remove lid and turn heat up a bit and allow the sauce to thicken.
  10. Transfer it to serving plates and garnish with sesame seeds and/or fresh green onions, if using.
  11. Pour any remaining sauce over the individual servings and serve right away.

Notes

  • I love toasted sesame seeds sprinkled over mine. To make these, add a handful of sesame seeds to a dry (no oil!) skillet and heat over a moderate heat, shaking the skillet often, until they're toasty and golden in places.
  • Looking for a low carb, sugar free teriyaki sauce to use instead of the sugary, homemade one? You can either use this keto teriyaki sauce or prepare your own but sub a sweetener for the sugar.