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Finished Japanese teriyaki chicken sliced on a plate with shredded cabbage, cherry tomatoes, and a side salad

Japanese Teriyaki Chicken

Real Japanese teriyaki chicken — chicken thigh dusted in potato starch, pan-fried skin-side down until crisp, then glazed in a simple 2:2:2:1 sauce of soy, mirin, sake, and sugar until glossy. Everyday home cooking, ready in about 10 minutes.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings: 2 servings
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1 large chicken thigh about 250 g, skin on
  • 2 tbsp potato starch (katakuriko) for coating
  • salt and pepper a little
  • 2 tbsp oil for frying
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce for the sauce
  • 2 tbsp mirin for the sauce
  • 2 tbsp sake for the sauce
  • 1 tbsp sugar for the sauce

Method
 

  1. Open out the thick part of the thigh so it's an even thickness and season lightly with salt and pepper. Toss with potato starch in a bag, then pat off the excess.
  2. Heat a generous amount of oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Lay the chicken skin-side down and fry 2–3 minutes without moving it, until the skin is deep golden and crisp.
  3. Meanwhile, stir together the soy sauce, mirin, sake, and sugar until the sugar dissolves.
  4. Flip the chicken and cook the other side 1–2 minutes, then wipe the excess oil from the pan with a paper towel.
  5. Pour in the sauce and let it bubble over medium heat, spooning it over the chicken until it reduces to a glossy glaze.
  6. Rest a minute, slice into strips, and pour any remaining sauce over the top. Serve with shredded cabbage and rice.