Easy Teriyaki Chicken

Overhead view of sliced teriyaki chicken on a bed on rice on a plate.

4.77 from 55 votes

This Easy Teriyaki Chicken is perfect for quick weeknight dinners, and has the most delicious salty, sweet, and savory flavor!

Prep Time10

Cook Time15

Marinate30

Total Time55

Course: Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: American, Asian, Japanese

Total Cost: $7.07 recipe / $1.41 serving

Servings: thighs

Calories: 274kcal

Author: Beth Moncel

Equipment

Shallow Bowl or Dish
Large 12" skillet

Ingredients

¼ cup soy sauce 2 oz., $0.22
3 Tbsp brown sugar $0.08
1 Tbsp water $0.00
1 garlic clove minced, $0.08
1 tsp fresh ginger grated, $0.10
2 Tbsp cooking oil divided, (1 oz.) $0.08*
1.75 lbs. chicken thighs boneless & skinless, $6.51**

Instructions

Gather your ingredients.
Prepare the marinade first. Stir together the soy sauce, brown sugar, water, garlic, ginger, and 1 Tbsp of the cooking oil in a bowl.***
Place the chicken in a shallow bowl or dish, then pour the marinade over top. Turn the chicken a couple of times to make sure it's well coated. Let the chicken marinate for 30 minutes to one day (refrigerated), turning the chicken occasionally as it marinates.****
When ready to cook the chicken, heat the remaining 1 Tbsp cooking oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the chicken, discarding the remaining used marinade.
Cook the chicken for about 5-7 minutes on each side or until cooked through (175℉ internally) and the liquid in the skillet has reduced to a light coating of glaze on the chicken.
Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and let it rest for about 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

Video

Notes

*I use a neutral cooking oil, such as vegetable or canola oil. I add some to the marinade to help it coat the chicken, and some to the skillet to stop the chicken from sticking.

**I prefer chicken thighs here because they cook quickly and stay super tender and juicy. You can also use chicken breasts, but make sure to fillet them into two thinner pieces or pound the chicken to a ½-inch thickness before marinating. This will help them cook quickly and evenly in the skillet before the glaze burns. Chicken tenders work too, but they'll cook much faster! Cook chicken breast and tenders to 165℉.

***Keep the soy sauce, brown sugar, and water ratio as written. The soy sauce adds saltiness and umami, and the brown sugar balances it with sweetness and helps form the glossy glaze. Then the water loosens the marinade and stops it from reducing too quickly before the chicken is cooked through. However, feel free to adjust the amount of fresh garlic and ginger to taste!

****Always marinate raw chicken covered in the refrigerator. To keep things simple and food-safe, I recommend discarding any marinade that has touched the raw chicken.

If you want extra sauce for serving, double the soy sauce, brown sugar, water, garlic, and ginger, then set half aside. The serving sauce doesn’t need oil, so stir 1 Tbsp oil into the remaining half before pouring it over the raw chicken. For a thicker serving sauce (NOT marinade), whisk an additional ½ cup water and 1 Tbsp cornstarch into the clean, reserved half, then simmer over medium heat, whisking until thickened. Drizzle it over the cooked chicken and your sides!

Want to use the oven? I haven’t tested this recipe in the oven yet, but plenty of our readers have, and said it worked great! I’d bake the chicken thighs at 400ºF for about 30-35 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken thighs reaches 175ºF. Just keep an eye on the marinade in case it starts browning too quickly.

Nutrition

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