How to Make Easy Teriyaki Chicken

Give your bland chicken bold flavor with teriyaki sauce.

The sweet and tangy taste of teriyaki sauce make it a favorite of everybody, especially kids. And its versatility makes it a great go-to marinade and sauce for chicken, pork and rice dishes. Featuring healthy ingredients like fresh ginger and vinegar, teriyaki sauce can perk up any dish, but its bold flavors really turn a blah chicken dinner into something terrific. Trying making this simple teriyaki sauce, and use it to marinate your chicken or brush it on during baking.

Things You'll Need

• 1 tbsp. cornstarch
• 1 tbsp. cold water
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ cup soy sauce (low sodium if you prefer)
• ¼ cup cider vinegar
• ½ inch fresh ginger, grated
• 12 chicken thighs, boneless and skinless
• Saucepan
• Large, gallon-sized plastic storage bag
• Baking dish, 9 by 13 inches

Instructions

1. Make the teriyaki sauce. In a small saucepan, stir the cornstarch into the water until dissolved. Add the sugar, soy sauce, cider vinegar and fresh ginger. Place over low heat. Bring the mixture to a simmer, and let simmer, stirring frequently until the sauce has thickened and begins to bubble. Your sauce is ready to use and can be refrigerated for several days.

2. Prepare your chicken. You can either use the sauce as a marinade or brush it on the chicken as it bakes. To marinate, simply add the chicken and marinade to a gallon-sized plastic storage bag, and let marinate for an hour.

3. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit, and lightly grease baking dish.

4. Bake chicken. If you marinated the chicken, simply place in the dish, covering the chicken with the extra marinade, and put it in the oven. Otherwise, brush the chicken on all sides with the teriyaki sauce until the chicken is well coated.

5. Cook chicken until the juices run clear and it is no longer pinkish in color. If you did not marinate the chicken, brush the chicken with the teriyaki sauce every 10 to 15 minutes. After 30 minutes, flip the chicken over, and brush with teriyaki sauce again.

Tips & Warnings

• Add ¼ cup of fish sauce to the recipe for a Thai taste, or add chili pepper sauce to give it some spice.

• Add a couple tablespoons of concentrated frozen orange juice to the sauce to add an orange flavor.

References

• Food.com: Restaurant Teriyaki Sauce