Japanese Teriyaki Chicken

By Sudachi · 25 min

Ingredients

Instructions

1. Lay the chicken thigh flesh-side up on a board, cut horizontal incisions into the thickest parts and open them so the meat is an even thickness.
2. Flip the chicken, prick the skin all over with a fork, then sprinkle 4 pinches of salt over both sides (1 pinch per side) and rub it in evenly.
3. Pat the chicken dry with kitchen paper. For the traditional method, lightly dust the underside with ½ tbsp potato starch (katakuriko) and brush off the excess; for the extra crispy method, dust the skin with starch instead.
4. Preheat the pan thoroughly on medium, add a generous splash of oil and swirl to coat. Place the chicken skin-side down and fry for 7 minutes.
5. For the crispy method, cover the chicken with foil and weigh it down with a heatproof flat-bottomed object, such as a pan of water.
6. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix 1½ tbsp Japanese soy sauce (koikuchi shoyu), 1½ tbsp mirin, 1½ tbsp sake, 1 tsp light brown sugar, 1½ tbsp dashi stock and ½ tsp honey until the sugar and honey dissolve.
7. Flip the chicken and fry the other side for 2 minutes.
8. Move the chicken to a plate briefly. Pour the rendered fat into a heatproof container, leaving about 1 tbsp in the pan, wiping off any excess with kitchen paper if needed. Turn off the heat, pour in the sauce mixture and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom with a wooden spatula.
9. Turn the heat up to medium-high and let the sauce bubble for about 60 seconds. Return the chicken to the pan skin-side up.
10. Baste the chicken with the sauce for 30–60 seconds, until it becomes a syrup that clings to the surface. To keep the skin crispy, skip basting and just move the chicken around the pan until the underside is glossy with sauce.
11. Remove from the heat and rest for 3 minutes before slicing into strips. Serve with any leftover glaze poured over the top.

Summarized from Sudachi's video. Watch it for the details.

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