Ingredients
For the Teriyaki Sauce
- 1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
- half a cup mirin
- half a cup sake
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar
For the Chicken
- 4 large skin-on, boneless chicken thighs
- half a teaspoon table salt
- 2 teaspoons neutral oil
- Sesame seeds, for garnish
First, Prep the Chicken
If your chicken thighs have bones, remove them carefully with a sharp knife. Leave all the skin intact, as it will shrink during cooking.
On the flesh side of each thigh, make a few ½-inch deep cuts in a crosshatch pattern. This helps the chicken cook evenly.
Lightly salt only the flesh side of the thighs. Do not salt the skin; keeping it as dry as possible is crucial for getting it crispy. Pat the skin very dry with a paper towel right before cooking.
Next, Cook the Chicken
Heat a large non-stick pan over medium-low heat. Add the oil and place the chicken thighs in the pan skin-side down.
Immediately place a heavy pot or another skillet on top of the chicken to press it flat. This prevents the skin from shrinking and curling away from the pan’s surface. Let the thighs cook undisturbed for ~10-12 minutes. You’re looking for the skin to be a deep, uniform golden brown.
Remove the weight, flip the thighs, and cook for another 2-3 minutes on the flesh side to finish cooking through. The internal temperature should be at least 175F.
Remove the chicken from the pan and let it rest on a wire rack for at least 5 minutes.
Finally, Make the Sauce and Serve
Carefully wipe the excess rendered fat from the pan, leaving behind any browned bits (fond).
Add the soy sauce, mirin, sake, and brown sugar to the pan. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Continue to let the sauce bubble and reduce until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. It should leave a visible trail when you drag a spatula through it. Be careful not to over-reduce it into a thick, gloppy syrup.
Slice the rested chicken into strips, cutting skin-side down to keep the skin from tearing. Brush the teriyaki sauce generously over the chicken or toss it in the pan to coat.
Serve immediately over steamed rice, garnished with sesame seeds.
Crispy-Skinned Chicken Teriyaki
Ingredients
For the Teriyaki Sauce
- 1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
- half a cup mirin
- half a cup sake
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar
For the Chicken
- 4 large skin-on boneless chicken thighs
- half a teaspoon table salt
- 2 teaspoons neutral oil
- Sesame seeds for garnish
Instructions
- Remove bones from chicken thighs if needed, keeping skin intact.
- Make shallow crosshatch cuts on flesh side of thighs.
- Salt flesh side only and pat skin very dry.
- Heat large non-stick pan over medium-low with oil.
- Place chicken skin-side down and weight with heavy pot.
- Cook undisturbed 10-12 minutes until skin is golden brown.
- Flip and cook 2-3 minutes more until internal temp reaches 175F.
- Rest chicken on wire rack 5 minutes.
- Wipe excess fat from pan, keeping fond.
- Add soy sauce, mirin, sake, and brown sugar to pan.
- Simmer until sauce thickens enough to coat spoon.
- Slice chicken skin-side down into strips.
- Coat chicken with sauce and garnish with sesame seeds.
- Serve over steamed rice.
