Easy teriyaki chicken
Say goodbye to jars and packets of processed chicken teriyaki marinade, because from now you’re making your own! This is my home-cook-friendly recipe and it’s a cracker. I reckon skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs are the best for this recipe (or equally as good is the maryland, which is the drum with the thigh attached). If you like, you can remove the skin from the chicken but it adds great flavour and I’m a big fan, so mine always stays on. If you want to use boneless thighs, reduce the cooking time to 30 minutes – but the bone-in cuts stay juicier and they’re tastier.
If you have time, you can add the cooled marinade to the chicken in a container or snaplock bag, and marinate overnight for maximum flavour.
Prep time – 20 minutes
Cooking time – 50-60 minutes
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
1kg – 1.5kg chicken thighs – bone-in & skin on (or use chicken marylands)
½ cup soy sauce (use GF if necessary)
½ cup water
¼ cup brown sugar
3 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp oil (peanut or rice bran)
3 tsp white or malt vinegar
2 tsp cornflour mixed 2 tbsp water
4 cloves garlic, crushed
3 tsp finely grated fresh ginger
1/2 tsp finely ground black pepper (or just go mad with the pepper grinder)
Fresh chopped chives or, spring onions, parsley or coriander, to serve
Cooked rice or noodles and steamed green, to serve
Japanese mayonnaise (Yum Yum Sauce), to serve (optional)
Method
Preheat the oven to 180c fan bake and line a large roasting dish (something with sides, even if only shallow – as there’s quite a bit of liquid) with baking paper or foil.
To make the teriyaki sauce, add the soy sauce, water, brown sugar, oyster sauce, oil, vinegar, cornflour mixture, garlic, ginger and pepper to a saucepan over a medium heat. Stir to combine and bring to a simmer for a couple of minutes until it has thickened. Remove from the heat.
If there are any outrageous flappy bits of extra chicken skin coming off the edges of the chicken, you can trim this.
Slice each piece of chicken a few times through the skin and a little way into the flesh. This helps the flavour of the sauce infuse while cooking. Arrange the chicken skin-side up in the prepared tray. Pat them nice and dry with paper towels so the marinade holds on better.
If you have time, you can add the cooled marinade to the chicken in a container or snaplock bag, and marinate for a few hours or overnight for maximum flavour (and still baste as per the recipe while cooking).
Arrange the chicken in the roasting tray. Using a pastry brush, coat each piece of chicken with the teriyaki sauce (at this stage the coating won’t look impressive – but by the end it will be dark and shiny and delicious). Bake in the oven for 40 minutes, brushing the chicken with more sauce 3-4 more times during the cooking time.
Serve the chicken with cooked rice, steamed greens and a scattering of herbs/spring onions if you like. It’s pretty good with a squeeze of Japanese Mayo, too!
If you have any leftover sauce, you can give it a quick boil (add a splash more soy sauce and water to make it go further – and any cooking juices in the pan) and spoon it over the chicken and rice as you serve up.
Cheese this recipe is AMAZING!! The flavour is incredible! Even the fussy 12 year old said it was the best home cooked meal he has ever had. You are the best, this will be a weekly dish in our house!!
Thanks! x
Can you use fish sauce instead of oyster sauce or leave it out. Looks great
Hiya can the sauce be made in bulk and left in the fridge? If so how long ?Thanks
LOVE this easy recipe! I made it with drumsticks. Have shared this recipe to my friends and I have saved to this my favourite recipes file! Will definitely make it again and again. Our kids loved it too!
I have this in my oven for tonight’s dinner. I have 3 of your books Chelsea and my goal is to make at least 3 dishes a week from your books. Love your combinations of flavours and that I can use ingredients in most of your receipes. Thank you. I’m saving for the rest of the cookbooks.
Amazing flavours! Definitely making again!
Hi Chelsea, thank you for your recipe. I tried it yesterday and today, it’s so delicious. So yummy.
hi when cooking do I leave all the marinade in with the chicken or just pour a little over the chicken before putting this in the oven. And can this be made in the crockpot?
Thank you
Is this in one of your books
Made this last night. Delicious and easy! Definirely will be made again!
So delicious and LOVED by everyone in our family. Just about to make it again now…
Hi Chelsea
what greens/veggies would you serve with this?
Green beans, broccoli, or Asian greens would be nice!
I found this to be really salty! I am wondering whether it was the brand of soy sauce I used and maybe the oyster sauce brand? Any suggestions welcome, as my kids love teriyaki sauce! Thank you!
Yes, try a low-sodium soy sauce and that should help – and obviously don’t add any salt! Don’t let it simmer too long or it will reduce and become saltier, also.
I made this tonight for our church dinner for our table of 10 people. It was so good and a real hit with the kids who came from the other tables to eat it. Just as well I doubled the recipe!!
Yum I’m gonna make this tonight. Total laugh……outrageous flappy skin lol you’re hilarious!
Hi Chelsea,
I’m going to cook these tomorrow night but I only have drumsticks. How long would you suggest I cook them for please?
Same time :)
Giving this a go with chicken breast tonight :)
Would this work with thighs no skin? or would it dry out too much?
Yes it would be OK.
Thanks so much Chelsea. I’m making it for tea tonight. One little point to note: there is black pepper listed in the ingredients but not in the actual recipe. I’m guessing it’s meant to be added into the marinade? Otherwise it’s smelling delicious already!
Hi Chelsea I’m making this for the 2nd time this week so there’s proof that this is great. Thanks so much!
Hi Chelsea,
Thanks for the recipe.
Would the sauce be suitable for making ahead of time and storing in the fridge?
if so, how long would you recommend?
Made this tonight and had on pork steaks… Omg tastes so much better than the bottled stuff I love knowing exactly what goes into it!!
My teenagers (who don’t usually cook) made this the other night, was going to be late home so I left them the instructions, used drumsticks – was soooooo good! a big hit with the whole family :)
Hi C, this looks amazeballs, do you think this would work with beef?
Thanks Chelsea. I’ll try this recipe next time I cook for my grandsons. I’m sure they’ll enjoy it.
Mad Butcher has chicken thighs on special this week. Guess I’ll have to make this! Can’t wait. Thanks, Chelsea.
Thanks for listening to your fans and sharing. You’re a gem
what sort of timing adjustments for an non-fan oven?
Hi Chelsea, I’m excited to try this recipe as I also love your chicken chorizo one – do you think it’s possible to do in a slow cooker? Any tips? Thanks :)
Having a pot luck tomorrow night, I am going to make this
Hi Chelsea
This looks amazing I love teriyaki so I am giving this marinade a go on a whole butterflied chicken (my husbands golf club raffles them off every Sunday) so fingers crossed it looks as good as yours. If there is any leftovers I might try and use it in your teriyaki sushi but that is a big if!
Yum… thank you
Will try this one tonight
Looks delicious
Thanks for being so generous with your recipes.
Yum yum
Amazing THANK YOU!!
Hi Chelsea
I have an anaphylactic allergy to shellfish – what would you recommend instead of oyster sauce?
Would love to make it but need substitution! :)
Thanks, Louise
You can actually leave it out :)
Thanks will definitely try it, my boys love teriyaki!! :)
Looks divine – thanks for posting your recipe