Teriyaki Chicken Thighs
This fork-tender chicken is glazed with the most amazing sweet and savory teriyaki sauce. The meat is golden brown on the outside, perfectly juicy on the inside, and you’ll be licking up every last drop of the sauce.
I’m a bit obsessed with this homemade teriyaki sauce. It delivers the perfect balance of salty and sweet, with plenty of umami undertones. It’s also made with pantry staples – you may already have everything you need. Plus, it’s gluten-free and ultra healthy!
I used chicken thighs but you can make this dish with chicken breasts instead. I prefer boneless, skinless chicken for this dish, but if you only have bone-in chicken, simply add a few minutes to the cooking time. All chicken should cook to 165 degrees.
How should you serve this chicken? I suggest serving this dish with rice or Asian noodles so you have something to soak up the sauce. I served black rice noodles on the side and it was a show-stopping meal. Add your favorite steamed or roasted vegetable and the meal is complete.
Teriyaki Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup chicken broth, or water
- 1/4 cup soy sauce, or tamari, or liquid aminos
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, regular or seasoned
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 6 to 8 boneless skinless chicken thighs, or 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- Chopped green onions for serving
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together the chicken broth, soy sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, garlic, ginger, and cornstarch. Set aside.
- Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches to prevent crowding the pan, add the chicken and cook until browned on both sides. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
- Whisk the soy sauce mixture again to make sure the cornstarch isn’t stuck to the bottom of the bowl, then add the mixture to the pan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Return the chicken to the pan with any accumulated juices. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through (165 degrees; chicken breasts will cook more quickly). Note, the sauce will form a thick glaze so push the chicken around the pan so it gets nicely coated (this also prevents the glaze from burning).
- Top with green onions and serve.