Spicy Chicken Teriyaki
Moist nuggets of chicken, glazed with an insanely flavorful, fiery teriyaki sauce. This is teriyaki sauce elevated. The heat level is entirely up to you, but one thing is certain, you’ll be licking the plate clean.
This is the best teriyaki sauce you will ever make. I can say that with confidence because I’ve crafted plenty of teriyaki sauce recipes in my day! I took the traditional blend of soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, and sesame oil and spiced it up with sriracha hot sauce, crushed red pepper flakes, and a little mirin (to balance the heat). The sweet/salty elements of the sauce are catapulted by the heat of the chilies. It’s perfection.
How spicy is this dish? As spicy as you want to make it. For an extra fiery dish, use both sriracha hot sauce and red pepper flakes. For a milder dish use one or the other (or half the amount of each). I used 3 tablespoons sriracha hot sauce and 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes and it was hot! Just the way we like it.
What should you serve with your spicy chicken teriyaki? I suggest serving rice or Asian noodles on the side; you’ll definitely want something to soak up the delicious sauce. Add some steamed or roasted veggies on the side and dinner is complete.
Spicy Chicken Teriyaki
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup soy sauce, or tamari sauce
- 1/4 cup water
- 2-3 tablespoons sriracha hot sauce, or 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (or both), or more/less to taste
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon mirin, Japanese rice wine, or Chinese rice wine
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, thighs, or tenders, cut into bite-size pieces
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Chopped fresh cilantro for serving, optional
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, sriracha (and/or red pepper flakes), water, brown sugar, mirin, ginger, garlic, sesame oil, and cornstarch. Mix well and set aside.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until golden brown on all sides.
- Stir the soy sauce mixture again to make sure the cornstarch is dissolved and add the mixture to the pan. Bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce thickens.
- Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Top with cilantro (if using) and serve.