Japanese immigrants to Hawaii brought with them a lot of their culture, cooking techniques and flavours. Back in the 1960s, the original Teriyaki Sauce was made with fresh pineapple juice, a fruit that was in plenty in Hawaii. Along with brown sugar and soy sauce, this was the first version of the sauce.
Although it may not be from Japan, the name is Teriyaki comes from two words, teri which means “shine” and yaki means “grill”. In Japan, the word is used to describe a cooking method usually used to make fish. It is said that as the fish cooks on the grill the fish shines, thus the name “shine grill”. This cooking technique goes all the way back to the 17th century.
Today, teriyaki is made with additional ingredients like garlic and mirin which add to the complexity of the sauce. But even though the flavours are complex, making a dish with Teryaki Sauce is not. This quick chicken recipe is perfect for busy weeknights as it comes together in just 20 minutes and is hearty and satisfying. Serve it up with some plain rice or noodles for a quick fix dinner.
Ingredients:
- 500g of chicken thigh, diced
- ⅓ cup of soy sauce
- ¼ cup of mirin
- ¼ cup of cooking sake
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 tsp of ginger, grated
- 2 tbsp of brown sugar
- 1 tbsp of olive oil or neutral oil
To garnish:
- Sesame seeds
- Spring onions
Method:
- Pat chicken dry with a paper towel before dicing it into cubes. Then, season the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. Let it rest for 15 minutes.
- For the sauce, combine soy sauce, mirin, sake, brown sugar, garlic, and ginger in a bowl. Set aside.
- Heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken in and sear the chicken on both sides until golden. Set aside.
- Add the sauce to the pan and simmer the teriyaki sauce until the sauce has thickened (3-4 minutes).
- Add the chicken back into the pan and stir until it is evenly coated.
- Serve with a bowl of rice, garnish with sesame seeds, and spring onions and enjoy!