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Easy Chicken Teriyaki with Marinade

Easy teriyaki chicken with an easy soy-soy mirin marinade and a glossy sweet soy glaze. Grill until caramelized at the edges, then simmer the reserved marinade for a thicker, shiny coating.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
marinating 30 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Japanese-American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken thighs or breasts
  • 1.5 lb chicken thighs or breasts Use boneless for faster grilling.
Teriyaki marinade
  • 0.5 cup soy sauce
  • 0.25 cup mirin or rice wine Choose mirin for a classic sweet flavor.
  • 0.25 cup brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 2 garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
  • 0.25 cup reserved marinade Reserve this portion before marinating to thicken glaze later.
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch (optional, for thicker glaze) If using, simmer with reserved marinade to thicken.
Garnish
  • 1 sesame seeds
  • 1 green onions

Equipment

  • 1 grill pan
  • 1 skillet

Method
 

Make the teriyaki marinade
  1. In a bowl, combine soy sauce, mirin or rice wine, brown sugar, honey, minced garlic, and grated ginger until the sugar dissolves, looking smooth and uniform.
  2. Reserve 1/4 cup of the marinade for basting and thickening, then pour the rest into a container for marinating.
Marinate
  1. Add chicken thighs or breasts to the remaining marinade and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 2 hours, turning once so the surface looks evenly coated.
Grill the chicken
  1. Preheat a grill pan over medium-high heat until hot, with visible heat shimmer at the surface.
  2. Grill the chicken for 6-7 minutes per side, basting frequently with the reserved marinade so the glaze looks glossy and caramelized at the edges.
Thicken the glaze (optional)
  1. If using cornstarch, simmer the reserved marinade in a skillet until it thickens into a pourable glaze that clings to the spoon, 2-5 minutes.
Serve
  1. Serve the chicken drizzled with glaze and top with sesame seeds and green onions so the finish has a shiny coating and fresh garnish.

Notes

For the shiniest glaze, baste often during grilling and keep the heat at medium-high so the sugars caramelize without burning. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container up to 3 days; freeze cooked chicken with glaze (or freeze chicken only) up to 2 months. For a lower-sugar option, reduce brown sugar to 3 tbsp and use a sugar-free honey substitute for a comparable sweet-soy flavor while keeping the caramelized edge effect.