Practically everyone loves a good chicken dinner, and this one is about as good as they come.
We’re just crazy for the sweet and savory combination with teriyaki. We love baked salmon teriyaki, teriyaki chicken wings, and our Instant Pot teriyaki salmon. But these baked chicken thighs are cooked to perfection and are the perfect weeknight dinner or Sunday feast – an instant family favorite.
The Ingredients You Will Need
Most of the ingredients for this classic dish are readily available. Here’s what you’ll need to have on hand:
Chicken – We love bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs. The dark meat is the perfect match for the flavorful sauce. However, chicken breasts and boneless chicken thighs work wonderfully, too.
Garlic – Minced
Ginger – Use fresh ginger and mince it as finely as possible.
Soy sauce – Regular, or low-sodium.
Sesame oil – Found in the Asian section of most well-stocked supermarkets. Or, you can order it online.
Oil – Olive or extra-virgin olive.
Pineapple juice – This is a key ingredient, but you won’t need much. You can purchase the small cans if you don’t plan to drink the remaining juice.
Mirin – This is a sweet Japanese cooking wine that can be found in the Asian section of most well-stocked supermarkets. Or, you can order it online.
Brown sugar – Dark or light. Both work, but we prefer dark.
Cornstarch – You’ll need 1 to 2 tablespoons.
Sesame seeds – For garnish. And flavor and texture.
Green onions – Chopped, also called scallions.
EXPERT TIP: You’ll get a good flavor after just one hour of marinating the chicken. But the longer you can let the chicken marinate, the better it will be. Overnight is fantastic. Whenever you think of it, move the chicken around in the baggie. You can also let the chicken marinate in a covered baking dish.
Tips for Making the Best Baked Teriyaki Chicken
Marinate the Chicken – This is critical for a deeply flavorful dish. Marinating for at least one hour, or even better, overnight, allows the flavors to permeate the meat and results in a more flavorful and tender dish.
Use a Wire Rack – For optimal air circulation and to prevent the chicken from sitting in its own juices, place the marinated chicken thighs on a wire rack set over a baking sheet. This allows the hot air to circulate the chicken, promoting even browning and crisping of the skin. Line the pan with foil for easy cleanup.
Don’t Overcook the Chicken – You’ll want to use an instant-read thermometer to ensure your chicken is cooked perfectly. Once it reaches 160°F, you’ll want to increase the oven temperature and then baste the chicken with the teriyaki sauce, and then bake for another 10 minutes. This will ensure perfectly cooked chicken that will be tender and juicy.
EXPERT TIP: A cornstarch slurry consisting of 1 tablespoon water mixed with 1 tablespoon cornstarch will thicken the sauce to a glaze-like consistency. If this sauce is still too thin after stirring in the slurry, you may need to add more. Have extra cornstarch on hand, just in case.
How To Serve
We love serving this chicken on top of a bed of perfectly steamed rice. Jasmine or Basmati are great options.
After you’ve prepared the sauce, divide it in half. You’ll need about half for basting the chicken during the final baking, and then once more before serving.
But you’ll definitely want to have extra sauce available to pass at the table. It’s really that good.
Be sure to have plenty of napkins available, as the sticky sauce can cause sticky fingers. The addition of sesame seeds and chopped scallions are wonderful garnish. We pair the dish with a dry white wine such as Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc.
Other Amazing Chicken Entree Recipes to Try
Chicken is probably the most versatile protein of them all. It is perfect for all types of cuisines and dishes. Here is a collection of some of our favorite chicken dishes that we are certain will be a hit with your family:
Tuscan Chicken with White Beans and Spinach
Baked Brown Sugar Garlic Chicken
Chicken Florentine
Perfect Roast Chicken
Chicken Fricassee
Classic Chicken Piccata
Authentic Chicken Parmesan
Easy Caprese-Stuffed Chicken
Chicken Curry
Indian Chicken Tikki Masala
Moroccan Chicken Tagine with Preserved Lemons
Chicken Molé
Chicken Tinga Tacos
Baked Chipotle Chicken
Thai Green Curry Chicken
Chinese Orange Chicken
These are all classics in their own delicious way. But, in the meantime, isn’t this winner catching your eye?
This chicken dish is so wonderful that it’s ideal for serving to guests.
However, the preparation is so simple, it’s perfect for a busy weeknight dinner. You can get the chicken in the marinade the night before or the morning of the day you plan to serve it. The sauce can even be made up to 24 hours in advance.
Leftovers heat wonderfully when placed in a baking dish and covered with foil. Just heat in a 300°F oven for about 20 minutes.
If you’re looking for a scrumptious new way to prepare chicken, you definitely need to try this recipe. It’s guaranteed to be 100% family-approved!
Ready to make the best chicken dish in town? Go for it!
And when you do, be sure to take a photo of it, post it on Instagram, and tag @HowToFeedaLoon and hashtag #HowToFeedaLoon!
Baked Teriyaki Chicken
Video
Equipment
- Baking pan with rack
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon garlic minced, divided
- 2 tablespoon ginger fresh, chopped, divided
- 1 cup soy sauce divided
- 1 tablespoon sesame seed oil
- 8 chicken thighs bone-in, skin on
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ cup pineapple juice
- ½ cup mirin Japanese cooking wine
- ¼ cup brown sugar dark or light
- 1 to 2 tablespoon cornstarch combined with 1 to 2 tablespoon water
- Sesame seeds for garnish
- 2 tablespoon green onions chopped, for garnish, optional
- Steamed rice for serving
Instructions
- In a large bowl, stir together 1 tablespoon garlic, 1 tablespoon ginger, ½ cup soy sauce, and the sesame oil (1 tbsp).2 tablespoon garlic, 2 tablespoon ginger, 1 cup soy sauce, 1 tablespoon sesame seed oil
- Place the chicken in a large freezer baggie (or a baking dish), and pour the marinade over the chicken. Move the chicken around to fully coat. Seal the baggie (or cover the dish with foil), and refrigerate for 1 hour, or even better, overnight.8 chicken thighs
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Remove the chicken from the marinade and brush off any garlic or ginger. Place on a baking rack on a baking pan that is lined with foil.
- Bake the chicken (skin-side up) until the internal temperature reaches 160°F, about 35 to 40 minutes.
- While the chicken is baking, make the sauce by sautéing the garlic and ginger (1 tablespoon each) in the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat until soft, about 4 minutes. Stir in the remaining soy sauce (½ cup), pineapple juice, mirin, and brown sugar. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium.1 tablespoon olive oil, ¼ cup pineapple juice, ½ cup mirin, ¼ cup brown sugar
- Make a slurry by combining 1 tablespoon of water with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch. Stir until smooth. Stir into the sauce and cook until thickened. The consistency should be like a glaze. If the sauce is too thin, add another cornstarch slurry (1 tablespoon water with 1 tablespoon cornstarch). Remove from the heat and divide the sauce into two separate bowls.1 to 2 tablespoon cornstarch
- Remove the chicken from the oven and increase the temperature to 425°F. Brush half of the teriyaki sauce all over the chicken. Bake for another 10 minutes until the skin is darkened and browned on the edges.
- Remove from the oven and serve at once, garnished with sesame seeds and green onions, if using. Serve over steamed rice, if desired.Sesame seeds, 2 tablespoon green onions, Steamed rice
Nancy Durkin says
I haven’t tried the recipe yet, but the ingredients and techniques hit all my buttons. Been making steelhead trout teriyaki with toasted sesame seeds for a long time, and love it. I start vacation next week and am going to make this!!!
Kris Longwell says
Hi Nancy! We hope you made the teriyaki chicken and enjoyed it! And WOO HOO for vacation! Enjoy!!! Let us know how the chicken turned out, if you made it!!! xoxo Kris & Wesley
Claire says
Thank you so much for this recipe. My family loved it! I didn’t have the mirin so I added a little rice vinegar to cut down on the sweetness. I served this over rice with steamed broccoli. It was delicious! Thank you!
Kris Longwell says
Hi Claire! We LOVE that you made the teriyaki chicken and the family loved it! WIN!!!Served over rice with steamed broccoli is PERFECTION! Thank you so very much for sharing and for the wonderful review! That means so much to us!!!