Categories: Food

Baked Teriyaki Chicken

This teriyaki chicken recipe uses a homemade teriyaki sauce to glaze chicken thighs that are baked in the oven for the most delicious sticky chicken. This is a much-requested recipe in our house! Easy to double for a large group.

Prep Time:

10 mins

Cook Time:

55 mins

Total Time:

1 hr 5 mins

Servings:

What Is Teriyaki Chicken?

Teriyaki chicken is simply chicken that is coated in teriyaki sauce.

The dish comes from the Japanese cooking technique called teriyaki, where meat is grilled or broiled with a soy sauce, mirin, and sugar glaze. Today, teriyaki chicken refers to any chicken with teriyaki sauce — regardless of the cooking method.

What Is Teriyaki Sauce?

Traditional teriyaki sauce is made up of four ingredients: soy sauce, mirin, ginger, and sugar. But many chefs have their own takes on teriyaki sauce.

In this recipe, the teriyaki sauce includes soy sauce, sugar, ginger, cornstarch (for thickening), cider vinegar (instead of mirin), water, garlic, and black pepper.

How to Make Teriyaki Chicken

You’ll find the full, simple recipe below, but here’s a brief idea of what you can expect:

Make the Teriyaki Sauce

In a small saucepan, combine soy sauce, ground ginger, white sugar, minced garlic, cornstarch, cold water, cider vinegar, and black pepper. Simmer until thick and bubbling.

Glaze the Chicken

Coat the chicken on both sides with the teriyaki sauce. For more flavor, marinate the chicken in the sauce for a few hours or overnight.

Bake the Chicken

Bake the chicken in a 425 degree F oven for 50 minutes, brushing with sauce every 10 minutes.

How Long to Bake Teriyaki Chicken

The baking time can vary depending on how big your chicken pieces are. In this recipe, the chicken is cooked for 50-60 minutes. This should work for most chicken thighs.

When in doubt, pull out your digital thermometer. Teriyaki chicken is done when the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.

Ingredients

½ cup white sugar
½ cup soy sauce
¼ cup cider vinegar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon cold water
1 clove garlic, minced
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
12 boneless, skinless chicken thighs

Directions

process 1

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.

process 2

Combine sugar, soy sauce, cider vinegar, cornstarch, cold water, garlic, ginger, and pepper in a small saucepan over low heat. Simmer, stirring frequently, until teriyaki sauce thickens and bubbles, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.

process 3

Place chicken thighs in the prepared baking dish. Brush both sides of each thigh with the sauce. Reserve any extra sauce for basting.

process 4

Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes.

process 5

Flip chicken and brush with sauce. Continue to bake, basting with remaining sauce every 10 minutes, until no longer pink and juices run clear, 20 to 30 more minutes.

process 6

Serve hot and enjoy!