Honey-Teriyaki Chicken

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This easy, sweet, and tangy entree makes a great weeknight dinner.

Honey Teriyaki chicken
Photo:

Rachel Marek

Servings:
4

Our honey teriyaki chicken is quick to make and uses just a few pantry staples for homemade teriyaki sauce. It's a family-friendly dinner that’s easy on the cook—the chicken bakes in the oven, leaving you free to prep the rest of the meal. We use chicken thighs for this dish because they’re more flavorful, less likely to dry out, and less expensive than chicken breasts. The sweet yet tangy sauce is a crowd pleaser, and one you’re sure to use on other proteins, like salmon and beef.

What Is Teriyaki Sauce?

Teriyaki is more than a sauce, it is also a cooking technique in which foods are brushed with a sweet-sticky glaze made with soy sauce, mirin, and sugar, then broiled or grilled. Teriyaki is considered a Japanese culinary technique, but there are similar techniques in other Asian cuisines, including Chinese and Thai. Common dishes include teriyaki salmon and teriyaki chicken. 

The teriyaki sauces we can buy or make at home are versions of the glaze used in traditional teriyaki. They are usually based on soy sauce, with an acidic ingredient such as the rice wine mirin or vinegar, and a sweetener.

Homemade teriyaki sauce recipes can be made gluten-free by using tamari in place of standard soy sauce.

Other Ways to Use Homemade Honey Teriyaki Sauce

Teriyaki sauce is most commonly used as a marinade or glaze, like in this Honey-Chicken Teriyaki recipe. Here are three other uses: 

  • BBQ sauce: Try teriyaki instead of barbecue sauce on pork ribs. 
  • Stir-fry sauce: Use a little teriyaki sauce as a finishing touch on a stir fry with rice or noodles.
  • Condiment: Use teriyaki sauce as a dipping sauce for grilled chicken wings or skewers.

Ingredients

  • ½ cup honey

  • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar

  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce

  • 4 garlic cloves, minced

  • 2 tablespoons peeled and finely grated fresh ginger

  • Coarse salt and ground pepper

  • 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 3 pounds total)

Directions

Ingredients for honey teriyaki chicken

Rachel Marek

  1. Preheat oven, prep baking sheet, and mix sauce ingredients:

    Preheat oven to 475°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. In a large bowl, mix honey, vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.

    Teriyaki sauce in bowl

    Rachel Marek

  2. Toss chicken:

    Add chicken and toss to coat.

    Chicken tossed in teriyaki sauce

    Rachel Marek

  3. Bake chicken:

    Transfer chicken and sauce to baking sheet. Bake chicken, skin side up, basting occasionally with pan juices, until well browned and cooked through, 25 to 30 minutes. Serve chicken drizzled with pan juices.

    Chicken in teriyaki sauce on baking sheet

    Rachel Marek

Storing Teriyaki Chicken

Any leftover teriyaki chicken should be cooled completely before storing in an airtight container. It can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

What to Serve With Honey Teriyaki Chicken


The chicken is a little sweet and tangy, so we like to pair it with a crisp or crunchy vegetable side or two, as well as with rice or noodles.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Can you make teriyaki sauce at home?

    Yes, you can make teriyaki sauce at home. Our honey-teriyaki sauce is one easy version to try. Most recipes start with soy sauce and add mirin or rice wine vinegar, sugar or honey. Some include sake, others have fresh ginger and garlic.

  • What is a substitute for honey in teriyaki chicken?

    There are several substitutes for honey that you can use in teriyaki chicken. Maple syrup is an easy swap—since it’s another liquid sweetener, you can use the same amount as you would honey. Another option is brown sugar, either light-brown sugar or dark-brown sugar will work. The sauce will be a little thicker if you use sugar rather than honey.

  • How can you sweeten store-bought teriyaki sauce?

    We find most bought teriyaki sauces are sweet enough, but if you do want the sauce to be sweeter, stir in some maple syrup or honey or brown sugar. But, do not add to much all at once, try ½ teaspoon at a time.

  • Does teriyaki sauce go on before or after cooking?

    Teriyaki sauce goes on before cooking, and it can also be used after cooking. Most often, it is brushed on meat, fish, or tofu before it is cooked, but teriyaki sauce can also be used with cooked food, such as for a dipping sauce for dumplings.

Originally appeared: Everyday Food, May 2009
Updated by
Victoria Spencer
Victoria Spencer, senior food editor, MarthaStewart.com
Victoria Spencer is an experienced food editor, writer, and recipe developer. She manages the Martha Stewart recipe archive and is always curious about new ingredients and the best techniques. She has been working in food media for over 20 years.

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