Restaurant-Style Chicken Teriyaki

Ingredients

• 333 g chicken breast (sliced thinly; part of a 100 peso pack (approx 1/3 kg))
• 0.5 tsp rock salt (for dry brining; rinse off excess after 30 minutes)
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp mirin
• 1 tbsp sake
• 1 tbsp sugar
• ginger (grated, a small amount)
• 1 clove garlic (grated or minced)
• cornstarch (for coating the chicken)
• 1 tbsp cooking oil (for searing)
• water (as needed to thin the sauce)
• sesame seeds (for garnish)
• scallions (chopped, for garnish)

Steps

1. 1

   Slice the chicken breast thinly to ensure it cooks quickly and stays tender.

2. 2

   Apply a dry brine by sprinkling 1/2 teaspoon of rock salt over the chicken. Do not use too much salt to avoid over-salting.

3. 3

   Place the salted chicken in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

4. 4

   After 30 minutes, rinse off the excess salt from the chicken and pat dry. This step helps the chicken retain moisture during cooking.

5. 5

   Prepare the teriyaki sauce by combining 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon mirin, 1 tablespoon sake, 1 tablespoon sugar, a bit of grated ginger, and one grated garlic clove in a small bowl. Mix well.

6. 6

   Lightly coat the chicken pieces in cornstarch. This helps the sauce adhere to the meat later.

7. 7

   Heat a small amount of oil in a pan over medium heat. Sear the chicken until it achieves a nice brown color on both sides.

8. 8

   Pour the prepared sauce into the pan with the chicken. Allow it to come to a boil over low heat.

9. 9

   If the sauce becomes too thick or dry, add a small amount of water. Flip the chicken occasionally to ensure even cooking and coating.

10. 10

    Once the sauce has thickened and the chicken is fully cooked, remove from heat and slice into bite-sized pieces.

11. 11

    Garnish with sesame seeds and chopped scallions before serving.

Notes

The dry-brining technique is essential for keeping chicken breast juicy. If you don't have sake or mirin, you can omit them, though the flavor profile will change slightly.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• chicken
• teriyaki
• lunch box
• pan-seared
• Japanese-inspired