Teriyaki chicken: A delectable journey in your kitchen

Teriyaki chicken frequently appears on Asian restaurant menus. It is characterised by a rather unique blend of sweet and salty flavours, making it approachable enough to win fans beyond lovers of Asian cuisine. Paired with rice, it becomes a delicious and filling meal.

Teriyaki is primarily associated with a sauce, but it is a Japanese cooking technique that involves grilling or baking meat with a tare marinade. This marinade is the secret behind the dish’s distinctive sweet and salty flavour.

The main ingredients of tare are soy sauce, sugar or honey, and sake, which is Japanese rice wine. You could also add mirin (sweet rice wine) to the marinade and various spices such as ginger, garlic, or sesame. The marinade and spices can be used for chicken and tofu, beef, pork, or vegetables.

My recipe for teriyaki chicken uses more straightforward and accessible ingredients, making it easy to recreate at home. It’s perfect for a family dinner and will be a delicious change from traditional British dishes.

Ingredients:

• 1 large chicken breast fillet,
• 1 egg,
• 1 tablespoon cornflour,
• 1.5 teaspoons Chinese seasoning,
• ½ teaspoon hot pepper,
• ½ teaspoon dried garlic,
• 1 teaspoon salt,
• ½ teaspoon pepper.

Sauce:

• 75 ml soy sauce,
• 60 ml honey,
• juice from half a lemon,
• 1 teaspoon potato starch,
• 2 garlic cloves,
• ½ teaspoon chilli flakes,
• 1 tablespoon ketchup.

Other ingredients:

• 1 yellow pepper,
• 1 green pepper,
• 1 red pepper,
• 1 red onion.

Add-ons:

• chives,
• sesame seeds.

Preparation:

Step 1. Cut the chicken breast fillet into cubes and place them in a bowl. Add the egg, cornflour, Chinese seasoning, hot pepper, dried garlic, pepper, and salt. Mix well to ensure the meat is thoroughly coated with the spices.

Step 2. Next, prepare the marinade. Combine the soy sauce with honey and the juice squeezed from half a lemon. Add the potato starch, garlic pressed through a press, chilli flakes, and ketchup, then mix thoroughly.

Step 3. Heat oil in a pan and sauté the chicken. Add the diced peppers and thinly sliced red onion. Sauté everything, then pour in the prepared marinade and continue sautéing. If the sauce is too thick, add a little water.

Step 4. Serve the teriyaki chicken with cooked rice. Garnish with sesame seeds and chives. Enjoy!