Make these Skillet Teriyaki Chicken Thighs for a fuss-free weeknight dinner. Pair it with a simple side dish (like rice!) and enjoy a quick meal big on flavor yet easy to prepare.
Sometimes I even surprise myself when a simple dish like this Skillet Chicken Teriyaki comes out so flavorful with such little effort (a little like this Juicy Air Fryer Chicken Breast recipe). Between the umami and salty soy sauce, the sweet honey and brown sugar, and the browned chicken, there is a lot of complexity to this dish. We like to serve it simply with rice, and some steamed veggies (mostly for me, but I always hold out hope the kids will eat them too). This one is sure to be on a regular weekly rotation.
So let's get to making it! You can jump around the article using the menu below, or you can just head right to the bottom for the complete recipe.
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Ingredients Needed and Substitutions
Here is a brief overview of the ingredients needed for this recipe. The full recipe with quantities is listed below this text in the recipe card.
- boneless, skinless chicken thighs (you can also use chicken breasts, but they are, of course, less flavorful, and be careful not to overcook them, like instructed in this Ranch Chicken Bites and Garlic Butter Chicken Bites recipe)
- soy sauce (or tamari or even coconut aminos, just be aware that the salinity level in each of these soy sauce alternatives can vary)
- rice wine vinegar (if you don't keep this in your pantry, substitute in another vinegar like apple cider vinegar or even lime juice)
- neutral high-heat oil (I usually use avocado oil, because it's what I keep in my pantry, but use whatever oil you have on hand that is okay to be cooked at a high-temp)
- cornstarch (or another thickener you like to use, just a little is needed to help thicken up the sauce without the need to reduce the liquid too much)
- light or dark brown sugar (you absolutely can dial back the amount of sugar here, to as little as 1 tablespoon, just be aware you might have to play with other flavors to balance it out)
- mild honey (we don't want to impart too much honey flavor here, so use something with a mild flavor)
- garlic + ginger
- Rice and veggies (for serving)
Step-By-Step Recipe Overview
This is a quick visual overview of the steps needed to make this recipe. If you are looking for the full recipe, keep scrolling!
Step 1: Marinate the chicken, for as little as 15 minutes or as long as 4 hours.
Step 2: Sear each side of the chicken and set aside.
Step 3: Add in the sauce ingredients and scrape up any browned bits at the bottom.
Step 4: Add back in the chicken and cook until it's reached an internal temp of 165ºF and the sauce is coating the chicken.
Kelli's Best Tips
A key part of this recipe is browning the chicken. This is necessary to impart a bigger flavor to the final sauce, so heat up your pan well. There is no need to add oil to the pan before searing since the marinade already has oil in it. This method produces a better browning effect on the chicken, especially when using a cast iron pan.
When developing this recipe, I thought about cutting up the chicken before marinating it to make it easy to serve (and for more exposure to marinate, brown, and sauce up the chicken). But in the end, I found it less fussy to sear off the thighs whole and cut up the chicken after it's cooked. And my little sneaky trick for faster (lazier) plating: cut up the meat for the kids with kitchen shears...I hate to admit how often I do this, but I just find it makes less mess (no need to dirty a cutting board) and is faster.
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Skillet Teriyaki Chicken Thighs
- Prep Time: 00:10
- Cook Time: 00:20
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Asian Influenced
Description
Make these Skillet Teriyaki Chicken Thighs for a fuss-free weeknight dinner. Pair it with a simple side dish (like rice!) and enjoy a quick meal big on flavor yet easy to prepare.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 2 tablespoons neutral high-heat oil
- 1 tablespoon plus ½ cup soy sauce or Tamari (divided)
- 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar (divided)
- 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 cup cold water
- ¼ cup light or dark brown sugar
- ¼ cup mild honey
- 2 garlic cloves, grated
- 1-inch piece ginger, peeled and grated
- Cooked rice (for serving)
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, toss together the chicken, oil, 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of rice wine vinegar, and salt. Let the chicken marinate for 15 minutes on the counter, or up to 4 hours in the refrigerator.
- Meanwhile, add the cornstarch to a small bowl. Slowly whisk in the water until smooth. Then whisk in the remaining ½ cup soy sauce, brown sugar, honey, remaining 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar, garlic, and ginger. Set aside.
- Heat a large heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat. Once hot, sear the chicken (in batches if necessary) until well-browned on each side, about 10 minutes total. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set it aside.
- Add the soy sauce mixture to the now-empty skillet, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Bring the mixture up to a boil, then let it reduce slightly, about 2- 3 minutes. Add the chicken back in and cook until the chicken is cooked through to an internal temperature of 165ºF and the sauce is coating the chicken, about 3 minutes.
- Slice the chicken and serve immediately with extra sauce, rice, and a side dish of your choice.
Notes
If you don't keep rice wine vinegar in your pantry, substitute in another vinegar like apple cider vinegar or even lime juice.
This recipe was tested using Diamond Crystal coarse kosher salt. If you use Morton's kosher salt or fine salt, decrease by about half for volume, or use the same amount by weight.
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