30-minute Teriyaki Chicken Don: Instead of heading to a Japanese restaurant, why not make this easy Teriyaki chicken rice bowl at home? The homemade Teriyaki sauce uses just 3 ingredients and gives a beautiful glossy caramelised finish to the chicken thighs. Serve with a bowl of Japanese rice for a complete meal!
I learnt this dish from my good friend Veronica who is an excellent cook and shared this recipe with me years ago when we were learning line dancing at the Pasir Ris Community Club. She has her own cooking blog Veronica’s Kitchen where she has shared lots of yummy recipes, so do check it out!
This dish is so quick and simple to prepare, even if you are rushing home from work to whip up something to feed the hungry mouths in your household. You don’t even need to buy Teriyaki sauce! You can easily make it at home with 3 common pantry ingredients – sugar, light soya sauce and mirin. The tricky part is in caramelising the sugar but not get it burnt! It may take some practice, but not to worry, you can refer to my Premium Tips section below (sign up for a free trial here!). Here I will show you the 4 stages of the sugar being caramelised, so you know exactly what to look out for and how to control the heat accordingly!
Note: This recipe is based on a rice cooker cooking time of 20 minutes for 2 cups of rice.
Suggested Modifications for Special Diets
- Child-Friendly: Leave out the chilli pepper seasoning
- Egg-Free: No modifications needed.
- Fish-Free: No modifications needed.
- Gluten-Free: Use gluten free mirin and soya sauce
- Nut-Free: No modifications needed.
- Shellfish-Free: No modifications needed.
30-minute CHICKEN TERIYAKI DON
Instead of heading to a Japanese restaurant, why not make this easy Teriyaki chicken rice bowl at home? The homemade Teriyaki sauce uses just 3 ingredients and gives a beautiful glossy caramelised finish to the chicken thighs. Serve with a bowl of Japanese rice for a complete meal!
Ingredients
- 2 Chicken Legs Small
- 1.5 rice cup Japanese Rice
- 1 Japanese cucumber Small
Condiments
- 2 tsp Coarse Salt To wash the chicken
- 2 tbsp Sugar
- 3 tbsp Light Soy Sauce
- 3 tbsp Mirin
- 3 tbsp Japanese Rice Vinegar
- 0.25 tsp Salt
- 1 tbsp Japanese sesame salad dressing
Garnishing (Optional)
- 1 tsp Sesame Seed
- 2 Japanese Seaweed sheets
- A Dash Assorted Chili Pepper ( Nanami Togarashi) Optional
Instructions
PREPARATION FOR TERIYAKI CHICKEN DON (10 MIN)
Wash the Japanese rice and drain dry. Then place the rice in a rice cooker and add 1.25 rice cups of water, then set to cook.
Use the coarse salt to exfoliate the skin of the chicken, then wash thoroughly and pat dry.
COOKING METHOD FOR TERIYAKI CHICKEN DON (20 MIN)
In a pan, add the sugar and fry over medium heat for about 8 minutes or until it becomes sticky and caramel coloured.
Place the chicken legs skin side down and move them around the pan until they are evenly coated with caramel.
Then add in the light soya sauce and 0.5 bowl (or 170 ml) of water. Cover the pan and let simmer for about 15 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Stir the chicken occasionally.
Meanwhile, wash the Japanese cucumber and slice it. Then place it in the fridge.
Cut the Japanese seaweed into strips, and set aside.
Once the rice is cooked, transfer it into a glass bowl and place it in front of a fan. Then add in the salt and 3 tbsp of Japanese rice vinegar (a little at a time), all while stirring the rice with a chopstick while it is still hot until well mixed. Don't forget to check on the chicken as well.
Next, add in 3 tbsp of mirin and turn the chicken thighs over. Then continue to cook for 3 mins or until the sauce becomes sticky but not too dry. You can add more water if it is too dry. Then transfer it to a plate.
Scoop the rice in 2 rice bowls and top with the teriyaki chicken thighs. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, shredded seaweed and assorted chili pepper and serve hot.
PREMIUM: Troubleshooting & Time-Saving Tips
1. I have not tried to caramelise sugar before. How can I ensure that the sugar won’t burn when I am trying to caramelise it?
2. Why doesn’t my chicken turn out brown and caramelised looking like in your recipe?
3. Why does your recipe add 0.25 rice cup less water than the rice, isn’t it usually a 1:1 ratio?
4. Why do you recommend stirring the rice in front of a fan?
5. Can I skip the step of washing and exfoliating the chicken?
6. The chicken turned out too salty even though I followed your recipe exactly. Why is that so?
7. I prefer the Japanese rice to be sweeter, can I add some sugar?
8. Why do you advise stirring the rice with a chopstick?
9. Can I prepare this dish a day or two ahead of time?
10. Why do you need to transfer the rice into a glass bowl?
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