Why This Recipe Works

Teriyaki (translating roughly as “shiny grilled” in Japanese) describes both the sauce and the cooking style in which it’s used: Meat is marinated in a thin but potent mixture of soy sauce, sugar, and a sweet Japanese wine called mirin and then quickly grilled or broiled. In our version, which is inspired by the teriyaki served at Toshi’s Teriyaki Grill in Mill Creek, Washington, we made a traditional sauce of soy sauce, sugar, and mirin. We pureed a portion of the sauce with garlic and ginger to use as a marinade for boneless, skinless chicken thighs, which stayed juicy and tender when grilled. After letting the thighs marinate, we grilled them over a hot fire until they were slightly charred and caramelized, and then we sliced them and served them with white rice and the reserved teriyaki sauce, just as they do at Toshi’s.

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Before You Begin

Mirin is a sweet rice wine that is a common ingredient in Japanese cooking. It can be found near the Japanese ingredients in most supermarkets. Serve with white rice.

Instructions

Bring 1 cup soy sauce, ½ cup sugar, and 2 tablespoons mirin to boil in small saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Remove from heat and let teriyaki sauce cool completely.

Peel and thinly slice 1 (2-inch) piece of ginger. Peel 5 garlic cloves.

Combine ¾ cup teriyaki sauce, ginger, and garlic in blender and process until smooth, about 20 seconds. Set aside remaining teriyaki sauce for serving (you should have about ½ cup).

Place 3 pounds chicken thighs, trimmed, into 1-gallon zipper-lock bag and add teriyaki sauce–ginger mixture. Press out air, seal bag, and turn bag to evenly coat chicken with marinade. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.

FOR A CHARCOAL GRILL: Open bottom vent completely. Light large chimney starter filled with charcoal briquettes (6 quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour evenly over grill. Set cooking grate in place, cover, and open lid vent completely. Heat grill until hot, about 5 minutes.FOR A GAS GRILL: Turn all burners to high, cover, and heat grill until hot, about 15 minutes. Turn all burners to medium-high.

Place chicken on grill and cook (covered if using gas) until chicken is lightly charred and registers at least 175 degrees, 6 to 8 minutes per side, rearranging as needed to ensure even browning. Transfer to cutting board, tent with aluminum foil, and let rest for 5 minutes.

Slice crosswise ½ inch thick and serve with reserved teriyaki sauce.