teriyaki chicken is a staple in our home. marrying a man from hawaii, that's sort of a given. sweet meat and rice is his jam. he can eat it every day, without the flavors ever growing old, and so teriyaki chicken is often how we do lunch and how we do dinner. basically, i aim to make a big batch at the beginning of the week that we portion into tupperware containers along with brown rice and blanched broccoli. we simply reheat throughout the week for an easy lunch or as a grab and go dinner on a busy evening. it's relatively healthy, holds up well to reheathing, easy to make, and totally budget friendly.

if you have time to allow your chicken to marinate over night it is really so much better, but even after a few hours, it is still delicious.


teriyaki chicken
yield: 4 servings

ingredients:
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon seseame oil
1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds, plus additional as garnish



method:
rinse chicken, pat dry and place in a gallon sized ziplock. in a small bowl whisk together remaining ingredients until brown sugar has mostly dissolved. pour marinade over chicken. seal, shake and marinate in refrigerator overnight for best results.

when ready to cook, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. place chicken in skillet taking care not to layer. add 1-2 tablespoons of marinade. cook for ten minutes, flip. cook an additional ten minutes and check for doneness. your chicken is done when golden brown and liquid is absorbed. your marinade will thicken and deepen in color during cooking. at the end of cooking only clear juices will remain and a few pan scrapings. remove from heat.

allow to cool for a few minutes to seal juices in. slice horizontally and serve over brown rice. sprinkle with additional toasted sesame seeds.