RECIPE: Teriyaki Ume Chicken

It is not surprising that teriyaki chicken is one of the most famous Japanese foods! It is savory, juicy chicken that is glazed with delicious teriyaki sauce. Teriyaki chicken is a beloved everyday meal that can be easily recreated in your home kitchen for a satisfying lunch or dinner for everyone!

Teriyaki chicken is a favorite home cooked meal in Japan because it is filling, healthy, and easy to assemble. You will find that Japanese people often have their own teriyaki sauce recipes that they adjust to their liking! Its versatility to adjust to every flavor palate is part of its long-standing appeal.

It is less common to find bottled teriyaki sauce in Japan because making the sauce fresh at home is most popular and most delicious for everyone. You will notice the difference in taste once you make your own teriyaki sauce with this recipe!

This teriyaki ume chicken recipe will teach you how to make a traditional teriyaki sauce and how to cook the chicken with the traditional technique. The recipe recommends using chicken thighs because it is a favorite meat for Japanese people but feel free to use any chicken meat you have on hand!

You will also find a unique additional ingredient - ume paste! Ume is a Japanese plum that is a popular traditional ingredient found in many Japanese products. Ume can be found in many forms, such as in sauces, pastes, and even candy flavors! It is a classic Japanese ingredient that brings bright, sour, and salty flavor to any dish.

This ume paste will balance the savory, comforting flavors of the teriyaki chicken with the fresh kick of pickled plum flavoring. It is the perfect meal for a quick dinner that is satisfying and flavorful. Teriyaki chicken is also a meal-prep friendly food and is just as delicious when reheated!

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 2 chicken thighs (400g) (room temperature)
• 2 tbsp potato starch
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 bok choi (halved or quartered depending on size)

For the sauce

• 3 tbsp neri ume (Japanese plum paste)
• 3 tbsp soy sauce*
• 4 tbsp sake
• 4 tbsp mirin
• 2 tbsp honey

Instructions:

1. Coat chicken with potato starch. 
2. Heat half of oil in a pan and cook bok choi until vibrant green color. Set aside.
3. Add the other half of oil to the pan and cook chicken with skin side down.
4. When the skin is golden brown, flip over, add seasonings and simmer for 4-5 minutes covered with lid. When fully cooked, move the chicken to a plate.
5. Mix all the seasonings for the sauce in a bowl. Boil the sauce down. The sauce can easily burn, so simmer on low heat. When the sauce is reduced by halfs, return the chicken to the pan and toss chicken in sauce. 
6. Slice and serve immediately with bok choi.

* Available in our Creative Beginnings: Redefining "Wa" Care Package

Recipe courtesy of Mayuko Okada of Mayuko's Little Kitchen

Mayuko's class is well suited for people who would like to enjoy local Japanese culture and a homestyle Japanese meal cooked in an actual Japanese home. It's an entirely different experience from a "studio-type" cooking class, and we are sure you will enjoy the personal attention.

Mayuko's Little Kitchen has won the Trip Advisor Certificate of Excellence for each of the past three years, awarded to only the top 10% of service providers. She was chosen as one of the TOP 10 activities in all of Japan ("Foreign visitors' favorite experiences/tours in Japan 2018" on Trip Advisor). Her cooking class has also been featured on national TV programs.

Introduction courtesy of Kimberlee Laney

As a Japanese-Korean-American, my love for Japanese food first came from my grandmother's kitchen! Japanese food feels like home and I love being able to cook it anywhere in the world to connect with Japan in my own little way. I love diving deep into the layers of Japanese food and always marvel at the food diversity between prefectures. I'm currently eating my way through Tokyo and taking up photography with my Instagram account @capturingkim!