Seattle’s food scene is known for three things – Starbucks coffee, Seattle Hot Dogs, and Chicken Teriyaki!!
Now, before we get into the recipe, there’s some debate on where Teriyaki was invented, and while it draws influences from Japan, I can wholeheartedly say that it was popularized right here in Seattle. Back in the 70s, Toshihrio Kasahara created Seattle-style Teriyaki at his restaurant, Toshi’s, which spurred a cultural phenomenon. By the 90’s there were hundreds of teriyaki shops across Washington, and it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that Seattle was truly built off of Teriyaki.
My recipe is an homage to my favorite teriyaki shop in Seattle, Toshio’s Teriyaki in the Central District. I frequented this spot 2-3 times a week in high school and college. Their cut of chicken makes Toshio’s different from standard teriyaki spots. They use boneless chicken thighs WITH the skin on, marinated in their teriyaki sauce, then grilled to perfection. The skin really helps the chicken retain even more moisture and juiciness while absorbing the delicious flavors of the sauce.
First is the sauce. Seattle teriyaki uses freshly grated ginger to elevate the flavors of the sauce and reduce the chickeny odor of the chicken, resulting in a really clean flavor profile.
The second is that the chicken is marinated in the sauce, allowing the flavors to penetrate deep into the chicken. Rather than just being brushed and glazed on the chicken after it’s grilled.
The sauce itself is inherently very simple—the perfect union of sweet and savory.
The combination of soy sauce, sugar, mirin, and sake is rounded out with fresh minced garlic and grated ginger.
I prefer a lighter sauce, so I heat it in a saucepan and reduce it slightly. If you prefer a thicker, more viscous sauce, adding a little bit of cornstarch slurry will do the trick.
Of course! Whether you decide to use this with chicken breast, beef, pork, or salmon. The sauce pairs perfectly and can be used interchangeably.
For the recipe, if a grill is inaccessible, you can achieve similar results in the air-fryer. You won’t get that little bit of smokey char flavor, but it’s still delicious!
Preheat your air-fryer to 375F for 1-2 minutes. Then cook you marinated chicken at 375F for 14 minutes, flipping halfway in between. If the sugars in the marinade start to carmelize too quickly after the first 7 minutes, reduce the heat to 350F and cook for a bit longer.
Every air-fryer is slightly different, so ensure your chicken reaches 165F internal temp to be safe.
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Easy to make, simple, and delicious
So excited to find a Seattle teriyaki chicken recipe. Since moving to another state I had no idea how spoiled I was with food especially teriyaki. Now do you know what dressing or a recipe for the dressing that they put on the side salads???
Thanks Rebekah! I hope this reminds you of all your favorite teriyaki joints in Seattle! I'll have the salad dressing recipe up on my blog soon!
Is there any option for air fry instead of griling?
Hi Vivian, I would recommend preheating the air-fryer for a minute at 375 - then air-frying the chicken for 14 minutes flipping halfway in between. If the sugars in the marinade starts to caramelize and brown too quickly, I'd drop the temp to 350 and cook for a bit longer instead. Hope this helps, and excited to hear what you think!
Seattle Terriyaki is the best! This recipe is amazing!
Made this yesterday! It was a hit with the family! I can't wait to try your other recipes. The only thing I did differently was I used skinless chicken thighs as i don't like chicken skin, in case other people are curious if the meat still comes out moist, it does. Thank you for sharing your recipes.
Hi Phuong, I'm so glad the teriyaki turned out well for you and the fam!
So. Friggin. Good.
I'm so glad you love it Jill! Excited for you to try some of my other recipes too!
Wow! I made this for dinner tonight and it was an instant hit. My husband requested that this be added to our regular rotation. And you were right about the dressing for the salad, it doesn’t just go on the salad, it goes in the chicken too! lol
Thank you for the recipe!! Can’t wait to make more.
Hi Nancy!
I'm so glad it turned out well, and yes that teriyaki salad dressing is sooo good on everything!
Thank you for this recipe. I'm sharing it with my out-of-state relatives that miss Seattle teriyaki. Have you ever found a good recipe for Seattle's spicy chicken teriyaki? I can't come up with anything close.
Hi Laurie, thanks for sharing!
I'm still tweaking my spicy chicken teriyaki recipe to get it to taste exactly like my favorite spot - will have a recipe up as soon as it's done!
Damn! I absolutely love teriyaki. This was an easy and straightforward recipe. I would add some sriracha and thai chilis in the marinate for an extra kick. The real question is do you put your leftover sauce on the rice or are you a plain jane?
Moved to indiana from tukwila 13 yrs ago. Sure miss my terriyaki. Ive been making my own but doesnt compare. Gonna use ur recipe and see if it feels like home. I might try sizzling hot cast iron skillet. Thatll give it a char!! Thx for the recipe.
Excited for you to try it - let me know how it turns out!