Fool’s Chicken

Fool’s Chicken–sweet and savory chicken is marinated in a tamari-based sauce, then finished with a glossy, garlicky glaze that’s perfect over rice.

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Fool’s Chicken

This recipe is fool proof! The homemade teriyaki marinade is 100% better than any store-bought teriyaki. Trust me! It’s worth it. Once you have the ingredients in your pantry you can make this all summer long. I cooked my chicken in a pan on the stove but you can also grill it.

Ingredients/Substitution Ideas

• Tamari–or low sodium soy sauce
• Mirin–look in Asian section of grocery store
• Brown sugar
• White sugar
• Seasoned rice vinegar
• Garlic powder
• Sesame oil
• Boneless skinless chicken thighs–or chicken breasts
• Vegetable oil–or canola oil
• Water
• Cornstarch

Steps

Add tamari, mirin, brown sugar, white sugar, vinegar, garlic powder and sesame oil to a bowl and whisk well. Pour ½ cup of the mixture into a separate container, cover and refrigerate.

Trim the chicken thighs of excess fat. Cut each chicken thigh into about 6 pieces. Place the chicken in the bowl. Refrigerate the chicken in the marinade for 8-24 hours. 

When ready to cook, discard the marinade. Heat a pan over medium high heat. Add in the tablespoon of oil and swirl around. Add the chicken into the pan and cook on each side until browned, about 4-5 minutes on each side. Cut through a piece to make sure it’s cooked through. 

In a small bowl stir the water together with the cornstarch until smooth. Pour the ½ cup of reserved sauce into the pan with the chicken. Whisk in the cornstarch slurry and heat until sauce thickens. Turn off heat. 

Serve chicken and enjoy! This chicken tastes good over rice with steamed broccoli on the side. 

Notes/Tips

• Serve with rice and steamed or roasted broccoli.
• This recipe is great on the grill. You can either put the small pieces of chicken on skewers or you can grill the chicken in whole pieces.
• Marinate overnight for the best flavor.
• Use skinless thighs for tenderness and better absorption of the marinade.
• Cut chicken evenly so it cooks at the same rate.
• Don’t overcrowd the pan. You may need to work in batches if needed to get a good sear.
• Freezer tip: Place the raw chicken and marinade together in a freezer bag, freeze flat, and thaw in the fridge overnight before cooking. Don’t freeze the cornstarch slurry, you’ll make that fresh when cooking.
• This recipe can be gluten-free. Make sure the tamari, mirin and rice vinegar are labeled gluten free.
• Store leftovers in an airtight container* in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
• Other recipes you can make with tamari are Instant Pot or Slow Cooker Korean Beef Tacos and Instant Pot Pepper Noodles.

Did you know you can filter the recipes on my website to search by meat type, IP or Crockpot, low carb, gluten free, etc.? Use the filter to find exactly what you are looking for. 

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More chicken recipes to try…

*Karen Petersen is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.