The dish to eat in Seattle · United States

Seattle teriyaki

Name: Seattle-style chicken teriyaki
Yield: 4
Cuisine: United States
Ingredients: 2 lb (900 g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs; 3/4 cup (180 ml) soy sauce; 3/4 cup (150 g) sugar; 1/4 cup (60 ml) mirin; 1/4 cup (60 ml) water; 3 garlic cloves, grated; 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger; 1 tsp cornstarch mixed with 1 tbsp water; 1 tbsp neutral oil; 2 cups (400 g) short-grain white rice, cooked; 1/4 head iceberg lettuce, shredded; 1 small carrot, grated; 3 tbsp bottled Japanese-style salad dressing or ranch; 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds; 2 scallions, sliced

Photo: BrokenSphere, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons · source

Chicken thighs grilled with a sweet soy glaze, served with white rice and a little iceberg salad.

Toshi Kasahara opened the first teriyaki shop in 1976, and by 2010 the city had more than 80 restaurants with teriyaki in their name. It is the cheap, quick lunch Seattle grew up on.

Where to eat it Cook it at home Have a chef cook it at home

Where to eat it: the best three in Seattle

Toshi's Teriyaki Grill
Mill Creek
Order: Chicken teriyaki
Toshi Kasahara's own counter, the start of Seattle teriyaki.
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Yasuko's Teriyaki
Interbay
Order: Chicken teriyaki
Caramelized thighs that The Infatuation praises.
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Toshio's Teriyaki
Rainier Valley
Order: Chicken teriyaki
Still the gold standard on Rainier Avenue, reviewers say.
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All three are on Chef Amazing’s list The best seattle teriyaki in Seattle, which you can save and take with you.

Cook it at home: Seattle-style chicken teriyaki

Serves 4Time 45 min, plus 1 hr to marinate

Use boneless thighs, not breasts: they stay juicy over high heat and char at the edges. Half the sauce is the marinade, the other half is reduced into the glaze.

Pans and tools

Grill or cast-iron grill pan
Small saucepan
Tongs

You’ll need

2 lb (900 g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs
3/4 cup (180 ml) soy sauce
3/4 cup (150 g) sugar
1/4 cup (60 ml) mirin
1/4 cup (60 ml) water
3 garlic cloves, grated
1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
1 tsp cornstarch mixed with 1 tbsp water
1 tbsp neutral oil
2 cups (400 g) short-grain white rice, cooked
1/4 head iceberg lettuce, shredded
1 small carrot, grated
3 tbsp bottled Japanese-style salad dressing or ranch
1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
2 scallions, sliced

Steps

Stir the soy sauce, sugar, mirin, water, garlic and ginger in a saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Let it cool.
Pour half the sauce over the chicken in a bowl, turn to coat and refrigerate for 1 to 4 hours.
Bring the other half of the sauce to a simmer, stir in the cornstarch mix and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until glossy. Keep warm.
Heat a grill or cast-iron grill pan over high heat and brush with oil. Lift the chicken from the marinade and cook for 5 to 6 minutes a side, until charred at the edges and 175°F (80°C) inside.
Brush the chicken with glaze in the last minute, then rest it for 3 minutes and slice into strips.
Pile rice on each plate, lay the chicken beside it and spoon more glaze over the top. Scatter sesame seeds and scallions.
Add a small heap of iceberg and carrot with a spoonful of dressing, the way the strip-mall counters serve it.

Chef’s tips

Throw away the marinade that touched raw chicken: the glaze comes from the half you kept back.

Sugar burns fast, so glaze only at the very end.

Contains: ['soy', 'gluten', 'sesame'].

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