Name: Cast Iron Teriyaki Chicken Thighs
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Cuisine: AsianJapaneseAsia
Ingredients: 8 (5- to 7-ounce) bone-in chicken thighs , trimmed; Pepper; 1 tablespoon vegetable oil; 1/2 cup soy sauce; 1/2 cup sugar; 2 tablespoons mirin; 1 garlic clove , minced; 1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger; 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch; 2 scallion , thinly sliced on bias

Why This Recipe Works

For a truly great, fuss-free method that delivered the ultimate chicken teriyaki—crispy skin and juicy meat slathered with a perfectly balanced sweet-salty glaze—we started with bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs. The rich, meaty flavor of this cut stood up nicely to the strong flavors of traditional teriyaki sauce. To ensure that the maximum amount of skin came in contact with the skillet, we pressed the meat down with a weighted Dutch oven. This method forced the thighs flat against the preheated cast-iron skillet to ensure even, direct contact with the hot pan and resulted in ultracrispy skin. For the glaze, our mixture balanced salty soy sauce with the sweetness of sugar and mirin, a sweet Japanese rice wine, and spicy ginger and savory garlic provided depth. For the perfect consistency, we cooked the teriyaki sauce down in the skillet and added a bit of cornstarch, which gave it extra clinging power.

Before You Begin

Mirin is a key component of teriyaki; it can be found with other Japanese ingredients at most major supermarkets and in Japanese markets. If you cannot find it, use 2 tablespoons of white wine and an extra teaspoon of sugar.

Instructions

Adjust oven rack to middle position, place 12-inch cast-iron skillet on rack, and heat oven to 500 degrees. Meanwhile, pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with pepper.

When oven reaches 500 degrees, remove skillet from oven using potholders and place over medium heat; turn off oven. Being careful of hot skillet handle, add oil and heat until just smoking. Place chicken skin side down in skillet. Place weighted Dutch oven on top of chicken and cook until skin is deep brown and very crispy, 16 to 20 minutes, checking browning after 10 minutes and adjusting heat as needed.

Remove weighted pot and flip chicken. Continue to cook, without weight, until chicken is lightly browned on second side and registers 175 degrees, about 2 minutes; transfer to serving platter.

Whisk soy sauce, sugar, mirin, garlic, ginger, and cornstarch together in bowl. Discard fat from skillet, then add soy sauce mixture and bring to simmer over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce is thick and glossy, about 2 minutes. Stir in any accumulated chicken juices. Return chicken to skillet and turn to coat with sauce. Return chicken to serving platter, sprinkle with scallions, and serve, passing remaining sauce separately.