Japanese BBQ Chicken Thighs (Print Page)

Sweet-savory Japanese BBQ marinade coats grilled chicken thighs, finished with reduced glaze, sesame, and scallions.

# What You Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs

→ Marinade

02 - 3 tablespoons soy sauce
03 - 2 tablespoons mirin
04 - 2 tablespoons sake
05 - 1 tablespoon honey
06 - 1 tablespoon brown sugar
07 - 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
08 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
09 - 1 tablespoon sesame oil
10 - 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
11 - 1 teaspoon cornstarch (optional, for thickening sauce)

→ Garnish

12 - 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
13 - 2 scallions, sliced

# Directions:

01 - In a mixing bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, mirin, sake, honey, brown sugar, grated ginger, garlic, sesame oil, and rice vinegar until well combined.
02 - Place the chicken thighs in a resealable plastic bag or shallow dish. Pour the marinade over the chicken, seal or cover tightly, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to overnight for maximum flavor.
03 - Preheat your grill or grill pan to medium-high heat.
04 - Remove the chicken from the marinade, letting excess drip off. Reserve the remaining marinade. Grill the chicken thighs for 6 to 8 minutes per side until charred on the edges and cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 165°F.
05 - While the chicken grills, pour the reserved marinade into a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. For a thicker sauce, dissolve the cornstarch in 1 tablespoon of water and stir it into the simmering marinade, cooking until thickened.
06 - Brush the grilled chicken generously with the reduced sauce. Transfer to a serving platter, sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and sliced scallions, and serve immediately.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The marinade does all the heavy lifting, so you get bold umami flavor with almost no hands on effort.
  • Chicken thighs stay incredibly juicy even if you accidentally leave them on the grill a minute too long, which I have done more times than I care to admit.
02 -
  • Never reuse the marinade as a finishing sauce without boiling it first since raw chicken juices need to be cooked out completely.
  • The cornstarch trick for thickening the glaze was something I stumbled into by accident one night and it changed the entire dish from great to unforgettable.
03 -
  • Poke a few holes in the chicken thighs with a fork before marinating so the sauce penetrates deeper and seasons the meat all the way through.
  • Let the chicken come to room temperature for fifteen minutes before grilling because cold meat hitting a hot grill causes uneven cooking every single time.

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