- Main
- Chicken
- Japanese
- Stovetop
- Kid-friendly
Good for, as AI judged the whole recipe.
Ingredients
For the rice
- 2 cups
short-grain Japanese rice, rinsed until the water runs clear
- 2 1/4 cups
water
For the chicken
- 4
boneless, skin-on chicken thighs (about 1 1/2 lb)
salt, to taste
- 1 tsp
neutral oil
For the glaze
- 1/4 cup
soy sauce
- 1/4 cup
mirin
- 3 tbsp
sake
- 2 tbsp
sugar
- 1 tsp
fresh ginger, finely grated (optional)
To serve
- 3
scallions, thinly sliced on an angle
- 2 tsp
toasted sesame seeds
- 1
sheet nori, cut into thin strips (optional)
- Dairy-free
Contains soy (soy sauce), wheat (soy sauce) and sesame (toasted sesame seeds).
Not checked: boneless, skin-on chicken thighs (about 1 1/2 lb).
Diets guessed by AI from the ingredients, not checked.
Steps
- Step 1
Put the rinsed rice and water in a medium saucepan with a tight lid. Bring to a boil over high heat, then turn the heat to the lowest setting, cover, and cook 15 minutes. Take it off the heat and leave it covered until you're ready to serve.
20 min, hands-off
- 2 cups short-grain Japanese rice
- 2 1/4 cups water
- Step 2
While the rice cooks, stir the soy sauce, mirin, sake, sugar and ginger together in a small bowl until the sugar dissolves. Set it next to the stove.
3 min
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup mirin
- 3 tbsp sake
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp fresh ginger
- Step 3
Pat the chicken thighs very dry with paper towels and season both sides lightly with salt. Dry skin is what makes it crisp.
3 min
- 4 boneless, skin-on chicken thighs (about 1 1/2 lb)
- salt
- Step 4
Wipe a large skillet with the oil and set it over medium heat. Lay the thighs in skin-side down and press them flat with a spatula for the first 30 seconds. Cook without moving them until the skin is deep golden and crisp, 10 to 12 minutes, pouring off fat into a bowl if it pools. Flip and cook 3 to 4 minutes more, until the chicken is firm and cooked through (165°F at the thickest part).
15 min
- 4 boneless, skin-on chicken thighs (about 1 1/2 lb)
- 1 tsp neutral oil
- Step 5
Tip out all but a thin film of fat. Turn the heat to medium-low, pour the sauce around the chicken and turn the thighs skin-side up. Simmer, spooning the sauce over the chicken every 30 seconds or so, until it thickens into a glossy glaze that coats the back of a spoon, 3 to 5 minutes. Watch it closely at the end; sugar sauces go from syrupy to burnt fast.
5 min
- Step 6
Move the chicken to a cutting board and let it rest 3 minutes, then slice crosswise into 1/2-inch strips. If the glaze left in the pan has tightened too much, loosen it with a splash of water.
3 min, hands-off
- Step 7
Fluff the rice and divide it among four bowls. Lay the sliced chicken on top, spoon the pan glaze over everything, and finish with scallions, sesame seeds and nori.
3 min
- 3 scallions
- 2 tsp toasted sesame seeds
- 1 sheet nori
Where it’s from
Written by AI from an idea
Version 1, saved Oct 5, 2026