Ingredients

The following ingredients have 4 Servings
  • 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (6 medium thighs)
  • 1/2 cup (120 ml) light soy sauce
  • 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup (60 ml) sake (Japanese rice wine), see notes for alternatives
  • 2 tablespoon (30 ml) rice vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons finely grated ginger, see notes

Instruction

  • Combine the soy sauce, sugar, sake, vinegar, and ginger in a small bowl. Stir until the sugar completely dissolves. Transfer about 6 tablespoons of the sauce to a resealable plastic bag or container and add the chicken. Marinate the chicken in the refrigerator, turning once, for at least 30 minutes, preferably longer.
  • Add the remaining sauce to a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring it to a simmer and cook until the sauce reduces slightly and looks shiny; 3 to 5 minutes. If it reduces too much, add a bit of water to bring it back to a pourable consistency. Cool, and then save this in the refrigerator to use as a sauce for the cooked chicken.
  • Position an oven rack towards the top of the oven, about 6-inches from the broiler. Heat the broiler to high.
  • Line a baking sheet with foil, and then arrange the chicken so that the side that would have had skin is facing down. Spoon a bit of the marinade that was with the chicken on top and discard the rest. Broil for 5 minutes. Stay close to the oven to keep an eye on the chicken as it cooks.
  • Flip the chicken, and then if there are any juices or sauce pooling on the pan, spoon or brush it back onto the chicken. Doing this a few times during cooking helps to add a shiny, browned crust to the chicken. Alternatively, you can steal some of the sauce saved for serving to spoon or brush over the chicken. Broil another 5 to 10 minutes or until the outside of the chicken looks brown and caramelized and the inside is cooked through.
  • Meanwhile, reheat the sauce from earlier, adding a bit of water if it seems too thick. (This is the sauce that has not touched raw chicken, not the sauce used to marinate.)
  • To serve, slice the chicken into strips, place onto plates and drizzle with the warmed sauce. Leftover sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for a few weeks (I like drizzling it over rice and vegetables)