Teriyaki Marinated Chicken

Soy sauce, mirin, brown sugar, garlic and ginger combine in this teriyaki-inspired marinade for grilled chicken. Try it with pork chops if you prefer. Grill fresh pineapple slices and asparagus alongside for simple side dishes.

4 servings

Active Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 1 1/2 hours (including 1 hour marinating time)

Ingredients

1/2 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup sake or mirin
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1-1 1/4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast (see Note)

Preparation

Whisk soy sauce, sake (or mirin), brown sugar, garlic and ginger in a bowl until the sugar is dissolved.
Place chicken in a shallow dish or 1-gallon sealable plastic bag. Add the marinade and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 12 hours. Remove from the marinade and pat dry.
Preheat grill to medium-high or position a rack in upper third of oven and preheat broiler.
To grill: Oil the grill rack (see Tip). Grill the chicken, turning once, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 165°F, 4 to 8 minutes per side.
To broil: Line a broiler pan (or baking sheet) with foil and coat with cooking spray. Place the chicken on the foil. Broil, watching carefully and turning at least once, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 165°F, 10 to 15 minutes total.

Tips & Notes

Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate the marinade for up to 3 days; marinate the chicken for up to 12 hours.

Note: It’s difficult to find an individual chicken breast small enough for one portion. Removing the thin strip of meat from the underside of a 5-ounce breast—the chicken tender—removes about 1 ounce of meat and yields a perfect 4-ounce portion. Wrap and freeze the tenders and when you have gathered enough, use them in a stir-fry or for oven-baked chicken fingers. If you can only find chicken breasts closer to 8- to 9-ounce each, you’ll only need 2 breasts for 4 servings—cut each one in half before cooking.
Tip: Oiling a grill rack before you grill foods helps ensure that the food won’t stick. Oil a folded paper towel, hold it with tongs and rub it over the rack. (Do not use cooking spray on a hot grill.) When grilling delicate foods like tofu and fish, it is helpful to coat the food with cooking spray.

Nutrition

Per serving: 135 calories; 3 g fat ( 1 g sat , 1 g mono ); 63 mg cholesterol; 2 g carbohydrates; 1 g added sugars; 23 g protein; 0 g fiber; 263 mg sodium; 205 mg potassium.
Carbohydrate Servings: 0
Exchanges: 3 lean meat