EDUCATION
6 minutes
Essential Takeaways
Teriyaki is a popular Japanese dish that is easy to prepare, sweet, savoury, and delightfully tangy.
The classic ingredients already include honey, so adding manuka honey elevates the flavour and nutritional profile of this crowd favourite.
Try our chicken teriyaki with manuka honey recipe and side dish ideas for a healthy meal everyone will love.
One hails from Japan, and the other from New Zealand. Together, they offer a sweet and savoury punch packed with goodness.
Manuka honey, made from a plant native to New Zealand, is renowned for its antibacterial properties and rich flavour.
When used in chicken teriyaki, it adds a touch of natural sweetness and complexity - complementing the traditional teriyaki sauce.
With its delightful texture and unique taste, chicken teriyaki with manuka honey is guaranteed to impress your taste buds.
In this chicken teriyaki with manuka honey recipe, you’ll find:
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A brief overview of teriyaki chicken
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The main ingredients in teriyaki chicken
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Why cook with manuka honey?
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Simple chicken teriyaki with manuka honey recipe
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Side dish ideas for your teriyaki chicken honey dish
Before we get cooking, let’s learn a little more about the cultural significance of these classic foods.
A Brief History of Teriyaki Chicken
Teriyaki chicken is a popular Japanese dish that has gained worldwide fame due to its delicious flavour and easy preparation.
The word "teriyaki" refers to a Japanese cooking technique where meat or fish is grilled or broiled after being soaked in a seasoned soy sauce marinade.
Originating in the 1960s, the teriyaki marinade was initially used as a glaze for various types of meat, but today it is mainly associated with chicken, beef, and fish dishes.
Traditionally, teriyaki chicken is made by marinating chicken pieces in a mixture of soy sauce, sake or mirin, sugar, ginger, and garlic.
The chicken is then grilled or broiled, with the marinade reduced to a shiny glaze.
In more recent years, innovative cooks have been substituting traditional ingredients with new flavours, like manuka honey, to add a modern twist to the dish.
One of the reasons teriyaki chicken has become a favourite dish around the world is its simplicity – even beginner cooks can create a delicious meal by following a few easy steps.
The Classic Ingredients of Teriyaki Sauce
The foundation of teriyaki sauce is typically composed of the following ingredients:
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Soy sauce: This brings the salty and umami flavour to the sauce. When choosing your soy sauce, opt for a good-quality, low-sodium one if you prefer to control the salt content.
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Honey: Honey adds a natural sweetness to the sauce, balancing out the saltiness of the soy sauce. Using manuka honey in your teriyaki sauce adds a unique twist to the traditional recipe.
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Garlic and ginger: These aromatic ingredients provide a depth of flavour and subtle spice to the sauce. Fresh garlic and ginger are always best, but you can use their powdered forms in a pinch.
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Brown sugar: Adding some brown sugar enhances the sweetness and contributes to the sauce's smooth texture.
As you can see, adding manuka honey to your teriyaki sauce isn’t reinventing the wheel.
But it is adding a whole dollop of nutritional value.
Why Cook with Manuka Honey?
Manuka honey is no ordinary sweetener; it's a superfood with a myriad of health benefits.
Packed with natural enzymes, antioxidants, and antibacterial properties, manuka honey elevates your culinary creations to a whole new level.
It's excellent for wound healing and promoting tissue regeneration, especially in people recovering from burns.
Additionally, it's great for relieving coughs and allergy symptoms, as well as maintaining oral health.
Apart from its medical uses, manuka honey can also be a great ingredient in your skincare routine. It helps revitalise your skin and provides a natural glow.
Incorporating manuka honey into dishes like chicken teriyaki can be an enjoyable way to reap its benefits.
So go ahead and give it a try!
Just remember to keep the honey unprocessed and only buy high-quality supplies to get the best results.
Simple Chicken Teriyaki Honey Recipe
Teriyaki, with its savoury, slightly sweet glaze, provides the perfect canvas for incorporating the distinctive flavour of manuka honey.
This dynamic duo is not just about taste; it's about a culinary experience that tantalises your senses.
Ingredients:
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1 ½ lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
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½ cup soy sauce
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2 tbsp rice vinegar
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2 tbsp mirin
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1 tbsp sesame oil
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3 cloves garlic, minced
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1 tsp ginger, grated
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2 tbsp vegetable oil
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Sesame seeds and green onions for garnish
Instructions:
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Marinate the chicken:
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In a bowl, mix soy sauce, manuka honey, rice vinegar, mirin, sesame oil, minced garlic, and grated ginger.
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Place the chicken thighs in a resealable plastic bag and pour in half of the marinade. Seal the bag and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (or overnight for a deeper flavour).
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Cook the chicken
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Heat vegetable oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.
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Remove chicken from the marinade, letting excess drip off, and cook until browned on both sides and cooked through (about 6-8 minutes per side).
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Glaze with manuka honey:
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Pour the remaining marinade into the skillet, coating the chicken.
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Drizzle manuka honey over the chicken and let it caramelize for an additional 2-3 minutes.
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Serve and garnish:
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Transfer the chicken to a serving platter, drizzle with any remaining glaze, and sprinkle with sesame seeds and sliced green onions.
Delish! You’ve got a fantastic protein plate ready to enjoy.
But what to have with it?
Side Dish Ideas for Your Chicken Teriyaki with Manuka Honey
Here are some perfect accompaniments to your honey chicken teriyaki.
Rice and noodles
When it comes to pairing chicken teriyaki with manuka honey, you have a wide variety of rice and noodle options to choose from.
For instance, you can opt for coconut lime cauliflower rice or teriyaki noodles.
These side dishes not only complement the flavour of your chicken teriyaki, but they also offer a delightful texture.
From jasmine rice to soba noodles, the possibilities are endless. Don't forget to sprinkle some toasted sesame seeds on top for an added touch of flavour and crunch!
Steamed vegetables
Steamed vegetables are a healthy and delicious accompaniment to your chicken teriyaki with manuka honey. Choose from a variety of veggies like colourful peppers, broccoli, and cabbage to create a vibrant and nutritious side dish.
For a Japanese twist, try making a Japanese cucumber salad or a spinach gomaae, which is a Japanese-style spinach salad dressed in a nutty sesame seed sauce.
These veggie options not only make your meal healthier but also enhance the taste of your chicken teriyaki.
And if you really love manuka honey, try our honey-baked carrots recipe, too!
Sauces for dipping
Though your chicken teriyaki with manuka honey is already flavourful, additional dipping sauces can elevate the dish even further.
You can try a sesame ginger dressing for an Asian-inspired kick, or embrace the sweet and tangy notes of a homemade teriyaki sauce to match your chicken.
Don't be afraid to mix and match flavours – the end goal is to create a delicious meal that you will thoroughly enjoy.
So, go ahead and experiment with different sauces to find the perfect accompaniment to your chicken teriyaki dish.
Choose New Zealand Honey Co. Manuka Honey
Manuka honey is in such high demand throughout the world that there are plenty of imposters on the shelves.
To protect manuka honey and its amazing health benefits, it has its own unique grading system called UMF™.
By options for UMF™ certified manuka honey, you can be sure that you’re getting 100% pure, raw manuka honey from New Zealand every time.
Shop our range of premium UMF™ manuka honeys here.
Unsure which grade is right for you?
Your wellness journey starts with a spoonful a day.
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