Teriyaki Chicken Sandwiches

Dr. J loves chicken teriyaki and she loves sandwiches, so this recipe brings the two together in a weeknight meal built around bold flavor and smart prep. Grilled teriyaki-glazed chicken thighs are piled onto toasted brioche buns with homemade quick-pickled cucumber and serrano, then finished with a creamy teriyaki-sriracha dressing.

The real weeknight advantage is that the components work well with Dr. J’s weekend meal-prep approach. In the original video, she explains that advance prep let her come home after a long workday and prepare the meal in minutes. The homemade teriyaki sauce can also be reserved for drizzling, while the quick pickles can stay refrigerated for up to two weeks.

Dr. J’s Kitchen

Teriyaki Chicken Sandwiches

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Grilled teriyaki chicken thighs on toasted brioche buns with quick pickles and a creamy teriyaki-sriracha dressing.

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Servings: 4 sandwiches

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Asian, Japanese

Ingredients Method Video

Ingredients

  

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• 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
• 4 brioche buns, toasted
• Mayonnaise, teriyaki glaze and sriracha, for sandwich dressing
• 1/2 cup sherry
• 1 cup low-sodium tamari or soy sauce
• 1 cup pineapple juice
• 1 (3-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
• 4 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
• Pinch red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 cup rice vinegar
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 4 tablespoons superfine sugar
• 1/2 large English cucumber, thinly sliced
• 1/2 medium serrano pepper, sliced

Method

 

1. For the quick pickles, combine rice vinegar, salt, sugar, cucumber and serrano in a bowl. Refrigerate at least 1 hour.
2. For the teriyaki sauce, combine sherry, tamari, pineapple juice, ginger, brown sugar, honey, hoisin and red pepper flakes in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then simmer 15–20 minutes until reduced by half.
3. Mix cornstarch and water, stir into the sauce and boil 2–3 minutes until thickened. Remove ginger.
4. Preheat an indoor or outdoor grill to medium-high. Toss chicken with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
5. Grill chicken 5–6 minutes per side. After flipping, glaze with teriyaki sauce; flip once more, glaze the other side and cook 1 minute longer. Rest 5 minutes.
6. Toast brioche buns. Build sandwiches with chicken, quick pickles and a dressing made from equal parts mayonnaise and teriyaki glaze plus a dash of sriracha. Drizzle with reserved teriyaki sauce.

Video

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Why you’ll love these teriyaki chicken sandwiches

Chicken thighs stay at the center of the sandwich while the homemade teriyaki glaze builds flavor on the grill. The quick pickles cut through the richer glaze and brioche with rice-vinegar tang and a little serrano heat.

One teriyaki sauce serves several jobs: it glazes the chicken, finishes the sandwich and combines with mayonnaise and sriracha for the creamy dressing.

Give the quick pickles time

Combine the cucumber and serrano with rice vinegar, sugar and salt, then refrigerate them for at least one hour. Starting the pickles first gives them time to develop before the sandwiches are assembled.

Glaze the chicken near the end

Grill the chicken first, then brush it with teriyaki sauce after flipping. A final flip, another coating of glaze and about one additional minute of cooking builds the glazed exterior without requiring the sauce to be on the chicken for the entire grilling time.

Watch Dr. J Make Teriyaki Chicken Sandwiches

Watch Dr. J make Teriyaki Chicken Sandwiches and see how it comes together.