Jen's Teriyaki Chicken

This is a recipe we make often. It was a recipe my mom learned from one of my Japanese Aunties while living in Hawai'i and one of the first things I learned to cook as a teenager. It is now one of Brownie's favorites and was requested by Thing #4 as part of our weekend menu. It never fails and is always delicious!

I know, why make teriyaki when you can just buy it in a jar? Because MSG is evil and this is SO much better!!! :-)

So here it is, in all its glory:















Ingredients:

• Chicken thighs (we used 4 lbs of chicken - we're a big family.)
• 2 bottles Aloha Shoyu (If you can find it - Winco has this brand's lower salt soy sauce, which is what I use) or any low-salt soy sauce, though popular brands are waaaaay too salty for marinating in my opinion.
• Green onions
• 1 cup Brown Sugar
• 1 Tablespoon fresh ground ginger (when I make this for the kiddos, I use probably 3 tablespoons dry ground ginger because if they get one bite with fresh ginger, they freak out)
• 3 or 4 large cloves fresh minced garlic (more if you're inclined)
• Cooked white rice and steamed broccoli

Directions:

• Pour 1 bottle of soy sauce into large baking pan
• Mix in brown sugar, minced garlic, ginger and 4 chopped green onions - adjust to taste
• Place chicken thighs in marinade and let sit for 1/2 hour
• Turn chicken thighs over in marinade and let sit for another 1/2 hour
• Option #1: put pan in oven at 350 for about 30 minutes, turning chicken once 1/2 way through, remove from marinade with tongs as soon as you take it out of the oven (the cooked marinade is amazing over rice, BTW)
• Option #2: grill chicken on the BBQ grill and discard the marinade - use second bottle of soy sauce to sprinkle over your rice

Rice and sides are totally your choice - this goes good with pretty much anything! This marinade is delicious with steaks as well!