Easy Chicken Recipes

Easy Teriyaki Baked Chicken

You will need a good container for marinating. I like to use large baggies that lock. That way when I happen to open the fridge I can just grab the baggie, shake it up a little and turn it over to make sure everything is getting covered evenly. Usually a 1 gallon baggie is enough. You can also use a plastic container that you trust not to leak.

Rinse the chicken breasts in cold water and add them to the marinating container. Pour in enough teriyaki sauce to cover them about half way; no need to drench them. Add the sliced garlic according to your taste and the size of the cloves, then add salt and pepper to taste. Fresh ground pepper or coarse pepper is best. Make sure all the ingredients get mixed well in the container. Go into the refrigerator every couple of hours and shake up the container and turn it upside down. It's not an exact science; just do it every few hours. You'll want to marinate them overnight, but if you need them sooner, shake and turn the container more often and allow at least two hours, and preferrable 4 to 6 hours.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the marinated chicken breasts in a lubricated baking pan or rack pan and cook for about 40 to 45 minutes. Baste them with the marinade about every 10 to 15 minutes. Don't over cook them or they will be dry. These days, chicken breasts are much larger so the may take up to an hour, but check them by sticking a sharp knife into the center of one and see if the juices run clear. If so, they're done. If you pull them out and learn that they are still bleeding, put them back in for another 10 to 15 minutes. Don't eat bloody chicken.

Variations:

Instead of teriyaki sauce, you can use soy sauce. It will not have as strong of a flavor, and may taste saltier, but it will work. Also, you can add a few slices of onion in with the chicken and the marinade for extra flavor. You can also use this same recipe to make teriyaki chicken wings or even teriyaki chicken thighs. Just adjust the amounts of chicken you use.

Easy Baked Teriyaki goes well with steamed vegetables such as a Japanese mix designed for stir fry - one that contains water chestnuts and snow peas. Rice, brown or white, also makes a good addition to this dish.