For Chicken With 10X The Flavor, Marinate It In This Japanese Condiment

When we think about cooking chicken in a Japanese style, it's quite possible that the first thing that comes to mind is teriyaki. This style of cooking involves grilling meat or seafood while brushing it with a sticky, sweet, and salty sauce made from dark soy sauce, mirin, sake, and sugar. Teriyaki has become wildly popular around the world, but there's an alternative sauce that will also yield delicious results: Try using ponzu to marinate the chicken instead.

Ponzu sauce is another soy sauce-based condiment which relies on citrus juice to add a hint of sweetness, but balanced with fresh acidity. It's lighter in body since it doesn't include sugar, instead packing a powerful umami profile thanks to the katsuobushi (bonito flakes) and kombu (dried kelp) that complement the soy sauce, rice vinegar, and mirin combination.

Since ponzu already combines salty, sweet, and acidic components, it's really all you need to marinade anything from chicken to fish and veggies. It works within the sa-shi-su-se-so concept in Japanese cuisine, which refers to a balance of sugar, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and miso flavors, with the citrus juice taking the spot of sugar and bonito flakes and kelp in place of the umami-rich miso. 

Like teriyaki sauce, ponzu sauce is easy to make at home — both belong in Japan's washoku traditional cuisine — but ready-made bottled ponzu is available from different brands. You want to marinate the chicken in the ponzu for at least four hours but preferably overnight to infuse it with the lovely salty and tangy flavor. 

While this simple hack will work wonderfully for any cut of chicken — from boneless breasts to bone-in thighs with skin on — you can upgrade this meal even further with a few additions to the marinade. Think chopped or grated garlic and ginger for simple ingredients you can add in a pinch. If you like spicy foods, throw some crushed chile flakes or add a couple shakes of your favorite bottled hot sauce. 

If you want to get a bit more involved, you can enhance the citrus profile of ponzu by adding fresh lemon, lime, orange, or grapefruit juice or grated zest, or incorporate a toasted flavor note with a splash of sesame oil. Basically, you can customize it as you would a ponzu dressing for salads.

When it's time to cook the chicken, you also have options. Drain the marinade and grill the chicken as you normally would any marinated meat. If using boneless breasts or thighs, you can pan-fry them and reduce the marinade into a sauce to drizzle over the cooked chicken, or you can place the chicken and marinade in a cast iron skillet or baking pan and bake until fully cooked. For an extra nice presentation, you can sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds, chopped green onions, or togarashi, and serve with steamed rice and your favorite veggies. Lightly sautéed Asian greens, such as mizuna or tatsoi, would complete the Japanese dinner vibe.