I Have Never Eaten Such Delicious Chicken! The Sauce Gives Perfect Balance

If you like sweet, spicy, orange, garlic, ginger and soy flavors, you’ll love this deliciously saucy butterflied chicken with teriyaki glaze. It makes a lovely weekend or holiday dinner.

The tender juicy chicken roasts in almost half the time of a regular whole chicken. The homemade teriyaki sauce gives it the perfect balance of sweet, savory with just a bit of a spicy kick. Be sure to check out the great short cuts.

How to Make This Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken 3-4 lbs (1.36-1.81 kg), spatchcocked/butterflied Note 1 (I like to use kosher chicken, but any roasting chicken will work fine)
• 2 tablespoon cornstarch
• Garnish: chopped parsley, green onion or pea shoots and grated orange zest if desired

Teriyaki Glaze and Marinade

• 1/3 cup soy
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 oranges, juice (1/2 cup) and zest (2 teaspoons) Note 2 1 tsp zest for marinade; reserve other tsp for garnish
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, Note 3
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
• 2 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 1/2 teaspoon sriracha hot sauce (for mild spice) or more to taste
• salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. HEAT OVEN TO 400F/204C. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with olive oil or other cooking spray (for easy clean up)
2. MARINATE CHICKEN: Place all marinade ingredients (except 1 teaspoon of orange zest) in a large ziploc bag and squish to combine. Add spatchcocked chicken, seal bag and massage to coat well. Marinate for 4-6 hours or overnight in fridge or, quicker, at room temperature for 30 minutes. If you don’t have time, skip the marinating.
3. ROAST CHICKEN: Remove chicken from marinade, pat dry with paper towels and place on roasting pan. Pour marinade into a small saucepan and set aside. Lightly sprinkle the chicken with salt. Roast chicken skin side up for 30-40 minutes, depending on size of chicken. Internal temperature on an instant read meat thermometer should read 150F/66C in thickest part of breast meat. You will finish cooking in broiler. Remove chicken from oven. Pour off grease from pan. (At this point, you can make the glaze and do the final steps just before you’re ready to serve.)
4. MAKE TERIYAKI GLAZE/SAUCE: While chicken is roasting, whisk cornstarch into marinade in saucepan. Bring marinade to a boil and boil for 2 minutes until sauce is thickened. Lower heat and cook for another 2 minutes. If glaze is too thick, add a bit of water. Brush some of glaze over roasted chicken. Reserve remaining 1/2-3/4 cup to pass with the chicken later.
5. BROIL CHICKEN WITH GLAZE FOR 4-6 MINUTES: Turn oven to Broil. Place oven grill 10-12 inches from broiler (top of the oven). Return glazed chicken to oven. Broil for 4-6 minutes until browned on top (be careful not to let it burn). Chicken should read 155F/68C in the breast or 165F/74C in the thigh with instant thermometer when done.
6. CUT AND SERVE: The best way to cut it is to transfer chicken to cutting board. Brush with more glaze. Let chicken rest 5-7 minutes. Cut into quarters or eighths. Garnish with remaining orange zest and chopped green onions or parsley and serve. Drizzle on extra sauce or pass it on the side. Serve from cutting board or move to a platter.

Recipe Notes

• To spatchcock (butterfly or flatten) a chicken: Turn chicken breast side down. Use kitchen shears or a sharp knife to remove the backbone by cutting along one side of the backbone, then the other side. Turn chicken breast-side up and using the palm of your hand press down firmly on the top of the breastbone to flatten so that the chicken lies flat with breasts and legs all on one level. Discard backbone or use to make soup/broth. Here’s a video on how to spatchcock a chicken. Shortcut: Buy a chicken already flattened or ask the butcher to do it.
• Instead of orange juice: use pineapple or apple juice. Skip the zest.
• Brown sugar substitute: You can use 6 tbsp honey or maple syrup instead.

Make Ahead:

• The chicken can be prepared and marinated a day ahead.
• You can also roast the chicken an hour ahead and cover it with foil to keep warm. Then just before serving, brush on the teriyaki glaze and broil for a few minutes.
• Store leftover chicken in for 2-3 days or frozen for 2-3 months in an airtight container or sealed bag (try to get as much air out as possible). Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat on medium in the microwave or in a medium-heat oven.

Nutrition

Calories: 588kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 143mg | Sodium: 375mg | Potassium: 543mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 38g | Vitamin A: 491IU | Vitamin C: 41mg | Calcium: 100mg | Iron: 2mg