Hibachi Style Japanese Teriyaki Chicken with White Sauce

When we lived in Charleston, my husband and I loved ordering takeout from the local Chinese-Hibachi place. Our absolute favorite meal was the Japanese Teriyaki Chicken with White Sauce. We miss it terribly and we’ve finally managed to re-create the meal to a very close knock-off that totally satisfies our craving (and it’s surely a much healthier version!). I’m listing the recipe in two parts below. First, the Teriyaki Chicken, because it’s made in the Slow Cooker, then the Veggies and Fried Rice to accompany the chicken, and finally the white sauce.

Easy Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken

Ingredients

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of fat and cut into bite size pieces

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

2 tbsp sesame oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup thinly sliced scallions (optional)

1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds (optional)

Place chicken in bottom of slow cooker as flat as possible. Combine soy, brown sugar, and garlic in a small bowl. Reserve 1/3 cup sauce for later use. Pour remaining sauce over chicken. Cover and cook on low for 2 hours. Turn chicken and cook 1 hour longer.

To toast sesame seeds, simply brown in a non-stick pan over medium-high heat for a few minutes until fragrant and light brown. Set aside to serve with the meal.

Fried Rice and Vegetables

Ingredients

4-6 servings minute white rice (brown rice just doesn’t cut it for this recipe!)

1 large zucchini, sliced

1 medium onion, chopped

1 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced

1 cup cabbage, chopped (I used Napa in this picture but regular cabbage is just as good.)

Canola oil

Cook minute rice according to package directions and set aside (drier rice works best for fried rice). I make mine several hours in advance. Place suggested veggies (or veggies of your liking) in a large pot on top of a steamer basket and 2 cups water. Steam until done. I layer veggies with the longest cooking at the bottom: onions, zucchini, mushrooms, cabbage. Heat oil in a large non-stick pan. Fry rice until slightly crisp adding a bit a soy sauce for color and flavor. When tender, toss veggies with remaining 1/3 cup sauce from the chicken.

Serve chicken over vegetables and fried rice. Top with toasted sesame seeds, scallions, and white sauce. The best recipe we’ve found for Japanese Steakhouse White Sauce can be found here. Note: For best flavor, the white sauce needs to be made the day prior so plan accordingly!! However, I’ve made it the day of a let it sit a few hours and it’s still delicious on top of this meal.