Grilled Chicken with Tare Sauce
Tender grilled chicken fillets are marinated and basted with a homemade Japanese-style tare sauce made with soy sauce, mirin, sake, ginger, garlic, and brown sugar. The sauce is simmered until slightly reduced, giving the chicken a savory, sweet, and slightly aromatic glaze.
Equipment
- Small saucepan
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Shallow dish or resealable bag, for marinating
- Grill or grill pan
- Tongs
- Pastry brush, for basting
- Instant-read thermometer
Ingredients
Tare sauce
- 120 ml (½ cup) soy sauce
- 120 ml (½ cup) mirin
- 60 ml (¼ cup) sake
- 60 ml (¼ cup) water
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tsp fresh ginger thinly sliced
- 1 garlic clove sliced
Chicken
- 4 chicken fillets about 600–700 g (1½ lb)
- Salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp neutral oil for grilling
For Serving
- chopped cilantro
- lemon or lime wedges
Instructions
Make the tare sauce
- Add the soy sauce, mirin, sake, water, brown sugar, ginger, and garlic to a small saucepan.
- Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, uncovered for 15–20 minutes. Stir occasionally until the sauce has reduced slightly and the flavors have concentrated.
- Remove the ginger and garlic. Let the sauce cool slightly.
Marinate the chicken
- Place the chicken fillets in a shallow dish or resealable bag.
- Pour about a third of the cooled tare sauce over the chicken and turn to coat. Reserve the remaining sauce for basting and serving.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 4 hours.
Grill the chicken
- Remove the chicken from the marinade and let any excess drip off. Discard the used marinade.
- Preheat the grill to medium-high heat and lightly oil the grates.
- Season the chicken lightly with salt and black pepper. Keep in mind that the tare is already salty.
- Grill the chicken for about 5–7 minutes per side, depending on the thickness, brushing with the reserved tare sauce during the last few minutes of cooking.
- Continue grilling until the chicken is cooked through and reaches an internal temperature of 74°C (165°F).
- Let the chicken rest for a few minutes before serving. Brush with a little more tare sauce just before serving, if desired.
Notes
Serving suggestion: I served the grilled chicken with jasmine rice, chickpea salad, grilled vegetables glazed with tare sauce, and homemade hot sauce.