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What is Ponzu Chicken?
Ponzu chicken is basically any dish that combines chicken with Japanese ponzu sauce, whether it be stir fried, marinated or glazed, they are all variations of “ponzu chicken”. For my ponzu chicken, I pan-fry chicken thighs until the skin is extremely crispy and then drizzle it with a glossy homemade ponzu glaze.
This dish is a little similar to teriyaki chicken, but with a bold and citrusy kick from the ponzu sauce. If you’re like me and love sour flavors, you’re definitely going to love this dish!
I serve my ponzu chicken with white rice and sautéed pak choi and shimeji mushrooms, but feel free to serve it with any of your favorite stir-fried vegetables!
How I Developed This Recipe
In developing this recipe for ponzu chicken, my top priority was to leverage the distinct sourness and sweetness of ponzu sauce and achieve maximum crispiness for the chicken.
I adjusted the seasonings thoroughly to enhance the flavor and used a weighted crisping technique to make the chicken as crispy as possible.
This recipe is straightforward to follow, so I encourage you to give it a try!
Ingredients & Substitution Ideas
- Boneless Chicken Thighs: It’s important to choose boneless thighs with the skin on. The skin adds extra flavor and crispiness, which is vital for this recipe. Skin-on chicken breast can be an alternative.
- Vegetables: I suggest pak choi and a mushroom of your choice for stir-frying in the residual chicken fat. This method really enhances their flavor with the richness of the overall dish.
- Cooked Japanese Short-Grain Rice: Short-grain Japanese rice is the best choice. If you’re looking for recommendations on which brands to buy in the U.S. or how to cook it in a pot, check out the “How to Cook Japanese Rice Recipe.”
- Ponzu Sauce: For the sauce, mix ponzu with mirin, sake, sugar, honey, and a slurry made from starch and water. This combination creates a balanced and flavorful sauce that complements the chicken and vegetables perfectly.
You can serve ponzu chicken any way you like. I opted for sautéed pak choi and shimeji mushrooms over a bed of white rice, but feel free to swap these out for your favorite sides and vegetables!
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Visual Walkthrough & Tips
Here are my step-by-step instructions for how to make Ponzu Chicken at home. For ingredient quantities and simplified instructions, scroll down for the Printable Recipe Card below.
STEP
Prepare the chicken
The first step is to flatten out the chicken thigh so that it’s the same thickness all the way through. This will help it cook more quickly and evenly. To do this, I use kitchen scissors to make incisions on the thickest parts and stretch them out.
You can also cut out the tendons and sinew at this point to improve the overall texture.
Next, I turn the chicken over and pull the skin over the edges.
Cover the meat side with plastic wrap and place the chicken in a container with the skin side facing up. Pat the surface of the skin dry with kitchen paper and then store the chicken in the fridge with the skin exposed for 30 minutes. This will help dry it out further and make it extra crispy when it’s fried. The plastic wrap underneath is to protect the meat itself from drying out.
Store safely
Since raw chicken can carry food-borne illnesses, be careful to place it away from other items in your fridge to prevent cross-contamination.
STEP
Start frying
Take a large frying pan big enough for both chicken thighs to lay completely flat and add the oil while it’s still cold. Place the chicken in the pan with the skin side down and sprinkle the top with salt and pepper.
Why start with a cold pan?
By starting with a cold pan and gradually increasing the heat, the fat is able to render at a slower rate, resulting in exceptionally crispy skin. It also allows the chicken to cook all the way through to the center without burning the skin.
Transfer the pan to the stove, but don’t turn on the heat just yet.
STEP
Place a weight on the chicken
To crisp up the skin even further, I place a weight on the chicken. Personally, I use a pot of water; the pot should be small enough to fit inside your frying pan.
Cover the chicken with foil to protect it from the bottom of your pot.
Then, place the pot of water on top of the foil.
Turn on the heat to medium-low, and once it starts to sizzle, set a timer for 10 minutes.
What does the weight do?
By placing a weight on top of the chicken, the surface area of the skin is pressed firmly down against the bottom of the pan. This ensures it’s in direct contact with the heat and oil, resulting in a perfectly crispy skin. The weight also helps flatten the chicken thigh, allowing it to cook more evenly.
STEP
Baste
Once 10 minutes have passed, remove the pot of water and the foil. Scoop the juices in the pan and baste the top of the chicken for 2-3 minutes.
STEP
Fry the other side
Flip the chicken over and fry on the other side for a few minutes until the chicken is cooked all the way through.
STEP
Rest
Once the chicken is cooked, transfer it to a chopping board and leave to rest while you cook the vegetables.
STEP
Sauté vegetables in chicken fat
Using the same pan, add the vegetables and sauté for a few minutes with a pinch of salt and pepper.
Wipe the pan if necessary
If you feel the pan is too oily, wipe the excess away with kitchen paper before adding the vegetables.
The vegetables will absorb the delicious flavor leftover from the chicken. Once they’re slightly softened, remove the pan from the heat.
STEP
Make the sauce
Take a small sauce pan and add the ponzu, mirin, sake, light brown sugar and honey. Bring it to a boil over a medium heat and allow it to bubble for 1-2 minutes.
In a small bowl, mix 1 tbsp of cold water with 1 tsp of potato starch (or corn starch) to make a slurry. Reduce the heat to low and pour the slurry into the pan.
Gently mix over the heat until the sauce is glossy and slightly thickened, then remove it from the heat.
STEP
Plate up
Cut the chicken into strips and make a bed of rice on each serving plate, then place the chicken and vegetables on top.
Finally, drizzle the ponzu sauce generously over the top, then serve and enjoy!
This dish is best served immediately (storing will cause the skin to lose its crispiness!).
I hope you enjoy this easy and delicious ponzu chicken!
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FAQ
What is ponzu?
Ponzu is a Japanese all-purpose condiment often used for cooking, dipping, and marinating. It’s made with a combination of soy sauce, vinegar, and citrus juice. Some of the most common citrus used to make ponzu are yuzu (yuzupon), lemon and kabosu, just to name a few.
The name “ponzu” (ポン酢) comes from the Dutch word “pons,” a type of citrus juice consumed by the Dutch sailors who drove the trade ships between Japan and the Netherlands sometime during the Edo Period (1603-1868). Vinegar was added to the juice and “pons” became “ponzu”, “zu” meaning “vinegar” in Japanese.
Originally, ponzu mixed with soy sauce was referred to as “ponzu shoyu”; however, over time, the popularity of ponzu with soy sauce overtook the original citrus juice and vinegar mixture. These days, the term “ponzu” is simply a shortened version of “ponzu shoyu” and the original ponzu is hard to come by.
The refreshing taste of ponzu makes it the perfect condiment for adding balance to dishes that contain fish or meats that have a strong odor. It’s also great for fatty or deep-fried dishes!
Mizkan’s “Ajipon” is one of my personal favourite brands that I use often. It should be available in well-stocked Asian or Japanese supermarkets. Alternatively, you can buy Kikkoman brand ponzu on Amazon.favorite
Ponzu is surprisingly easy to make, and you can customize the flavor using your favorite citrus fruits. If you have time and are interested in making your very own ponzu sauce, check out my homemade ponzu recipe here!
I hope you enjoy this Ponzu Chicken recipe! If you try it out, I’d really appreciate it if you could spare a moment to let me know what you thought by giving a review and star rating in the comments below. It’s also helpful to share any adjustments you made to the recipe with our other readers.Thank you!
More Quick Lunch Recipes
- Sukiya Gyudon (Japanese Beef Bowl)
- Niku Yasai Itame (Japanese Vegetable Stir Fry with Pork)
- Okinawa Taco Rice And Cheese (Cafe Style)
- Tamago Sando(Japanese-Style Egg Sandwich)
Want more inspiration? Explore my Japanese Lunch Recipe Roundup Post for a carefully selected collection of tasty recipe ideas to spark your next meal!
Easy and Delicious Ponzu Chicken
4.84 from 6 votes
By Yuto Omura
Learn how to make this delicious Ponzu Chicken with crispy pan fried chicken thighs served with fluffy rice, sautéed vegetables and drizzled with a tangy homemade ponzu sauce. If you love citrus flavours or the umami rich taste of teriyaki, you're sure to love this dish!
Prep Time5 minutes mins
Cook Time25 minutes mins
Total Time30 minutes mins
Course Lunch, Main Course
Cuisine Japanese
Servings 2 portions
Prep Time: 5 minutes mins
Cook Time: 25 minutes mins
Total Time: 30 minutes mins
Course: Lunch, Main Course
Cuisine: Japanese
Servings: 2 portions
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Ingredients
- 500-600 g boneless chicken thigh(s) boneless, skin-on
- 2 pinches salt and pepper
- 2 tbsp cooking oil
- 200 g pak choi
- 150 g mushroom of your choice shimeji or similar
- 2 portions cooked Japanese short-grain rice see how to cook Japanese rice here
Ponzu sauce
- 90 ml ponzu see my homemade ponzu recipe
- 2 tbsp mirin
- 2 tbsp sake
- 2 tsp light brown sugar
- 1 tsp honey
- 1 tbsp cold water to make slurry
- 1 tsp potato starch to make slurry
Instructions
Lay 500-600 g boneless chicken thigh(s) out on a chopping board with the skin side facing down, and use kitchen scissors to make incisions in the thickest parts of the meat. These incisions will make flaps, pull them outwards to flatten the chicken. (You can also use the scissors to cut out any sinew or tendons.)
Turn the chicken over and stretch the skin so it is wrapped over the edges.
Cover the meat side with plastic wrap and place the chicken in a container with the skin side facing up. Pat the surface of the skin dry with kitchen paper and store the chicken in the fridge uncovered for about 30 minutes to dry it out. (Make sure the chicken isn’t touching any other items in your fridge to avoid cross contamination.)
Take a large pan and add 2 tbsp cooking oil while it's still cold. Swirl it around to coat the bottom. Place the chicken in the cold pan with the skin side down and sprinkle with2 pinches salt and pepper.
Place a piece of foil over the top.
Take a pot that is small enough to fit in the frying pan, fill it half way up with water and place it on top of the foil. This will act as a weight and help the chicken skin become extra crispy.
Place the pan on the stove and set the heat to medium-low. Once you start to hear sizzling, set a timer for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes have passed, remove the pot of water and foil. Baste the top of the chicken with oil from the pan for 2-3 minutes.
Flip the chicken over and fry on the other side for 1-2 minutes.
Transfer the chicken to a chopping board and leave to rest until serving time.
In the same pan, sauté the 200 g pak choi and 150 g mushroom of your choice in the chicken juices for a few minutes with a pinch of salt and pepper. (If you feel the pan is too oily, wipe it with kitchen paper first.) Once cooked, remove from the heat.
Take a small saucepan and add the 90 ml ponzu, 2 tbsp mirin, 2 tbsp sake, 2 tsp light brown sugar and 1 tsp honey. Mix well and bring to a boil over a medium heat. Allow it to bubble for 1-2 minutes.
Reduce the heat to low and mix 1 tbsp cold water and 1 tsp potato starch in a small bowl to make a slurry. Pour the slurry into the ponzu sauce and mix. Simmer until thickened slightly and then remove from the heat.
Cut the chicken into strips and plate up with 2 portions cooked Japanese short-grain rice and vegetables.
Drizzle the ponzu sauce over the chicken and vegetables, and enjoy!
Keyword chicken ponzu, chicken with ponzu sauce recipe, how to make ponzu chicken, ponzu chicken, ponzu chicken recipe, ponzu chicken thighs, ponzu sauce recipe chicken, what is ponzu chicken
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