Ponzu Chicken | Everyday Dorie

This is a chicken dish. To be exact, it’s a pan-fried chicken dish. However, the star ingredient, which makes or breaks the dish, is the ponzu sauce. Fortunately, I do have a bottle in my pantry. What does it taste like? Ponzu has a subtle mix of lemon and soy — but less sharp and less salty.

Ponzu is a tart Japanese condiment used for dipping, marinating, or dressing. It is made by simmering mirin, rice vinegar, katsuobushi (bonito), and seaweed (kombu) over medium heat. The liquid is then cooled, strained, and finally the juice of yuzu, a Japanese citrus fruit, is added. Japanese commonly think of the word “ponzu” as “ponzu shoyu,” which is a mixture of ponzu and soy sauce. It took me a long while to realize that ponzu shoyu is also referred to as “ponzu” for short.

Dorie uses the ponzu sauce as a marinade for the chicken. The sauce is packed with umami to start. It’s further bolstered with rice vinegar and a red curry sauce or a chili sauce. Next, the marinated chicken pieces are seared on both sides on the stovetop. (To ensure the chicken pieces are cooked throughout, I prefer to finish cooking them in the gentle heat of a 350°F oven.) The chicken is done when the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Meanwhile, the reserved marinade reappears and turns into a sauce. Pour it over the chicken and serve.

There is a similar chicken dish in Everyday Dorie: sweet chili chicken thighs. Same methodology, different sauces. Sweet chili sauce or the ponzu sauce, which one is your pick? Heat or citrus flavor, Thai or Japanese, it’s a hard choice!