Orange Teriyaki Burger

Eating a teriyaki burger is one of my favorite childhood memories. Since I was little, my go-to for a burger was a chain restaurant called MOS Burger (摩斯漢堡). It’s very popular in Japan and Taiwan. There is one MOS Burger in the center of campus at National Taiwan University, where I studied theatre for my bachelor’s degree. Sometimes I was there for a quick lunch. Sometimes I was there for a few hours to memorize a script. Sometimes I was there with friends to complete a team project. The chicken teriyaki burger was my must-order. I could easily eat two or more of those delicious burgers!

Author

Melissa, Chef and Chief Entertainment Officer of Cooking Beautifullee 

Servings

4

Category

Main Course

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup lukewarm water (170g)
• 2 tablespoons butter (28g), at room temperature
• 1 large egg
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (418g)
• 1/4 cup sugar (50g)
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 1 tablespoon instant yeast
• 3 tablespoons toasted white sesame
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon water
• ½ cup soy sauce
• ¼ packed cup light brown sugar
• ½ cup orange juice
• 2 Tbsp mirin
• ¼ tsp Noga
• ¼ tsp Reims
• 1 (4-inch) piece of ginger, peeled and sliced into coins
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
• 8 green onions, chopped
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 pound skinless boneless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat
• Vegetable oil for brushing the grill

Directions

1. Mix and knead all of the dough ingredients — by hand, mixer, or bread machine — to make a soft, smooth dough.
2. Cover the dough and let it rise for 1 to 2 hours* or until it's nearly doubled in bulk.
3. Gently deflate the dough. Use the electronic scale to weigh each dough. It should be about 3 ounces each.
4. Shape each piece into a round ball. Place the buns on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet, cover, and let rise for about an hour until noticeably puffy.
5. Brush the buns with egg wash**. Sprinkle toasted white sesame seeds on top.
6. Bake the buns in a preheated 375°F oven for 15 to 18 minutes until golden.
7. Remove them from the oven and brush with the remaining melted butter. This will give the buns a satiny, buttery crust.
8. Cool the buns on a rack.
9. Preheat oven to 400F
10. In a small saucepan, combine all ingredients except the chicken and oil and bring to a boil over high heat. 
11. Once boiling, decrease the heat to low and simmer uncovered until the liquid is reduced by half. It will take about 30 minutes.
12. Strain the sauce into a bowl through a fine-mesh strainer and discard the solids. The sauce will be thick and glossy. Let it cool to room temperature before using.
13. Reserve one-third of the sauce in a small bowl for final coating.
14. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat.
15. Coat grill grates with oil and place chicken thighs onto the grill. Cook until grill marks develop after about 2 minutes.
16. Brush with ginger sauce and transfer chicken thighs to a baking sheet.
17. Transfer to the preheated oven and finish cooking.
18. Tuck the teriyaki chicken thighs into a warm crusty bun and add your favorite toppings and some more sauce.