Chicken Teriyaki Pizza

In celebration of football Season and the Hawks straight stomping the competition the last couple weeks, I�ve joined a group of bloggers from all over the country � all of whom are big football fans! � to bring you football-inspired recipes this season. Last month we shared our favorite tailgating recipes, and now we are sharing more than 60 recipe ideas for celebrating on game day� all with our favorite cities and teams in mind!

Chicken Teriyaki Pizza (AKA Seattle SeaChicken TeriHawki Pizza) | Loves Food, Loves to Eat

You might think you know about teriyaki chicken, but you haven�t really had it until you�ve been to Seattle. I thought I knew what it was too, long ago when the only teriyaki I had ever had was a sticky sweet sauce out of a store bought bottle. But then, Spring Break of my Junior year in high school, I came to stay for the weekend with my sister at UW, in Seattle. Teriyaki restaurants�little hole-in-the-wall spots with minimal menus and tables you bussed yourself�were on every block up and down University Way (AKA the Ave), the main stretch of bars and restaurants by campus. I learned then, as she took me to her go-to joint Tokyo Garden, that teriyaki wasn�t just a sauce or flavor, but a dish as Seattle as Starbucks or the Seahawks themselves. When I got to UW two years later, some of the teriyaki spots of Amanda�s heyday were still there, others had disappeared, and new ones had popped up. But just like my sister and her friends, my roommates and I quickly learned that in Seattle, Teriyaki was king. (Note, there are probably at least five places called Teriyaki King here).

Chicken Teriyaki Pizza (AKA Seattle SeaChicken TeriHawki Pizza) | Loves Food, Loves to Eat

Later, when I got my first job out of college, my coworkers and I would frequent either Asia Ginger #5 (to this day, my favorite) in Pioneer Square, or a place that might no longer even exist, who�s name I never learned, which was dubbed long before my time as Scary Teri� named either from the plethora of sauces we doused our chicken with, or for the block where it was located. When I moved jobs and office locations, I found a new teriyaki place down the street, and Evan and I have our go-to delivery and take out spots near our neighborhood. In the 13 years I�ve lived in Seattle, I never really considered why there were so many teriyaki joints, or why our teriyaki chicken was so much better than everyone else�s (sorry, it�s true!)� it just always felt like part of the city. But then a few months ago, I saw this article, and lo and behold, what we know in the states today as teriyaki chicken... was invented in Seattle! (Also, the article is heartbreaking� don�t like teriyaki disappear you guys!).

Chicken Teriyaki Pizza (AKA Seattle SeaChicken TeriHawki Pizza) | Loves Food, Loves to Eat

So, when I was thinking of a team-themed recipe for this week�s #foodiefootballfans collaboration, it was a no brainer to do something with teriyaki chicken, the quintessential Seattle food (considering I already did a riff on Seattle dogs for football season two years ago). Here�s what you�ll get at every Teriyaki joint in the city: thin sliced strips of charred chicken, almost crispy on the outside, with a sweet brown sauce and a slightly charred/smoky flavor, a ball or two of white rice (brown on request), and a salad (typically the iceberg with carrot and cabbage mix) with sweet, tangy, runny, white dressing. Plus chili sauce, Sriracha, and a fortune cookie. I�m not even about to try to recreate it, because perfection already exists (at Asia Ginger #5). So I decided to make something easily shareable for a group and perfect for football parties: pizza! Teriyaki chicken, cheese, and green onions get all gooey and caramelized on the pizza crust, and then just before we eat, we�re topping our slices with that classic Teriyaki restaurant salad. Because the only thing better than salad and pizza is salad on pizza.

Chicken Teriyaki Pizza (AKA Seattle SeaChicken TeriHawki Pizza)
This is inspired by my love of Seattle teriyaki, but aside from the dressing, the sauce and chicken aren't exact replicas of what you'll find at our many Teriyaki joints... instead they're the perfect gooey, sweet, topping for game-day pizza! There are a few steps to this, and the chicken needs to marinade at least two hours. To make things easy on game day, cook the chicken and make the sauce the day before, chilling separately until you�re ready to assemble the pizza.

Step 1: Make the chicken
1.25 lbs chicken breasts, cut in large chunks or strips
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon powdered ginger
1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic powder (not garlic salt)

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger, and garlic. Add chicken, cover, and refrigerate for around 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 425F and heat a grill pan on the stovetop over medium-high heat. Pour excess marinade off chicken. Sear chicken until lightly charred on each side, 3 pieces at a time, on grill pan (it might smoke, have your vent on). Note, don�t cook all the way through, just sear the outside. Add all the chicken to a small baking sheet or baking dish, and place in oven. Cook for about 30 minutes (depending on how big your pieces are) until chicken is cooled through. Let cool slightly, then shred with two forks or roughly chop. Chill until ready to use.

Step 2: Make your pizza dough
I use this recipe, because it�s so quick and easy (as the title suggests). Have your dough ready to go while you make the sauce.

Step 3: Make the sauce
2 tablespoons cornstarch + 1/4 cup cold water
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 cup water
6 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 tablespoon sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic powder
scant 1/4 teaspoon ginger

Make a slurry with the cornstarch and 1/4 cup cold water, and set aside. In a small saucepan, combine the remaining ingredients, and whisk until sugar is dissolved. Stir in cornstarch slurry. Heat over medium, whisking regularly, until sauce is just starting to bubble, and let thicken to a runny but viscous, spoon-coating consistency.

Step 4: Make the pizza
1 ball pizza dough
pre-cooked and chopped chicken
teriyaki sauce
2 cups low-moisture shredded mozzarella
2 green onions, thinly sliced
black and white sesame seeds

Preheat oven to 450F. If using pizza stone, put in oven to preheat. Spread pizza dough on top of a thin layer of cornmeal, on peel or baking sheet. Evenly distribute all but about a tablespoon of the cheese on the dough.

Add 1/2 cup of teriyaki sauce to the chopped chicken, and mix to combine. Spread sauced chicken evenly over pizza. Top with remaining cheese, green onions, and a sprinkle of sesame seeds. Bake for 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes, drizzle about 1/2 cup worth of sauce over pizza, and bake for another five minutes or until crust is golden.

Step 4: Make the salad & serve the pizza
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
2 teaspoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons water
Two pinches granulated white sugar
Two large pinches white pepper
Lettuce/carrots/cabbage (I used the packaged iceberg/carrot/purple cabbage blend, as I�m pretty sure that�s what most Teriyaki joints here use)

While the pizza is cooking, whisk together mayo, sesame oil, vinegar, water, sugar, and pepper. Toss with 4-6 cups of salad.

Serve each pizza slice with a pile of dressed salad, and add Sriracha as desired.

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Note: This post is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by the National Football League (NFL) or any of its teams. All opinions and views expressed on our blogs are our own, not that of the NFL and/or any of its 32 teams. Any team names, logos or other symbols referenced are properties of their respective organizations. We are just big fans � and we want to share our love for our teams, the game and the food that brings us all together on game day.

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