Teriyaki Chicken Burger and Blueberry Kanten Jelly Balls

It is already the 4th of July here in Japan!

I don’t have a personal connection to Independence Day the way my American friends do. But my viewers in the United States make up the largest part of my community, and I’m endlessly grateful for that!

Especially now, as my first cookbook is about to be published in the US, even before it comes out in Japan!

Every year, I see beautiful 4th of July food online: barbecue, summer side dishes, colorful desserts, beautiful drinks, and happy tables filled with people!  

This year, I wanted to celebrate in my own way — from my kitchen in Nara. Not with traditional American barbecue, but with Japanese home cooking inspired by the red, white, and blue.

So I made two recipes: a juicy Teriyaki Chicken Burger and refreshing Blueberry Kanten Jelly Balls served with red shiso juice.

A little American, a little Japanese, and very much my kind of summer celebration.

A Japanese Take on a Summer Burger

Teriyaki burgers are very popular in Japan.

If you have visited Japan, you may have seen them at Japanese burger shops like MOS Burger. The idea may sound a little unusual at first: a soft burger bun, tender chicken, glossy sweet-savory teriyaki sauce, fresh lettuce, and mayonnaise.

But once you try it, you understand why it is so addictive.

For my version, I used boneless chicken thigh with the skin on. The skin adds more flavor and makes the chicken even more delicious when pan-fried. I cut the chicken to fit the buns, scored the surface, and poked the skin side with a fork so it would cook evenly and stay tender.

Then I dusted it lightly with potato starch and cooked it skin-side down until the surface became golden.

The sauce is my favorite easy teriyaki ratio:

Soy sauce : mirin : sake = 1 : 1 : 1

If you like a sweeter flavor, you can add a little sugar.

Once the chicken is cooked, add the sauce to the pan and let it reduce until it becomes glossy and coats the chicken beautifully. That shine is the moment when the chicken becomes unmistakably teriyaki.

Then all you need is a bun, plenty of fresh lettuce, and mayonnaise.

Simple, satisfying, and perfect for a summer gathering.

(Full recipe in the PDF below.)

Blueberry Kanten Jelly Balls

For dessert, I wanted something light, cool, and playful.

I wanted to create a red, white, and blue feeling using Japanese ingredients. The blue came from blueberries. The white came from the clear, jewel-like kanten jelly. And the red came from shiso juice, made from red shiso leaves.

Kanten, also known as agar-agar, is a traditional Japanese setting ingredient made from seaweed. It is often used in wagashi and summer desserts. Unlike gelatin, kanten is plant-based and sets more firmly, even at room temperature.

To make the jelly balls, I dissolved kanten powder in water and brought the mixture to a rolling boil. This step is important because kanten does not dissolve well with just a gentle simmer.

After boiling, I added a little sugar, cooled the liquid slightly, then poured it into round molds with blueberries.

In Japan, these round molds are easy to find at 100-yen shops, but you can also use small bowls, cups, or any small mold you have.

Here is the mold I used.

Once chilled, the jelly becomes clear and refreshing, with blueberries suspended inside like little summer jewels.

But you can always use small cups on hand!

Served with red shiso juice, it becomes a simple Japanese-style red, white, and blue dessert.

Celebrating in My Own Way

What I loved most about this livestream was not just the recipes.

It was the feeling of connection.

I was in my kitchen in Nara, celebrating a holiday from another country with people watching from across the world.

Food can do that. It can cross borders quietly. It can make a distant holiday feel close. It can turn someone else’s tradition into a moment of friendship.

I may not celebrate the 4th of July in the traditional American way, but I was happy to celebrate it through Japanese home cooking.

A teriyaki chicken burger. Blueberry kanten jelly balls. A glass of red shiso juice. And a kitchen full of summer color.

Happy 4th of July from Japan!