You’re going to love this 20-minute Teriyaki Chicken recipe! Seared chicken bites are drenched in teriyaki sauce and served with rice and vegetables for a satisfying and easy dinner to enjoy after a long day.
Why you’ll love this recipe!
Quick & easy – Say hello to a takeout-style meal in just 20 minutes! Just like my chicken lo mein, this is one of those quick dinners that’s perfect for busy or tired evenings.
Flavor-packed – Seared chicken + homemade teriyaki sauce give you restaurant-quality flavors in each bite.
Customizable – Serve the sauce-covered chicken with rice, noodles, or the veggies of your choice. It’s so easy to make this one your own!
The last thing I feel like doing after a long day of recipe testing and running around with my daughter is cooking dinner. I’m always way too tired. That’s when my tried and true easy dinner blueprint—cooked protein covered in a delicious homemade sauce—always comes in handy.
This Teriyaki Chicken recipe is one of my new favorite quick and easy dinners. Just like my teriyaki tofu stir fry and teriyaki salmon bowls, it coats seared chicken in a simple homemade teriyaki sauce. Served over rice and veggies, I’m left with something filling and flavorful after only 20 minutes!
Ingredients
Chicken – I used boneless and skinless chicken breasts (diced into bite-sized pieces). You can also use boneless, skinless chicken thighs.
Soy sauce – It’s the base of the homemade teriyaki sauce. I usually go for low-sodium soy sauce, but regular soy sauce works, too.
Garlic – I sautéed minced garlic cloves in the pan before combining them with the teriyaki sauce. This really adds a nice savory flavor.
Ginger – Try to use fresh ginger if you can. It’ll add a punchier flavor that really wakes up the sauce. If you only have ground ginger, use 1/4 teaspoon instead.
Cornstarch – This thickening agent makes the sauce thick and glossy. Feel free to use arrowroot powder as a 1:1 substitute.
This list is to provide further clarification on a few of the ingredients. See recipe card below for the full ingredient list.
Variations
- Instead of chicken – Teriyaki sauce also tastes great with shrimp, salmon, and pork!
- Vegetarian option – Feel free to swap the chicken for baked tofu or grilled tempeh.
- Gluten-free option – This recipe can easily be made gluten-free by making the sauce with tamari or coconut aminos instead of soy sauce.
- Add veggies – Quick-cooking vegetables would be great here, like broccoli, snap peas, bell peppers, or baby corn. Add them to the skillet during the last few minutes of cooking.
- Turn up the heat – For spicy teriyaki chicken, whisk a pinch of red pepper flakes, a drizzle of sriracha, or a spoonful of chili crisp into the teriyaki sauce.
How to Make Teriyaki Chicken
Step 1: Cook the chicken. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, then add it to a hot skillet. Sauté until the pieces are cooked through.
Step 2: Make the sauce. Whisk the soy sauce, maple syrup, vinegar, ginger, and cornstarch together in a small bowl. Set aside.
Step 3: Add the garlic. Sauté the garlic in the skillet until fragrant.
Step 4: Finish. Reduce the heat and pour the sauce over the chicken and garlic. Once the sauce is glossy and clinging to the chicken, serve your teriyaki chicken over rice with veggies on the side. Enjoy!
Erin’s Tips and Tricks
- Leave room in between each chicken piece in the skillet to help them sear and cook evenly.
- Make sure the cornstarch is fully dissolved in the sauce before pouring it into the pan. It might leave lumps behind if you skip this part.
- Keep stirring, stirring, stirring… The sauce thickens quickly when it hits the hot pan, and continuously whisking will keep it smooth and glossy.
My Pro Tip
Recipe Tip
Taste and adjust the teriyaki sauce as you go. If you want it a little sweeter, add more maple syrup. For extra tang, pour in a little more rice vinegar. This sauce is super forgiving, so keep tasting and playing with it to make it yours.
Teriyaki Chicken FAQs
It’s best to toss the chicken in the teriyaki sauce after the pieces are cooked.
Marinating isn’t a requirement for this recipe; however, if you’re looking for more flavor, you can soak the chicken breasts in half of the whisked teriyaki sauce 4 hours ahead of cooking. Afterward, sear the marinated chicken and toss it with the reserved sauce as normal.
Absolutely. All you need to do is double the ingredients and store the extra sauce in a sealed container in the fridge. It always comes in handy when you’re craving teriyaki chicken, noodles, shrimp, salmon, tofu, etc., in a hurry.
Serving Suggestions
The best and easiest way to serve teriyaki chicken is over rice with a few veggies on the side. This always leaves me with a satisfying and delicious dinner for those nights when I’m too tired to cook something more elaborate. Luckily, the chicken and teriyaki sauce go well with all kinds of vegetables, like shredded carrots, bell peppers, snap peas, edamame, and steamed broccoli.
You could serve teriyaki chicken with an Asian chopped salad or a spicy cucumber salad on the side if you’re up for it, but I like it as-is.
Storage
Refrigerator: Teriyaki chicken is at its sauciest right after cooking. If you end up with leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
Freezer: You can also freeze teriyaki chicken for up to 3 months. Thaw it overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Reheating: Leftovers can be reheated in a pan over low heat with a splash of water to bring the sauce back to life without drying out the chicken.
More takeout-style chicken recipes
If you made this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and star rating below. Thanks!
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Spray a large skillet with nonstick spray and heat over medium heat.
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Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Once the skillet is hot, add the chicken and sauté until cooked through.
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While the chicken is cooking, make the sauce: whisk soy sauce, maple syrup, vinegar, ginger, and cornstarch together in a bowl and set aside.
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Next, add the garlic to the skillet and sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant.
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Reduce the heat to medium-low, then pour the sauce in and stir until the sauce thickens and the chicken is coated.
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Serve chicken over rice with a side of veggies, top with green onion and enjoy!
*Calories are per serving and are an estimation
Calories: 250kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 109mg | Sodium: 1009mg | Potassium: 704mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 51IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 32mg | Iron: 1mg
