If you want to enjoy a delicious chicken stir fry but only have 30 minutes to spare, then this is a wonderful coincidence.
These teriyaki chicken bowls are packed with a ton of flavor, and they are incredibly easy to throw together.
From start to finish, this easy teriyaki chicken will take you only 30 minutes, and it is perfect for a delicious meal prep option.
Each bowl (rice included) contains 400 calories with 26 grams of protein, but you can easily customize this recipe to bring the calories down and bump the protein up, too.
Level up your meal prep or your exhausted, busy weeknights with this super simple recipe.
Ingredients Needed for Healthy Teriyaki Chicken Bowls
This recipe contains 4 components: chicken, broccoli, healthy teriyaki sauce, and rice.
As far as rice is concerned, I like to stick with jasmine rice for my bowls, but you can use any rice you prefer. Brown rice will offer some additional nutrients, and opting for cauliflower rice will make for very low-calorie rice bowls.
When it comes to chicken, you typically choose between two options: boneless skinless chicken breasts, or juicy chicken thighs. There’s a time and a place for chicken breast, and I use it in lots of my recipes, but chicken thighs are perfect for this teriyaki chicken recipe.
Don’t get me wrong, chicken breast will work great here, especially if you want to bring the calories down a bit, but the dark meat in chicken thighs makes this truly taste like your favorite takeout.
Last, but certainly not least, we have the easy homemade teriyaki sauce. I opted for a thin sauce that can be poured over the top of these bowls, but if you prefer a sticky teriyaki sauce, this recipe can be very easily adapted.
The base of this teriyaki is low sodium soy sauce (I prefer this to regular soy sauce, or coconut aminos will also work), then we combine that with lemon juice, honey (or maple syrup), brown sugar, garlic, and ginger. Simple, right?
Of course, you could simply use store-bought teriyaki sauce if you prefer, but this homemade sauce is so easy and delicious that you won’t have to.
To transform this sauce into a thick glaze rather than a thin sauce, all you’d have to do is combine a little bit of cornstarch with water and mix that into your sauce during the cooking process. This is called a “roux,” and it’s how thick cream sauces and gravy get their consistencies.
How To Make Chicken Teriyaki Bowls
The best part of a recipe like this is that you can simultaneously prep the two main parts of the dish to speed up the process.
Bring water to a boil and prep your rice based on the package instructions, and then continue with the rest of the prep to make the most of your time!
First up, mix all the ingredients together for the soy sauce, and then set that aside.
Next, take your chicken thighs (or chicken breast) and cube or dice them up. Cutting up the chicken before cooking will speed up the process and cook much quicker than if you kept the chicken thighs whole.
Heat up a large skillet over medium heat, add one tablespoon of sesame oil, then add your chicken pieces.
Cook the chicken for about 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until mostly white with a little bit of pink remaining.
Add your broccoli (and/or any other fresh vegetables you’d like) along with your sauce, then stir everything together.
Cover the pan and allow everything to cook for about 5 minutes. This time will cook the chicken through and allow the broccoli to absorb that delicious sauce.
After 5 minutes, uncover the pan and cook for an additional 5 minutes to let the sauce thicken up a bit. The teriyaki sauce will still be thin, but some of the liquid will evaporate during this process. If you want to make a sticky sauce, this is when you’d want to stir in that cornstarch slurry (or roux) to thicken everything up.
Scoop your rice out into a bowl, top with your chicken and broccoli (and some additional sauce), and dig in!
I like to top my stir fry with sesame seeds, but some chopped green onions on top will also bring out a ton of amazing flavor.
If you’re planning on making this recipe for meal prep, it stores great in an airtight container in the fridge. Simply divide the recipe up into as many portions as you’d like, then microwave for a quick meal when needed.
More Healthy Chicken Recipes For You
This chicken teriyaki recipe is just one of many chicken-focused recipes I have here for you to enjoy. if you need some more delicious recipes to add to your rotation, here are great ones for you to explore:
Ingredients
- 1lb Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs (can use chicken breast)
- 4-5 Cups Fresh or Frozen Broccoli
- 1 Tbsp Sesame Oil (optional)
- 1 Cup Jasmine or White Rice (will make about 4 cups cooked)
Healthy Teriyaki Sauce
- 1/2 Cup Low-Sodium Soy Sauce
- 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1/2 tsp Ground Ginger
- 2 Tbsp Lemon Juice (to help cut the sodium)
- 2 Tbsp Honey
- 40g (about 1/4 Cup) Brown Sugar Substitute (or regular brown sugar)
Instructions
- In a pot, bring water to a boil and cook your rice according to the package instructions. Once done, set aside.
- While the rice cooks, we’ll prep the chicken teriyaki to maximize our time.
- Make your healthy teriyaki sauce by combining all of the sauce ingredients to a bowl and whisking together.
- Trim and dice your chicken thighs as small as you’d like your chicken to be. I prefer to dice the chicken for a quick cook, but you can also cut them into strips, or cook them whole and then slice them after cooking if you prefer that method.
- Heat a large pan or skillet over medium heat, then add one tablespoon of sesame oil. The oil can be skipped if you need to save calories, but sesame oil adds amazing flavor to any Asian-inspired dish.
- Add your diced chicken to the pan and cook for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally until the chicken is mostly white with only a little pink remaining.
- Add the broccoli and sauce to the pan with the chicken, then give everything a stir.
- Cover and cook for 5 minutes to allow the chicken to cook through and the broccoli to absorb the sauce.
- Uncover the pan and cook for an additional 5 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken up a little bit.
- Add one cup of rice to a bowl, top with your chicken and broccoli (and pour some extra sauce right over the top) and enjoy!
Notes
- This recipe will make more sauce than you likely need, but I love pouring extra sauce over the top.
- if you prefer a teriyaki glaze instead of a sauce, you can thicken the sauce by adding a little bit of cornstarch mixed with water to your pan.
- This recipe works great for meal prep, and leftovers can be stored in the fridge and reheated in the microwave throughout the week.
- Chicken breast will save calories, but using chicken thighs gives this dish the classic “chicken & broccoli” takeout flavor.
Nutrition Information
Yield 4
Serving Size 1 Bowl With Rice
Amount Per Serving
Calories 405Total Fat 11gCarbohydrates 54gProtein 26g
