The BEST Teriyaki Chicken (Easy 15-Minute Recipe!)

This Teriyaki Chicken recipe is super easy to make and tastes even better than takeout! Not only that, it is ready to eat in just 15 minutes. Learn how to make the best homemade teriyaki chicken with this fast and simple recipe the whole family will love.

Why You’ll Love This Teriyaki Chicken Recipe

You will love this easy Teriyaki Chicken recipe, because it makes a fabulous weeknight dinner. It is high in protein, super tasty, and takes mere minutes to prepare. This recipe is one you will want to add to your regular dinner rotation, because it delivers maximum flavor with minimum work.

This Japanese-inspired recipe features tender chicken tossed in the best homemade teriyaki sauce. It is a dish that is not only easy to make, but tastes like your favorite takeout restaurant. I always serve it over rice, but you could also pair it with quinoa or noodles alongside some steamed vegetables for a complete and satisfying meal.

Teriyaki Chicken Ingredients

To make this easy teriyaki chicken recipe, you will need:

• Chicken breasts: Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are ideal for this recipe. But you can use boneless, skinless chicken thighs, if that’s what you have on hand.
• Soy sauce: This adds that signature umami flavor to the teriyaki sauce. I always use traditional soy sauce, but you could use tamari to make the recipe gluten-free or coconut aminos to make it soy-free.
• Sugar: This adds a touch of sweetness to balance the savory flavors in the sauce, while making it thick and sticky. I always use brown sugar, but you could use granulated or coconut sugar instead.
• Chicken broth: This is the liquid base for the teriyaki sauce. It adds depth to the sauce and balances out the sweetness. If you don’t have any broth on hand, you could use water instead, but the sauce will be more flavorful if you use broth.
• Garlic and ginger: These two aromatics enhance the flavor of the dish. Freshly minced garlic and ginger is best. However, if you don’t want to bother peeling and grating, many grocery stores sell pre-made garlic and ginger paste, which will work in this recipe.
• Rice vinegar: This adds some much-needed acidity to the sauce and rounds out the flavors beautifully. You could substitute it with red wine vinegar as well.
• Cornstarch: This helps thicken the sauce to that glossy and syrupy consistency, so that it sticks to the chicken pieces.
• Salt and pepper: These two seasonings are used to flavor the chicken when stir frying. You can use as much as you would like.
• Vegetable oil: This is the neutral-flavored oil I like to use to stir fry the chicken. You could substitute it with safflower, canola, or avocado oil as well.
• Optional toppings: I like to garnish teriyaki chicken with both green onions and sesame seeds, because they add extra flavor, color, and crunch to the dish. You can also lightly toast the sesame seeds to bring out their flavor even more.

Detailed ingredient information and amounts are included in the recipe card below.

How to Make Teriyaki Chicken

Detailed ingredient information and instructions are in the recipe card below. But, as a brief overview, here is how to make this easy teriyaki chicken recipe:

1. Make the teriyaki sauce: First, whisk together a simple homemade teriyaki sauce, made from chicken broth, soy sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, garlic, ginger, and cornstarch.
2. Stir fry your chicken: Next, stir fry your diced boneless skinless chicken breasts with a bit of salt and pepper in a wok or frying pan.
3. Coat the chicken with sauce: Once the chicken is cooked, pour in the teriyaki sauce. Continue cooking until the sauce has reached a boil and has thickened to a consistency of a syrup.
4. Garnish and serve: Top with green onions and sesame seeds (if desired) and serve with steamed rice and/or veggies.

How simple is that?! I bet you could whip up this dish in less time than it takes to get takeout.

Tips for Making the Best Chicken Teriyaki

For best results, here are a few pointers to keep in mind when cooking up this dish:

1. Prep properly before: The key to a successful stir fried chicken teriyaki is to have everything prepped before you start cooking. Stir fry recipes cook very quickly, so there’s no time to prep ingredients as you go along. Having everything ready before you put anything in the pan will also help to ensure that nothing overcooks, because you want the chicken to be tender and juicy.
2. Get your rice going: Before you even begin making your chicken teriyaki, get your rice started in a separate saucepan. That way, the rice and chicken will finish cooking at the same time.
3. Test the oil: Make sure the oil is hot enough before the rest of your ingredients hit the pan. The oil should look shimmery and should flow easily when the pan is tilted. A quick readiness test is to add a drop of water to the oil. If it sizzles and evaporates on contact, you are ready to start stir frying.

Use my simple tips above to ensure that your homemade chicken teriyaki turns out perfect every time.

How to Store Homemade Teriyaki Chicken

Here are a couple of tips for storing teriyaki chicken in the fridge or freezer:

• Refrigerate: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days. To serve, simply reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave until warm.
• Freeze: Leftovers can also be frozen and stored in the freezer. Place the chicken and sauce in a freezer-safe bag or container, and freeze for up to three months. To serve, simply thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave until warm.

FYI: Anytime I make this recipe, it gets gobbled up fast. So, I usually don’t have to worry too much about storing leftovers. 😉

Where to Get the Best Organic Chicken Online

I highly recommend purchasing and consuming free-range, organic chicken if you can. This is due to the fact that organic and naturally-raised meat is way more healthy, humane and better-tasting than conventional meat. And for the highest-quality organic chicken and other meats, I highly recommend using Butcher Box.

If you would like to learn more about Butcher Box, I have written an in-depth Review of Butcher Box on the blog. However, if you would rather use another delivery service, check out this post: The Top Healthy and Organic Meat Delivery Companies. In that article, I discuss other sources for organic meat delivery online that might suit you better.

More Easy Takeout-Inspired Recipes

Craving more simple Asian-style recipes? Here are some of my favorite recipes:

• Easy Orange Chicken Stir Fry
• Thai Coconut Curry Soup
• Classic Teriyaki Chicken
• Chinese Sesame Noodles
• The Best Fried Rice Recipe

If you make this Teriyaki Chicken recipe, let me know! Leave a comment with a star rating ★ below, because I love hearing from you! ♡

The BEST Teriyaki Chicken (Easy 15-Minute Recipe!)

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This Teriyaki Chicken recipe is super easy to make. Best of all, it tastes even better than takeout and is ready to eat in just 15 minutes!

Alia Kay

4.88 from 8 votes

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 15 minutes mins

Course Main

Cuisine Japanese

Servings 4 servings

Calories 243 calories

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup chicken broth
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon grated ginger
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
• Salt and pepper
• Optional toppings: thinly sliced green onions and sesame seeds

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• In a small bowl, whisk together the broth, soy sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, garlic, ginger, and cornstarch. Set aside.
• In a large skillet or wok set over medium-high heat, heat the oil. When the oil is hot, add the chicken. Season the chicken liberally with salt and pepper.
• Cook the chicken for 3-5 minutes or until it is just cooked through. Add the teriyaki sauce to the pan and stir to combine until the chicken is evenly coated.
• Cook, while stirring, for about 3 minutes or until the sauce is bubbling and has thickened.
• Top with green onions and sesame seeds if using. Serve warm with cooked rice, quinoa, noodles, and/or steamed vegetables.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

The BEST Teriyaki Chicken (Easy 15-Minute Recipe!)

Amount per Serving

Calories

243

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

10

g

15

%

Saturated Fat

 

2

g

13

%

Trans Fat

 

0.1

g

Polyunsaturated Fat

 

4

g

Monounsaturated Fat

 

2

g

Cholesterol

 

73

mg

24

%

Sodium

 

961

mg

42

%

Potassium

 

470

mg

13

%

Carbohydrates

 

12

g

4

%

Fiber

 

0.2

g

1

%

Sugar

 

9

g

10

%

Protein

 

26

g

52

%

Vitamin A

 

34

IU

1

%

Vitamin C

 

2

mg

2

%

Calcium

 

20

mg

2

%

Iron

 

1

mg

6

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Notes

1. I recommend using organic chicken in this recipe, for maximum health benefits.
2. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to five days or in the freezer for up to three months.

Keyword Easy Teriyaki Chicken, Teriyaki Chicken Recipe

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This post was originally published on July 14, 2017. It has been updated to reflect new information and helpful content.

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