Easy Chicken Teriyaki Recipe
This easy Chicken Teriyaki recipe is the perfect way to get your Asian takeaway fix! It’s juicy chicken cooked with the perfect homemade teriyaki sauce. By following this recipe, you’ll get authentic flavors without hassle.
This quick recipe is going to win everyone’s heart in your family. And the sticky, perfectly glossy sauce is the best you’d ever have! It’s going to become your next favorite stir-fry!
Read along to find out how to make this delicious recipe at home with step-by-step instructions! If you like Asian takeaway dishes, you must try my Honey Garlic Chicken Recipe; follow it with my Easy Chicken Lo Mein, and I’m sure Orange Chicken will be the perfect dinner.
❤️ WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE
- Easy to make: This Chicken Teriyaki recipe is perfect for beginner cooks as it is simple and quick to make. With only a few ingredients required, you can have a tasty meal ready quickly.
- Versatile: This recipe is versatile as it can be served with various sides such, as rice, vegetables, or salad.
- Delicious: The combination of salty and sweet flavors in the homemade teriyaki sauce makes this dish incredibly flavorful. The chicken stays juicy and tender while absorbing all the delicious flavors.
- Crowd-pleaser: Whether you’re cooking for family, friends, or hosting a party, this recipe is sure to be a hit. Everyone loves chicken, and the flavorful teriyaki sauce will leave them wanting more.
🥡 INGREDIENTS
You also need the simplest ingredients to make this Easy Teriyaki Chicken recipe at home. Here’s what you’ll need:
Chicken: I’ve used chicken breasts for this recipe, but you can also use boneless skinless chicken thighs. I wanted to use chicken breasts so you could learn how to achieve the juicy flavor even if you use such a lean cut of chicken.
Brown sugar: This balances out the flavors of the soy sauce and brings out the perfect level of sweetness.
Ginger: This is going to add that extra special element to your dish.
Soy sauce: This is the base for your homemade teriyaki sauce. I’ve used low-sodium soy sauce in this recipe.
Oyster sauce: You’re going to get the perfect savory, tangy flavor by using oyster sauce since it also boasts umami. It perfectly helps match the sake and mirin flavor as the perfect substitute. This is truly my little secret, and no one can tell I skipped on the sake or mirin while making it!
Cornstarch: This is to make a quick cornstarch slurry to thicken the sauce to the perfect consistency so that it coats the cooked chicken.
🔪INSTRUCTIONS
Making Chicken Teriyaki is so simple; I’m sure you’ll skip ordering out if you try making this even once! It’s easy, delicious, and everything you’d want from an Asian takeout.
Here’s how to make it step by step:
Step 1
Take a bowl and add water, soy sauce, sugar, oyster sauce, and ginger in it. Mix all the ingredients well.
Step 2
Heat a pan on medium heat and add some oil to it. When it’s hot, add the chicken breasts to the pan and cook for 2 minutes on each side on high heat.
Step 3
Use a kitchen towel to remove excess oil from the pan.
Step 4
Pour the sauce mixture into the chicken in the pan and bring it to a boil, then let it simmer for 1 minute.
Step 5
Add the cornstarch slurry and stir it quickly. Switch off the heat when the sauce reaches the right, thick consistency.
Step 6
Slice the chicken into pieces, place it over some rice, and garnish it with sesame seeds.
👩🏽🍳PRO TIPS
Using Low-Sodium Soy Sauce: Use low-sodium soy sauce to prevent the dish from becoming too salty.
Cooking the Chicken: Pat the chicken dry before cooking it to ensure it browns properly. Cook the chicken on high heat to sear it, lock in the juices, and give it a golden color, then reduce the heat and cook it thoroughly.
Adding Vegetables: Add vegetables such as broccoli, carrots, and bell peppers to make the dish more colorful.
Garnishing the Dish: Add sliced green onions and sesame seeds as a garnish for added flavor and presentation.
🍽️HOW TO SERVE
- Serve the chicken teriyaki on a bed of sticky rice and garnish with sliced scallions and toasted sesame seeds for an authentic Japanese-style meal.
- Cut the chicken teriyaki into slices and use it to top off a crispy Asian salad with fresh greens, shredded carrots, and a tangy soy-ginger dressing.
- Serve the chicken teriyaki alongside a stir-fry of your favorite sautéed vegetables for a flavorful meal.
- Top warm buns with the chicken teriyaki and a slaw of crunchy cabbage and carrots for a delicious twist on classic pulled pork.
- Add the chicken teriyaki to a bento box with steamed vegetables, pickled ginger, and a handful of edamame for a quick and easy lunch or dinner on the go.
📋 VARIATIONS
This chicken teriyaki recipe is delicious, but if you’re looking to customize it, here are some ideas you can try:
- Pineapple: Add chunks of pineapple to the recipe to add a sweet and tangy flavor to the dish. You can also use pineapple juice instead of sugar as an alternative.
- Spicy: Add chili flakes or Sriracha sauce to the recipe to give it a spicy kick.
- Honey mustard: Add honey and mustard to the recipe to give it a sweet and tangy flavor.
- Garlic: Add garlic to the recipe to give it an extra burst of flavor.
💬 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Yes, you can freeze chicken teriyaki for up to three months. Let it cool completely before transferring it to a freezer-safe container or bag. When you’re ready to eat it, thaw it in the refrigerator and reheat it gently in the microwave or stovetop.
Yes, you can use bone-in chicken instead of boneless. Just be aware that bone-in chicken will take longer to cook than boneless, so adjust your cooking time accordingly.
Teriyaki sauce has a sweet and tangy flavor and is supposed to be sticky. It perfectly coats the chicken and has a beautiful sheen to it.
Due to the simple soy sauce base, you’ll also notice an incredible umami flavor to authentic Chicken Teriyaki.
🌡️STORING
To store leftovers of this Chicken Teriyaki recipe, first let it cool down to room temperature. Then, transfer the leftovers to an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
To reheat, place the chicken and sauce in a microwave-safe dish and heat for 1-2 minutes or until heated through. Alternatively, you can reheat it in a pan on the stove over medium-low heat.
As for freezing, this recipe should be fine to freeze. Allow the chicken and sauce to cool completely before transferring to a freezer-safe container. It can be stored in the freezer for up to 2-3 months.
To thaw, take the container out of the freezer and place it in the fridge overnight. Reheat it using the instructions above.
📣MORE ASIAN RECIPES YOU’LL LIKE
Related Recipes
- General TSO’s Chicken.
- Easy chicken adobo recipe.
- Hawaiian chicken recipe.
- Honey garlic chicken.
- Teriyaki chicken skewers.
- Spicy chicken wings recipe.
- Easy cashew chicken.
⭐PLEASE RATE AND REVIEW
If you have tried this Chicken Teriyaki recipe and liked it, please give it a 5-star rating and leave a comment below with your experience!
Easy Chicken Teriyaki Recipe (With the Simplest Ingredients)
Ingredients
- 160 grams skinless chicken breasts
- 3 teaspoon brown sugar
- 2 teaspoon oil
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger
- 3 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon oyster sauce
- ½ cup hot water
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoon water
- Sesame seeds for garnish
Instructions
- In a bowl, add water, soy sauce, sugar, oyster sauce, and ginger. Mix well.
- To a hot pan, add oil, when hot add the chicken breasts and cook for 2 minutes on each side on high heat. Or cook longer if the chicken breast is thicker.
- Use a kitchen paper/towel to remove excess oil from the pan.
- Add the sauce to the chicken and let it simmer for 1 minute. Add the cornstarch mixture and stir quickly, when thick turn off the heat.
- Cut the chicken breast into slices and serve over rice, sprinkle sesame seeds on top.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- You can go for chicken thighs.
- Instead of water, add chicken stock and ensure it’s low in sodium.
- This dish is best when served immediately. The leftovers will not taste as good.
- The post was originally published in 2014 and is updated with more information.
- Serving does not include the rice.
There are some similarities between Chinese and Japanese as Japanese food is influenced by Chinese food (such as ramen) but seasoning used for food is quite different between two cuisines. I love your chicken teriyaki bowl, Muna! Looks so delicious!!!
Hi Nami, it is so good to hear from you 🙂 … Yes there are some similarities but Japanese food are simpler yet have great flavor! There are vegetables and other seasonings which I knew about only after I’ve started cooking Japanese food.
Look at that glaze! That’s some pretty good looking teriyaki chicken! Loved watching the video too 🙂
Thank you Farah, teriyaki is easy and yummy, I love to have it with fried rice at times I have it as a sandwich too 😉
I love good Teriyaki chicken. Thanks for sharing your wonderful recipe!
You’re most welcome 🙂
80g chicken breast is very small
Hi Sue, it is low in calories but if you wish you can use a bigger size chicken breast 😊
Tasty! A wonderful dish.
Cheers,
Rosa
I do love Japanese food – this looks so beautiful. I find Japanese food more aesthetically pleasing many times, perhaps due to the care taken in its presentation.
I agree! Whenever I see a picture of Japanese dish, it jut looks amazingly beautiful.
I too love teriyaki! This looks very delicious, Muna.
Thanks Angie 🙂
I never tried making teriyaki sauce myself, but it looks great. I am sure I must try it 🙂
I prefer the chicken breast so I’m glad you shared this. I never tire of good Asian food, this looks REALLY good!
I just made this dish tonight and it came out just wonderfully! I doubled the recipe and I have to say I should have tripled it! But I have to say the sauce didn’t come out as thick as I wanted it to be but it still tasted amazing. Oh I did add a clove of garlic to the sauce too. We love garlic! Next time I think I will try using chicken thighs. I thought the chicken breast came out a bit on the dry side. Thank you so much for this recipe. Can’t wait to try it out again!
Glad you liked it Angela 🙂 … I agree that cooking chicken breast can be tricky at times, chicken thigh is actually what is originally used in this recipe, and I’m sure you’ll love the taste more when using the thighs! 🙂
Howmany calories are in a serving? I’m thinking of making this tonight but I’m I a calorie counting diet, new to it I must say .
Hi Brianna, 205 calories per serving (didn’t count the rice).
How did you cook your chicken? I know 2 minutes will not cook chicken all the way through. If I missed that in the recipe I am sorry.
Hi Trisha,
If the chicken breast is medium size then 2 minutes on each side will be enough to cook it, you should use high heat.
Only Angela (last reviewer) and i seem to have actually tried this recipe and we both agree the sauce isn’t thick like in the photo and doesn’t come out like the photo at all! I should have prob tripled the recipe but I wonder if it’s better to just use bottled teriyaki sauce like soy sauce .. It tastes good and is guaranteed to come out thick. I wasn’t too impressed with how you skip from ‘add corn starch’ to ‘final product’ pic in the video either because it doesn’t show hos it pans out after you add the sauce.. Overall, still tasted alright, but you’d prob get more taste letting it marinade in the sauce overnight..
Hi Livia,
I can’t tell why your sauce didn’t come out right, since I’m not with you while cooking it, but from past experiences I have noticed that the brand of corn starch play a role in this. Some brands of corn starch don’t make the sauce as thick as in my pictures, so this can be one reason.
I’m sorry I can’t think of any other reason. Thank you for trying my recipe.
I substituted the cornstarch for gluten free all purpose flour. Amazing!!
Hi Diane, thanks a lot for the tip, my readers will benefit from it 🙂
I made this dish tonight. It is so delicious and love the low calories. Thank you so much!
You are most welcome 🙂
Is it 205 calories per serving, one chicken breast? Or is that including the rice too? How big are the chicken breasts?
The calories 205 is for the chicken serving without the rice. The chicken breast is around 130 grams.
Easy. Quick. Fabulous.
Hi, I’m highly allergic to shellfish and crustaceans. What is a substitute for oyster sauce? Thank you!
You can skip it and use more soy sauce, but in this case, try using low sodium soy sauce.
Absolutely loved this! Made it the otherday and it tasted phenomenal. Though I was wondering, can you substitute the ginger for garlic and maintain the same caloric value?
Hi Jenny, the calorie count will still be low, you can use garlic instead of ginger.
It’s says low in calorie but nothing I read says how many calories? Lol
The first image isn’t showing in your browser? It has the number of calories!
The average chicken breast weighs 5.5 oz, which is 155.9 grams. Did you cut yours in half or something? That’s an incredibly small portion size.
Hi Anon, I didn’t cut the chicken breast in half, in my country, you can get small chickens if you buy the home-fed ones, they are smaller in size but tastes amazing. You can use 160 grams of chicken breast for this recipe too and it will add around 130 calories preserving, so the total calorie per serving will be 335 calories. Hope this helped 😊
Umami flavour will come only by adding mirin saki rice wine vinegar i can gulp plenty of that but its too expensive to buy in india i can purchase a dozen chickens with that kind of money but i will give it a try