Easy Teriyaki Chicken Recipe (Better Than Takeout!)

This easy teriyaki chicken recipe is one of those recipes I keep in my back pocket for busy nights when I want something comforting but don’t want to think too hard about dinner. It’s sweet, savory, glossy, and comes together quickly with simple pantry ingredients. No store-bought sauce here!

If takeout teriyaki is your usual go-to, this homemade version is going to surprise you. It’s faster than delivery, easy to customize, and one of those meals everyone at the table is happy to see.

The Best Teriyaki Chicken Recipe

Cade loves sushi. Like, loves it. I think it is horrid. Wait, I know, you all love it too, but I just can’t jump on that bandwagon. I kind of want to, but at this point I’m just trying to find ways to survive. For example, I adore Cade and because he loves sushi I love going out with him for it.

The only stinky part is that then I sit there with nothing to eat, so I generally try to get a teriyaki chicken bowl or something similar. I loved an easy teriyaki chicken bowl growing up and remember how I told you about our teriyaki chicken quesadillas? Yeah, pretty much delicious. So why have I never posted such an easy and delicious recipe?!

I think the real secret to teriyaki chicken, other than a good sauce, is actually the meat you use. Everyone goes for breast meat, which is awesome and leaner, but it’s all about them thighs! Chicken thighs are more moist and work so well with the teriyaki sauce.

In fact, maybe I should ask if they could make a teriyaki chicken sushi roll!!! GENIUS! Oh, wait, except I don’t love the seaweed. Dagnabit! See! I’ve tried to like the stuff. Any recommendations on what kind I should try that would be better for me to ease into? And in the meantime, bust out our easy teriyaki chicken bowl for the fam!

Teriyaki Chicken Ingredients 

The best part of this teriyaki chicken recipe is, without a doubt, the homemade chicken teriyaki sauce. Here’s everything you’ll need:

• Water: Thins the sauce to the right consistency and helps balance the salty-sweet flavors so the teriyaki doesn’t become too intense.
• Soy Sauce: Provides the savory, salty backbone of the sauce and delivers classic umami flavor essential to teriyaki.
• Garlic: Adds aromatic depth and savory warmth, giving the sauce that rich, homemade flavor.
• Brown Sugar: Contributes sweetness while also helping the sauce caramelize slightly as it cooks, creating a glossy finish.
• Honey: Adds a smoother, more rounded sweetness and helps the sauce cling beautifully to the chicken.
• Ground Ginger: Brings gentle warmth and subtle spice that balances the sweetness and enhances the overall depth of flavor.
• Cornstarch: Thickens the sauce as it cooks, creating that signature glossy, restaurant-style teriyaki coating.
• Chicken Thighs: Stay tender and juicy during cooking and absorb the sauce well, making them ideal for a flavorful teriyaki dish.
• Salt and Pepper: Enhance and balance the overall flavor of the chicken without overpowering the sauce.
• Sesame Seeds and Green Onions: Add texture, freshness, and a finishing touch — the sesame seeds bring a light nutty crunch, while green onions add brightness and color.

How to Make Teriyaki Chicken

This truly is such a simple teriyaki chicken recipe. All you have to do is whisk together the chicken teriyaki sauce, grill the chicken, and serve! Here are the step-by-step instructions:

1. Make the Sauce: Add all the sauce ingredients to a saucepan and stir. Bring to a boil.
2. Thicken the Sauce: Whisk the water and cornstarch together then slowly whisk into the sauce cooking at a soft boil for 1-3 minutes or until thick. Set aside.
3. Grill the Chicken: Heat a grill or grill pan over medium-high heat. Season the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. Place on the grill and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side.
   • NOTE: The safe internal temperature for chicken thighs is 165°F. Use a meat thermometer to make sure it is done.
4. Rest: Remove the chicken from the grill and let it rest for 2 minutes then cut into slices.
5. Serve: Put the chicken on a bed of rice and serve over rice with the teriyaki sauce drizzled over the top. Garnish with sesame seeds and green onions.

FAQs

What to Serve with Teriyaki Chicken

Nine times out of ten, we serve teriyaki chicken with rice. It’s timeless, classic and so delicious! It also goes great with noodles or even just steamed veggies in a teriyaki chicken bowl with veggies.

Some other good ideas are sautéed garlic snap peas, roasted broccoli or Asian cucumber salad.

Tips for Making the Best Teriyaki Chicken

• If desired, you could use chicken breasts instead of chicken thighs. However, we prefer using chicken thighs in this teriyaki chicken recipe as they result in a richer, juicier dish.
• You can cook the chicken outdoors on a grill or indoors on a grill pan. And if you don’t have either, simply cook the chicken in an oiled skillet.
• We like to garnish this no fuss teriyaki chicken with sesame seeds and sliced green onions, but both are optional.
• For a fun twist, add some pineapple chunks to the teriyaki sauce. I love the texture and sweetness it adds!

Storing, Freezing and Reheating

Leftovers should be stored in the refrigerator and will keep for 4-5 days. I prefer to store the chicken with the sauce but you can store them separately if you want.

This also freezes extremely well. I like to use our food saver to freeze the chicken and teriyaki sauce together. They will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.

To reheat, let the frozen chicken thaw completely and then reheat it on the stovetop in a skillet.

Stop buying your teriyaki sauce at the grocery store! It is so simple to make at home with this teriyaki chicken recipe. It is the best of the best!

This easy teriyaki chicken is proof that weeknight dinners don’t have to be complicated to be delicious. With tender chicken, a simple homemade sauce, and endless ways to serve it, this is a recipe you’ll make again and again.

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