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Our easy teriyaki chicken whips up in minutes for the perfect take-out-inspired dinner any night of the week!
Easy + Delicious!
It’s no secret we LOVE Asian food! We especially love making take-out quality food right at home – like our kids’ favorite Teriyaki chicken!
The key ingredient for this recipe is our made from scratch Teriyaki sauce. We tested this recipe dozens of times and finally got it just right!! It’s perfectly balanced with soy sauce and ginger complementing the brown sugar and pineapple juice. Add that sauce to cubed chicken thighs, and you have a very tasty kid-approved dinner!
Plus, this easy teriyaki chicken recipe is simple to whip up, and tastes just as good as your favorite local spot… maybe even better! Serve it with some rice, Chow Mein or with our fried Egg Rolls for a delicious dinner everyone will enjoy.
WHY WE LOVE IT:
- Take-out made at home. Teriyaki chicken is better than takeout and a family favorite!
- The sauce! Our Teriyaki sauce is made from scratch with simple ingredients and a delicious balance of flavors – sweet and savory perfection.
- An easy weeknight dinner. This simple dish preps in minutes and is on the table in under an hour!
Ingredients
PREP TIME: 10 minutes COOK TIME: 15 minutes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil – or vegetable oil
- 4 –5 boneless skinless chicken thighs, cubed – or boneless skinless chicken breasts. Partially freeze the chicken, then cut it into even cubes.
Teriyaki Sauce
- 1 cup water
- ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce – or tamari sauce
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon pineapple juice optional
- ⅓ cup packed light brown sugar – or dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic – see How to Mince Garlic
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger – or about 1 teaspoon of fresh ginger
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- ⅓ cup cold water
- optional garnish – Garnish with sesame seeds or sliced green onions.
- add veggies – Add your favorite veggies to the mix along with the chicken in step 2. Broccoli florets, snap peas, bell peppers, and asparagus are all great additions that add flavor and nutrition.
How to Make Teriyaki Chicken
- PREP. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to a large skillet and heat on medium heat.
- CHICKEN. Add 4-5 cubed chicken thighs and cook until heated through, browned, and a little crisp.
- SAUCE. Make teriyaki sauce while the chicken is cooking. In a medium saucepan, combine 1 cup of water with ¼ cup soy sauce, 2 tablespoons honey, ⅓ cup brown sugar, ¼ teaspoon ginger, 1 teaspoon garlic, and 1 tablespoon of pineapple juice in a medium bowl and whisk until combined. Cook over medium heat.
- In a small bowl, add 2 tablespoons of cornstarch to ⅓ cup water and whisk until combined. Add the cornstarch mixture to the sauce. Heat the sauce until it thickens to your desired texture.
- COMBINE. Pour the sauce mixture into the skillet with the chicken and simmer until the sauce is thickened.
- SERVE. Serve this easy teriyaki chicken bowl with rice, noodles, and/or steamed vegetables.
Alternative Cooking Methods
Marinate chicken thighs in the teriyaki sauce and then grill, or make Crock Pot Teriyaki Chicken, or oven Baked Teriyaki Chicken.
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Teriyaki Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4-5 boneless skinless chicken thighs, cubed
Teriyaki Sauce
- 1 cup water
- ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce, or tamari sauce
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon pineapple juice, optional
- ⅓ cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- ⅓ cup cold water
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add cubed chicken and cook, stirring, for 7–8 minutes, until no longer pink, browned, and a little crisped.
- Meanwhile, make teriyaki sauce. Combine water, soy sauce, honey, pineapple juice, brown sugar, garlic, and ginger in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
- In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch and water. Whisk cornstarch slurry until dissolved and add to the sauce.
- Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, until sauce thickens. If the sauce becomes too thick, add more water to thin it out.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
Mix the main sauce ingredients (soy sauce, honey, brown sugar, rice vinegar, sesame oil, ginger, and garlic) and cube the chicken the day before. Keep them in separate containers in the fridge or freezer until you’re ready to make the meal. (Do not add the cornstarch & water until cooking)
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days or freeze in an airtight freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Reheat in the microwave or a skillet on the stove.
This is a big hit with my grandson’s. The younger a very picky eater, but he loved this chicken with steamed rice. I think the sesame seeds were what won him over. My next try with him is sweet and sour chicken, not sure about the pineapple though. Thank you for such wonderful recipes.
Served it with rice and broccoli just like you pictured. It was a hit with the whole family, and so easy!
yes, yes yes! this chicken dish is everything I needed it to be and more, thank you so much for sharing this amazing recipe!
This has all my favorite flavors and was SOOOO easy to make! Thank you!!!
I love this recipe. I make it once a month and serve it with ice and then the extras go in the freezer to be used to make street tacos with other left over chicken.
My husband loves teriyaki chicken. Happy I found this recipe so I can make this at home. Chinese is a favorite in our home!
My husband could eat teriyaki chicken daily!! I hadn’t found a recipe that we both loved, until I came across this. Super yummy!