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Easy Teriyaki Chicken

This stovetop teriyaki chicken recipe is tender, out-of-this-world delicious, and so easy to make. Serve it alongside rice and veggies for a filling meal that’s even tastier and healthier than takeout. 

close up image of a white bowl full of teriyaki chicken on top of white rice topped with scallions and sesame seeds
Stovetop teriyaki chicken makes for an easy meal prep recipe.

What Is Teriyaki Chicken? 

There are few flavors we love more than teriyaki. Whether it’s grilled teriyaki salmon, tender teriyaki steak, or juicy teriyaki meatloaf, we’re always fans. When it comes to quick dinners, this easy teriyaki chicken just can’t be beat! If you’re unfamiliar, teriyaki is a type of Japanese cooking technique in which foods are broiled, grilled, or baked with a glaze made up of a combination of simple pantry ingredients like teriyaki sauce and sugar. It is easily recognized by its sweet and savory profile which is marked with a hint of garlic or ginger for just a little tang. 

Key Ingredients

There are many variations of teriyaki, but for this recipe we kept the ingredient list short and sweet. Here’s what you’ll need: 

  • To make the sauce, we start with a store-bought Teriyaki Sauce that pairs incredibly well with literally everything. 
  • Cornstarch is dissolved with water to create the ultimate sticky glaze.
  • White sugar and ginger powder help make everything nice especially when mixed with freshly squeezed orange juice
  • High-quality boneless skinless chicken thighs make for the most tender, flavorful chicken teriyaki you’ll ever taste. 
  • A dash of olive oil helps fry up your chicken for a perfectly juicy center and an irresistible crispy exterior. 

Step-By-Step Instructions

  1. Make the Sauce: In a saucepan, combine all sauce ingredients. Use a hand whisk to stir thoroughly, ensuring there is no trace of undissolved cornstarch left. Turn heat to medium and cook, stirring, until sauce bubbles and thickens. Taste and add more sugar, if desired. Sauce will continue to thicken as it sits. Set aside.
  2. Dry the Chicken: Remove excess moisture from the chicken will help it sear in the pan. Take your time to pat dry the chicken well.
  3. Cut and Cook: Slice your chicken into small pieces for even cooking. Cook chicken just until no longer pink in center – do not overcook.
  4. Sauce it Up: Always serve with extra teriyaki sauce to your chicken for an out-of-this-world taste!

Bonus Pro Tips

It might look fancy, but this chicken is super easy to make, especially when you follow our tips below:

  1. Slice the Chicken into Even Pieces. This allows for quick, even cooking. 
  2. Pat the It Dry. Be sure to thoroughly pat the chicken pieces with a paper towel to remove any excess moisture and ensure that the chicken browns in the pan. 
  3. Don’t Overcook. Teriyaki is super quick to make! Be sure to keep a close eye on the pan, and remove the chicken as soon as it is no longer pink. Then, use a meat thermometer to check that it has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. 
  4. Use Fresh Orange Juice. The pre-made stuff from the store has too much sugar and preservatives to create the fresh orange taste we want to achieve.
  5. Garnish. Add a boost of texture, and finish your dish with a sprinkle of scallions and sesame seeds for a beautiful presentation. 
two bowls of rice topped with teriyaki chicken
Serve your teriyaki chicken on top of rice for a filling dinner.

What to Serve With Teriyaki Chicken

Rice

Our favorite way to serve up saucy teriyaki chicken is with rice, of course. Here are our top choices for rice side dishes.

Vegetables

From stir fry veggies to crispy salads, a healthy dose of vegetables on the side will round out your healthy teriyaki chicken dinner.

Other Proteins

We absolutely love having “teriyaki night” when we serve our friends and family their choice of favorite teriyaki dishes.

Common Questions 

Do I have to use chicken thighs?

We highly recommend using thigh meat as it tends to remain tender even if slightly overcooked. However, if preferred, you can use boneless, skinless chicken breasts instead. Just be careful not to overcook! 

How long should I marinate my chicken? 

For this stovetop teriyaki chicken recipe, you don’t have to marinate the chicken at all, making it super quick to whip up. 

Can I make this recipe ahead of time? 

Yes, great for meal prep, leftovers can be kept in an airtight container for up to a week in the fridge. 

Does chicken teriyaki freeze well? 

Homemade teriyaki chicken is great to whip up in big batches and keep on hand for freezer-friendly meals that can be made in a pinch. Store it in the freezer for up to three months. 

What should I serve with homemade teriyaki chicken? 

For a complete meal, serve your teriyaki over a bed of sticky rice or lo mein noodles. Then, add a side of air fryer broccoli or sauteéd cabbage for a nutritious dinner.   

Also Try Thai Basil Chicken with Peppers

Thai Basil Chicken with Peppers

Did you make this?

Please give us a rating and comment below. We love hearing from you!

close up image of a white bowl full of teriyaki chicken on top of white rice topped with scallions and sesame seeds

Easy Teriyaki Chicken

4.96 from 50 ratings
Stovetop teriyaki chicken is tender, out-of-this-world delicious, and so easy to make. Serve it alongside rice and veggies for a filling meal that’s even tastier than takeout.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 6
Author: Amy Dong

Ingredients  

For the Sauce:

  • 2 TB cornstarch, stirred/fully dissolved in 2 TB water
  • 1 cup teriyaki sauce
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp ginger powder
  • Juice from 3 wedges of a fresh orange, do not use store-bought juice

For the Chicken:

  • 4 chicken thighs, skinless and boneless
  • 2-3 TB olive oil, or canola oil
  • Optional Garnish: thinly sliced scallions, toasted sesame seeds

Instructions

  • In a saucepan, combine all sauce ingredients. Use a hand whisk to stir thoroughly, ensuring there is no trace of undissolved cornstarch left. Turn heat to medium and cook, stirring, until sauce bubbles and thickens. Taste and add more sugar, if desired. Sauce will continue to thicken as it sits. Set aside.
  • Thoroughly dry each piece of chicken with paper towels (this step is important to ensure chicken browns in the pan, rather than steams.) Cut chicken into 1/2-inch pieces.
  • In a heavy large pan, heat oil on medium high until very hot. Add chicken and arrange in an even layer in pan. Let cook undisturbed for 2 minutes, or until bottom of chicken pieces are browned. Stir and cook just until chicken is no longer pink in center, about 2 more minutes. Remove from heat.
  • Spoon desired amount of sauce over chicken and stir to coat. Garnish with scallions and sesame seeds, if desired. Serve with remaining sauce.

Notes

  • We highly recommend using thigh meat, as it tends to remain tender even when accidentally overcooked. However, you may also use 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (take care not to overcook chicken breast meat.)
  • For even browning and heat distribution, we use a large All Clad. As it’s not non-stick, be sure to use enough oil.
  • To keep this dish gluten-free, be sure your teriyaki sauce is certified gluten-free. 
  • See original article for serving suggestions. 
If you enjoyed this recipe, please come back and give it a rating. We ❤️ hearing from you!
 
 

Nutrition (per serving)

Serving: 1g | Calories: 300kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 58mg | Sodium: 400mg | Potassium: 294mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 48g | Vitamin A: 108IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 29mg | Iron: 4mg
Course: Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine: Amerian, Japanese
Diet: Gluten Free, Low Lactose, Low Salt
Method: Stovetop

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Recipe Rating




27 comments

    • teachermrw
    • 5 stars

    This was delicious! My brother and I enjoyed this dish. And it was easy to prepare; the directions were very clear. Will be making it again. Thank you!

      • Amy Dong

      So happy you both loved it!

    • Lizann
    • 5 stars

    I love your site and am constantly telling folks, especially new cooks, to follow you. I am a seasoned cook, raised four boys, now grown, but still love to seek out the new, and revisions of the old. I am hiking in the UP at moment, and staying at a lovely home on Lake Superior and so was looking for something to make that did not require my typical refrigerator and pantry ingredients and happened upon this. I made several changes due to supplies and reduction of sugar. I used the Kikkoman sauce added juice from one clementine, fresh garlic and ginger, 1/4 cup water and the corn starch. I stir fried peppers onion and broccoli and chickens and voila a healthy dinner. I am not convinced we need all that sugar in our diets, as despite a healthy weight low BMI exercise yoga etc etc I have been told by my endocrinologist that I still need to watch my sugar. Just wanted your folks to know that the recipe turned out well despite adding no sugar.

      • Amy Dong

      Thank you so much, Lizann! 🙂

    • Ann
    • 5 stars

    We love teriyaki chicken! Everyone loves it at our house! Your recipe seems so quick to make, which is perfect for busy weekday nights.

    • Jean
    • 5 stars

    I love how easy this is made on the stovetop. It’s way too hot to turn on my oven so this was the perfect solution to an easy dinner.

      • Amy Dong

      Yay, thank you, Jean!

    • Ramona
    • 5 stars

    I have made this for dinner last night and my whole family absolutely loved it. The addition of orange juice it’s such a great idea which I’ve never done before but it works fabulous. I’ll make this recipe again, no doubt!

      • Amy Dong

      So happy they all loved this!

    • Tracy
    • 5 stars

    We love this! We’ve made it with thighs and breasts, and you’re right, the thighs are the best!

      • Amy Dong

      Super tender! 🙂

    • Rob
    • 5 stars

    Chicken teriyaki is one of my all time favorite dishes, and this recipe looks so simple and so delicious! Going to make it this weekend.

    • Emily
    • 5 stars

    Why have I never thought of adding orange to my teriyaki sauce before? This turned out delicious! Thanks for sharing

    • Sunrita
    • 5 stars

    I learned of adding a new ingredient to teriyaki sauce, orange juice sounds very interesting. Will surely be trying it.

    • Luke
    • 5 stars

    Who needs takeaway when you have this recipe, this Stovetop teriyaki chicken is the perfect midweek meal 🙂

    • Chef. Dubbles

    Found this on foodgawker today and just finished reducing the sauce…I am ready for dinner tomorrow already!

    • Angie@Angie’s Recipes

    Love teriyaki!! I have to make this SOON!

    • Julia | JuliasAlbum.com
    • 5 stars

    This chicken looks so delicious! It’s making me hungry!

    • bernadetteyoungquist

    I have never quite nailed down the perfect teriyaki, I can’t wait to try this!

    • Val in MN

    I agree about Spring….sleet today and heavy snow??? REALLY?!?!
    I love to cook with thighs! Juicy, flavorful and cheap.

      • chewoutloud

      I KNOW, right?! What’s up with our never-ending winter? My flip flops have been waiting for weeks.

    • Erin’s DC Kitchen

    This looks yum, but lots of sugar– anyway to cut down on it?

      • chewoutloud

      Try 1/2 cup, which I sometimes do for my family when I want less sugar 🙂

    • lauralayne
    • 5 stars

    This looks amazing! My boyfriend LOVES teriyaki and I love chicken, so this will definitely be one of the next meals we make. Thanks for the idea!

    • frugalfeeding

    Lovely – I think the colour is beautiful.

    • rabbitcancook
    • 5 stars

    Hello, your teriyaki looks great and I love how the sauce glazed the chicken perfectly.
    Just a bit curious if you add something to enhance the color because the looks a bit reddish like the Chinese Char Siu?

      • chewoutloud

      Nope, nothing added for color. Just the chicken and lots of thick sauce as written above 🙂 Lighting may have produced more of a reddish tone, but Teri chicken usually comes out well browned with beautiful color 🙂

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