Teriyaki Chicken is a super easy chicken recipe cooked in 10-minutes with no marinading!
Crispy skinless chicken thighs stir-fried and swimming in a beautiful flavoured homemade teriyaki sauce. A hint of garlic adds a twist on a traditional Japanese Teriyaki Chicken recipe and makes it absolutely addictive! This is better than ANY store-bought teriyaki sauce, guaranteed.
Why get Japanese take out when you can make a deliciously close to authentic Teriyaki Chicken right at home!
There is no need to de-bone chicken thighs, or worry about rendering fat from skin. This Teriyaki Chicken Recipe is Fast. Simple. Delicious.
It’s no secret that this is my favourite sauce, right? Through the years you can find The Best Teriyaki Beef Meatballs, Teriyaki SALMON, and my favourite → Simple Chicken Teriyaki Stir Fry.
One thing I found is that I haven’t actually given you a simple and easy Teriyaki Chicken Recipe for those hectic days in the week where dinner is no where in sight, but CAN be in no time at all. No wonder Teriyaki chicken is one of the most popular chicken recipes in the world!
How to make Teriyaki Chicken
This recipe will be loved by your entire family, using minimal ingredients you already have in your pantry or refrigerator!
- Soy sauce (use a light soy to reduce the sodium content)
- Sugar (white is the preferred sugar used in a traditional Teriyaki sauce, however I prefer using brown sugar)
- Sake (or a rice wine vinegar if you have it, but any white vinegar will work)
- Mirin (This is an optional ingredient because I understand not many readers have it or can find it. If you want to get yourself a bottle, any Asian or Japanese store will stock it. Otherwise, you can always order it online. Or just skip it all together!
- Garlic (because…well, garlic) — you can substitute garlic for ginger if you prefer!
Please use chicken thighs for this. Breasts do work well, BUT chicken thighs stay extra juicy and are perfect for Teriyaki.
When searing your chicken, make sure the oil in your pan is hot before adding the meat to get a really nice golden sear. Use a large pan to avoid over-crowding and simmering your chicken in their own juices. You want them to fry! The pans I tend to use are 12-inches (30 cm) or over.
Sake and Mirin
Both are Japanese alcoholic beverages, although Mirin is generally only used in cooking. Mirin is stronger and sweeter than sake. If you can’t find Mirin, Sake can be used as a substitute with a pinch of sugar.
If you cannot get a hold of Sake, you can use sherry, any white vinegar, apple cider vinegar, Chinese shiaoxing wine, Vermouth or dry white wine.
You can also leave them out all together, but they do add a hint of acidity to balance out the sweetness of the sugar, plus a really nice subtle tang to the Teriyaki sauce.
What to serve with Teriyaki Chicken
Steamed broccoli and rice are the BEST sides (white, jasmine, brown or even wild rice work really well). Or try it with our Fried Rice recipe! Drizzle all of the extra sauce over everything in your bowl for ultimate flavour.
You can also top your chicken with sesame seeds and/or sliced green onion and enjoy a Teriyaki Chicken Bowl in the comfort of your own home!
Homemade Teriyaki Chicken And Rice Bowls!
Teriyaki Chicken On Video
Teriyaki Chicken
Ingredients
- 1.3 pounds (600 grams) skinless boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil
- 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons light brown sugar (or white granulated sugar)
- 3 tablespoons cooking Sake ((rice wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar)
- 2 tablespoons Mirin (optional -- white wine or dry sherry can be substituted)
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil, optional (adds a wonderful flavour)
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic (2 cloves garlic)*
- 1 shallot/green onion stem, sliced to garnish
- 4 cups broccoli florets, lightly steamed
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch (or corn flour) mixed with 2 teaspoons water (ONLY IF NEEDED)
Instructions
- Heat cooking oil in a large pan over medium heat. Stir fry chicken, stirring occasionally until lightly browned and crisp.
- In a small jug or bowl whisk together the soy sauce, sugar, Sake/vinegar, Mirin and sesame oil to combine. Set aside.
- Add the garlic to the centre of the pan and saute until lightly fragrant (about 30 seconds). Pour in the sauce and allow to cook, while stirring, until the sauce thickens into a beautiful shiny glaze (about 2-3 minutes).*
- Add in the steamed broccoli. Garnish with green onion (or shallot) slices and serve over steamed rice.
Notes
- Replace garlic for 1/2 teaspoon minced ginger. You can also use both if you wish.
- If for some reason your sauce has not thickened, quickly whisk in the cornstarch/water mixture and continue stirring until syrupy.
- Alternatively, if sauce is too thick, add water in tablespoon increments until reaching your desired thickness.
Nutrition
Cheryl says
This was absolutely beautiful – thank you so much for sharing! And so easy – so I was skeptical, but there was no need to be! Keeping this one & also sharing 🙂
April says
Made this Tonight for the second time . I followed the recipe exactly! It’s been a big hit with my 4 grandkids who never want anything but pizza! I always triple the sauce and cook a lot of chicken. Can chicken breasts be used also? That sauce recipe is amazing. Will make again in a few weeks. Also made the Mongolian Beef. It’s to die for!
Donna says
Now a go to in our home – definitely the best chicken teriyaki recipe ever (and we’ve tried a few).
Ciera says
This turned out delicious! I doubled the recipe and added honey instead of doubling brown sugar. I also had to add cornstarch because it was too thin but that fixed it! So good!
Stephanie W says
Excellent! My kids do not like teriyaki at restaurants but they will eat this any day of the week. I like how it is a one pot meal that includes the veggies. Easy to make and packed with flavor. I will never buy jarred sauce again! I am so glad my Google search led me to this site as I already have a list of other recipes I can’t wait to try!
Fiona Fitzsimmons says
I made this last night and it was GLORIOUS! Even my extremely picky middle child devoured it. I’ve bookmarked your site because your recipes are brilliant.
Hannah says
SO SO GOOD! Whole family approved so it’s definitely a new favorite.
Persephone1469 says
I’ve made this twice, and the only tweaks I made were to add grated garlic, and crushed red pepper flakes. Your recipe is delicious, thank you for sharing!! 🙂
Ronelle says
How to adjust the amount of sauce ingredients for a 1 kilo chicken?
Alvin says
Multiply everything by 1000, then divide by 600.
Huma says
Double the recipe. 1 KG is about 2 lbs. This recipe is for 1 lb of chicken.
Connor Woody says
THE ELITE! THIS IS SOOOOOOOO GOOD! NOTHING I MEAN NOTHING CAN BEAT THIS!
Lisa says
Soooo yum! So quick and easy. Saving this and making it as a staple.
Shannon McCoy says
This sauce was extremely flavorful and so much better than the bottled stuff! I am always nervous about chicken thighs because I am typically a white/breast meat only person. I went with them and they did not disappoint! I sautéed some onions, zucchini and red peppers and added them at the same time as the broccoli. I did have to use cornstarch to thicken up the sauce. I also used some chopped green onions as suggest along with sesame seeds for garnish. I used rice vinegar, brown sugar and sherry in the sauce. Very glad to have found this recipe – a definite keeper and adding extra veggies worked great! Thank you so much ?
Nateefa says
Oh. My. Goodness. Everyone that ate this tonight was a part if the Clean Plate Club!!!! So easy and so yummy! Definitely going into my recipe repertoire!! Check check and double check!!
Judy B says
This is so easy and so delicious! I substituted coconut aminos and monk fruit to make it low carb and it turned out fantastic. The sauce was perfect and the thickness was just right. Next time I will make extra sauce to put on veggies. Definitely a keeper.
Monique Straughter says
This recipes is a great one. I love how easy the glaze is for the recipe. The food taste so good and done in no time. I have fix the Fried Rice /w Bacon and Thai Sticky Wings… both a great hit!
Jess says
Wow! This recipe is amazing. I used all ingredients recommended and it came out fantastic the first try!! I did have to add the cornstarch mixture at the end, but wow, what a quick and easy meal to whip together. So good, thank you!
Michelle says
My husband has been BEGGING for me to make teriyaki chicken, so when he woke up (he works night shift, so he eats dinner with us before leaving for work) he was so excited, and devoured it… and told me this recipe is a keeper. I agree! So good and super easy. Thank you for sharing!
Monique says
LOVE THIS RECIPE!!!!!!! Thank you so so so much! I usually triple the sauce portion because I like to sauté mushrooms, zucchini, onions, and bell peppers in a separate pan. Then add the chicken and sauce in to everything.
AMAZING!
Dorette Mc Pherson says
I was thinking of replacing the soy sauce and the sugar with the bottled teriyaki sauce since I have a big bottle of it. I love teriyaki chicken and lI am looking forward to try this wonderful sounding recipe.
Sharon says
Have you used the sauce yet? Just wondering, because we also bought bottled teriyaki sauce and no one in my family likes the taste of it. I will make it myself with this recipe.
Wes says
Bottled teriyaki sauces are terrible in my opinion. Much better to make it from scratch.
Dorette Mc Pherson says
The recipe and the reviews sound great and I will definitely try it soon, but, could I use bottled teriyaki sauce instead? I have a whole bottle of it?
Danielle Liang says
College student friendly! Doubled the recipe to last the week.
Mimi says
This was delicious and so quick and easy to prepare! I used a glug of white wine in place of mirin and apple cider vinegar instead of rice vinegar per the recipe. It came out perfect and will definitely make it again!
J9 says
I followed the recipe but added powdered ginger and honey. My kids ate all of it up..even their two friends. Thanks for the recipe.
Karina says
Glad to hear that!
Sarah says
So good! Should we drain the fat after cooking chicken? I didn’t and the sauce was so thin…. Thoughts?
Shane says
I’m saving this recipe especially for the sauce. I added ginger as well as garlic. So so good. Thank you for sharing.
lisa mckenzie says
my picky son tasted this an he really like it…he kept coming back for more.
Peter McDonald says
This is so complicated! I put the ingredients together and all that but then i put the damned teriyaki chicken in the pan and it exploded on fire and burned my eyebrows off and set my whole cooktop on fire. In a panic I frizbeed the pan out the door into the backyard as i hurried to get the fire extinguisher and put out the inferno. But alas the flames were erupting again and again and i almost passed out from lack of oxygen. In a greater panic i poured water on the cooktop to cool it down but then a massive fireball the shape of a nuclear mushroom cloud moved up the wall and crawled across the ceiling which set fire to my knick knacks hung around the kitchen. Since the kitchen was covered in burning water i decided to spray the walls with water to put out all the spot fires and eventually i got it all under control.
On the bright side the house smells like teriyaki and the insurance company granted a fire and water damage claim so I’m getting a new kitchen. The dog ate the teriyaki in the backyard and judging by the lack of sauce left on the pan, the dog loved it. Thanks for the recipe.
Bunni O'Neal says
Oh my goodness!! I laughed until I cried!
Stacia Denton says
Best review I have ever read ?
Naomi says
Please do stand up or write a book one day lol
Carri says
HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL
P.S ARE YOU SERIOUS?
eric ackman says
What oil did you use ? Use grape seed or peanut oil next time . Olive oil will catch fire as it has a low heat point .
Belle says
This recipe is spot on! I used both ginger and garlic and there was no need for the cornstarch. For sure, I will be cooking this dish again. ?
Annefleur says
Easy and delicious!
Keryn says
We use 1kg of chicken and serve it as a poke bowl. Leftover chicken and rice are used to make sushi. Perfect.
Carla says
This was delicious and so easy!! I didn’t have broccoli. But I followed the rest of the recipe to a T. Will definitely make again!!! Thanks for sharing.
Taylor says
Absolutely beautiful. I didn’t add the broccoli. I serve it was rice and a cabbage slaw with the Japenese mayo over the top. My parents and I devoured the meal. Parents have now requested I make this a weekly dish.
I also used the sherry (medium strength), rice wine vinegar and the sesame oil.
Karina says
So happy to hear that, Taylor!
Al says
Used your recipe to make the sauce, my God it is spot on! I used dark brown sugar and gekkeikan sake instead tho but damn It came out awesome thank you for the recipe!
Debra says
My son just loves this when he knows I am making it he comes straight home from school. I love it
Luke says
Fast and tasty. Used raw sugar and sushi seasoning/vinegar. 5yo, 7yo and us adults loved it.
Sandy M says
Truly the best Teriyaki Chicken! I followed the recipe exactly. This recipe is a keeper!
Thank You!
Zeina Abboud says
Best teriyaki chicken ever!!!! Made it two weeks ago and going to make it tonight!!
graeme says
could you please tell me if i use seasoning mirin or cooking sake,, thankyou
Karina says
Cooking sake is what I prefer.
Patty Schell says
Making this tonight. Added some pineapple juice to the sauce. Pretty tasty. Thanks for the recipe.
James says
Great recipe! I used rice vinegar and dry sherry and it was the best teryaki chocken I have ever tasted. Five stars mr 14 year-old, too!
Brianna says
I made this last night with diced chicken breast pieces and it was delicious! My picky 7 year old even loved it. Thank you!
paul southall says
It was really good, but somehow I’ve lost the recipe ooops
Karina says
Hi Paul, thank you for your comment! We had a frustrating technical issue that has just now been resolved and all recipes are showing once again. I’m so sorry for the inconvenience this has caused. If you need any further help, please email us and we will assist you in any way we can. Thank you for your patience! XOXO
Lauren says
This is SO good! The first time I made it, I used thighs as directed and it was so tasty and flavorful. Made it again with breast, since that’s all I had in my freezer, and it was still really good, but thighs are definitely the way to go. Thank you for this recipe!!
Karina says
Thanks so much for your feedback! I am so glad that you loved it! Thanks so much for following along with me!
Liv says
Chicken teriyaki lover her, I’m so happy for this recipe..So super easy to follow and AMAZING flavor. Thanks a bunch for sharing
Karina says
Thank you so much for sharing! I am so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for following along with me! XO
Tiffany says
Made this tonight after reading the reviews and looking at your awesome photos! I doubled the recipe and also added ginger (in addition to the garlic). Delicious!! So fresh and flavorful — way better than a store-bought sauce. My boys and my husband loved it. I used chicken breasts but I think next time I will use thighs like you recommended; i feel like the breasts came out a little dry and firm, even though they tasted delicious in the sauce. I can also see using this sauce as a marinade for other dishes! Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful recipe!!
Karina says
That is great to hear! I am so glad that you loved it and it turned out so delicious for all of you! Thank you so much for sharing and following along with me!
Afua Ampah says
OMG!!! This was sooo delicious!!! So quick and easy to make. Will use this recipe more often. My sauce thickened perfectly without needing corn starch. Tip for others to make it thick: turn the heat up high so it looks like the sauce is boiling. Keep stirring and wait for it to thicken. When t starts thickening turn the heat low. That’s how I managed to thicken sauces everytime. Hope this helps 🙂
Karina says
Great tip! I am so glad that it turned out so well for you all! Thanks so much for sharing!
Elayne says
We really liked this! My husband told me I could make it anytime I wanted. 🙂 However, for some reason my sauce did not thicken, even with the cornstarch slurry. 🙁
Karina says
Oh that is awesome! I am so glad that he liked it! I am sorry your sauce didn’t thicken. I am not sure why it didn’t and why there was a problem with it. I apologize for that. I hope it still tasted good for all of you.
Holly Hussey says
I prepared the Teriyaki Chicken tonight and it was delicious! I followed the recipe exactly. I really like to read reviews from those who actually use the recipe!
Although I did not make any changes, I do have two comments/ suggestions. The next time I make this, I will double the sauce recipe. Also In addition to the green onions for garnish, I garnished with some chopped cashews.
Betsy says
Karina, wow! What a scrumilicious recipe! I can’t get sake and mirin in this part of the world. Probably you have to go to some exclusive store. I used plain vinegar instead. Cut down on the brown sugar – husband is diabetic. But it was still great. Thank you.
Betsy
Karina says
I am so glad that you loved it and made it your own! That all sounds great! I do have a store I can get sake and mirin at. I know location and stores are all different around the world. Thanks so much for following along with me!
Francisco Mutuc says
Yummy, yummy and easy to follow
Cheryl Kuhlemeier says
Do you have a recipe for honey jalapeno jelly?
Karina says
I don’t, but that sounds like a great idea! I will have to start working on some recipes! Thanks so much for asking though!
Jenni says
My son took one bit and asked me to make this again! I used ginger in addition to the garlic and used chicken breast because it’s what I had on hand. I also used honey in place of the sugar. It was definitely delicious!
Karina says
YAY! That is great to hear! I am so glad that he loved it! That is awesome he loved it so much! Thanks so much for sharing with me!