Easy Chicken Teriyaki Recipe 

Chicken Teriyaki is juicy chicken thighs glazed with a flavor-packed sauce, and it is unbelievably easy to make! With just a few minutes and several pantry ingredients, you can whip up a meal that you and your family will love. Let’s go! 

Teriyaki, in Japanese, translates to “glossy” (teri) and “grilled” (yaki), perfectly describing the dish. The meat is ideally charred to perfection while coated in a glistening sauce, which is a harmonious blend of soy sauce, sugar, mirin, and/or sake, balancing sweet, savory, and tangy flavors.

This is a very popular Asian takeaway food, but it’s actually easy to make at home, and in under 30 minutes! Most recipes will require mirin and sake, but I have a simple yet effective replacement that retains the dish’s true flavors.

What You’ll Need

Disclaimer: I get a small commission at no additional cost to you when you make a qualified purchase under the affiliate links. 

• Boneless Chicken Thigh – I prefer to use this because it’s easy to cook and it remains juicy. Alternatively, you can use chicken breast, but you need to be mindful of the cooking time as it can dry out quickly.
• Onion and Peppers – To add aroma and nutrients to the dish. You can also add snap peas, broccoli, zucchini, carrots, etc. This is a very customizable and nutritious dish!

Homemade Teriyaki Sauce 

• Chicken Stock – Feel free to use your preferred chicken stock, but you can also make one from scratch by boiling the chicken we will use in this recipe. The stock will add depth and savor. 
• Soy Sauce – Use the regular variant for the salty, umami flavor.
• Sugar – The sweet component that will balance the saltiness of the soy sauce. This will also help thicken the sauce.
• Garlic and Ginger – For the aroma and freshness that will cut through the intense flavors of the other ingredients. These need to be minced so they incorporate well with the sauce.
• Potato Starch and Water (Slurry) – Used as a thickener.

This has been tried and tested by many of my followers and their families, and without a doubt, everyone LOVES this teriyaki recipe!

Honestly, you don’t need a lot to make something delicious; it’s only a matter of finding the right balance. In this recipe, the key lies in the ratio of all these ingredients to make a perfect teriyaki sauce for grilled meat. So skip the bottled sauces and try this out!

Furthermore, marinating the chicken is unnecessary. This will generously coat each piece, ensuring maximum flavor in every bite.

How to Make Chicken Teriyaki? 

Step 1: Simple Chicken Stock

Prepare the chicken by removing the fat and chopping it into bite-sized pieces. 

Boil two cups of water in a pot, then add the chicken. Let it boil for five minutes to create a quick and easy chicken stock. Do not overboil the chicken because it may dry out—strain to separate the chicken and stock. 

Step 2: Teriyaki Sauce 

Combine chicken stock, soy sauce, sugar, minced garlic, and minced ginger, then bring it to a boil. Make the slurry, then gradually add it in. Make sure to mix while adding the slurry so it does not clump together. Mix and let the sauce boil until the desired thickness is reached. Set this aside. 

Note: You can make a big batch of the sauce and store it in a clean container for about 7 days. This can be used on thinly sliced pork belly, salmon, shrimp, etc., so you can have different varieties of teriyaki anytime!

Step 3: Chicken Teriyaki Two Ways

There are two ways you can make chicken teriyaki!

First, place the pan on high heat, add oil, then saute the chicken until slightly browned. Once browned, add onions and peppers, then continue sauteing for a couple of minutes. You want the veggies to have that tender crunch. Drizzle in the sauce, and mix to coat the chicken and veggies well.

Another way to make Chicken Teriyaki is to lightly coat the chicken thighs with salt, pepper, and potato starch. Place the pan on high heat, add oil, and pan-fry the chicken for 6-8 minutes on each side until golden brown. Once cooked, slice the chicken and drizzle the sauce on top.

Either way, taste and adjust by adding more sauce as needed. Enjoy!

Serving and Storage

Pair chicken teriyaki with rice for an easy, cheap, and filling lunch or dinner. Alternatively, you can serve this with udon and drizzle it with the excess sauce. I loved the combination of the noodles and the sauce, it’s honestly FIRE!!

Chicken Teriyaki is also great for meal prep. It’s high in protein, and you can add any veggies you like. Serve it with some multigrain rice for an even healthier kick, then store it in a clean container inside the fridge, and it can last for a whole week! Enjoy!

Other easy and delicious lunch or dinner ideas you may like:

• Cantonese Steamed Fish
• Beef Bulgogi
• Spicy Stir Fried Pork
• Leftover Steak Fried Rice
• Korean Sausage Stir Fry

Make sure to leave a rating, a comment, or tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Tiktok when you chop them up! Yeobosayo! 

Posted By: Chef Chris Cho · In: 30-Mins / One Pot / One Pan Dishes, Broke Boyz, Chicken, Main Dishes, Non-Spicy