This easy Teriyaki Chicken recipe is a favorite for busy nights and includes sautéed chicken coated in a fantastic homemade teriyaki sauce. You can’t beat this 30-minute meal.

Want more 30 minute meals? Try Pastalaya, Chicken Quesadillas, or Mongolian Beef!

The best Teriyaki Chicken recipe on a bed of hot cooked rice with steamed broccoli.

Why I love this recipe:

  • Family Favorite – My whole family gets excited when Teriyaki Chicken is for dinner, and I love that it’s a well rounded meal that’s healthy and filling.
  • Quick – On the table in less than 30 minutes! Quick, homemade dinners are my favorite for busy weeknights.
  • Adaptable – Serve it with white or brown rice, and alongside your favorite sautéed veggies, like broccoli, carrots, snow peas, green onion, bell peppers, mushrooms, cabbage, or baby corn. I also enjoy the teriyaki chicken served in a lettuce cup.

How to make Teriyaki Chicken:

Cook Chicken: Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and brown on both sides, flipping once (doesn’t need to be cooked all the way through). Remove to a plate and cover.

Pieces of chicken breast pan fried in a hot skillet with oil until brown and cooked.

Make Teriyaki Sauce: Add remaining ingredients to the skillet then stir well to combine. Cook over medium heat until it comes to a low boil. Boil for 1 minute. The sauce should be thick enough to coat the back of the spoon. Stir in chicken and cook for a few more minutes, just until chicken is cooked through.

Two images showing a homemade teriyaki sauce in a pan, then after chicken is tossed with it.

Serve: Garnish this quick teriyaki chicken with chopped green onion then serve over cooked rice, with steamed vegetables or roasted vegetables.

A close up image of quick teriyaki chicken on a bed of rice with steamed broccoli and garnished with green onions.

Variations:

  • Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken: use a slow cooker liner and place chicken in the bottom of the pot. Stir together the teriyaki sauce ingredients except for the cornstarch slurry. Pour sauce over chicken and cook on LOW for 2-4 hours or until chicken is cooked and shreds easily. Ladle the sauce from the slow cooker into a saucepan. Shred the chicken and leave in the pot. Whisk the cornstarch slurry into the sauce and cook sauce until thickened, then pour over chicken.
  • Instant Pot: Make an all-in-one meal with my Instant Pot Chicken Teriyaki Bowls.
  • Low Carb: Serve chicken teriyaki in lettuce wraps.
  • Grilled Teriyaki Chicken Bowls

Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions:

To Make Ahead: Make teriyaki sauce up to a week in advance and store in the fridge. Pour over chicken in skillet, to rewarm.

To Freeze: Make the teriyaki sauce, allow to cool then add to a freezer safe container with the raw chicken. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator then pour into a pan and cook until chicken is cooked through.

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Recipe

The best Teriyaki Chicken recipe on a bed of hot cooked rice with steamed broccoli.
Prep 10 minutes
Cook 15 minutes
Total 25 minutes
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Ingredients
 
 

For serving:

  • 1 green onion , chopped, for garnish
  • 3 cups hot cooked rice
  • Steamed veggies , optional

Instructions
 

  • Brown Chicken: Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook until browned on both sides (doesn’t need to be cooked all the way through). Remove to a plate and cover.
  • Cook sauce: Add the remaining ingredients to the skillet then stir well to combine. Cook over medium heat until it comes to a low boil. Boil for 1 minute. The sauce should be thick enough to coat the back of the spoon.
  • Combine: Stir in chicken and cook for a few more minutes, just until chicken is cooked through.
  • Serve: Garnish with chopped green onion. Serve over cooked rice, with steamed vegetables on the side.

Notes

Serving Size: ½ of a chicken breast, ¼ cup sauce, ¾ cup white rice.
To Add Veggies: Sauté stir fry vegetables after the chicken is browned, before adding sauce.
To Make Ahead: Make teriyaki sauce up to a week in advance and store in the fridge. Pour over chicken in skillet, to rewarm.
To Freeze: Make the teriyaki sauce, allow to cool then add to a freezer safe container with the raw chicken. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator then pour into a pan and cook until chicken is cooked through.
Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken: Spray slow cooker with cooking spray and place chicken in the bottom. Stir together the teriyaki sauce ingredients except for the cornstarch slurry. Pour sauce over chicken and cook on LOW for 3-4 hours or until chicken is cooked and shreds easily. Pour the sauce from the slow cooker into a saucepan. Shred the chicken and leave in the pot. Whisk the cornstarch slurry back into the sauce and cook sauce until thickened, then pour over chicken.
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Nutrition

Calories: 346kcalCarbohydrates: 42gProtein: 18gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0.02gCholesterol: 36mgSodium: 2372mgPotassium: 503mgFiber: 1gSugar: 36gVitamin A: 84IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 53mgIron: 2mg

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I originally shared this recipe . Updated September 2020 and February 2024.

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Lauren Allen

Welcome! I’m Lauren, a mom of four and lover of good food. Here you’ll find easy recipes and weeknight meal ideas made with real ingredients, with step-by-step photos and videos.

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Comments

  1. 1 star
    I just made the sauce. After reading the comments I used 1/2 cup soy sauce. It turned out ok. The thickness of the sauce was good. It’s not the flavor I’m looking for. I truly think there’s a typo in the recipe and would like to hear from the author.

    1. Looks like there was a bit of a mix-up with the recipe. There’s no mistake in it; it actually does ask for 1 cup of low sodium soy sauce, not half a cup. Cutting down on the soy sauce might be why the flavor wasn’t quite right for you. The recipe uses a full cup to get the taste just so.

  2. 1 star
    I agree with Cynthia way too much soy sauce even with the low sodium variety. I ended up using a serving in a homemade creamed soup.

  3. 1 star
    There has to be a type somewhere, this is WAAAAAAY too much soy sauce! I cut it in half and it still drowned out the flavor of the other ingredients. 1/8 of a cup would be plenty.

  4. 1 star
    probably 4x the amount of soy sauce needed I recommend add water to make that amount of sauce. Soy drowns out the other flavors
    I love most ALL the recipes Lauren supplies on Tastes better from Scratch. My main recipe source. And love the meal plans and grocery lists

  5. 5 stars
    I just made this tonight and it’s amazing! I steamed broccoli then added to the pan right before serving – so yummy! Next time I’ll add water chestnuts and peppers and onions. Served it over rice – perfect quick meal

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