Teriyaki chicken is a quick and easy chicken stir fry that is delicious, flavorful, and healthy. Bite-sized pieces of chicken are stir-fried and smothered in a thick, sweet and savory homemade teriyaki sauce, topped with green onions and sesame seeds, and served over a bowl of steamed rice. This 30-minute Asian restaurant favorite is so much better and faster than ordering takeout. It’s perfect for Sunday meal prep or a last-minute weeknight dinner because it's so quick (and there are Instant Pot instructions for even faster results!).
Why You’ll Love Teriyaki Chicken
- Quick and easy to make. If you’re new in the kitchen, don’t worry. This recipe is incredibly easy to make. And if you’ve been around the block, you already know this teriyaki chicken is a simple go-to recipe that every cook needs, especially on busy weeknights. This chicken stir fry is ready in just 30 minutes. And while you cook your chicken, get your rice steaming so that the whole meal is ready in no time.
- Chicken is a clean protein. Chicken is one of the healthiest proteins you can eat, so you can feel good about feeding your family a home-cooked meal that is healthy. Plus, making Asian takeout recipes at home is so much better, healthier, and faster than ordering takeout.
- Cook it over the stove or instant pot. With this chicken stir fry recipe, you can choose to cook it over the stove, or make it even easier in the instant pot. If you love pressure cooker recipes, you will love Instant Pot Chicken Fried Rice, Instant Pot Whole Chicken, and Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes.
Ingredients and Substitutions
To make this easy teriyaki chicken from scratch, you will need the following ingredients (full quantities in the recipe card below):
- chicken breast or chicken thighs
- vegetable oil
- soy sauce
- dark soy sauce - this is optional and gives the teriyaki chicken a darker color.
- brown sugar
- ginger
- garlic
- sesame oil
- rice vinegar - or substitute with mirin. Do not substitute with balsamic vinegar. If you don't have a substitute, feel free to leave it out.
- cornstarch
- white sesame seeds - optional, for garnish on top.
- green onion - optional, for garnish on top.
You can also customize chicken teriyaki by cooking it along with some vegetables. Some of my favorites to add in to this chicken stir fry are broccoli, mushrooms, and carrots. If adding a lot of veggies, you may need to double the amount of sauce you are adding.
You will also need measuring cups and spoons, mixing bowl, and shallow saucepan or skillet.
How to Make Teriyaki Chicken
- Prepare and sauté the chicken. Use a paper towel to pat the chicken completely dry. Cut the chicken into a 1.5-inch cubes, and set aside on a plate. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until the hot oil sizzles, about 1 minute. Add chicken and sauté until golden brown on all sides, about 5-6 minutes. Drain the excess oil from the pan.
- Add teriyaki sauce. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together soy sauce, sugar, ginger, garlic, sesame oil, rice vinegar, and cornstarch until smooth. Stir in the sauce mixture and toss well to coat the chicken evenly. Continue to cook over medium heat for 3-4 minutes until thickened to a desired consistency, stirring constantly.
- Serve. Garnish with sesame seeds and green onionsb and serve warm over a bowl of steamed rice, fried rice, or noodles.
How to Cook Teriyaki Chicken in the Instant Pot
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together soy sauce, sugar, ginger, garlic, sesame oil, and rice vinegar until well combined.
- Add chicken and sauce mixture into the instant pot and mix well. Put the lid on and switch to pressure cooking mode on manual High. Seal the lid (the steam release knob must be turned to the sealed position) and let the teriyaki chicken pressure cook until tender, about 8 minutes. Once the time is up, you can let the instant pot slowly release the pressure, about 15 minutes or quick release the remaining pressure by turning the steam release valve to the venting position.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together cornstarch with 1 tablespoon water until dissolved.
- Remove the lid and turn on the Sauté function on high on the Instant Pot. Pour in the cornstarch mixture and continue to cook for 3-4 minutes until the sauce thickens to a desired consistency, stirring constantly.
What to Serve with Chicken Teriyaki
Teriyaki chicken might be the star of the show, but it pairs so well with almost anything. You can serve it over steamed rice, fried rice, and noodles, with a side of veggies that are stir-fried, steamed, or sautéed, and you can’t go wrong. Some of my favorites sides to serve this with are:
- Air Fryer Broccoli
- Spring Vegetable Stir Fry
- Roasted Garlic Green Beans (Air Fryer or Oven)
- Tofu and Mushroom Stir Fry
- Stir-Fried Lotus Root
- Chinese Garlic Cucumber Salad
Storing Instructions
- How to store: Keep leftover teriyaki chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. This recipe is a great one to portion out into meal prep containers with some fried rice for lunches throughout the week.
- How to reheat teriyaki chicken: You can reheat teriyaki chicken in the microwave or stovetop. To reheat on the stovetop, heat over medium-low heat, stirring frequently. If needed, add water to thin out the glaze a bit. Alternately, reheat teriyaki chicken in the microwave on medium-low heat in 20-second intervals, stirring in between, until warmed through.
More Asian Chicken Recipes
- 60 Best Chinese Takeout Recipes at Home
- Mongolian Chicken
- Kung Pao Chicken
- Healthy Lemon Chicken
- Thai Basil Chicken
- Baked Sesame Chicken
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Recipe
Teriyaki Chicken
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 5-6 servings
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Teriyaki chicken is a quick easy chicken stir fry that is delicious, flavorful, healthy, and better and faster than takeout. Perfect for busy weeknights.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken breast or chicken thighs, boneless and skinless
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- ⅓ cup soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce (optional, for darker teriyaki sauce)
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
- 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar or mirin
- ½ tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon white sesame seeds (optional, for garnish)
- 1 tablespoon green onion, finely chopped (optional, for garnish)
Instructions
- Use a paper towel to pat the chicken completely dry. Cut the chicken into a 1.5-inch cubes, and set aside on a plate.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until the hot oil sizzles, about 1 minute. Add chicken and sauté until golden brown on all sides, about 5-6 minutes. Drain the excess oil from the pan.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together soy sauce, sugar, ginger, garlic, sesame oil, rice vinegar, and cornstarch until smooth.
- Stir in the sauce mixture and toss well to coat the chicken evenly. Continue to cook over medium heat for 3-4 minutes until thickened to a desired consistency, stirring constantly.
- Garnish with sesame seeds and green onions and serve warm over a bowl of steamed rice, fried rice, or noodles.
How to Cook in the Instant Pot:
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together soy sauce, sugar, ginger, garlic, sesame oil, and rice vinegar until well combined.
- Add chicken and sauce mixture into the instant pot and mix well. Put the lid on and switch to pressure cooking mode on manual High. Seal the lid (the steam release knob must be turned to the sealed position) and let the teriyaki chicken pressure cook until tender, about 8 minutes. Once the time is up, you can let the instant pot slowly release the pressure, about 15 minutes or quick release the remaining pressure by turning the steam release valve to the venting position.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together cornstarch with 1 tablespoon water until dissolved.
- Remove the lid and turn on the Sauté function on high on the Instant Pot. Pour in the cornstarch mixture and continue to cook for 3-4 minutes until the sauce thickens to a desired consistency, stirring constantly.
Notes
How to customize: You can also customize chicken teriyaki by cooking it along with some vegetables. Some of my favorites to add in to this chicken stir fry are broccoli, mushrooms, and carrots. If adding a lot of veggies, you may need to double the amount of sauce you are adding.
How to store: Keep leftover teriyaki chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. This recipe is a great one to portion out into meal prep containers with some fried rice for lunches throughout the week.
How to reheat teriyaki chicken: You can reheat teriyaki chicken in the microwave or stovetop. To reheat on the stovetop, heat over medium-low heat, stirring frequently. If needed, add water to thin out the glaze a bit. Alternately, reheat teriyaki chicken in the microwave on medium-low heat in 20-second intervals, stirring in between, until warmed through.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Chicken
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Asian
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Lauren says
Making this for meal prep now and it looks delicious, but I noticed under the serving size above the recipe it states this recipe is gluten free. Thankfully I'm not currently cooking for someone gluten free, but soy sauce has gluten. If you're making this for someone GF, make sure you specifically buy a GF soy sauce and dark soy sauce.
Brenna says
Quick, easy and delicious!! Will definetly make again!
Danielle says
So delicious! I made with chicken breast because that’s what I had on hand and I agree, it would have been much better with the thighs but it still taste amazing! I doubled the sauce because we like our sauce, I also added cracked black pepper and red paper flakes while the chicken was cooking for an extra kick. It will be a regular dish in our home, thank you for sharing.
Christie G says
This was very good! Thank you so much for this and all the great recipes you share!
Noël says
Delicious & easy to make. My family loved it.