Teriyaki Chicken
Yield: 4 servings
Calories: 494kcal
Teriyaki chicken is an easy weeknight recipe ready in 30 minutes! Serve with your choice of steamed rice and vegetables for a complete meal.
Ingredients
Chicken
- 2 pounds (908 g) boneless skinless chicken breasts, or thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 4 teaspoons (20 ml) soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon sesame oil
- ½ teaspoon (3 g) kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) vegetable oil, peanut, or canola
Teriyaki Sauce
- ¾ cup (180 ml) water
- ⅓ cup (79 ml) soy sauce
- ½ cup (120 ml) honey, maple syrup, or brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) mirin rice wine
- 1 teaspoon (4 g) minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon (1 g) minced ginger
- ½ teaspoon sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons (17 g) cornstarch
- ¼ cup (60 ml) water, to add to cornstarch slurry
- 2 tablespoons (9 g) sliced green onions
- 1 teaspoon (1 g) sesame seeds, white or black (optional)
Special Equipment
Instructions
- Marinate Chicken - In a medium-sized bowl, combine chicken, 4 teaspoons soy sauce, ½ teaspoon sesame oil, salt, and black pepper. Allow it to marinate while preparing the sauce.
- Make Teriyaki Sauce - In a medium bowl, whisk together ¾ cup water, ⅓ cup soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, rice wine, garlic, ginger, and ½ teaspoon sesame oil. Set aside.
- Make Slurry - In a small bowl, mix cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of water. Set aside.
- Cook Chicken - Heat a wok or large skillet over high heat. Add oil. Once hot, add the chicken in a single layer. Without moving, cook until browned, about 3 minutes. Flip and stir-fry until no longer pink, about 2 minutes. Cook for 4 minutes if using thighs, draining any excess grease.
- Add Sauce - Add the teriyaki sauce mixture to the wok. Heat over high heat. Once the liquid begins to simmer, cook for 1 minute. Some bubbles should break the surface.
- Thicken Sauce - Stir the cornstarch slurry, add to the sauce, and quickly stir to combine. Continuously stir until it thickens and lightly coats the back of a spoon, about 60 seconds. The sauce will thicken more as it cools.
- To Serve - Garnish the chicken with sauce, sesame seeds, and green onions.
Notes
- Short Video: Watch this recipe come together.
- Recipe Yield: 4 cups of chicken and 1 cup of sauce
- Serving Size: 1 cup of chicken with 1/4 cup of sauce
- Substituting for Fresh Aromatics: Use ¼ teaspoon garlic powder and ⅛ teaspoon ground ginger for minced ginger.
- For a Thinner Sauce: Use 4 ½ teaspoons of cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoons of water. I recommend using this amount if meal prepping, as the sauce thickens more once cooled.
- For a Less Sweeter Sauce: Use 6 tablespoons of sweetener.
- Arrowroot Powder Slurry: Dissolve 3 tablespoons of arrowroot in 1/3 cup water. For a thinner sauce, dissolve 2 tablespoons plus 1/4 teaspoon arrowroot in 1/4 cup water. Follow the same cooking directions as the cornstarch slurry.
- Make it Gluten-Free: Substitute coconut aminos or gluten-free tamari for soy sauce.
- Storing: Cool and store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- Reheating: Cover and microwave on high setting in 15 to 30-second increments until hot.
Nutrition
Calories: 494kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 51g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 145mg | Sodium: 1964mg | Potassium: 931mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 35g | Vitamin A: 99IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 2mg
Recipe Link
Recipe Video