Teriyaki Chicken - ready in 20 minutes! [VIDEO] - The Recipe Rebel (2024)

The Recipe Rebel / Dinner

written by Ashley Fehr

4.69 from 16 votes

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

Servings 4 servings

Jump to Recipe

Last updated on February 5, 2024

Teriyaki Chicken has a simple sauce made of soy sauce, water, honey, vinegar, garlic and ginger. The perfect sticky sauce for serving over rice!

See the step by step recipe down in the recipe card.

Love everything Teriyaki? Try these One Pan Teriyaki Chicken and Noodles, One Pot Teriyaki Chicken, Rice and Vegetables or this next!

Teriyaki Chicken - ready in 20 minutes! [VIDEO] - The Recipe Rebel (2)

Table of Contents

  • What is in teriyaki sauce?
  • How to make Teriyaki Chicken:
  • Ingredients and Substitutions:
  • Can I make Teriyaki Chicken in the slow cooker?
  • Can I make Teriyaki Chicken in the oven?
  • Teriyaki Chicken Recipe

It’s no secret that we love a sweet and savory, sticky sauce over chicken here, like this Baked Honey Garlic Chicken, this Crockpot Pineapple Chicken or these Crockpot Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs, and this Teriyaki Chicken is just as high on our list of favorites!

It comes together so quickly and I love it for busy weeknights (or those weekends when you have a hundred projects on the go!).

We usually serve it over this Instant Pot Brown Rice — I love that it basically cooks itself so I only have to watch one pan, but it is also delicious on its own with a salad or over noodles.

Teriyaki Chicken - ready in 20 minutes! [VIDEO] - The Recipe Rebel (3)

What is in teriyaki sauce?

Teriyaki sauce is a Japanese cooking sauce made up of soy sauce, sake and mirin, though the word “teriyaki” actually refers to the cooking method. Here is more information from an authentic source if you are looking to enlighten yourselves!

This is my own take on teriyaki chicken, obviously, as the original usually includes sake or mirin, which aren’t ingredients we usually have.

If you are looking for an authentic Japanese teriyaki recipe, please see the link above.

How to make Teriyaki Chicken:

Again, we are making this Teriyaki Chicken Canadian-style, so we are using a simple frying pan instead of a grill.

  1. Stir together your sauce: the chicken cooks quickly, especially when it is cut into pieces, so we want to make sure our sauce is ready when our chicken is.
  2. Cut the chicken into small (3/4-1″ pieces) and heat oil in a medium skillet.
  3. Cook the chicken until you can’t see any pink. You can brown it if you like, but I find with smaller pieces of chicken they become overcooked quickly, and it will be covered in sauce anyway.
  4. Pour the sauce over the chicken and cook for about 5 minutes, until the sauce is nice and thick and the largest piece of chicken registers an internal temperature of 165 degrees F on a meat thermometer.
Teriyaki Chicken - ready in 20 minutes! [VIDEO] - The Recipe Rebel (4)
Teriyaki Chicken - ready in 20 minutes! [VIDEO] - The Recipe Rebel (5)
Teriyaki Chicken - ready in 20 minutes! [VIDEO] - The Recipe Rebel (6)
Teriyaki Chicken - ready in 20 minutes! [VIDEO] - The Recipe Rebel (7)

Ingredients and Substitutions:

  • Soy sauce: I always choose low sodium soy sauce at the grocery store and add salt later if necessary.
  • Water: water isn’t traditionally used in teriyaki sauce, but I like to add a little to mellow out the flavors. You could also use chicken or vegetable broth.
  • Honey: a little sweetness to balance out the savoriness of the soy sauce. You can substitute with brown sugar or maple syrup if you desire.
  • Vinegar: rice wine vinegar where available, but plain white vinegar works fine, too
  • Garlic: fresh is best! I like to buy a jar of minced garlic as it can keep in the fridge for months and I don’t have to worry about chopping it
  • Ginger: again, fresh is best, and you can buy jars of fresh minced ginger, too!
  • Corn Starch: to thicken the sauce slightly so that it coats the chicken nicely.
Teriyaki Chicken - ready in 20 minutes! [VIDEO] - The Recipe Rebel (8)

Can I make Teriyaki Chicken in the slow cooker?

Absolutely!

Simply pour the chicken and the sauce right in the crockpot, and cook on low for 2 hours.

I know that doesn’t seem like a lot, but trust me! 2-3 hours on low for cubed chicken is plenty of time, and it means it won’t be overcooked and dried out.

Can I make Teriyaki Chicken in the oven?

Yes again!

This Teriyaki Chicken would be great baked in the oven with whole chicken breasts, just like this Baked Honey Garlic Chicken.

Simply pour the sauce over the whole chicken breasts in a baking dish and bake at 400 for 20 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.

Teriyaki Chicken - ready in 20 minutes! [VIDEO] - The Recipe Rebel (9)

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Teriyaki Chicken

written by Ashley Fehr

4.69 from 16 votes

Teriyaki Chicken has a simple sauce made of soy sauce, water, honey, vinegar, garlic and ginger. The perfect sticky sauce for serving over rice!

Teriyaki Chicken - ready in 20 minutes! [VIDEO] - The Recipe Rebel (11)

Save

Review

Print

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

Servings 4 servings

Calories 233cal

Ingredients

  • cup low sodium soy sauce
  • cup water
  • 3 tablespoons honey
  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon corn starch
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 2 teaspoons minced ginger
  • 1 tablespoon canola oil
  • 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts (2 large or 3 small)
  • salt and pepper

US CustomaryMetric

Instructions

  • Whisk together soy sauce, water, honey, vinegar, corn starch, garlic and ginger.

  • Cut chicken breasts into small cubes.

  • Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and add chicken. Season lightly with salt and pepper (skip if you are not using low sodium soy sauce).

  • Cook and stir for 3-4 minutes, stirring often, until just white on the outside.

  • Pour teriyaki sauce over top of chicken and reduce heat to medium. Cook, stirring, until sauce thickens and internal temperature of chicken reaches at least 165 degrees F, about 5-6 minutes.

  • Remove from heat and serve with sliced green onions and sesame seeds or as desired.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 139grams | Calories: 233cal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 842mg | Potassium: 487mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 34IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 16mg | Iron: 1mg

Keywords teriyaki chicken

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Teriyaki Chicken - ready in 20 minutes! [VIDEO] - The Recipe Rebel (12)

Meet Ashley

My name is Ashley Fehr and I love creating easy meals my family loves. I also like to do things my way, which means improvising and breaking the rules when necessary. Here you will find creative twists on old favorites and some of my favorite family recipes, passed down from generations!

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Comments

  1. Shannelle says

    I made this last minute and I didn’t have any rice vinegar so I used 1/2 mirin sauce (why I had mirin sauce and not rice vinegar?… no idea) and 1/2 apple cider vinegar to replace it. I also used full sodium soy sauce so I didn’t salt my chicken (only peppered it) I thought this was great! I had fresh ginger, which was a touch strong so I might use a little less, but it was very flavorful over some brown rice. Thank you! I’m saving this one!

    Reply

    • The Recipe Rebel says

      Hi Shannelle! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for the review!

      Reply

  2. Jim says

    Im sorry we made this tonight and it is not very good. Very bland. All acid very little sweetness to the teriyaki sauce. It wasn’t good. Don’t know why people are giving it 5 stars. They obviously don’t have taste buds.

    Reply

    • The Recipe Rebel says

      Sorry to hear this wasn’t to your taste Jim. Although you might not like it, myself (and others) enjoy it with our taste buds and all.

      Reply

  3. Isla Jones says

    If I use ground (dry) ginger, how much would I use? In most recipes it would be less than when using minced. This is all I have on hand. Going to make it tonight for my family. Always looking for new, good recipes to make for weeknight dinners.

    Reply

  4. Emma says

    By the way, 5 stars!

    Reply

    • The Recipe Rebel says

      THANK YOU!

      Reply

  5. Emma says

    I made this recipe the other night and paired it with some pasta. It was delicious. The sauce is one I’ll use over and over again. Thank you for sharing.

    Reply

    • The Recipe Rebel says

      Hi Emma! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!

      Reply

  6. Laura says

    Made this for my fam tonight! We used cauliflower rice and it paired really well! This was very tasty & super quick! Def gonna keep it in the rotation- especially if we have guests.

    Reply

    • The Recipe Rebel says

      Hi Laura, so glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this review!

      Reply

  7. Julia says

    I actually tried the oven version of this and it was so easy and so good! Threw a couple of frozen egg rolls in the air fryer and served over fried rice and dinner was done in less than 30 minutes! Loved it!

    Reply

    • The Recipe Rebel says

      Hi Julia! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!

      Reply

  8. Stacy Jamieson says

    Family loved it!! And soooooo easy!!! A new favourite for sure!!

    Reply

    • The Recipe Rebel says

      Hi Stacy! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thanks for the feedback!

      Reply

  9. Heather says

    I used a combo of breasts & thighs and cooked the chicken in the crockpot. It was very flavorful – in fact my son said it was “smackin'” (which is very good!). 🙂

    Reply

    • The Recipe Rebel says

      Hi Heather! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thanks for the feedback!

      Reply

  10. Beatriz Cabrera says

    Definitely a keeper!! I made a vegetarian version ( nothing against the chicken we will try the chicken next), that teriyaki sauce was fantastic.

    Reply

    • Ashley Fehr says

      I’m so glad!

      Reply

    • Steven says

      Did you use tofu (one of my favorites) as the substitute chicken?

      Reply

  11. Ian Stevenson says

    Thank you for including the video Ashley. It makes the written recipe easier to follow. Beginners like myself absolutely need both.

    Reply

    • Ashley Fehr says

      Thanks for your feedback Ian!

      Reply

  12. Virginia Bogan says

    I have not tried the recipe yet but I will.

    Reply

    • Ashley Fehr says

      I’d love to hear what you think!

      Reply

Leave A Reply

Teriyaki Chicken - ready in 20 minutes! [VIDEO] - The Recipe Rebel (2024)

FAQs

How long does it take for teriyaki sauce to get thick? ›

Simply combine soy sauce, brown sugar, honey, spices, cornstarch, and water over medium heat, stirring throughout. Cook the sauce for five to seven minutes or until it has thickened.

Does teriyaki madness use real chicken? ›

Hand-trimmed, fresh, all-natural marinated chicken thigh grilled and served with our house-made teriyaki sauce. Choice of white rice, brown rice, fried rice or noodles and steamed or stir-fried veggies. Yakisoba Style!

What is teriyaki chicken sauce made of? ›

To Make the Teriyaki Sauce:

In a saucepan, set over medium heat, whisk together the soy sauce, water, mirin, brown sugar, kosher salt, garlic, and ginger. When the mixture reaches a simmer, bring the heat down to low and allow to reduce for 10 minutes.

Does sauce thicken faster with the lid on or off? ›

Thickening Ingredients

If the lid stays on, the liquid water turns to steam, condenses back to liquid on the lid, and drops back into the sauce." The longer you cook your dish, the more water that will evaporate and the thicker the liquid becomes—that means the flavors become more concentrated, too.

How to thicken up teriyaki sauce without cornstarch? ›

Mix 2 tablespoons (16 g) of flour with 1/4 cup (60 mL) of cold water, then add to your sauce and stir over medium heat until it thickens.

What seasoning goes well with teriyaki? ›

Soy Sauce - Low sodium soy sauce is good if you'd to use it. Sweet Factor - Brown sugar and honey. Chili Flakes - Optional, for a nice spice factor. White Vinegar - Rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar are great choices, too.

Can you eat teriyaki marinade sauce? ›

Our teriyaki marinade is so delicious you'll be tempted to drink the leftover sauce— if there is any, that is! This is one of our favorite that gets 5 stars from people all across the US. Thanks to our loyal fans and their reader interactions, we've seen our homemade teriyaki marinade used as a stir fry sauce!

What alcohol pairs with teriyaki? ›

The Wine: Pinot Noir, with its red fruit aromas and earthy undertones, complements the sweet-savory play of Teriyaki. Its light tannins don't overpower, allowing the chicken's flavors to shine.

What US city is known for its chicken teriyaki? ›

Toshi Kasahara, a Japanese chef and longtime Seattle resident, is widely regarded as the godfather of Seattle teriyaki. In 1976, Toshi opened Seattle's first teriyaki joint near the Space Needle.

What ethnicity is teriyaki chicken? ›

Ultimately, while teriyaki is of Japanese descent and a traditional method of preparing and cooking meats, the origins of the classic teriyaki dish that we know and consume today is Japanese-American. It is the by-product of American colonization, immigration patterns, and cultural collaboration.

Is Subway Chicken Teriyaki real chicken? ›

Our chicken is and has always been 100% real chicken.

What kind of teriyaki sauce do restaurants use? ›

You make up a base of mirin, soy, dashi, sake, etc and baste the fish (or whatever) as you cook it in the pan. The base reduces with the juice of the meat and you get teriyaki. In short: they don't use teriyaki sauce, they make it as they make the dish. Good Japanese restaurants often make their own.

Can you use Kikkoman teriyaki sauce as a marinade? ›

ADD JAPANESE FLAIR TO EVERY DISH.

Kikkoman Teriyaki Marinade is the perfect choice for lovers of flavoursome marinated vegetables or meat, whether grilled, pan-fried or braised. It's particularly popular as a marinade during the barbecue season but is also ideal for enhancing stir-fries or as a dip.

How to make teriyaki sauce taste better? ›

Mix 2 parts sake, 1 part mirin, and 1 part soy in a sauce pan, and turn the stove to medium heat. You have to reduce teriyaki more than you think; the goal of reduction is to remove water from the mixture to concentrate the sugar, salt, and umami present in all of those ingredients.

How to get teriyaki sauce to thicken? ›

Teriyaki sauce is a great way to liven up meat and vegetables and provides a delicious Asian flavour to any dish. Don't fret if your sauce is a little thin, simply use heat to reduce the liquid or add a little corn flour. In no time at all, you will have a thicker sauce that is ready to add to your meal.

How long does it take for sauce to get thick? ›

Cook It Down

Reducing is a classic cooking technique. It means bringing the sauce to a boil, reducing the heat, and letting the sauce simmer gently until it reaches your desired consistency. That might be 20 minutes or an hour—perhaps even longer.

How long does teriyaki sauce take to reduce? ›

Bring mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce to a simmer, and cook until thickened enough to coat a spoon, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat, let cool, and use immediately or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

How long does it take for watery sauce to thicken? ›

Keep in mind, a sauce that might seem too thin in the pot after the first cook, will thicken up after a few minutes off the heat. So you might not need to thicken your sauce at all. Let it sit for 10 minutes and check it. If your sauce is still too thin, reduce it.

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