Teriyaki Chicken is an easy dinner that tastes like takeout, but better! Made with my homemade teriyaki sauce, this one is a winner.
Since making my Teriyaki Sauce for the first time last year, I’ve kind of been obsessed with it. It makes the perfect addition to stir fries, and it is of course delicious for cooking chicken in. But did you know that it also works amazingly as a marinade?
In this delicious Teriyaki Chicken, we are using it both as a marinade and as a sauce for the recipe. The result is a delicious dinner that you could easily prep the night before for an easier dinnertime when you get home from work. Not only that, but it will be better than any take out dish, making it something that works for family dinner or serving guests.
How to Make Teriyaki Chicken
Here is a brief overview of how this easy teriyaki chicken recipe comes together. For the full recipe including all measurements, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Make the teriyaki sauce. Combine all of the sauce ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring regularly. Allow to simmer for a few minutes until the sauce thickens.
- Marinate the chicken. Pour half of the teriyaki sauce over the chicken in a reusable container. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, but no more than 24 hours. Read more on this below.
- Cook the chicken. Once it has marinated, discard the marinade (keeping in mind that you still have half of the sauce reserved) and heat a skillet on the stovetop. When the oil begins to smoke, very carefully add the chicken and cook until the chicken reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Read more on this below.
- Cook the broccoli. While the chicken is cooking, cook the broccoli in a saucepan with water.
- Put it all together. Add the reserved sauce over the cooked chicken. Serve the teriyaki chicken thighs with the broccoli over rice and enjoy.
Homemade Teriyaki Sauce
Homemade Teriyaki Sauce is what ties this whole recipe together. We use it as both the marinade for the chicken and the sauce for the dish. It is the perfect blend of tangy, sweet, and savory. Bonus, we can control things like gluten and sodium because we are making it from scratch! I also love it in my Beef Teriyaki and Teriyaki Meatballs.
Marinating Chicken
The key to the teriyaki chicken thighs being juicy and flavorful is marinating them in teriyaki sauce. Anytime you are marinating chicken, you want to do so for at least 30 minutes, but no longer than 24 hours. After that point, the fibers of the meat start to break down resulting in mushy chicken. This teriyaki chicken marinade gives the meat so much flavor! You will use half of the sauce to marinade the chicken, and the other half to tie the recipe together at the end.
Combining Teriyaki Chicken and Oil
As mentioned in the recipe card, you want to use care when you add the marinated chicken to the hot skillet. The reason for this is that the marinade is water based and when water and oil combine with heat, there is a strong reaction. Carefully adding the chicken to the hot pan while holding the splatter screen and then covering with the splatter screen will reduce any risk of hot bits coming out of the pan and hitting you.
Splatter Screen
Cooking Temperature for Chicken
All chicken should be cooked to 165 degrees Fahrenheit. The timing listed in the recipe card should be the right amount to get you to that temperature. That being said, using an instant read thermometer can be so helpful! It allow you to remove the chicken from the skillet right when it hits the right temperature, preventing the chicken from drying out.
Instant Read Thermometer
What to Serve With Teriyaki Chicken
Serve this chicken and broccoli recipe over white or brown rice. For a lower-carb option, serve over cauliflower rice. Make a Teriyaki Chicken Bowl by dividing the chicken, rice, and broccoli into four bowls or containers. This is a great option for meal prep for easy and delicious lunches. Round out the dish by serving it with an Asian Cucumber Salad.
Cauliflower Rice
FAQ
Yes! To avoid any extra liquid, I recommend cooking your frozen broccoli according to its package directions and serving it with the cooked chicken and sauce as directed in the recipe.
Yes, chicken breasts would work in this recipe. Keep in mind that the cooking time will be different than the one listed as chicken breasts tend to be much thicker than thighs. A way around this is to cut the chicken into cutlets as we do in my Chicken Cordon Bleu.
Because of the soy sauce, it is not gluten-free. To make this recipe gluten-free, use a gluten-free soy sauce or tamari sauce.
Storing and Reheating
Store the chicken and broccoli in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. I recommend storing the chicken and broccoli in a separate container from the rice. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop. Serve over fresh or reheated rice.
Other Easy Chicken Recipes
If you make this chicken teriyaki recipe or any of my other recipes, please leave a comment and let me know your thoughts.
Teriyaki Chicken
Ingredients
Teriyaki Sauce
- 1 cup water
- 1/3 cup soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon corn starch
Teriyaki Chicken
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 4 cups broccoli florets
Instructions
Teriyaki Sauce
- Combine all of the ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat.1 cup water, 1/3 cup soy sauce, 1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar, 3 tablespoons brown sugar, 1 tablespoon honey, 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger, 3 cloves garlic, 1 tablespoon corn starch
- Stir regularly while bringing to a boil.
- Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes or until sauce has thickened.
Teriyaki Chicken
- After allowing the sauce to cool for a few minutes, pour half of it (reserve the remaining sauce) over the chicken in a reusable container. Marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to 24 hours.1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs
- After marinating, remove the chicken from the marinade, discarding what's left.
- Heat a grill pan or heavy-bottomed skillet with the oil over medium heat.2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- When the oil begins to smoke, very carefully add the chicken and cook for 5 minutes on each side or until the chicken reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit. It will sizzle quite a bit, and it is very helpful to use a splatter screen.
- While the chicken is cooking, bring 2 inches of water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add broccoli to the water and cook until it is bright green and slightly tender, about 5 minutes.4 cups broccoli florets
- Add the reserved sauce over the cooked chicken. Serve the chicken with the broccoli over rice and enjoy.
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