Recipe: Easy 20-Minute Chicken Teriyaki

updated May 30, 2019
Chicken Teriyaki

Inspired by the take-out classic, this easy chicken teriyaki is made with boneless chicken breast and a simple pantry sauce that comes together in 20 minutes.

Serves4

Prep5 minutes to 10 minutes

Cook12 minutes

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(Image credit: Joe Lingeman)

Follow my lead and file this recipe under dinners to make when you need something fast and easy that the whole family will devour, and no one has it in them to wait for delivery to arrive. In 20 minutes you’ll be tucking into a nostalgic, takeout-inspired chicken dinner blanketed in a sticky-sweet teriyaki sauce.

A Quick Homemade Teriyaki Sauce from the Pantry

Forget that bottle of super-salty teriyaki sauce on the grocery store shelf — it’s actually easier than you might think to make a version at home that’s even better than the bottled stuff. Best of all, it comes together with pantry ingredients you likely already have.

That signature salty-sweet flavor comes together with a mix of soy sauce (or tamari if you want to keep it gluten-free), rice vinegar, and honey, plus garlic and fresh ginger for a kick, and a little cornstarch to help the sauce thicken to that irresistibly sticky texture you expect.

(Image credit: Joe Lingeman)

Chicken Teriyaki

Inspired by the take-out classic, this easy chicken teriyaki is made with boneless chicken breast and a simple pantry sauce that comes together in 20 minutes.

Prep time 5 minutes to 10 minutes

Cook time 12 minutes

Serves4

Nutritional Info

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup

    tamari or soy sauce

  • 1/4 cup

    water

  • 1/4 cup

    rice vinegar

  • 1/4 cup

    honey

  • 2 tablespoons

    cornstarch

  • 1 tablespoon

    finely grated fresh ginger

  • 2 cloves

    garlic, minced

  • 1 1/2 pounds

    boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces

  • 1 teaspoon

    kosher salt

  • 1 tablespoon

    canola or vegetable oil

  • Cooked white rice and steamed broccoli, for serving

Instructions

  1. Whisk the tamari, water, vinegar, honey, cornstarch, ginger, and garlic together in a medium bowl until the cornstarch is dissolved; set aside.

  2. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels, then season with the salt. Heat the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high until shimmering. Add the chicken in a single layer and cook, turning occasionally, until golden brown all over, 5 to 7 minutes.

  3. Whisk the sauce once more, then pour into the skillet. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has thickened, about 5 minutes more. Serve with rice and broccoli.

Recipe Notes

Storage: Leftovers will keep in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

(Image credit: Joe Lingeman)

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