Easy Chicken Teriyaki Recipe
Teriyaki chicken is a deliciously sweet, savoury, and slightly sticky dish that brings bold flavour with minimal effort. Made with tender chicken coated in a glossy homemade teriyaki sauce, it’s the perfect blend of soy, garlic, ginger, and a touch of sweetness that caramelizes beautifully as it cooks. Whether you serve it over fluffy rice, toss it into a stir-fry, or pair it with steamed veggies, teriyaki chicken is a quick, family-friendly meal that tastes just as good as your favourite takeout… only fresher and even more satisfying.
In this blog post, you will learn how to make teriyaki chicken.
How to Make Teriyaki Chicken
Start by heating a pan over medium heat and cooking the diced chicken breasts until they’re fully cooked through and lightly golden.
While the chicken sizzles, whisk together the soy sauce, black pepper, grated ginger, garlic powder, brown sugar, cornstarch, water, honey, and rice vinegar in a small bowl to create that delicious homemade teriyaki sauce.
Once the chicken is ready, pour the sauce directly into the pan and let everything simmer for 2–3 minutes. Stir gently as the mixture thickens into a glossy glaze that coats every piece perfectly.
Serve your chicken teriyaki over fluffy rice with a side of steamed broccoli, and enjoy a quick, flavour-packed meal that comes together effortlessly on busy weeknights.
Storage
Let the teriyaki chicken cool completely, then place it into an airtight container along with a bit of the sauce to keep it moist. Store it in the refrigerator for up to 3–4 days. Reheat gently in a skillet or microwave, adding a splash of water or extra sauce if needed to bring back its glossy finish.
For longer storage, freeze the chicken (with its sauce) in a freezer-safe container or zip-top bag. Remove as much air as possible to prevent freezer burn. It will keep well for up to 3 months.
Thaw in the fridge overnight, then warm on the stovetop or in the microwave until heated through.
Ingredients
Diced Chicken Breasts: Chicken breasts offer a lean, tender base for teriyaki. When diced, they cook quickly and soak up the sweet-savory sauce beautifully, giving you juicy bites in every spoonful.
Low Salt Soy Sauce: Low-salt soy sauce keeps the classic teriyaki flavour without overwhelming the dish with sodium. It adds that deep umami backbone, ensuring the sauce is rich, savoury, and perfectly balanced. Even though this sauce is low salt, I still don’t add salt to the chicken or sauce because I find the soy sauce adds enough salt to the chicken and recipe.
Black Pepper: A touch of black pepper brings gentle heat and enhances the overall flavour profile. It sharpens the sauce slightly, helping cut through the sweetness.
Fresh Ginger or Ginger Powder: Ginger adds warm, zesty brightness to the marinade, giving the teriyaki sauce that irresistible, restaurant-style kick. Fresh ginger brings more bite, while ginger powder gives a softer, mellow warmth and is a great alternative if you do not have fresh ginger at home.
Garlic Powder: Garlic powder infuses the sauce with savoury depth. It melts seamlessly into the glaze and compliments the ginger perfectly for a classic teriyaki aroma.
Brown Sugar: Brown sugar helps build that glossy, sticky texture teriyaki sauce is known for. Its molasses notes add a richer sweetness that makes the sauce taste fuller and more caramelized.
Cornstarch: Cornstarch is the thickening powerhouse of teriyaki sauce. Once heated, it transforms the liquid ingredients into a shiny, clingy glaze that coats every bite of chicken.
Water: A splash of water keeps the sauce smooth and prevents it from becoming overly concentrated. It allows all the flavours to merge and simmer into a perfect consistency.
Honey: Honey adds natural sweetness and helps create that iconic sticky finish. It blends beautifully with the soy sauce and ginger, giving the sauce a subtle floral note and a gorgeous shine.
Rice Vinegar: Rice vinegar brings gentle acidity to balance the sweetness, preventing the sauce from becoming too heavy. It brightens the entire dish, giving the teriyaki its signature tangy-sweet harmony.
Tips
- If you don’t want to cook your rice, just buy to quick rice bags and make your weeknight dinner even easier!
Teriyaki Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. diced chicken breasts
- 3/4 c. low salt soy sauce
- 1 tsp. black pepper
- 2 tsp. fresh grated ginger or 2 tsp. ginger powder
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/4 c. brown sugar
- 3 tsp. cornstarch
- 1/4 c. water
- 2 tbsp. honey
- 1 tbsp. rice vinegar
Instructions
- In a pan, on medium heat, cook the diced chicken breasts until fully heated through.
- While the chicken is cooking, in a small bowl mix the soy sauce, black pepper, grated ginger, garlic powder, brown sugar, cornstarch, water, honey, and rice vinegar together.
- Pour on top of the cooked chicken breasts and continue to cook for about 2-3 minutes or until the sauce has thickened and the chicken breasts are coated with the sauce.
- Serve on top of rice and steamed broccoli!
Notes
Author: Sarah Young
In this blog post, you learned how to make teriyaki chicken.