Easy Teriyaki Chicken Recipe – Ready To Eat In 15 Minutes!

If you love the taste of Teriyaki Chicken from your local take out restaurant you are going to love this easy to make recipe! The homemade version tastes even better and it only takes 15-minutes to make.

Perfectly portioned for two, it makes for an ideal weeknight dinner when you don’t have much time to spend in the kitchen. In less time that you can order, pick up or even have this meal delivered, you will be enjoying a delicious meal in a fraction of the time right in the comfort of your own home.

Although you could purchase a bottle of Teriyaki sauce from the grocery store, it is simple to make your own sauce. It is a healthier alternative as you have control over what’s going into your food, ensuring a tasty and wholesome meal without unnecessary preservatives or ingredients.

The sweet homemade sauce includes garlic and soy sauce results in a delightful, Asian-inspired dish that is hard to resist. In fact, I like to make extra sauce to store in the refrigerator or freezer to make this meal come together even quicker.

Simply cut the chicken into bite size pieces and add the sauce to a skillet. Of course if you have broccoli on hand you can definitely add that as well.

Within minutes you will have flavorful meal that you can serve over white rice or stir fry noodles. And who couldn’t use an easy recipe like that?

What Type of Chicken To Use

Most Asian restaurants use chicken thighs when making Teriyaki Chicken. In fact, the most popular cut of meat is deboned chicken thighs with the skin on.

That is because chicken thighs have more fat, and thus more flavor than other parts of the chicken. However I find it easier (and still flavorful) to use boneless, skinless chicken for this recipe.

Although you can use chicken thighs, for health reasons I prefer to use a boneless, skinless chicken breast instead. The breast is leaner than the thigh and when cooked in the sauce it becomes extremely tender and juicy.

However the choice between using chicken thighs or a chicken breast is totally up to you. It is just important to make sure that whatever type of chicken you use cooks to an internal temperature of 160°F before removing it from the skillet.

Homemade Teriyaki Sauce

Now that know what variety of chicken that you can use it is time to make your Homemade Teriyaki Sauce. The good news is that it is easy to make.

If you have made my Cashew Chicken recipe or Teriyaki Salmon Rice Bowls, you most likely already have the ingredients on hand to make the sauce.

All you need is low-sodium soy sauce, rice vinegar, minced garlic, brown sugar, and cornstarch. Simply mix up the ingredients in a measuring cup and add it to the skillet with the cooked chicken. It is that easy!

Vegetables Optional

Most often Teriyaki Chicken is served with broccoli. And I have included it in this recipe as well.

However, you can still make this dish without broccoli if you wish. However, if you do add it be sure to blanch it first.

Blanching broccoli makes not only the color more vibrant and green, it also helps to tenderize it a bit. However, after blanching be sure to let it drain well to dry before adding it the skillet.

Drying the broccoli will ensure that it still has a touch of crispness. But also, the added moisture if left on the broccoli will prevent the sauce from thickening up properly.

If you don’t like broccoli, don’t worry. You can eat the chicken as is or you can add other vegetables like bell peppers, snow peas, or carrots for that added color and crunch.

The Process of Making Chicken Teriyaki

Because this recipe comes together in only 15 minutes it is crucial that you have all the ingredients near by and prepared for the skillet. The first step is to get a pot of water boiling.

As you are waiting for the water to boil, make your homemade Teriyaki sauce. I find it easiest to prepare it in right inside a 1 cup measuring cup. Start by measuring the soy sauce, then mix in the other ingredients.

Then when the water comes to a boil, blanch the broccoli for the required time. Prepare an ice water bath so that when the broccoli is ready it can be put in the ice water to stop the cooking process.

Once the broccoli is cooled to room temperature drain it in a colander so that it can begin to dry out. Then place the florets on paper towels and blot dry.

Next it’s time to bring all the elements together in the pan. Add oil and the chicken pieces to the skillet and cook until the chicken is no longer pink on the outside.

Then add your thoroughly dried broccoli and the sauce to the chicken. Lower your heat, and let the sauce thicken.

Once the chicken is cooked through, you are ready to serve this delicious yet easy to prepare meal.

How To Serve Teriyaki Chicken

Typically, this dish is served over a bed of fluffy, hot steamed rice. The rice is the perfect medium to soak up the delicious sauce.

Although typical cooking methods takes 25-30 minutes to make white rice, you have other options to ensure that this meal can still be served within 15 minutes.

You can reheat leftover rice from a previous meal or make Instant or microwaveable rice. However, for best quality and taste, I prefer to make Instant Pot Rice as the first step to this recipe.

That way both the rice and the chicken finish cooking at the same time. The Instant Pot 3 Quart Mini appliance has truly been a life saver appliance for me in terms of quick meal preparation.

Easy Teriyaki Chicken Recipe

*A printable recipe card is located at the bottom of this article which contains the specific measurements, temperatures and cook times. However, continue reading below to learn about more helpful tips about this specific recipe.

INGREDIENTS

Homemade Teriyaki Sauce

• ½ cup soy sauce, low-sodium
• ½ tablespoon rice vinegar
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ¼ cup brown sugar, packed
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch

Other Ingredients

• 4 cups broccoli florets
• 1 large boneless skinless chicken breast, diced into 1-inch cubes
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

INSTRUCTIONS

Bring a pot of water to a boil and add the broccoli florets. Blanch the broccoli for 3 minutes then immediately transfer the broccoli to bowl filled with water and ice until the temperature of the broccoli comes back down to room temperature.

In the mean time make the sauce: In a 1 cup liquid measuring cup (or a small bowl) add the soy sauce, rice vinegar, minced garlic, brown sugar and cornstarch. Whisk until well combined and set aside.

Transfer the broccoli to a colander and let it drain for a few minutes. Then place the florets on paper towels to drain.

While the broccoli dries place a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the vegetable oil and once hot, add the chicken pieces.

Brown the chicken on all sides. Once the chicken is no longer pink, add the dried broccoli then turn the heat down to medium.

Pour the Teriyaki sauce into the skillet and toss until both the chicken and broccoli is coated in the sauce. Continue to cook for approximately 5 minutes or until the sauce thickens, tossing frequently.

Then serve over a bed of white rice for a complete and satisfying meal.

Enjoy! Mary

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