🥢🍚🥡 Better-Than-Takeout Teriyaki Chicken features tender, juicy chicken that’s full of rich Asian-inspired teriyaki flavor and is a guaranteed family FAVORITE! Ready in a single skillet in 20 minutes, it’s faster, healthier, and more budget-friendly than calling for takeout, which is a triple WIN!
Easy Better-Than-Takeout Teriyaki Chicken Recipe
I have a ton of better-than-takeout recipes on my website, and they’re always a favorite with readers. Most of them are easy, ready in less than 30 minutes, made in one skillet, and use common and easy-to-find ingredients.
- Like most of my Asian-inspired chicken skillet recipes, this one is ready in just 20 minutes, and it’s full of rich teriyaki flavor from the soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and more. The chicken turns out so tender, juicy, and flavorful!
- No one can argue that cooking at home is healthier than eating out, and being that this chicken isn’t breaded or fried, it gets points in the watching-your-waistline category. Plus, cooking at home is cheaper and, of course, this chicken is every bit as good as calling for takeout – and faster to make!
Ingredients and Notes
To make this 20-minute homemade teriyaki chicken skillet, you’ll need the following common ingredients:
- Olive oil
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts – If you prefer boneless skinless chicken thighs to boneless skinless chicken breasts, by all means use them. One of the reasons why I love my recipe for teriyaki is because I use white meat (my preference) rather than dark meat like many restaurants do (i.e. Panda Express) or Trader Joe’s frozen teriyaki chicken, which uses mostly dark meat. But it’s personal preference. Thighs may take a minute or two longer to cook, but it’s negligible
- Garlic
- Fresh or dried ginger – While some people would say that freshly grated ginger is always best, I am not a diehard. If all you have is ground ginger, which is what I have on hand in my pantry, then use it. I use 1 to 2 teaspoons ground ginger, or about 2 to 3 teaspoons of fresh. Dried or ground ginger is more potent than fresh, so you should use more. i.e. 1 teaspoon ground ginger is about 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated, but use your judgement
- Low-sodium soy sauce
- Chicken broth – I use reduced sodium
- Toasted sesame oil
- Honey
- Light brown sugar
- Rice vinegar – sometimes called ‘rice wine vinegar’, but they’re the same thing. Apple cider vinegar can be substituted in a pinch
- Cornstarch – Don’t skip this, or your sauce won’t thicken enough to cling to the chicken. If you’re wondering what else to make with your little box or jar of cornstarch, many of my chicken recipes use cornstarch
- Green onions and/or sesame seeds for garnishing, optional
Can I use store-bought teriyaki sauce?
While you could buy a bottle of traditional teriyaki sauce from the grocery store and use it with diced pieces of raw chicken and saute it all according to the directions on the bottle, that’s not the point of this recipe – which is instead to make your own whisk-together sauce, thicken it for a couple minutes, and then toss the chicken in your homemade teriyaki sauce.
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How to Make Teriyaki Chicken at Home
- To a large skillet, add the olive oil, chicken, and cook over medium-high heat on the stove top for about 5 minutes. When the chicken is done, remove it from the skillet and set it on a plate.
- Add the garlic and ginger to the skillet and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the soy sauce, broth, sesame oil, honey, brown sugar, and cornstarch (which are your teriyaki sauce ingredients), whisk to combine, and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the teriyaki sauce begins to thicken.
- Add the chicken back into the pan, and toss with the sauce mixture.
- Optionally garnish as desired, and serve immediately as is or over white rice, cauliflower rice, or even quinoa!
what to serve with chicken teriyaki
Chicken Teriyaki FAQs
Yes you can easily double (or halve) this recipe based on your needs.
Teriyaki sauce has a unique combination of ingredients that creates a thick, glossy appearance. The sugars caramelize as they cook, creating a glossy effect, and cornstarch helps thicken the mixture.
Reduce the heat to a low simmer, stir frequently, and add the sugar at the end of cooking to avoid overheating it in the pan.
Yes, feel free to substitute coconut aminos or tamari for a similar flavor.
No, this recipe has a bold, sweet, and tangy taste, but I wouldn’t describe it as spicy.
Yes, this recipe freezes well for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the fridge overnight, and reheat it in the microwave or in a skillet over medium heat.
Teriyaki Chicken (Better Than Takeout, Easy & Sticky) 🍗
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, diced into bite-sized pieces
- 3 to 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1 ½ to 2 teaspoons ground ginger, or to taste (or about 2 heaping teaspoons freshly grated ginger)
- ¼ cup reduced sodium soy sauce
- ¼ cup reduced sodium chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar, packed
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, sometimes called ‘rice wine vinegar’ but they’re the same thing
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- Green onions, optional for garnishing to taste
- Sesame seeds, optional for garnishing to taste
- Salt and pepper, if desired and to taste
Instructions
- To a large skillet, add the olive oil, chicken, and saute over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and done. Stir and flip frequently to ensure even cooking. Tip – Want to use boneless skinless chicken thighs? That's fine, they'll likely need an extra 1-2 minutes to cook through.
- When the chicken is done, remove it using a slotted spoon and set it on plate momentarily.
- To the same skillet (don't wipe it out), add the garlic, ginger, and if necessary add a bit more oil if your skillet is dry, and saute for about 1 minute; stir constantly so garlic doesn't burn.
- Add the soy sauce, broth, sesame oil, honey, brown sugar, rice vinegar, cornstarch, whisk to combine, and cook for about 2 to 3 minutes, whisking nearly constantly, until sauce thickens slightly. Tips – Sesame oil adds quintessential Asian flavor and so don't skip it. Toasted (vs. non-toasted) sesame oil is the most common way it's sold and what you want. Cornstarch is also essential because it helps the sauce thicken and can't be skipped or your teriyaki sauce will be thinner and won't cling to the chicken.
- Add the chicken into the teriyaki sauce, stir to combine and coat evenly, and optionally garnish with green onions and/or sesame seeds, as desired. If you think it needs salt (or pepper), add it, to taste. Depending on the brand of soy sauce and broth you use, and your personal preference for salt, you may or may not need to add salt. Serve immediately.
- Storage – Extra chicken will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Reheat leftover in the microwave for about 30-60 seconds, or as needed.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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It is delicious and will be added to our rotation! The sauce is perfect. Thank you!
Thanks for the 5 star review, Kathy, and I’m glad you’re adding this to your rotation!
I absolutely love this recipe. It’s the second or third time we’ve made it and it’s always a hit. However, there’s no mention of where to put the honey so I assume it just went in with the combination of sesame oil and all the other liquids.
Sorry about that omission but I fixed it and thanks for flagging – and yes, you assumed correctly, with the sesame oil and other liquids.
So glad you love this recipe and have made it a few times already and thanks for the 5 star review!