What Kind of Chicken Should I Use?

Boneless chicken is easiest to cut into cubes for sautéing. Tender thighs cook in the same amount of time as breasts and breast tenders but require a little more tidying up during prep. Thighs are a bit more forgiving if overcooked. And if you’re planning to save this dish for leftovers, consider using thighs, since they remain more tender when reheated.

What is in Teriyaki Sauce?

Our simplified version of teriyaki sauce contains soy sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar, ginger, garlic, and toasted sesame oil. Other versions may contain mirin (rice wine), sake, or pineapple juice. Prepared, jarred teriyaki sauces often contain stabilizers and thickeners, but can also include other flavors like red pepper flakes, smoked peppers, or even bourbon.

Kitchen Tested

Teriyaki Chicken

Name: Teriyaki Chicken
Prep time: 30 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 1/2 cup soy sauce or tamari sauce; 1/3 cup rice vinegar; 1/4 cup packed brown sugar; 2 teaspoons grated gingerroot; 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped; 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil; 1 tablespoon vegetable oil; 1 1/4 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs or chicken breast tenders, cut into 1-inch pieces; 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped; 4 green onions, sliced diagonally

Prep time:30 min
Total time:30 min
Ingredients:10
Servings:4
Calories per serving:310

Pillsbury Kitchens(Opens in a new tab)Updated 09/22/2025

Teriyaki Chicken

Prep time:30 min
Total time:30 min
Ingredients:10
Servings:4
Calories per serving:310

Teriyaki chicken strikes the perfect balance of Asian flavors with tangy, salty, umami, sweet, nutty, and aromatic components. This simplified version of the classic recipe delivers rich teriyaki flavor with just a few minutes of effort. Whether you're a seasoned chef or a kitchen newbie, you’ll love this easy and delicious teriyaki chicken!

Originating in 17th century Japan, teriyaki has its roots in grilling and broiling meats, while repeatedly basting them in a sweet, salty sauce. Our modernized method is simplified, but just as tasty! Today, teriyaki chicken is a dish made by coating grilled or pan-fried chicken in a sweet and savory sauce. The result is a glossy, flavorful chicken that pairs wonderfully with vegetables and rice or noodles.

Making teriyaki chicken at home is easier than you think, and with the right ingredients and cookware, you can create a mouthwatering dish that everyone will love for weeknight dinners or even for entertaining. Experiment with different variations and find your favorite way to enjoy this classic Japanese meal.

Chicken Teriyaki Ingredients

These teriyaki chicken ingredients are the key to a delicious finished dish. Here is what you'll need:

Soy Sauce: Soy sauce contributes the salty, umami component of the teriyaki sauce. Use your favorite type of soy sauce. If you prefer low-sodium or tamari, go for it!

Rice Vinegar: Most teriyaki sauces use mirin, which is a Japanese rice wine, but rice vinegar is easy to find and makes an excellent substitute for the wine.

Brown Sugar: Brown sugar adds the sweet element to the teriyaki sauce, but it also contains molasses, which provides a deep, caramelized flavor. Be sure to pack your brown sugar when measuring to ensure you add the right amount.

Gingerroot: Freshly grated gingerroot adds an incredible amount of flavor to a sauce. The dried version doesn’t even compare. See Cookware You’ll Need below for tips on grating the gingerroot.

Garlic: Whenever possible, use fresh garlic instead of jarred. The flavor and texture is much better fresh. Many grocery stores now carry peeled fresh garlic in bags, which is a huge timesaver.

Toasted Sesame Oil: Some oils are meant for cooking, while others are better suited for garnishing. Toasted sesame falls into the second group. Its intense nutty flavor with deep undertones adds tons of complexity to sauces and vinaigrettes. Just be sure to measure it accurately. A little goes a long way.

Chicken: Boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breast tenders are easy to cut into bite-sized pieces. Thighs are more tender but have more pieces of fat to trim off than tenders. Whichever cut you use, be sure to check for any stray bone pieces while cutting.

Green Onions: Slicing green onions diagonally, on the bias, is easier than cutting straight across, since they don’t roll as much when cut diagonally. They also look nice!

Don’t have time to make your own teriyaki sauce? You can purchase jarred, prepared sauce to use in its place.

Cookware You’ll Need

This easy teriyaki chicken recipe doesn’t require any fancy cookware, but we do have some thoughts on the best equipment to use if you can.

Grater: Use a spoon to scrape the skin from the ginger, then use a fine, rasp-style zester or ceramic grater to finely grate the fresh ginger. If you don’t have either of these, you can finely mince the ginger with a chef’s knife.

Large Nonstick Skillet: To prevent sticking and overcrowding the pan, a 12-inch nonstick skillet is the best choice for this recipe. Whether your skillet is nonstick or not, be sure to heat the oil until very hot before adding the chicken. Adding meat to cold oil causes it to stick.

Chicken Teriyaki Variations

There are many ways to customize your teriyaki chicken recipe. Incorporate some chili flakes or sriracha into your sauce for an extra kick. Or try one of these recipe variations:

One Pot Teriyaki Chicken and Rice: For a one (pot) and done meal, try out this teriyaki chicken dinner made in a Dutch oven with rice, red bell pepper, and snow peas.

Pineapple Teriyaki Chicken: This recipe for chicken teriyaki with pineapple ups the ante on basic teriyaki chicken by adding smoky, grilled flavors that contrast nicely with the fresh, juicy, tangy pineapple. Prepared teriyaki sauce simplifies the process without losing any of the flavor.

Serving Chicken Teriyaki

To round out your easy teriyaki chicken meal, consider adding one or more of these recipes:

Broccoli with Walnut-Garlic Butter: With just 10 minutes and 4 ingredients, you can have a tasty, green veggie side ready to serve with your chicken teriyaki.

White Rice: Need a primer on rice cooking? Check out our simple guide, or invest in a trusty rice cooker. Even the most basic versions turn out perfectly fluffy rice every time, and keep it hot and ready until you are.

Vegetable Fried Rice: Leftover rice, frozen bagged stir-fry veggies, and eggs come together to create a simple, yet classic side that’s a perfect accompaniment for our teriyaki chicken recipe.

Sheet-Pan Fried Rice: This simple one-dish side uses just four ingredients that you can keep on-hand in your pantry and freezer. It's a quick accompaniment to our teriyaki chicken, but it also works perfectly with other Asian-inspired weeknight mains.

How to Make Chicken Teriyaki

We’ll explain how to make teriyaki chicken here, but you can find the full recipe with detailed instructions below.

Prepare the Sauce

Simmer the soy sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, gingerroot, and garlic until thickened, then stir in sesame oil. This simple sauce can be used on grilled steak, fish, and shrimp as well, or use it as a dipping sauce.

Cook the Chicken

While the sauce simmers, cook the chicken. Make sure the oil is nice and hot before adding the chicken to ensure a beautiful sear. Once the chicken is almost done cooking, stir in a little more garlic for a burst of fresh, strong flavor. Keep cooking until the chicken is golden brown and no longer pink in center.

Add Sauce and Garnish

Toss the homemade teriyaki sauce with the chicken, and sprinkle with green onions. Add a little sesame seed on top as a garnish if you want. Then serve with steamed green veggies and rice or noodles.

Storing Chicken Teriyaki

Teriyaki chicken leftovers reheat well and even improve in flavor when made and stored in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours in advance. Transfer chicken with sauce to shallow food-storage containers to allow it to cool quickly. Leave them on the counter 30 minutes before covering and placing in the refrigerator. You can also store leftover chicken the same way. The chicken can be refrigerated up to 4 days. For freezer storage, use individual-size freezer-safe microwavable food storage containers. Frozen teriyaki chicken can be kept in the freezer up to 3 months.

To reheat teriyaki chicken on the stovetop, empty the containers of the chicken into a saucepan. Cover and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through. To reheat in the microwave, empty containers into individual-size microwavable bowls. Cover and microwave on medium (50%) 2 to 3 minutes or until heated through.

Frequently Asked Questions