Teriyaki Chicken Recipe with Homemade Sticky Sauce
This Easy Teriyaki Chicken Recipe is perfect for busy weeknights when you need a quick and satisfying 30 minute meal. Made with tender chicken coated in a rich, savory sauce, this dish comes together with simple ingredients and minimal effort.
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This homemade teriyaki sauce delivers the perfect balance of sweet and umami flavor, making it easy to create a flavorful, family-friendly dinner right in your own kitchen.
Serve it over rice with your favorite veggies for an easy meal your whole family will love.And yes, this recipe is doubled for all you extra sauce lovers out there. Let’s cook!
The Players for Teriyaki Chicken Recipe
Ingredients:
- Water – You’ll need water to form the base of the sauce and help bring everything together. In the recipe, the water is divided so that some water goes directly into our own teriyaki sauce, while the remaining water gets mixed with the cornstarch.
- Vinegar – Apple cider vinegar adds a slight tang that balances the sweetness in the sauce.
- Soy Sauce – You’ll need 1/2 cup soy sauce. This brings that savory, salty flavor that makes the teriyaki so good.
- Brown Sugar – Light brown sugar or dark brown sugar is used to sweeten this chicken teriyaki recipe.
- Sesame Oil – A couple of teaspoons of sesame oil adds a subtle nutty flavor that rounds everything out.
- Garlic – Use either freshly minced garlic or garlic powder for our homemade version of teriyaki sauce.
- Ginger – To get that classic teriyaki flavor, you’ll need to use either fresh ginger or ground ginger.
- Cornstarch – The remainder of the water needs to be mixed with cornstarch to help thicken our savory glaze.
- Olive Oil – Extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil is needed to cook the chicken.
- Chicken – For this teriyaki chicken recipe, I’ll be using boneless skinless chicken breasts but feel free to use boneless skinless chicken thighs if that’s what you have! Your chicken should be cut into bite-sized pieces.
How to Make Teriyaki Chicken
Make the Teriyaki Sauce
In a medium saucepan, add 2 cups of water, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, and ginger. Whisk everything together and bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat for about 2-3 minutes.
Make the Cornstarch Slurry
In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining ¼ cup water with the cornstarch until smooth. Slowly pour the cornstarch mixture into the saucepan while whisking.
Continue to cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat and set aside.
Cook the Chicken
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the chicken. As the chicken cooks, stir occasionally to ensure even browning and cooking throughout.
Cook for 5 minutes and add about 1 cup of the chicken teriyaki sauce to the chicken in the skillet. Cook the chicken completely for 5-10 minutes, allowing the sauce to thicken even more and coat the chicken as it cooks.
Serve the teriyaki chicken over white rice, spooning the extra teriyaki sauce over the top. Finish with a sprinkle of sesame seeds and sliced green onions, if desired.
Storage and Reheating Instructions
To Store:
Store any leftover and cooled teriyaki chicken into an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
To Reheat:
Reheat the teriyaki chicken in a large skillet over medium heat until warmed through. Add a splash of water to help loosen the sauce if needed. Alternatively, you can also reheat in the microwave in 30–60 second intervals, stirring in between, until hot.
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If you end up making this Teriyaki Chicken recipe, leave me a comment. I’d love to chat with you!
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Teriyaki Chicken Recipe with Homemade Sticky Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups water, divided
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 3 tsp garlic, powder or minced
- 1 tsp ginger powder or grated
- 3 tbsp cornstarch
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 3-4 chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces or chicken thighs
Instructions
Make the Teriyaki Sauce
- In a medium saucepan, add 2 cups of water, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, and ginger. Whisk everything together and bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat for about 2-3 minutes.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining ¼ cup water with the cornstarch until smooth. Slowly pour the cornstarch mixture into the saucepan while whisking. Continue to cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat and set aside.
Cook the Chicken
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the chicken. As the chicken cooks, stir occasionally to ensure even browning and cooking throughout.
- Cook for 5 minutes and add about 1 cup of the chicken teriyaki sauce to the chicken in the skillet. Cook the chicken completely for 5-10 minutes, allowing the sauce to thicken even more.
- Serve the teriyaki chicken over white rice, spooning the extra teriyaki sauce over the top. Finish with a sprinkle of sesame seeds and sliced green onions, if desired.
Notes
1 Peter 2:9 - "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light."
