Teriyaki chicken bowls

Teriyaki chicken bowls are sweet, savory, glossy, and weeknight-easy in the best way. ♡

You get juicy chicken, a sticky homemade teriyaki sauce, and a big bowl situation you can customize with whatever’s in your fridge. Here’s the thing: the best teriyaki bowls aren’t drowning in sauce. You want just enough to coat everything, with a sauce that’s shiny and thick (not watery).

We usually serve these over rice with quick sautéed veggies, but you can do quinoa, cauliflower rice, noodles, or even a crunchy salad base. Make it once and you’ll start craving it.

Let’s make it together.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs (or breasts, see tips)

• fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 1 tablespoon neutral oil (avocado or canola)

Teriyaki sauce

• 1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce (or tamari)

• 1/4 cup water

• 1/4 cup honey or brown sugar

• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)

• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

• 3 cloves garlic, grated or minced

• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated (or 1 teaspoon ground ginger)

• 2 teaspoons cornstarch + 2 tablespoons water (slurry)

For the bowls

• 3 cups cooked jasmine rice (or brown rice)

• 2 cups broccoli florets

• 1 bell pepper, sliced

• 1 cup shredded carrots (optional)

• 2 green onions, sliced

• sesame seeds, for topping

• lime wedges or sriracha (optional)

Tips

• Thighs are the move. They stay juicy and are harder to overcook. If using breasts, cut into even pieces and pull them as soon as they’re done.

• Grate garlic and ginger. It melts into the sauce so you don’t get big bites of either.

• Sauce thickens fast. Add the cornstarch slurry slowly and stir constantly.

• Don’t overcook the veggies. Keep them crisp-tender so the bowls feel fresh, not mushy.

• Save a splash of water. If the sauce gets too thick, loosen it with 1–2 tablespoons water.

Variations

• Make it spicy: add sriracha or a pinch of red pepper flakes to the sauce.

• Add pineapple: toss in pineapple chunks for a sweet tropical twist.

• Swap the protein: use shrimp, salmon, or tofu (same sauce, different vibe).

• Add extra veggies: snap peas, zucchini, mushrooms, or edamame.

• Make it meal prep: portion rice, chicken, and veggies into containers and keep sauce separate until reheating.

FAQ

Teriyaki Chicken Bowls

Homemade teriyaki chicken bowls with a sticky garlic-ginger sauce, served over rice with quick veggies for an easy weeknight dinner or meal prep.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Servings: 5 servings

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

Chicken

• 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs (or breasts)
• fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp neutral oil

Teriyaki sauce

• 1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce (or tamari)
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup honey or brown sugar
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
• 3 cloves garlic, grated or minced
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
• 2 tsp cornstarch + 2 tablespoons water

For serving

• 3 cups cooked rice
• 2 cups broccoli florets
• 1 bell pepper, sliced
• shredded carrots, optional
• green onions, sesame seeds

Method

 

1. Make the sauce base. In a small bowl, whisk soy sauce, water, honey, rice vinegar, sesame oil, garlic, and ginger. In a separate small bowl, mix cornstarch with water to make a slurry.
2. Cook the chicken. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook 4 to 6 minutes per side (or until cooked through). Remove to a cutting board and slice.
3. Cook the veggies. In the same skillet, add broccoli and bell pepper with a splash of water. Sauté 3 to 5 minutes until crisp-tender.
4. Thicken the sauce. Pour sauce base into the skillet and bring to a gentle simmer. Stir in cornstarch slurry and cook 30 to 60 seconds until glossy and thickened.
5. Combine. Add sliced chicken back to the pan and toss to coat. If sauce is too thick, add a splash of water.
6. Build bowls. Serve over rice with veggies. Top with green onions and sesame seeds.

Notes

• If using chicken breast, cut into even pieces and avoid overcooking.
• For meal prep, store rice, chicken, and veggies up to 4 days. Keep sauce separate if you want the freshest texture.

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