Quick Chicken Teriyaki Recipe for Busy Nights
There is something immensely satisfying about creating a takeaway favourite at home and realising it tastes even better. That’s exactly what happened when I first perfected this Chicken Teriyaki recipe. The sauce is the real star here; it’s a glossy, deeply savoury, and perfectly balanced glaze that clings to every piece of tender chicken. Forget those overly sweet, thin sauces from a bottle. This homemade version has a genuine depth of flavour that comes from a few simple, quality ingredients simmered down to a beautiful, syrupy consistency. It’s a dish that fills the kitchen with an incredible aroma as it cooks.
Friends always ask me for this recipe after trying it at dinner parties. It has that special quality of feeling a little bit indulgent while being surprisingly straightforward to put together on a busy weeknight. This recipe is for anyone who loves Japanese-inspired flavours but wants to control the ingredients, dialling down the sugar and salt to their own liking. It’s a brilliant meal for families, couples, or for batch-cooking and enjoying for lunch throughout the week. The final dish, scattered with toasted sesame seeds and fresh spring onions, looks as good as it tastes.
Recipe Overview
This recipe focuses on creating a rich, authentic-tasting teriyaki sauce from scratch and pairing it with succulent, pan-fried chicken breast. The process involves searing the chicken to get a lovely golden colour, then creating the sauce in the same pan to pick up all those flavourful browned bits. After testing this sauce countless times, my key discovery was that patience is vital; letting it gently bubble and reduce is what transforms it from a thin liquid into a magnificent, sticky glaze that coats the chicken perfectly.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Servings: 4 people
- Difficulty: Easy
Why You’ll Love This Chicken Teriyaki Recipe
- Genuine Flavour: This recipe delivers a true taste of Teriyaki. It has a deep, savoury umami from good-quality soy sauce, a gentle, complex sweetness from mirin, and a clean sharpness from a touch of sake. It’s a world away from overly sugary shop-bought sauces.
- Ready in Under 30 Minutes: From dicing the chicken to the final garnish, this entire meal comes together in about 25 minutes. It’s a wonderful option for those evenings when you want something delicious without spending hours in the kitchen.
- A Truly Flexible Recipe: Don’t have chicken breast? Thighs work beautifully and are even more forgiving. You can easily add vegetables like broccoli florets or sliced bell peppers into the pan during the last few minutes of cooking for a complete one-pan meal.
- Works Brilliantly for Meal Prep: The cooked chicken and sauce store exceptionally well. I often make a double batch and portion it out with rice and steamed greens for lunches. It reheats beautifully, making it a smart choice for a busy week.
- Family Tested and Approved: Everyone seems to love this dish. My children particularly enjoy the slightly sweet, sticky sauce, and it’s a fantastic way to serve a wholesome, protein-packed dinner that gets devoured without complaint.
Ingredients You’ll Need
For the best results, it’s worth seeking out authentic Japanese ingredients like mirin and sake, which are now widely available in larger supermarkets. I always use a good quality Japanese soy sauce like Kikkoman; its balanced saltiness and complex flavour make a significant difference to the final sauce.
- 600g skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 2 large), cut into 2.5cm (1-inch) cubes
- 1 tbsp cornflour
- 1 tbsp sesame oil or neutral vegetable oil
- For the Teriyaki Sauce:
- 80ml soy sauce (low sodium is a good option)
- 80ml mirin (Japanese sweet rice wine)
- 2 tbsp sake (optional, but recommended)
- 2 tbsp soft brown sugar
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, finely grated
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- For Garnish (optional):
- 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
- 2 spring onions, finely sliced
Sara’s Tip: If you can’t find sake, you can substitute it with a dry sherry or simply leave it out. The mirin is key for that authentic sweetness and glossy finish, so try not to substitute that if you can help it!
How to Make Chicken Teriyaki
The process is quite simple. We’ll cook the chicken first, set it aside, and then make that glorious sauce in the very same pan to capture every bit of flavour. The final step is reuniting the chicken with the sauce to get it all sticky and delicious.
- Prepare the Chicken: Pat the cubed chicken breast dry with a paper towel. This helps it brown nicely. In a medium bowl, toss the chicken pieces with the 1 tablespoon of cornflour until they are lightly and evenly coated. Season with a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Mix the Sauce: In a separate small bowl or jug, whisk together all the sauce ingredients: the soy sauce, mirin, sake, brown sugar, grated ginger, and minced garlic. Set this aside for now.
- Sear the Chicken: Heat the sesame or vegetable oil in a large, non-stick frying pan over a medium-high heat. Once the oil is shimmering, carefully add the chicken pieces in a single layer. Be sure not to overcrowd the pan; cook in two batches if necessary.
- Cook Until Golden: Fry the chicken for 5-7 minutes, turning the pieces occasionally, until they are golden brown on all sides and cooked through. What works best for me is to let them sit for a minute or two without moving to develop a good crust on one side before turning. For a guide on ensuring your chicken is perfectly cooked, check out this great article on how to cook chicken breast.
- Start the Sauce: Once cooked, remove the chicken from the pan with a slotted spoon and set it aside on a plate. Reduce the heat to medium.
- Simmer and Thicken: Pour the prepared teriyaki sauce mixture into the hot pan. Bring it to a gentle simmer, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon – this is where so much flavour is!
- Reduce the Sauce: Let the sauce bubble gently for 3-4 minutes. It will start to thicken and become glossy as the sugar caramelises and the liquid reduces. You’ll know it’s ready when it coats the back of a spoon.
- Combine and Coat: Return the cooked chicken to the pan. Stir everything together gently to coat each piece of chicken in the thickened, sticky sauce. Let it cook for another minute for the flavours to meld together.
- Serve Immediately: Take the pan off the heat. Serve the chicken teriyaki immediately over steamed rice, garnished with a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds and sliced spring onions.
Tips From My Kitchen
- Master Temperature Control: When you add the sauce to the pan, keep the heat on a steady medium. If it’s too high, the sugars in the mirin and brown sugar can catch and burn before the sauce has a chance to reduce to that perfect syrupy consistency.
- The Secret to Sticky Sauce: I learned that tossing the chicken in cornflour before frying is a vital step. It does two things: it gives the chicken a light, velvety coating and, more importantly, it helps the finished teriyaki sauce cling to every single piece, ensuring a perfect glaze.
- Excellent for Making Ahead: The teriyaki sauce itself can be prepared well in advance. Just whisk the ingredients together and store them in an airtight jar in the fridge for up to a week. This turns the recipe into an even quicker meal for a busy day.
- Storing Leftovers: Any leftover chicken teriyaki can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat gently in a frying pan over a low heat with a tablespoon of water to help loosen the sauce, or microwave until hot.
Equipment You’ll Need
You don’t need any fancy gadgets for this recipe, just some basic kitchen essentials.
- Large non-stick frying pan or skillet
- Sharp knife and cutting board
- A couple of mixing bowls (one for the chicken, one for the sauce)
- Whisk
- Wooden spoon or spatula
Delicious Variations to Try
Once you’ve mastered the basic recipe, it’s fun to experiment. Here are a few variations we enjoy at home:
- Spicy Chicken Teriyaki: Add 1-2 teaspoons of sriracha or a pinch of dried red chilli flakes to the sauce mixture for a gentle, warming heat that complements the sweetness.
- Teriyaki Tofu: For a vegetarian version, press a block of firm tofu to remove excess water, cube it, and toss it in cornflour. Pan-fry until golden and crispy on all sides before adding the sauce. It’s absolutely delicious.
- Try a Different Protein: This sauce is incredibly versatile. It works wonderfully with salmon fillets (pan-sear the salmon, then pour the sauce over to glaze), king prawns, or even thinly sliced beef sirloin for a speedy beef teriyaki. If you enjoy peppery flavours, you might also like our Black Pepper Chicken.
What to Serve With Chicken Teriyaki
The classic pairing for chicken teriyaki is simple, and for good reason. You want sides that complement the rich sauce without overpowering it.
- Steamed Rice: Fluffy jasmine or short-grain sushi rice is the perfect vessel for soaking up any extra teriyaki sauce.
- Steamed or Stir-fried Greens: Tenderstem broccoli, bok choy, or green beans add a fresh, vibrant crunch that cuts through the richness of the chicken. Simply steam or quickly stir-fry them with a touch of garlic. For a simple side, try these Chicken Breast And Green Beans.
- Drink Pairing: A crisp Japanese lager like Asahi or Sapporo works beautifully. For a non-alcoholic option, a pot of Japanese green tea (sencha) is a traditional and refreshing choice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Chicken Teriyaki Recipe
Ingredients
Method
- Prepare the Chicken: Pat the cubed chicken breast dry with a paper towel. This helps it brown nicely. In a medium bowl, toss the chicken pieces with the 1 tablespoon of cornflour until they are lightly and evenly coated. Season with a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Mix the Sauce: In a separate small bowl or jug, whisk together all the sauce ingredients: the soy sauce, mirin, sake, brown sugar, grated ginger, and minced garlic. Set this aside for now.
- Sear the Chicken: Heat the sesame or vegetable oil in a large, non-stick frying pan over a medium-high heat. Once the oil is shimmering, carefully add the chicken pieces in a single layer. Be sure not to overcrowd the pan; cook in two batches if necessary.
- Cook Until Golden: Fry the chicken for 5-7 minutes, turning the pieces occasionally, until they are golden brown on all sides and cooked through. What works best for me is to let them sit for a minute or two without moving to develop a good crust on one side before turning. For a guide on ensuring your chicken is perfectly cooked, check out this great article on how to cook chicken breast.
- Start the Sauce: Once cooked, remove the chicken from the pan with a slotted spoon and set it aside on a plate. Reduce the heat to medium.
- Simmer and Thicken: Pour the prepared teriyaki sauce mixture into the hot pan. Bring it to a gentle simmer, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon – this is where so much flavour is!
- Reduce the Sauce: Let the sauce bubble gently for 3-4 minutes. It will start to thicken and become glossy as the sugar caramelises and the liquid reduces. You'll know it's ready when it coats the back of a spoon.
- Combine and Coat: Return the cooked chicken to the pan. Stir everything together gently to coat each piece of chicken in the thickened, sticky sauce. Let it cook for another minute for the flavours to meld together.
- Serve Immediately: Take the pan off the heat. Serve the chicken teriyaki immediately over steamed rice, garnished with a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds and sliced spring onions.
Notes
I really hope you and your family enjoy this Chicken Teriyaki recipe. It’s a staple in my kitchen for a reason, bringing a little bit of Japanese-inspired joy to our dinner table with minimal fuss. Give it a try, and let me know how you get on in the comments below. I love hearing about your experiences in the kitchen!
All the best,
Sara Gomez
