Sweet, salty, sticky teriyaki chicken is perfect for dinner any night of the week. For the quickest weeknight meal, pick up pre-sliced boneless skinless chicken thighs (skinless chicken breasts will work too). If you’ve already got a whole piece of meat in the fridge, slice it against the grain so that the chicken cooks up as tender as can be.
While traditional Japanese teriyaki refers to grilled meats one marinates or bastes in soy sauce, Japanese-American-style teriyaki recipes, like this one, trend toward stir-fry preparations with a sweeter flavor profile. Here, you can skip the marinade. Simply deglazing the pan with the sauce ingredients builds big flavor that’s brightened by fresh ginger and cider vinegar and grounded by brown sugar and soy sauce. If you keep regular soy sauce in your stash instead of low-sodium, reduce the amount you use to ⅓ cup.
Complete the meal by serving this popular takeout staple with veggies like steamed broccoli, spinach ohitashi, or sweet potato and brussels sprout okonomiyaki, and white or brown rice on the side.
What you’ll need
Large Skillet
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Microplane
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Whisk
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Recipe information
Total Time
15 minutes
Yield
4–6 servings
Ingredients
1
2
1
5
½
¼
1
3
1½
Need to make a substitution?
Preparation
Step 1
Whisk 1 Tbsp. cornstarch and ⅓ cup water in a small bowl until cornstarch is dissolved. Set cornstarch slurry aside.
Step 2
Thinly slice dark green parts of 2 scallions on a diagonal and set aside for serving. Continue slicing pale green parts of scallions and transfer to a medium bowl. Add one 1" piece ginger, peeled, finely grated, 5 garlic cloves, finely grated, ½ cup low-sodium soy sauce, ¼ cup (packed) dark brown sugar, and 1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar and whisk to combine; set aside.
Step 3
Warm 3 Tbsp. vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1½ lb. skinless, boneless chicken thighs or breasts, thinly sliced against the grain into bite-size strips, in an even layer, and season with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Cook chicken, undisturbed, until mostly cooked through and golden underneath, about 3 minutes. Toss and continue to cook until completely cooked through, about 1 minute more. Transfer to a plate.
Step 4
Pour reserved teriyaki sauce into skillet and reduce heat to medium. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly and scraping up browned bits. Rewhisk cornstarch slurry if it has separated, then add to skillet. Cook, stirring often, until sauce thickens and turns glossy, about 3 minutes. Return chicken pieces to pan and toss to coat. Remove pan from heat. Garnish chicken teriyaki with toasted sesame seeds and reserved scallion greens. Serve with steamed white rice.
Editor’s note: This easy teriyaki chicken recipe was first printed online in December 2022. Head this way for more of our favorite stir-fry recipes →