Easy Chicken Teriyaki Recipe

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(This post has been updated from the original October 2011 version to provide a better experience for you)

Looking for an easy chicken teriyaki recipe that’s authentically Japanese and intensely delicious? You’re in the right place! With a traditional teriyaki sauce and seriously succulent chicken, this chicken teriyaki is easy to recreate at home whilst still being true to it’s roots. More of a dump and go kind of cook? Check out my slow cooker chicken teriyaki recipe.

A few years ago my Dad lived in Japan for his work. He brought back so many wonderful things! One of my favourites being a traditional Japanese home recipe book. Can you guess what was inside? You got it – a traditional teriyaki sauce recipe!

It’s a sauce that I use a lot throughout my cooking and one that I’ve adapted many times to create tasty recipes (like my sticky teriyaki chipolata bites recipe). Including this beautifully juicy chicken teriyaki recipe!

Perfect for a romantic night in or doubled up for a dinner party, this gorgeous chicken teriyaki is suited to any occasion. Packed full of that familiar and comforting sweet teriyaki sauce, super succulent chicken and perfectly fried rice – this is a dish I guarantee you will fall in love with!

Looking for a meat free alternative? This easy sticky tofu is always a hit! If fish is more your thing, you’ll love this teriyaki salmon!

Chicken teriyaki – recipe summary

It’s not as tricky as you might think to make a traditional chicken teriyaki. Here’s how you can do it at home…

1. Mix soy sauce, mirin and sugar in a saucepan and simmer until sticky.
2. Fry the chicken for 5 minutes on each side until golden.
3. Add chicken to the sauce and baste to cover.
4. Cook in the oven for 15-20 minutes, turning once halfway.
5. Meanwhile, fry mushrooms, garlic and spring onion.
6. Add cooked cooled rice and season well. Keep warm until the chicken is cooked.
7. Slice chicken and serve over the fried rice. Drizzle with remaining sauce.

Mirin substitutes

Can’t get your hands on mirin? I have easily found this in my local Tesco for a number of years now, but here are a few substitutes that you can use instead. They are all equal to 1 tbsp of mirin.

• 1 tbsp sake + 2 tsp sugar
• 1 tbsp white wine + 2 tsp sugar
• 1 tbsp dry sherry + 1/2 tsp sugar

Light or dark soy sauce?

Dark soy sauce is very dark in colour with a rich/bold flavour and is better suited to ‘heavier’ dishes that contain red meat. Light soy sauce however, is thin, light in colour and more salty. Making it better suited to white meat dishes. It works especially well in chicken teriyaki as the extra saltiness brings out the sweetness of the mirin.

How to cook rice for stir frying

Using cooked and cooled rice for this (and any kind of stir fry recipe) is essential. If you used warm, freshly cooked rice, things would get very mushy very quickly!

My favourite way to prepare rice for stir frying is using this recipe: How to cook rice perfectly every time. Once you’ve made rice this way I promise, you’ll never look back!

Chicken teriyaki recipe equipment

• Ovenproof saucepan – Using an ovenproof saucepan makes this recipe much easier and keeps every drop of juice around the chicken throughout the cooking process. If you don’t have one though, you can transfer the chicken and sauce to an ovenproof dish instead.
• Medium/large frying pan – A good quality, non stick frying pan is essential for frying anything and in my experience, you really do get what you pay for! Size wise, I would use a medium to large frying pan to ensure you can fit all the rice in and still move it around. 

Chicken teriyaki ingredients

Here’s everything you need to know about the ingredients required to make chicken teriyaki.

• Soy sauce – I use light soy sauce in this recipe as it’s thinner and more salty than dark, which brings out the sweetness of the mirin.
• Mirin – A sweet sticky liquid that’s essential for the overall flavour of this dish. It’s available in most supermarkets but, if you can’t find it, see the mirin substitutes section above .
• Sugar – Caster sugar is best in cooking. Because it’s much finer than granulated – it dissolves much quicker.
• Chicken – Chicken breasts are best in this recipe. Although notorious for becoming drier than thighs during cooking, you need not worry about that here as it’s cooked directly in the sauce which keeps it nice and juicy.
• Salt & pepper – I like to use cornish sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper but honestly, whatever you have will be fine. Just don’t forget to season and go easy with the salt as soy sauce is already very salty.
• Oil – Sesame oil is my favourite to use in oriental dishes but it doesn’t contribute much to the overall flavour here, so you can easily use whatever you have in the cupboards.
• Garlic – I love garlic! Nice large cloves are always my preference but it’s completely down to personal taste. You can add/remove according to yours in this recipe.
• Spring onion – As fresh as possible is always best. Old saggy and lifeless spring onion isn’t going to impart much flavour is it?!
• Mushrooms – Every mushroom has a slightly different flavour and you can use your favourite in this recipe. I used button mushrooms as that’s what I had in.
• Rice – Long grain or basmati are my go to. How you cook it is important though – see this post on how to cook rice for extra guidance. If you’re in a pinch for time, you could also use a packet of microwave rice.

Chicken teriyaki recipe tips

Whether you’re a confident cook or not, we all make mistakes. Here’s a few pointers to help you get it right first time.

• Read through the whole recipe and prepare your ingredients before starting. This has tripped me up on more occasions than I care to admit and can make a big difference!
• Be mindful of the pan sizes you are using. (i.e. make sure the saucepan is large enough to take two chicken breasts and the frying pan to take 250g | 1 Cup of cooked rice.)
• Season your chicken breast on both sides with salt & pepper and rest before frying. It makes a big difference to the overall flavour.
• Remember that your saucepan has been in the oven and the handle will be hot. (It’s easily forgotten, trust me!)
• Ensure your rice has been cooked and fully cooled before using in this recipe. Otherwise things could get very mushy.
• Struggling to clean your saucepan? Fill with boiling water and simmer for a few minutes over a medium/high heat. That should get most, if not all of it off.
• Scatter with toasted sesame seeds for a little crunch/oriental finish.

Other recipes you might like…

• Slow cooker teriyaki chicken
• Chicken katsu curry
• Sticky teriyaki chipolata bites

Easy Chicken Teriyaki – Step by Step Picture Recipe

Here is what you will need to serve 2.

(For a printer friendly version, see the recipe card at the end of this post)

Ingredients

Chicken

• 50ml (1/8 Cup + 1.5 tbsp) Light Soy Sauce
• 50ml (1/8 Cup + 1.5 tbsp) Mirin *
• 2 tbsp Caster Sugar
• 2 Chicken Breasts, skinless & boneless
• Salt and Pepper
• 1 tbsp Sesame Oil

Rice

• 1 x Garlic Clove, crushed
• 2-3 Small Mushrooms, chopped
• 4 x Spring Onions, chopped
• 250g (1 Cup) Cooked & Cooled Rice †
• Salt and Pepper
• Pinch of Chilli Flakes (optional)

Essential equipment

• Oven Proof Saucepan
• Medium/Large Frying Pan

*I found mirin in Tesco for about £1.50 for those of you who are struggling to find it.

†You could also use readymade microwave rice.

Instructions

 
Preheat your oven to 200°C/Fan 180°C/392°F.

Next pour the soy sauce (50ml | 1/8 Cup + 1.5 tbsp), mirin (50ml | 1/8 Cup + 1.5 tbsp) and caster sugar (2 tbsp) into an oven proof saucepan over a high heat and bring to the boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat and simmer for about 15 mins until it becomes a sticky syrup.

Meanwhile, season both sides of the chicken breasts with a little salt & pepper then heat a large non stick frying pan over a medium/high heat. When the pan is hot, add the sesame oil (1 tbsp) and fry the chicken breasts for about 5 minutes on each side. They should turn a lovely golden colour.

Next, place the chicken into the saucepan and spoon the sauce over to coat it. Place the saucepan directly into the preheated oven and bake for about 15-20 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Turn the chicken over half way through the cooking time and spoon the sauce over again. 

While the chicken is cooking – using the pan you fried the chicken in, fry the garlic (1 x clove, minced) and mushrooms (2-3 small, chopped) for 1-2 minutes over a medium heat. You can add a little more oil if you need to.

Then throw in the spring onions (4 x chopped) and cook, stirring often, for a further 2 minutes.

Now add in the rice (250g | 1 Cup cooked and cooled), season with salt & pepper to taste and the chilli flakes (pinch) if using. Reduce the heat and keep the rice warm, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is ready.

When the chicken is done, remove from the saucepan and cut into slices. (Be careful, that handle will be HOT!)

To serve, spoon the rice into serving bowls and lay the sliced chicken on top. Pour over any leftover sauce and enjoy!

And there you have it! A heavenly oriental dinner for two that’s super easy to create at home. No need for a takeaway tonight eh?!

Have you made this recipe?

Will this succulent chicken teriyaki recipe be making it’s way into your home? I’d love to know if it is! Send me your pics, comments and questions on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram or email me at emma@kitchenmason.com.

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Easy Chicken Teriyaki - Printable Recipe

Yield: 2

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Better than a takeaway, this easy chicken teriyaki recipe boasts seriously succulent chicken in a sweet and delicious sauce. The perfect night in for two!

Print

Ingredients

For the Chicken

• 50ml (1/8 Cup + 1.5 tbsp) Light Soy Sauce
• 50ml (1/8 Cup + 1.5 tbsp) Mirin *
• 2 tbsp Caster Sugar
• 2 Chicken Breasts, skinless & boneless
• Salt & Pepper
• 1 tbsp Sesame Oil

For the Rice

• 1 x Garlic Clove, crushed
• 2-3 Small Mushrooms, chopped
• 4 x Spring Onions, chopped
• 250g (1 Cup) Cooked & Cooled Rice †
• Salt & Pepper
• Pinch of Chilli Flakes (optional)

Essential Equipment

• Oven Proof Saucepan
• Medium/Large Frying Pan

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 200°C/Fan 180°C/392°F.
2. Add the soy sauce, mirin and sugar to the saucepan. Bring to the boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes until sticky.
3. Meanwhile, season the chicken with salt & pepper then add to a hot frying pan with the sesame oil. Fry for 5 mins on each side until golden but not cooked through.
4. Add the part cooked chicken to the saucepan and baste in the teriyaki sauce. Place into the oven for 15 mins to cook through. (Turn over once halfway through and baste again with the sauce.)
5. Add the garlic and mushrooms to the frying pan and cook for 1-2 mins over a medium heat. (Add more oil if you need to.) Then add the spring onion and fry for 2 mins more.
6. Add the cooked/cooled rice, season with salt and pepper and add the chilli flakes if using. Stir well and heat through over a low heat. Keep warm, stirring often, until the chicken is ready.
7. Divide the rice between two bowls, slice the chicken and place it on top. Drizzle with any remaining sauce and serve immediately.

Notes

*I found mirin in Tesco for about £1.50 for those of you who are struggling to find it.
†You could also use readymade microwave rice.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield: 2 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 562Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 102mgSodium: 2233mgCarbohydrates: 65gFiber: 2gSugar: 25gProtein: 44g

Nutritional information on kitchenmason.com should only be used as a general guideline, I am not a certified nutritionist. Please always check labels for allergens where applicable.

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