Easy Teriyaki Chicken

a bowl of teriyaki chicken over jasmine rice

4.93 from 28 votes

This easy teriyaki chicken recipe has the most tender, delicious chicken bites coated in a sweet teriyaki sauce from scratch. It's a 30-minute dish that's better than takeout!

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Asian American

Keyword: teriyaki chicken recipe

Servings:

Author: Natasha Bull

Ingredients

2 chicken breasts cut into 1" pieces
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Pepper to taste
3 tablespoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons olive oil divided
Garnish (optional): chopped scallions & sesame seeds to taste

Sauce Ingredients:

1/4 cup brown sugar (packed)
1 teaspoon fresh ginger grated
2 cloves garlic minced
3 tablespoons mirin see note
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon rice vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon cornstarch

Instructions

Add the sauce ingredients to a small bowl and whisk together.
Cut the chicken into about 1" pieces and add it to another bowl. Add the garlic powder and pepper and stir until coated, then add the cornstarch and stir again to coat.
Add 2 tablespoons of oil to a skillet. Let it heat for a few minutes over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken in 2 batches (don't crowd the pan). Cook the chicken for 4 minutes and then flip (I use tongs to make it easy) and cook for another 3-4 minutes or so. Chicken should be browned and cooked through (165F). Transfer chicken to plate. For the second batch, I add another tablespoon of olive oil to the pan.
Once the second batch of chicken is done, add the chicken that's on the plate back to the pan. Stir in the sauce and let it bubble for a minute or so, until thickened. Serve immediately over rice with scallions & sesame seeds sprinkled on top.

Notes

Mirin is a sweet Japanese rice wine. For this recipe, it's fine to use the grocery store version (found in the Asian foods aisle near soy sauce etc.). I use Kikkoman brand.
Handy trick: the ginger is much easier to grate if it's frozen. I always keep some fresh ginger in the freezer and I use my Microplane grater/zester to easily grate it.

Nutrition