Name: Teriyaki Chicken Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Ingredients: 1 pound chicken breast (chopped into bite-sized pieces (you can use chicken thighs as well)); 1 tablespoon sesame oil; 1 jalapeno pepper (chopped); 3 teaspoons minced garlic; 2 teaspoon minced fresh ginger; 3/4 cup soy sauce; 1/4 cup brown sugar; 3 tablespoons mirin (or use white vinegar); 1 tablespoon honey (optional for extra sweet); 1 tablespoon chili flakes (omit if you don't want extra spicy); 1 teaspoons sesame oil; Fresh chopped herbs, sesame seeds, spicy chili flakes for serving

This quick and easy Teriyaki Chicken Recipe builds flavor with a simple 10-minute marinade before it gets drenched in homemade teriyaki sauce! It's the perfect balance of sweet and spicy.

Teriyaki Chicken

I love homemade chicken teriyaki because it cooks up fast, is huge on flavor, and it's completely customizable so you can make it as spicy as you prefer. Extra chili flakes for me, please!

The recipe is comprised of 3 simple components: The marinade, the teriyaki sauce, and the easy cooking process. It's so easy, in fact, that you should be able to get this dinner on the table in less than 30 minutes.

Cookbook Recommendation

If you enjoy cooking Chinese or other Asian cuisine, I recommend these books for a lot of easy and iconic recipes. I've learning a lot from them and have been inspired to make many spicy dishes.

101 Asian Dishes You Need to Cook Before You Die: Discover a New World of Flavors in Authentic Recipes - by Chef Jet Tila
Easy Chinese Cookbook, Restaurant Favorites Made Simple, by Chris Toy
Essential Wok Cookbook, by Naomi Imatome-Yum

Ingredients in this Chicken Teriyaki Recipe

Soy Sauce - Low sodium soy sauce is good if you'd to use it.
Sweet Factor - Brown sugar and honey.
Chili Flakes - Optional, for a nice spice factor.
Sesame Oil
White Vinegar - Rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar are great choices, too.
Cornstarch - Optional, if you'd like to thicken the teriyaki sauce.
Vegetables - Jalapeño, green onion, garlic, ginger.
Chicken Breast - Skinless and boneless. You can also use chicken thighs.

How to Make Teriyaki Chicken

Make the teriyaki marinade. First, whisk together the following in a large bowl - soy sauce, brown sugar, chili flakes, honey, sesame oil, and white vinegar.

PRO TIP: Check out my teriyaki marinade recipe post for further discussion and ways you can vary it up.

Marinate the chicken. Chop 1 pound of chicken breast or chicken thighs into bite sized pieces. Submerge the chicken completely in the marinade in a bowl and cover, or seal it with the marinade in a plastic bag. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 10 to 20 minutes until ready to cook. If you want more flavor penetration, marinate for 2 hours, or overnight in the refrigerator.

Cook the peppers. Heat oil in a large pan or wok to medium-high heat. Add the peppers and cook 4-5 minutes to soften. Add the garlic and minced ginger and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.

Cook the chicken. Add the chicken, reserving the marinade, and stir-fry for 4-5 minutes, stirring a bit, until the chicken is cooked through.

Make it saucy. Pour the teriyaki marinade over the cooked teriyaki chicken, which will become your sauce. Simmer for 10 minutes to let the flavors develop.

Enjoy! Garnish with fresh herbs and chili flakes. Top with some sesame seeds! Serve over white rice, if desired, or enjoy it on its own. Brown rice is good, too.

Teriyaki Chicken in a hot pan, ready to serve

Recipe Tips & Notes

Thicken the sauce. For a thicker sauce, swirl in a slurry of 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water, then simmer to thicken.
Adjust the heat. If you're concerned about the spice and heat level, skip the spicy chili flakes. You can also core out the jalapeño pepper and remove the innards, or replace it with a milder pepper. Bell pepper is just fine for this recipe.
The chicken. I've opted to chop the chicken into bite-sized pieces for ease of cooking, and to cut down on the overall cooking time. However, you can marinate the chicken breasts or chicken thighs whole and either bake it over grill it until it is cooked through. Then, pour the finished teriyaki sauce over them.

Storage

Once cooled to room temperature, you can store any left over teriyaki chicken you may have in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. Reheat for 30 seconds at a time in the microwave until warmed through.

Sweet and spicy Teriyaki Chicken in a pan

Try Some of These Popular Chinese Recipes

If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you'll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don't forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I'll be sure to share! Thanks! -- Mike H.

Teriyaki Chicken Recipe

This quick, easy teriyaki chicken recipe builds flavor with a simple 10-minute marinade, then drenched in homemade teriyaki sauce, so sweet and spicy.

Save Recipe

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Chinese

Keyword: chicken, recipe, spicy

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 20

Marinating Time: 10

Calories: 293kcal

Author: Mike Hultquist

Servings:

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5 from 4 votes

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Ingredients

1 pound chicken breast chopped into bite-sized pieces (you can use chicken thighs as well)
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 jalapeno pepper chopped
3 teaspoons minced garlic
2 teaspoon minced fresh ginger

FOR THE TERIYAKI MARINADE & SAUCE

3/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons mirin or use white vinegar
1 tablespoon honey optional for extra sweet
1 tablespoon chili flakes omit if you don't want extra spicy
1 teaspoons sesame oil
Fresh chopped herbs, sesame seeds, spicy chili flakes for serving

Instructions

Whisk all of the marinade ingredients together in a large bowl.
Submerge your chicken completely in the marinade in a bowl and cover, or seal it with the marinade in a plastic bag. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 10 minutes until ready to cook. If you want more flavor penetration, marinate for 2 hours, or overnight in the refrigerator.
When you’re ready to cook, heat the oil in a large pan to medium-high heat. Add the peppers and cook for 4-5 minutes.
Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 1 minute, stirring.
Add the chicken, reserving the marinade, and stir-fry for 4-5 minutes, stirring a bit, until the chicken is cooked through.
Pour the sauce over the cooked chicken and simmer for 10 minutes to let the flavors develop.
Serve over rice, if desired, or enjoy it on its own. Garnish with fresh herbs, sesame seeds and chili flakes.

Video

Notes

For a Thicker Teriyaki Sauce: Swirl in a slurry of 1 tablespoon corn starch mixed with 2 tablespoons water and simmer for a thicker sauce.

You'll get GREAT flavor with this sauce based on the ingredients combination alone, but the heat factor is adjustable by the inclusion of chili flakes.

Use hotter peppers to really up that heat factor, or sprinkle in a spicy chili powder to your preference. You can lower the heat by skipping the chili flakes altogether.

Calories are estimated without rice.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 293kcal Carbohydrates: 28g Protein: 29g Fat: 8g Saturated Fat: 1g Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g Monounsaturated Fat: 3g Trans Fat: 1g Cholesterol: 73mg Sodium: 2697mg Potassium: 596mg Fiber: 1g Sugar: 22g Vitamin A: 661IU Vitamin C: 7mg Calcium: 37mg Iron: 2mg

Did You Enjoy This Recipe?I love hearing how you like it and how you made it your own. Leave a comment below and tag @ChiliPepperMadness on social media.