Teriyaki Chicken Bowls

Easy Teriyaki Chicken Bowls are tender chicken pieces in homemade teriyaki sauce over rice with stir-fried broccoli and red bell pepper. This dish is delicious, healthy, and full of the sweet flavors of ginger and brown sugar. Serve over white or brown rice and customize with your favorite vegetables.

Do you like stir fry but worry that you are not quite sure what you are doing? This easy chicken stir fry recipe will start you in the right direction. With a few helpful hints and some good advice, anyone can make better than take-out stir fry right at home. The other huge advantage to cooking your own stir fry meals at home is that you control the ingredients. 

How to make Teriyaki Chicken

First, cook some rice. I like to use boil-in-bag jasmine or basmati rice for this recipe, but any rice will work. Then in a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, brown sugar, water, mirin, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and cornstarch. Set it aside for a few minutes.

Then heat a little olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until it is lightly browned on both sides and cooked through. Remove the chicken to a bowl and cover it to keep it warm. If necessary, add a little more vegetable oil to the skillet. Then reduce the heat to medium and add the broccoli and red bell pepper. Cook for just a couple of minutes or until the vegetables are crisp-tender. Remove the broccoli and red bell to a bowl and cover to keep warm.

Now reduce the heat to low and add a little more vegetable oil if necessary. Add the garlic and ginger and cook, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Whisk the sauce that you set aside and add to the skillet. Cook for 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Add the cooked chicken back to the skillet and sprinkle with chopped green onions. Add the rice to a small bowl and top with the teriyaki chicken and the veggies.

What is in teriyaki sauce?

Authentic Japanese teriyaki sauce is made with soy sauce, mirin, sugar, and sake, but my Westernized version of this sauce adds a little sesame oil, rice vinegar, garlic, and ginger for added character and complexity. It pairs well with chicken, beef, pork, and seafood. Use it as a tasty dipping sauce for Gyoza (Japanese dumplings), grilled shrimp, egg rolls, lettuce wraps, and chicken wings.

Recipe tips

• Mix the sauce first and set it aside. This makes the whole recipe move smoother. Just remember to whisk it again before adding it to the skillet.
• Do not overcook the chicken. Chicken cooks quite quickly, so lightly brown it on both sides and check a piece for doneness. Then remove it from the pan. Work in batches to keep from overcrowding the pan.
• Sometimes when stir-frying broccoli, I cover the skillet with aluminum foil for a couple of minutes for the steam to soften it. Do not go longer than 2 minutes, and only do this if you prefer your broccoli a little softer.
• Remember when cutting your chicken and vegetables to cut them into bite-size pieces. Just think about what size piece is appropriate for picking up with chopsticks.
• Other garnishes to use include toasted sesame seeds, chopped roasted peanuts, or chopped roasted cashews.
• This recipe moves very quickly. Have your sauce mixed and in close proximity to where you are cooking. Keep your tools close by.
• Other veggies to consider adding include carrots, bok choy, mushrooms, and snow peas.
• ​Substitute salmon for the chicken and make salmon teriyaki bowls.

Storage and Reheat

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave at reduced power or on the stovetop over low heat.

To freeze, first cool the chicken to room temperature, then freeze it in freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat in the microwave at reduced power or on the stovetop over low heat.

More chicken stir fry recipes to try!

Teriyaki Chicken Bowl Recipe

A better than-takeout Teriyaki Chicken Recipe made with fresh ginger and garlic served over rice bowls with crisp-tender broccoli and red bell peppers. 

5 from 9 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: main meal chicken

Cuisine: Japanese

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 527kcal

Author: Beth Pierce

Ingredients

Teriyaki Sauce Ingredients

• ¼ cup low sodium soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons water
• 2 tablespoons mirin see notes below
• 1 ½ tablespoons rice vinegar
• ½ teaspoon sesame oil
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• Teriyaki Chicken
• 4 cups cooked white rice jasmine rice or basmati rice
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil or olive oil
• 1 ½ lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts or boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 small crown broccoli cut into bite size pieces
• 1 red bell pepper diced
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
• 2 green onions sliced

Instructions

• In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, brown sugar, water, mirin, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and cornstarch. Set it aside for a few minutes.  
• Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken to the pan in a single layer and cook on both sides until golden brown and cooked through. Remove the chicken to a bowl and cover it to keep it warm.  Work in batches adding more oil if necessary. 
• If necessary, add a little more vegetable oil to the skillet. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the broccoli and red bell pepper. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until the vegetables are crisp-tender. Remove the broccoli and red bell to a bowl and cover to keep warm. 
• Reduce the heat to low and add a little more vegetable oil if necessary. Add the garlic and ginger. Cook, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Whisk the sauce that you set aside and add it to the skillet. Cook for 1-2 minutes or until slightly thickened. Add the cooked chicken back to the skillet and sprinkle with chopped green onions. Add the rice to a small bowl and top with the teriyaki chicken, broccoli, and red bell pepper. 

Notes

• Mix the sauce first and set it aside. This makes the whole recipe move smoother. Just remember to whisk it again before adding it to the skillet.
• Do not overcook the chicken. Chicken cooks quite quickly, so lightly brown it on both sides and check a piece for doneness. Then remove it from the pan. Work in batches to keep from overcrowding the pan.
• Sometimes when stir-frying broccoli, I cover the skillet with aluminum foil for a couple of minutes for the steam to soften it. Do not go longer than 2 minutes, and only do this if you prefer your broccoli a little softer.
• Remember when cutting your chicken and vegetables to cut them into bite-size pieces. Just think about what size piece is appropriate for picking up with chopsticks.
• Other garnishes to use include toasted sesame seeds, chopped roasted peanuts, or chopped roasted cashews.
• This recipe moves very quickly. Have your sauce mixed and in close proximity to where you are cooking. Keep your tools close by.
• Other veggies to consider adding include carrots, bok choy, mushrooms, and snow peas.
• ​Substitute salmon for the chicken and make salmon teriyaki bowls.
• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave at reduced power.  

Nutrition

Calories: 527kcal | Carbohydrates: 59g | Protein: 42g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 109mg | Sodium: 843mg | Potassium: 850mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 1060IU | Vitamin C: 44mg | Calcium: 45mg | Iron: 1mg

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