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This Teriyaki Chicken Bowl is a quick and easy weeknight dinner that’s ready in about 30 minutes! Simple fresh veggie, chicken teriyaki, and tender cooked rice make for a healthy and satisfying dinner that beats take-out any day of the week!
Easy Teriyaki Chicken Rice Bowl
My son has finally decided that he likes teriyaki sauce. It has taken more than a decade, but we made it. Amen and hallelujah! Seriously, though, I love teriyaki chicken, so this is a big deal.
If you have never made a teriyaki chicken bowl at home, worry not. It’s actually really simple, and it tastes so much better than Japanese takeout.
This teriyaki chicken bowl recipe takes about 30 to 45 minutes from start to finish. It starts with fluffy rice, stir-fried bite-size chicken, and crisp-tender veggies, all tossed in glossy teriyaki sauce and piled into a warm, cozy bowl. You can use your favorite store-bought teriyaki sauce, however I highly recommend my homemade teriyaki sauce for the best flavor. Finish it off with green onions and a sprinkle of sesame seeds, and dinner is done.
Want the chicken-only, oven-baked version? Make my baked teriyaki chicken recipe.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Great for meal prep lunches and make-ahead dinners
- Simple pantry-friendly ingredients
- Customizable for picky eaters
- Easy to add extra veggies, swap the rice, or make it spicy
Table of Contents
Teriyaki Chicken Bowl Ingredients
Here’s what you need to make this quick & easy teriyaki chicken bowl recipe.
Chicken
Use boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into 1-inch pieces, then season with a little salt and pepper. A little neutral oil (I like using avocado oil) helps the chicken brown quickly and stay juicy, especially since the pieces are small and cook fast.
Sauce
This teriyaki chicken bowl uses a quick homemade teriyaki-style sauce made with low-sodium soy sauce, water, honey, rice vinegar, toasted sesame oil, and freshly grated garlic and ginger. A small amount of cornstarch thickens it into a glossy sauce that clings to the chicken. If you already have teriyaki sauce on hand, you can absolutely use your favorite store-bought option or your homemade version.
For Serving
Build each bowl with warm cooked rice, lightly steamed broccoli, and julienned carrots for crunch and color. Finish with sliced green onions and a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds for that classic teriyaki bowl look and flavor.
Find the complete recipe with measurements in the recipe card below.
How to Make the Best Teriyaki Chicken Bowl
- Season the chicken. Add the chicken pieces to a bowl and season with salt and pepper.
- Cook the chicken. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken in a single layer and cook until browned and cooked through, stirring once or twice. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
- Whisk the sauce. In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, water, rice vinegar, honey, toasted sesame oil, grated garlic, grated ginger, and cornstarch until smooth.
- Simmer the sauce. Pour the sauce into the same skillet and bring it to a simmer. Cook until it turns glossy and slightly thickened.
- Toss chicken in sauce. Return the cooked chicken to the skillet and toss until every piece is coated and warmed through. Finish with sliced green onions and sesame seeds.
- Assemble the bowls. Add warm rice to serving bowls, top with the teriyaki chicken and extra sauce, and veggies. See the section just below for a complete list of toppings and additions.
Build Your Bowl: Toppings and Additions
Start with a scoop of warm jasmine rice, then pile on the teriyaki chicken and drizzle any extra sauce over the top. Add crisp-tender broccoli and a handful of julienned carrots for color and crunch, then finish with sliced green onions and a sprinkle of sesame seeds. Want to make it your own? Swap in brown rice or quinoa, add edamame or cucumber, or top everything with sriracha or chili crisp for a little heat.
More delicious toppings and additions:
- Avocado: Creamy and mild, balances the salty-sweet sauce
- Pickled ginger: Bright, tangy, and very “takeout-style”
- Shredded cabbage: Adds crunch and makes the bowl feel extra fresh
- Spicy mayo: Creamy, a little spicy, and so good on rice bowls
- Furikake: Savory rice seasoning that adds umami flavor
- Soft-boiled egg: Extra filling and great for meal prep bowls
- Crushed peanuts or cashews: Crunchy, salty topping that works really well with sesame and soy flavors
Mix and match your favorites. Creamy options like avocado or spicy mayo balance the sweet-salty teriyaki sauce, crunchy veggies and nuts bring texture, and bright add-ons like pickled ginger keep each bite tasting fresh instead of heavy.
Chicken Teriyaki Bowl FAQ’s
Yes. Store-bought teriyaki sauce is a great shortcut. I love Trader Joe’s Soyaki. To make it thicker and glossier, add a cornstarch slurry of 1 to 2 teaspoons cornstarch with 1 to 2 tablespoons of water. Stir it in toward the end of cooking.
Jasmine rice and short-grain sushi rice are both great. Brown rice works well too if you want a heartier bowl, and quinoa is a solid high-protein swap.
Absolutely. Boneless, skinless chicken thighs stay extra juicy and work especially well if you like a richer flavor.
Yes. This recipe is meal prep friendly. Store the rice, chicken, and vegetables in separate containers if possible, then assemble and reheat when ready to eat.
Yes, with one swap. Use gluten-free tamari or coconut aminos in place of soy sauce, and double-check that your teriyaki sauce ingredients are gluten-free.
Storage and Reheating Tips
- To store: Let everything cool, then store the teriyaki chicken, rice, and vegetables in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. For the best texture, keep the rice separate from the chicken and sauce, and store the vegetables on their own so they stay crisp-tender.
- To reheat (stovetop): Add the teriyaki chicken (and any extra sauce) to a skillet with a small splash of water. Warm over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until hot. Warm the rice separately (microwave or in a small pan with a splash of water), then assemble the bowl and add the veggies just long enough to heat through.
- To reheat (microwave): Add rice and chicken to a microwave-safe bowl and sprinkle in a small splash of water to help the rice steam. Cover and microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring once or twice, until warmed through. Heat the veggies at the end for a short time, just until warm.
Meal prep tip: Portion rice into containers, top with the teriyaki chicken, and pack the broccoli and carrots on the side. Add green onions and sesame seeds after reheating so they stay fresh.
More At-Home Takeout recipes
If you try making this easy teriyaki chicken and rice bowl recipe, I’d love to hear what you think! Please leave a comment and a star rating below, your feedback helps other readers discover (and enjoy) this recipe too. Thank you so much! 💛
Teriyaki Chicken Bowl Recipe
Ingredients
Teriyaki sauce
- ½ cup low-sodium soy sauce
- ½ cup water
- 3 tablespoons honey, or brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- 2 cloves garlic, finely grated
- 2 teaspoons fresh ginger, finely grated
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
Chicken
- 1½ lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil, avocado oil or canola oil
For Serving
- 4-6 cups cooked rice
- 2-3 cups broccoli florets, lightly steamed
- 1 cup julienned carrots
- 3 green onions, thinly sliced
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- Cook the rice and prep the vegetables. Start by cooking your rice first so it is hot and ready by the time the chicken is finished cooking. Lightly steam the broccoli until bright green and crisp-tender, and prep the carrots and green onions.
- Season the chicken. Pat the chicken dry, then sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Sear the chicken. Heat the 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken in a single layer and cook until golden and cooked through, stirring occasionally. Transfer to a plate.
- Make the sauce. While the chicken cooks (or right after), whisk the ½ cup soy sauce, ½ cup water, 3 tablespoons honey, 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, 2 teaspoons sesame oil, grated garlic and ginger, and 2 teaspoons cornstarch until smooth.
- Thicken the sauce. Pour the sauce into the skillet and bring to a gentle simmer, stirring until glossy and slightly thickened.
- Coat the chicken. Return the chicken to the skillet and toss until evenly coated and warmed through.
- Assemble the bowls. Divide rice between bowls, top with teriyaki chicken and sauce, then add broccoli and carrots. Finish with green onions and sesame seeds.
Notes
- Sauce shortcut: Use about 1 cup of prepared teriyaki sauce if you are short on time (homemade or store-bought).
- Chicken thighs option: Boneless skinless thighs stay extra juicy and work great in bowls.
- Adjust sauce thickness: If the sauce gets too thick, add a splash of water. If it is too thin, simmer for 1 to 2 minutes longer.
- Add heat: Stir in sriracha, chili crisp, or red pepper flakes.
- Storage: Store leftovers in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. For best texture, keep rice, chicken, and veggies separate.
- Reheating: Add a splash of water or extra sauce before reheating so the rice stays fluffy and the chicken stays saucy.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
A successful recipe although was a bit confused at first with your description between Teriyaki Dressing and Teriyaki Sauce: it’s almost the same. Is it meant to be a warm salad? In your beginning description you listed Apple Cider Vinegar but later listed Rice Wine Vinegar. I chose the latter because that makes better culinary sense.
The only changes I made because my partner is allergic to MSG which is in Soy Sauce. I substituted Tamari which does not have MSG. She is also allergic to cornstarch so I used ArrowRoot
All in all a good recipe.
Thanks, Timothy 🙂
Yes, the sauce uses rice wine vinegar. The sauce is for the chicken, and the dressing for the bowl uses a bit of the original sauce 😉