This Teriyaki Chicken Bowl is made with bite-size pieces of tender chicken coated in a sticky homemade honey teriyaki sauce. It's paired with fluffy rice, broccoli, and yellow squash for an easy family dinner or meal-prep lunch that's ready in 30 minutes! The homemade teriyaki sauce is made with soy sauce, honey, brown sugar, mirin, garlic, ginger, and sesame oil. It cooks right in the skillet and thickens up to perfectly coat every piece of chicken and leave enough sauce to spoon over rice.
Teriyaki Chicken Bowl Quick Summary
This Teriyaki Chicken Bowl combines tender chicken, fluffy rice, fresh broccoli, and yellow squash with a sweet and savory homemade honey teriyaki sauce.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes.
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Cooking Method: Stovetop
- Skillet Size: 12-inch Skillet
- Main Ingredients: Chicken breast, rice, broccoli, yellow squash, and homemade teriyaki sauce
- Best For: Easy weeknight dinners, family meals, and meal prep
Summarize and Save This Content On
Sweet and salty chicken is always a hit in our house! This teriyaki chicken rice bowl is no exception. Made with just a few simple ingredients, it's a quick and easy dinner recipe that can be on the table in less than 30 minutes!
Not only does this chicken bowl recipe cook quickly, it's also easy to assemble! Simply cook the diced chicken in a pan with oil until tender. Whisk together the easy teriyaki sauce made with simple pantry ingredients and cornstarch to thicken. Sweeten the homemade teriyaki sauce with honey and cook until bubbly with the chicken.
I love to top ours with green onions and sesame seeds for extra flavor. These bowls can be enjoyed warm or chilled, making them a convenient meal-prep lunch. Keep packed bowls refrigerated or in an insulated lunch bag with cold packs until ready to eat.
If you love the ease and flavors of this teriyaki bowl you've got to try our Grilled Teriyaki Chicken, Teriyaki Beef, or Honey Garlic Chicken Stir Fry next.
Jump to:
- Teriyaki Chicken Bowl Quick Summary
- Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Ingredients You'll Need
- How To Make a Teriyaki Chicken Bowl
- Hint
- Recipe Tips
- Variations
- What to Serve With This Teriyaki Chicken Bowl
- Storing & Freezing
- Teriyaki Chicken Bowl FAQ
- More Easy Chicken Recipes
- SHARE IT & RATE IT
- Teriyaki Chicken Bowl with Rice and Broccoli
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Perfect for Meal Prep. Teriyaki chicken and rice bowls are perfect for meal prep; you cook in a large batch. Freeze some for later or carry them with you for easy lunches during the week.
- Easy Recipe. All you need are a handful of simple, pantry ingredients to make this meal! It can be on the table in less than 30 minutes!
- Flexible Dish. The sweet, tangy chicken teriyaki is great served hot or cold, over rice, noodles, or veggies making it a versatile meal to serve.
- Better Than Takeout. Enjoy this popular restaurant dish at home save some money and make it just the way you prefer.
Ingredients You'll Need
- Chicken Breasts: Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are lean, tender, and easy to cut into evenly sized pieces for quick cooking. Cook them to an internal temperature of 165°F. Chicken thighs can also be used. They are safe at 165°F, but I prefer cooking them to approximately 175°F to 185°F for a more tender texture.
- Olive Oil: Used to help cook and saute the chicken and vegetables. So they are tender and flavorful.
- Low Sodium Soy Sauce: Mixed with water, soy sauce adds a bit of salty umami flavor to the sweet and sticky sauce.
- Light Brown Sugar & Honey: Both of these ingredients add a rich sweetness to the sauce while helping it thicken giving it the classic sticky texture you want in teriyaki sauce. If you don't have honey on hand, you can use all light brown sugar in its place. The sauce will be just a touch less sweet but still delicious!
- Mirin: Adds mild sweetness, savory depth, and a glossy finish to the teriyaki sauce. If you do not have mirin, substitute 1 tablespoon sake or dry sherry plus ½ teaspoon sugar. For an alcohol-free alternative, use water with a small amount of sugar. Rice vinegar can be used in a pinch, but it will make the sauce tangier.
- Sesame Oil: Gives the teriyaki sauce a nutty flavor that makes its flavor more complex and interesting.
- Aromatics: Fresh ginger and garlic add bold, zingy flavors, giving the sauce more depth of flavor.
- Cornstarch: Helps thicken the sauce so it coats the chicken beautifully.
- Broccoli: Adds fresh flavor, crisp texture, and extra color to the teriyaki chicken bowl. Cut the florets into similar-sized pieces so they cook evenly without becoming mushy.
- Yellow Squash: Adds mild sweetness, tender texture, and vibrant color that pairs well with the savory teriyaki sauce. Zucchini can be used as a substitute.
- Jasmine Rice: Its fluffy texture and light fragrance make it my preferred option for soaking up the sweet and savory sauce. Calrose rice creates a slightly stickier bowl, while long-grain white or brown rice also works well.
How To Make a Teriyaki Chicken Bowl
- Cook the Jasmine Rice: Rinse the rice, then add the rice and water to a saucepan, bring to a boil, cover, reduce the heat to low, and let it cook for 15-18 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the rice rest for 5 to 10 minutes, covered.
- Season the Chicken: In a bowl, add cubed chicken, black pepper, and onion powder. Then, toss to coat.
- Cook the Chicken: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken in a single layer, spaced apart to avoid steaming, for 5-7 minutes or until browned and the thickest pieces reach 165℉ internally. Remove, set aside, and cover with foil.
- Mix the Teriyaki Sauce: While the chicken is cooking, whisk together soy sauce, water, brown sugar, mirin, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, honey, and cornstarch in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Saute Vegetables: Add olive oil to the same skillet, and add broccoli and yellow squash. Saute for 5 to 7 minutes or until fork tender. Then, add cooked chicken back in.
- Thicken the Sauce: Pour the sauce into the skillet and cook for 2-3 minutes, occasionally stirring or until it is glossy and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
- Assemble the Bowls: Divide the rice among 4 bowls, top with teriyaki chicken and vegetables. Garnish with green onion and sesame seeds before serving.
Hint
Don't be alarmed if the sauce for your teriyaki chicken and rice bowls seems a bit thin, it will thicken a bit more once it begins to cool slightly.
Recipe Tips
- Pat the Chicken Dry. Removing any excess moisture before cooking aids the chicken in browning nicely and ensures it doesn't stick to the pan.
- Dice the Chicken Evenly. Make sure the chicken is cut into similar-sized pieces so they cook in the same amount of time.
- Check the Internal Temperature. Cook the chicken until the thickest pieces reach 165°F. Remove them from the skillet promptly once they reach that temperature to prevent the small pieces from becoming dry. The USDA identifies 165°F as the safe minimum internal temperature for all poultry, including breasts and thighs.
- Adjust the Sauce Consistency. If it's not thick enough you can add more cornstarch and water to the sauce and continue cooking and stirring until it becomes thicker. If it's too thick, add water in small increments to reach your desired consistency.
Variations
- Other Meats: Use shrimp instead of chicken for a seafood variation. If you prefer a beef version try our Beef Teriyaki Recipe instead.
- Vegetarian: Make it vegetarian by swapping the chicken for extra-firm tofu.
- Make it gluten-free: Use a gluten-free soy sauce or tamari in place of the soy sauce.
- Add some veggies: Mix in some bell peppers, carrots, or snow peas during the last few minutes of cooking the chicken to sneak in some extra veggies!
- Add some heat: Add a pinch of red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, or sriracha to the sauce for some spice.
- Whole grains: Instead of teriyaki chicken and rice, make your bowls with quinoa or brown rice.
- Prefer noodles: Swap the rice for your favorite noodles. Consider rice noodles, soba noodles, lo mein noodles, or even spaghetti if that's all you've got!
- Lower carb: For lower carb serving options, you can serve the teriyaki chicken over some riced cauliflower, zoodles, or a bed of greens.
What to Serve With This Teriyaki Chicken Bowl
The beauty of rice bowls is that they are essentially an entire meal in a bowl! You've got the protein, starch, and veggie. This is perfect for easy weeknight dinners or a quick and easy-to-carry lunch for the week.
This dish is ideal for serving guests or for a special occasion. Start things off with some egg rolls or another easy appetizer. You might also consider adding on a fresh strawberry spinach salad or salad if you're looking for some other options for the meal. End things with something sweet like these coconut lime cookies or custard puffs.
Storing & Freezing
- Storing: Store leftovers after they're fully cooled in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. Store the chicken, rice, and broccoli separately for best results.
- Freezing: This teriyaki chicken freezes well! Let it cool completely before adding it to a freezer-safe bag or container. It will stay fresh for up to three months. When you're ready to eat, thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat until warmed through.
- Reheat: Return the chicken to a skillet to heat or heat the leftovers in the microwave.
Teriyaki Chicken Bowl FAQ
Yes. You can use bottled teriyaki sauce, but the sweetness, sodium, thickness, and ingredient list vary by brand. Start with a smaller amount and add more as needed.
This bowl provides chicken, rice, and vegetables in one meal. Because teriyaki sauce can be high in sodium, use low-sodium soy sauce and adjust the serving size to suit your dietary needs.
Yes! You can cook the chicken and prepare the sauce up to a day in advance. Store both in the fridge until you're ready to use them. When you're ready to eat, simply reheat everything in a skillet until warmed through.
More Easy Chicken Recipes
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Teriyaki Chicken Bowl with Rice and Broccoli
Equipment
Ingredients
Chicken
- 1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Rice
- 2 cups Jasmine rice
- 3 cups water
Teriyaki Sauce
- ⅓ cup low sodium soy sauce
- 1 cup water
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon mirin
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger peeled and minced
- 2 teaspoons garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1½ tablespoons cornstarch
Broccoli
- 2 cups broccoli florets
- 1 yellow squash sliced and halved
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Rinse the rice, then add the rice and water to a saucepan, bring to a boil, cover, reduce the heat to low, and let it cook for 15-18 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the rice rest for 5 to 10 minutes, covered.
- In a bowl, add cubed chicken, black pepper, and onion powder. Then, toss to coat.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken in a single layer, spaced apart to avoid steaming, for 5-7 minutes or until browned and the thickest pieces reach 165℉ internally. Remove, set aside, and cover with foil.
- While the chicken is cooking, whisk together soy sauce, water, brown sugar, mirin, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, honey, and cornstarch in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Add olive oil to the same skillet, and add broccoli and yellow squash. Saute for 5 to 7 minutes or until fork tender. Then, add cooked chicken back in.
- Pour the sauce into the skillet and cook for 2-3 minutes, occasionally stirring or until it is glossy and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
- Divide the rice among 4 bowls, top with teriyaki chicken and vegetables. Garnish with green onion and sesame seeds before serving.
Notes
- Cut the chicken into evenly sized 1-inch pieces so it cooks at the same rate. Chicken breast should reach an internal temperature of 165°F.
- Avoid overcrowding the skillet. Cook the chicken in two batches if necessary so it browns instead of steaming.
- Let the teriyaki sauce reach a steady simmer so the cornstarch can thicken it. The sauce is ready when it looks glossy and coats the back of a spoon.
- Chicken thighs can be substituted for chicken breasts. Although they are safe at 165°F, cooking them to about 175°F to 185°F produces a more tender texture.
- Store the rice, chicken, and vegetables in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Add a splash of water or extra sauce before reheating to keep the rice from drying out.
Nutrition
*All nutrition information provided is automatically calculated and is an estimate and will vary based on ingredients, brands, and changes in cooking methods listed in the recipe. If you need exact numbers on your ingredients, I would recommend calculating them with your preferred nutrition calculator.
Ryan Allen
We make this teriyaki chicken alot at my house. It is a quick dinner athat nver gets any complaints and it is a great way to get the kids to eat their broccoli.
Shaun
Wow that was an amazing dish. I had to use like oil instead of sesame oil and white vinegar instead of rice vinegar. I used Mikes hot honey just for some extra flavor and it came out great.
Ryan Allen
That sounds amazing! Love the swaps and Mike’s Hot Honey is a great touch. So glad it still turned out great for you!
Heather
Can I substitute with gluten free teriyaki sauce instead? If so how much would I use?
Ryan Allen
Yes, you can use gluten free teriyaki sauce. I would use about 1 1/2 cups.
Heather
Thank you much!! So excited to make this tonight!!!