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Forget takeout! These teriyaki chicken rice bowls have juicy grilled chicken, fresh sautéed veggies and the stickiest homemade teriyaki sauce, all ready in about 30 minutes.
It’s faster than takeout, uses simple ingredients, and makes an easy weeknight dinner everyone can customize.
Yesterday I said to my husband, I want takeout-style teriyaki chicken, but I need an easy dinner I can make at home. And voila, we made these awesome teriyaki rice bowls!
The reality is, you want takeout but don’t have the time to pick up, budget to eat out or desire to eat fast food. So what do you do when you’re craving takeout? Skip the Takeout: This Easy Teriyaki Chicken Bowl Is Ready in 30 Minutes and makes a great freezer meal!
The first time I made teriyaki chicken at home I was so disappointed by the dry chicken with a watery sauce that was overly sweet and nothing like my favorite takeout. We had to test a lot of different recipes and styles (ditch the slow cooker this time) to come up with a 20-30 minute dinner idea that’s a cheap recipe on a busy weeknight. Buying a low sodium sauce helps it not be too salty that you need to load it with brown sugar and still maintains the flavor.
But there was still one problem: thin and watery sauce was not what I remembered from our local restaurant. I need a thick, glossy and sticky sauce. The perfect amount of cornstarch or ez gel solved that problem with just a few turns of the whisk and heat set to simmer!
QUICK LOOK
- Time: 30 minutes
- Protein: Chicken thighs
- Sauce: Homemade teriyaki
- Veggies: Carrots, zucchini, squash + onion
- Best for: Quick dinners and meal prep
Why You’ll Love This Teriyaki Chicken Rice Bowl
- Ready in 30 minutes: Chicken, veggies, rice and homemade sauce without spending all night in the kitchen.
- Better than takeout: That sticky homemade teriyaki sauce makes the whole bowl.
- Kid-approved: This is one of the few dinners every single one of my kids devours.
- Easy to customize: Swap the vegetables, protein or rice and make it your own.
Ingredients You Will Need
Teriyaki Chicken
- Soy Sauce: The salty, savory base of our homemade teriyaki sauce.
- Brown Sugar + Honey: Add sweetness and help create that sticky, glossy glaze.
- Garlic: Adds plenty of savory flavor.
- Ground Ginger: Gives the sauce that classic warm teriyaki flavor.
- Cornstarch: Thickens the sauce so it clings to the chicken.
- Chicken Thighs: Our favorite because they stay incredibly juicy and flavorful. Chicken breasts work too!
For the Veggies
- Carrots: Add sweetness and a little crunch.
- Yellow Squash + Zucchini: Cook quickly and soak up that teriyaki sauce.
- Onion + Garlic: Build the savory flavor of the vegetables.
- Olive Oil: For sautéing everything until tender and golden.
For the Bowls
- Rice: Jasmine or short-grain rice are our favorites, but use whatever you have.
- Sesame Seeds + Green Onions: Optional, but so good for a little crunch and fresh flavor.
How to Make Teriyaki Chicken Rice Bowls
- Make the Teriyaki Sauce: Combine the sauce ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Whisk together the water and cornstarch, then slowly whisk it into the sauce. Simmer for a few minutes until thick and glossy.
- Grill the Chicken: Season the chicken with salt and pepper and grill over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes per side, or until cooked through. Let it rest before slicing.
- Sauté the Veggies: While the chicken cooks, heat olive oil in a skillet. Sauté the onion until tender, add the garlic, then add the remaining vegetables. Season with salt and pepper and cook until tender and lightly golden.
- Build Your Bowls: Spoon rice into each bowl and top with sliced chicken and sautéed vegetables. Drizzle generously with teriyaki sauce and finish with sesame seeds and green onions.
Variations and Add-Ins
Rice bowls are ridiculously easy to customize, so use what your family loves or whatever is hanging out in the fridge.
- Change the protein: Try shrimp, beef or pork with the same homemade teriyaki sauce.
- Add pineapple: Fresh or canned pineapple adds a sweet, tangy bite.
- Make it spicy: Add red pepper flakes or sriracha to the sauce.
- Go meatless: Load your bowl with extra vegetables for a veggie teriyaki bowl.
- Swap the rice: Try brown rice, quinoa or cauliflower rice.
Why Make Teriyaki Chicken at Home?
Because you get:
- Juicier chicken
- More sauce
- Sauce that’s actually sticky
- Fresh vegetables
- Control over sweetness
- A cheaper dinner
- No waiting for delivery
Teriyaki Chicken Rice Bowl FAQs
I prefer chicken thighs in this recipe. They have such great flavor and complement the teriyaki sauce beautifully. You can definitely use chicken breasts or chicken tenders as well.
Traditional soy sauce contains wheat. To make these teriyaki chicken bowls gluten-free, use a certified gluten-free soy sauce or tamari and double-check the labels on your remaining ingredients.
Absolutely! But if you have the extra few minutes, the homemade teriyaki sauce is worth it.
Almost anything! We use carrots, zucchini, yellow squash and onion, but broccoli, bell peppers, green beans, mushrooms and snap peas are all delicious.
Absolutely! I do this all the time. Let the extra sauce cool completely, then refrigerate it for up to a week or freeze it for up to 3 months.
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
I need something that works for meal prep.
Me too. My life is busy and I always need something that works for meal prep so we aren’t late to soccer practice or picking up a teen from work.
These teriyaki chicken bowls are great for meal prep! Make the sauce up to a week ahead, or prep the chicken, veggies and rice in advance for easy lunches and dinners.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. The chicken and sauce can be stored together or separately, whichever you prefer! Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop; I prefer the stovetop for the chicken so it stays juicy.
- NOTE: If rice gets dry when reheating just add a little water, gently lay plastic wrap or a lid over the top while microwaving and your rice will be perfect once again!
You can also freeze the chicken and teriyaki sauce for up to 3 months, either together or separately. Using meal prep containers works really well. Allow everything to cool completely and then portion into servings and freeze. Rice can be frozen too, making this an easy dinner to portion into freezer meals.
So, when you need something fast for a weeknight dinner you can throw chicken over rice, brown rice, quinoa or even riced cauliflower with your favorite fresh or frozen veggies for a better than takeout fakeout! And my real win? It’s a dinner my whole family will eat without complaining!
Once you realize how easy it is to make that sticky homemade teriyaki sauce, these chicken rice bowls become one of those dinners you’ll come back to again and again. Change up the veggies, swap the protein or pile on extra sauce because let’s be honest, the sauce is the best part!
More Easy Chicken Dinner Recipes to Try:
- Quick and Easy Cashew Chicken
- Easy Chicken Parmesan
- 10 Minute Garlic Butter Chicken
- Bourbon Chicken
- Chicken Stir Fry
Teriyaki Chicken Rice Bowls
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 1 Cup Water
- 1/3 Cup Soy Sauce
- 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
- 1 Clove Garlic, minced
- 1 Tablespoon Honey
- 1/2 teaspoon Ground Ginger
- 2 Tablespoons Water
- 2 Tablespoons Cornstarch
- 8 Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs
For the Veggies
- 2 Cups Baby Carrots, cut lengthwise
- 2 Yellow Squash, small, cut into bite size pieces
- 2 Zucchinis, small, cut into bite size pieces
- 1 Yellow Onion, quartered and cut into bite size pieces
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- 3-4 Cloves Garlic, minced
For the Bowl
- 2 Cups Rice, cooked
- Salt and Pepper, to taste
- Sesame Seeds and Green Onions, for garnish
Instructions
- Heat a saucepan over medium heat and add the water, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, honey and ground ginger. Bring to a boil.1 Cup Water, 1/3 Cup Soy Sauce, 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar, 1 Clove Garlic, 1 Tablespoon Honey, 1/2 teaspoon Ground Ginger
- Meanwhile, whisk the water and cornstarch together then slowly whisk into the sauce.2 Tablespoons Water, 2 Tablespoons Cornstarch
- Allow the sauce to continue cooking at a soft boil for 1-3 minutes or until thick. Set aside.
- Heat a grill or grill pan over medium high heat.
- Sprinkle each side of the chicken with salt and pepper.8 Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs, Salt and Pepper
- Place the chicken on the grill and cook for 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until cooked through.
- Allow to rest on a plate for 2 minutes, then cut into slices.
- Serve over rice with sauce.
For the Veggies
- While the chicken is cooking, slice the baby carrots, yellow squash, zucchini (you can buy little packages of precut baby squash if you want) and onion.2 Cups Baby Carrots, 2 Yellow Squash, 2 Zucchinis, 1 Yellow Onion
- Drizzle the olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat and sauté the onion until it is almost translucent. Then add the garlic and let it cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.1 Tablespoon Olive Oil, 3-4 Cloves Garlic
- Toss in the other veggies and salt and pepper them. Let them sauté until they are golden on one side and then flip them and repeat. Salt and Pepper
- If you're looking for even easier, sometimes I just toss everything in a little olive oil, S&P them and throw them in the oven on 425 degrees F for 20-25 minutes and roast them.
For the Bowl
- Serve the chicken and vegetables over cooked rice.2 Cups Rice
- Garnish with sesame seeds and green onions.Sesame Seeds and Green Onions
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
