Teriyaki Chicken Rice Bowl (Printer-Friendly)

Tender chicken in glossy teriyaki sauce over steamed rice with colorful vegetables and tropical pineapple.

# What You Need:

→ Chicken and Marinade

01 - 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
02 - 1/3 cup soy sauce
03 - 1/4 cup mirin
04 - 2 tbsp brown sugar
05 - 2 tbsp honey
06 - 1 tbsp rice vinegar
07 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
08 - 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
09 - 1 tsp sesame oil
10 - 1 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tbsp water

→ Rice

11 - 2 cups jasmine or short-grain white rice
12 - 3 cups water
13 - Pinch of salt

→ Vegetables

14 - 1 cup broccoli florets
15 - 1 cup carrots, thinly sliced
16 - 1 cup red bell pepper, sliced
17 - 1 cup snap peas
18 - 1 tbsp vegetable oil

→ Garnish

19 - 1 cup fresh pineapple, diced
20 - 2 tbsp scallions, sliced
21 - 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds

# How-To Steps:

01 - Rinse rice under cold water until water runs clear. Combine rice, 3 cups water, and pinch of salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand covered for 10 minutes.
02 - In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, mirin, brown sugar, honey, rice vinegar, minced garlic, grated ginger, and sesame oil until well combined.
03 - Place chicken pieces in a bowl and pour half of the teriyaki sauce over them. Toss to coat evenly and let marinate for at least 10 minutes while preparing vegetables.
04 - Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add broccoli, carrots, bell pepper, and snap peas. Stir-fry for 3 to 4 minutes until vegetables are crisp-tender. Remove vegetables and set aside.
05 - In the same pan, add marinated chicken with its marinade. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until chicken is browned and cooked through.
06 - Add remaining teriyaki sauce to the pan with cooked chicken. Stir cornstarch mixture until smooth, then add to the sauce. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes until sauce becomes thick and glossy.
07 - Fluff cooked rice and divide evenly among four serving bowls. Top each with teriyaki chicken and sauce, sautéed vegetables, and diced pineapple. Sprinkle with scallions and toasted sesame seeds.

# Helpful Hints:

01 -
  • The whole meal cooks in under 45 minutes, making it perfect for weeknight dinners when you want something that tastes like you spent hours on it.
  • That glossy teriyaki sauce is genuinely addictive—it hits that sweet-savory balance that makes you want to lick your bowl clean.
  • Everything comes together in one pan (well, almost), which means less cleanup and more time actually enjoying your food.
02 -
  • Don't skip rinsing the rice—I learned this the hard way when I made a gluey batch that clumped together like paste, and it completely changed how the sauce sat on top.
  • The cornstarch slurry must be smooth before it hits the pan, or you'll end up with little floury pockets that never dissolve; mix it separately in a cup first.
  • Mirin is worth hunting down at an Asian market or online—the flavor difference between real mirin and a honey substitute is genuinely night-and-day.
03 -
  • Make the sauce the night before and store it in the fridge—the flavors meld and deepen, and you'll save yourself time on busy weeknights.
  • Don't let your rice sit more than an hour after cooking, as it starts to dry out and harden; the window right after cooking and resting is when it's fluffiest.
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