Easy Teriyaki Chicken Recipe that tastes better than takeout. This chicken teriyaki is a family favorite! Simple easy dinner idea. We served it over buttery white rice with broccoli. Yum! | natashaskitchen.com

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Because we all still need to eat real meals leading up to Christmas and not everyone can survive on Christmas cookies; so this! Teriyaki chicken is a quick and easy dinner and tastes better than takeout. It’s hard to stop eating that honey orange glaze. Not too sweet and not too salty, but just right.

The chicken thighs are tender and delicious. If you’re like me and love super clean meat, chicken thighs can be a little annoying to trim but it’s so worth it. You can’t beat the juiciness and flavor of thigh meat.

I learned how to make this simple and delicious teriyaki chicken from Juliana on Instagram! Her delicious photo of glazed teriyaki chicken over white rice came up in my feed and I was like “gimme ‘dat chicken ?!” I love getting dinner-time inspiration on Instagram!

The ingredient list is so simple, but it works! We’ve made it 3 times in the past week and a half and even when I burned the sauce , my hubby and son still enjoyed it. Leave it to me to burn the sauce.

Easy Teriyaki Chicken Recipe that tastes better than takeout. This chicken teriyaki is a family favorite! Simple easy dinner idea. We served it over buttery white rice with broccoli. Yum! | natashaskitchen.com

Watch how to make Chicken Teriyaki!

Ingredients for Chicken Teriyaki Recipe:

1/4 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (from 1 1/2 medium or 1 large oranges)
3 Tbsp honey
1 tsp finely grated fresh ginger
1 tsp sesame oil
1 1/2 to 2 lbs (about 6-7 medium) boneless skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of fat
1 Tbsp oil (I use light olive oil)
1 1/2 Tbsp unsalted butter
Green onion and sesame seeds for garnish, optional

Easy Teriyaki Chicken Recipe that tastes better than takeout. This chicken teriyaki is a family favorite! Simple easy dinner idea. We served it over buttery white rice with broccoli. Yum!

Cooks Tip: How to Peel and Grate fresh ginger:

1. Peel with a spoon. It’s the easiest way to get the skin off. Grate peeled ginger with a fine grater or zester.

Easy Teriyaki Chicken Recipe that tastes better than takeout. This chicken teriyaki is a family favorite! Simple easy dinner idea. We served it over buttery white rice with broccoli. Yum!

How to Make Teriyaki Chicken:

1. In a large bowl, whisk together all marinade ingredients: 1/4 cup soy sauce, 1/3 cup orange juice, 3 Tbsp honey, 1 tsp ginger and 1 tsp sesame oil.

Teriyaki Chicken Recipe-5

2. Cut chicken into 1-inch pieces and place into marinade. Stir and cover with plastic wrap and marinate on the counter 20 min.

Teriyaki Chicken Recipe-6

3. Heat a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 Tbsp olive oil. Remove chicken from marinade with a slotted spoon, reserving marinade in the bowl. Add chicken to the hot pan and sauté, stirring occasionally until golden and cooked through (5 min).

Teriyaki Chicken Recipe-7

4. Remove pan from heat and transfer chicken to a bowl. (Don’t leave the empty pan over the heat or you may scorch the bottom of the pan and ruin the sauce – been there, done that and if it happens to you, continue making the sauce using a clean pan). 

Easy Teriyaki Chicken Recipe that tastes better than takeout. This chicken teriyaki is a family favorite! Simple easy dinner idea. We served it over buttery white rice with broccoli. Yum!

5. Pour reserved marinade into the pan, add 1 1/2 Tbsp butter (it’s in bold for my own sake because I’ve forgotten it before and it just wasn’t the same) and place back over medium/high heat. Bring to a boil stirring constantly until slightly thickened (1 min) then remove from heat. Add chicken back to the pan and stir to combine.

Teriyaki Chicken Recipe-8Easy Teriyaki Chicken Recipe that tastes better than takeout. This chicken teriyaki is a family favorite! Simple easy dinner idea. We served it over buttery white rice with broccoli. Yum!

Serve over hot buttery white rice garnished with fresh green onion and a sprinkle of sesame seeds for pizzazle. I served it with steamed broccoli to appease my conscience and make it a meal.

Natasha's Kitchen Cookbook

Easy Teriyaki Chicken Recipe

4.88 from 164 votes
Author: Natasha Kravchuk
This teriyaki chicken tastes better than takeout. It's hard to stop eating that honey orange glaze. Not too sweet and not too salty, but just right.
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 8 minutes
Total Time: 38 minutes

Ingredients 

Servings: 4 as a main course
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 1/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice, from 1 1/2 medium or 1 large oranges
  • 3 Tbsp honey
  • 1 tsp finely grated fresh ginger
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 1 1/2 to 2 lbs about 6-7 medium boneless skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of fat
  • 1 Tbsp oil, I use light olive oil
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp unsalted butter
  • Green onion and sesame seeds for garnish, optional

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, whisk together all marinade ingredients: 1/4 cup soy sauce, 1/3 cup orange juice, 3 Tbsp honey, 1 tsp ginger and 1 tsp sesame oil.
  • Cut chicken into 1-inch pieces and place into marinade. Stir and cover with plastic wrap and marinate on the counter 20 min.
  • Heat a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 Tbsp olive oil. Remove chicken from marinade with a slotted spoon, reserving marinade in the bowl. Add chicken to the hot pan and sauté, stirring occasionally until golden and cooked through (5 min).
  • Remove pan from heat and transfer chicken to a bowl.
  • Pour reserved marinade into the pan, add 1 1/2 Tbsp butter and place back over medium/high heat. Bring to a boil stirring constantly until slightly thickened (1 min) then remove from heat. Add chicken back to the pan and stir to combine. Serve over hot buttery white rice garnished with fresh green onion and a sprinkle of sesame seeds if desired.

Notes

How to Peel and Grate fresh ginger: Peel with a spoon. It's the easiest way to get the skin off. Grate peeled ginger with a fine grater or zester.
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Asian, Chinese
Keyword: teriyaki chicken
Skill Level: Easy
Cost to Make: $

If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen

 

Now that’s what I call teriyaki chicken! I love that it glows – do you see it too?

Easy Teriyaki Chicken Recipe that tastes better than takeout. This chicken teriyaki is a family favorite! Simple easy dinner idea. We served it over buttery white rice with broccoli. Yum!

Easy Teriyaki Chicken Recipe that tastes better than takeout. This chicken teriyaki is a family favorite! Simple easy dinner idea. We served it over buttery white rice with broccoli. Yum!
This chicken teriyaki easy to make and the sauce is just right. A chicken teriyaki recipe that totally satisfies the craving for takeout, only way better! | natashaskitchen.com

Natasha Kravchuk

Welcome to my kitchen! I am Natasha, the blogger behind Natasha's Kitchen (since 2009). My husband and I run this blog together and share only our best, family approved and tested recipes with YOU. Thanks for stopping by! We are so happy you're here.

Read more posts by Natasha

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Recipe Rating




Comments

  • Denise Valencia
    November 13, 2019

    Wow the recipe was quick and easy-and man was it delicious!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      November 14, 2019

      I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Denise!

      Reply

  • Mark
    September 13, 2019

    Question. Instead of boneless chicken thighs. Could I use boneless chicken breasts?

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      September 14, 2019

      Hi Mark, I prefer chicken thighs for this recipe since they are more tender and chicken breast is easier to overcook, but you could also make it work with chicken breast.

      Reply

  • Natasha
    September 7, 2019

    Very delicious!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      September 7, 2019

      I’m so happy you enjoyed that!

      Reply

  • Varun Reddy
    June 7, 2019

    absolutely wonderful! i was a little hesitant about so much orange juice and honey but it is so good!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      June 7, 2019

      I’m so happy you enjoyed that Varun!! Thank you for sharing that awesome review with me!

      Reply

  • James
    May 22, 2019

    I stumbled across this recipe through Google, and my god it is wonderful. This has very rapidly become a household staple.

    The good thing is the mix is pretty forgiving in terms of ratios. If you accidentally add more sesame oil, or the orange you’re juicing doesn’t have a strong flavour, or you decide to go nuts and grate up a huge chunk of ginger, it doesn’t really matter. All the flavours come through and it is just a delightful sauce.

    We serve with brown rice and steamed green beans with lots of fresh spring onions. Absolutely joyful and delicious.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      May 22, 2019

      That’s so great James! I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe!!

      Reply

  • Joy
    April 5, 2019

    I cooked this recipe today and it was certainly delicious thank you for sharing your recipe!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      April 5, 2019

      You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it Joy!

      Reply

  • Patricia
    February 22, 2019

    Using the marinate
    I thought you shouldn’t use the marinate .

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      February 22, 2019

      Hi Patricia, bringing the mixture to a boil ensures that the sauce is safe. This is also why I cook the sauce separately and then add the cooked chicken back to the pan. 🙂

      Reply

  • C Wade
    February 19, 2019

    This recipe was so easy to make and it tasted delicious! I also added 1/4 cup oyster sauce.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      February 19, 2019

      That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite!.

      Reply

  • Thao
    February 11, 2019

    How many calories approximately is this dish per serving? 🙂

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      February 11, 2019

      Hi Thao, We are working on adding nutrition labels and metric measurements on all of our recipes. It’s a slow process since it is one recipe at a time. Until all of the recipes are updated, check out this nutrition analyzer. You can plug in the ingredients from any recipe, select the serving size and it will give you nutritional info, calories, etc. I hope that is helpful to you!

      Reply

  • nero
    November 12, 2018

    How do I make the recipe using this teriyaki marinade?

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      November 13, 2018

      Hi Nero. Since I haven’t tried that recipe I would not know the results of that. I recommend just pouring this in at the same stage you apply the marinade to the chicken in the recipe 🙂

      Reply

      • nero
        November 13, 2018

        I first cut the chicken into pieces and marinated it for 4 hours I used the whole bottle. Then I followed step 3 through 5. I used soy vay island teriyaki sauce.

        Reply

        • Natashas Kitchen
          November 14, 2018

          Thank you for sharing that with us!!

          Reply

      • Glyselle
        November 25, 2019

        Hi I dont have sesame oil any alternative?

        Reply

        • Natashas Kitchen
          November 26, 2019

          Hi Glyselle, sesame oil gives the recipe more authentic flavor but it would still taste great without it.

          Reply

  • Cyndi
    September 15, 2018

    Could you do this in a slow cooker?

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      September 16, 2018

      Hi Cyndi! Honestly I haven’t tried this in a slow cooker so I can’t say. If you experiment please let me know how you like the recipe!

      Reply

  • Annabel Morgan
    August 24, 2018

    Didn’t change a thing, this recipe is so good!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      August 24, 2018

      That’s so great Annabel. Thank you for sharing your awesome review!

      Reply

  • Sofia
    August 21, 2018

    Just wanted to say what an AMAZING recipe this is! Thank you so much! My sister made this a while ago, now its my turn. One thing that I am curious about though is, if you don’t have ginger can you use garlic? (I am no professional cooker 🙂

    Reply

    • Natasha
      August 21, 2018

      Hi Sofia, it is difficult to sub ginger since it has such a unique flavor and makes it taste more like an authentic stir fry. If fresh garlic is all you have on hand, it would still taste good, but we do prefer stir fry’s with ginger.

      Reply

  • Brooke
    August 12, 2018

    Half of these recipes don’t cook like they show it This sauce. completely burnt in my frying pan & turned brown just from cooking the chicken the first time

    Reply

    • Natasha
      August 12, 2018

      Hi Brooke, it could be that your cooktop runs hot. If you are having issues with over-cooking, I would suggest turning down the heat lower than what is called for in recipes so stay on the safe side and reduce the risk of burning/scorching foods.

      Reply

  • Teena99
    July 17, 2018

    First of all, Thank -You Natasha for sharing this recipe! I have made this on several different occasions. It is very easy to follow and we always enjoy it. I have read several comments throughout the years. The only changes made are one, I do use chicken breast, and did follow a readers suggestion. ( I put a little baking soda in the marinade, and it has consistently come out moist and tender.) The other thing I do, ( and am shocked I never saw this one in reviews or tweaks ) is that I always just barely boil cashews and add to it. Anyways, FANTASTIC… thank you again!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      July 17, 2018

      Thank you for sharing those tips with us Teena! I’m happy you are enjoying our recipes!

      Reply

    • Heyzuu
      October 9, 2018

      Hi.. how much baking soda did you specifically use? Thank you.

      Reply

      • Vicki
        March 31, 2019

        1 tablespoon of baking soda should be enough for that much chicken. When making oriental dishes we always cut up the chicken and mix in 1 tablespoon baking soda, 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 1 tablespoon oil and let the chicken sit for about 15 minutes then add the other sauces. The chicken stays tender even when reheating the next day.

        Reply

    • Shewolf
      September 14, 2019

      could you just use coconut oil or extra olive oil instead of the butter if you’re dairy free? or would it not work without the butter?

      Reply

      • Natasha
        September 16, 2019

        Hi, we always use butter but I think it could work well with a substitution.

        Reply

  • Anna
    June 10, 2018

    Hi Natasha! Thank you so much for the amazing recipe – my family loves it. We have recently started getting serious about meal-prepping in advance for the week; does this recipe freeze well? Have you tried to freeze it? Thanks! 🙂

    Reply

    • Natasha
      June 11, 2018

      Hi Anna! Meal prepping is so smart. I haven’t tried freezing this so I can’t say for sure, but I imagine the cooked chicken could freeze well. I wish I had a more concrete answer for you.

      Reply

  • JessieB
    June 9, 2018

    So delicious! My picky husband LOVED it! This will be added to my list of go to recipes. I love how easy to follow it is… the print out version is super helpful and clear.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      June 11, 2018

      I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Jessie! Thank you for the great review!

      Reply

  • christine
    June 6, 2018

    hi.can I use beef instead of chicken for this recipe?thanks

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      June 6, 2018

      Hi Christine, I haven’t tried it on beef but I imagine it would taste great with beef 🙂 If you try it out, let me know how you liked it!

      Reply

  • Ver Garcia
    May 9, 2018

    Can I use brown sugar instead of honey for the marinade? Thanks

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      May 9, 2018

      Hi Ver, yes that should work well with brown sugar.

      Reply

  • Vera
    April 28, 2018

    I used pineapple juice instead of orange juice and two boneless, skinless chicken breasts. After I thickened the marinade in a pan, I added a 10 oz bag of frozen veggies that contained broccoli, carrots, snap peas and water chestnuts. I cooked the veggies for a few minutes until thoroughly heated, stirring constantly to ensure they were evenly covered in the sauce, and then added the chicken. Served over white rice with a side of grilled pineapple rings.

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      April 28, 2018

      I’m drooling just thinking about that! Thanks for sharing your delicious review with other readers Vera!

      Reply

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