Easy Teriyaki Chicken Recipe
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.
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.
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
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.
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.
2. Cut chicken into 1-inch pieces and place into marinade. Stir and cover with plastic wrap and marinate on the counter 20 min.
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).
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).
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.
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.
Easy Teriyaki Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 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
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?
Natasha Kravchuk
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
Hi Natasha
I love your recipes they are all great particularly the teriyaki chicken stir fry. Past it to many friends who have all loved it. My only variation is that I add 1/2 a teaspoon cornflour as it improves the consistency a lot and the sauce tastes better xx
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Anna!
I just made this for dinner tonight. Very good!! Will be in the rotarion!
I’m so glad you found a favorite, Stephanie! 🙂
LOVE this recipe. I generally do 2-2.5kg of chicken with a 4x batch of sauce, then freeze in portions on top of rice. Makes for easy microwave dinners after long work days. I sub fresh ginger with dried (heaping 1/4 tsp in a 4x batch). When serving I add a bit of mayo on top, which may sound strange but is delicious (and is how my favourite Japanese restaurant serves it!).
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Em!
Did not care for this recipe. The orange flavor is weird. If you give it a try, triple the sauce ingredients. And definitely be careful. This sauce burns VERY quickly.
I made it and it was quite good. You probably didn’t make it right. And did you really need to share that you didn’t like the recipe? You sound like a complainer.
I tried this recipe tonight and it turned out great! I haven’t made teriyaki sauce from scratch before so I was kind of intimidated but it was super simple and had a great flavor once it was done! I also added a bit of corn starch when adding the butter to help the sauce thicken a bit more.
Yum! Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Jessica!
Natasha,just made chicken teriyaki for dinner…The taste was heavenly with amazingly succulent chicken…
Stay blessed and keep sharing your wonderful recipes…
Much love
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Sara!
This recipe WINS. LOVED it.
I’m so happy you enjoeyd this recipe, Heather!
What type of soy sauce do you recommend? I just made it with a Chinese dark soy and it rather swamped all the other flavours.
Hi Chris, I used regular Kikkoman brand soy sauce (as photographed).
Thanks for the reply – I really should pay more attention to the pictures! That explains it nicely – I’ll try again with Kikkoman as I can see this should be a winning recipe.
Love, love, love following you on FB. I have tried so many of your recipes and since I am not a cook you make it easy for me to follow. Thank you Natasha. 🤗
Aww, that’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing that with me Alana!
Thank you Natasha.
You’re welcome, Lynn!
Which honey is the best to use for this teriyaki chicken recipe?
Hi Lynn, I don’t use any specific flavored ones, just a basic one from Costco. Jut about any honey would work
Which honey is best for this recipe?
Hi Lynn, I don’t use any specific flavored ones, just a basic one from Costco. Jut about any honey would work
Hi Natasha. This recipe looks great! Can I substitute turkey thighs instead of chicken?
Hi Donna, I haven’t tested that but here’s what one of our readers wrote ” Hi Natasha, thank you so much for this recipe, just made it with turkey fillets and it it’s absolutely delicious, I did use maple syrup instead of honey. It was last minute recipe for me too, great instructions, worked out as you stated and it will now be a staple. Well done!” I hope that helps.
Thank you! I’ll give it a try.
Hi Natasha,
Has this recipe been changed? Doesn’t taste like before after making it.
I have not changed the recipe, I suggest making a third time, let me know how it goes!
Do you think I can bake chicken together with the marinade? If yes, for how long? Thx
Hi Larisa, on of my readers shared the following helpful review: “I marinated them overnight and baked on low (275 oF) for 2.5 hours and on high for 10 minutes. It is perfect for Sunday’s lunch because I can leave it in the oven before church and when I come home from church I already have a lunch”
Hi Larisa, one of my readers shared the following helpful review: “I marinated them overnight and baked on low (275 oF) for 2.5 hours and on high for 10 minutes. It is perfect for Sunday’s lunch because I can leave it in the oven before church and when I come home from church I already have a lunch”
That review gave me an anxiety attack. So she leaves her home to go to church with the oven turned on and nobody to supervise the chicken in the oven? Sounds like a disaster waiting to happen.
I definitely would not recommend leaving your oven on when leaving the house. I think she meant leaving it in a warm oven to keep warm?
Hi Natasha! I forgot the ginger can I make it without it??
Hi Toni, 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.
I made a few changes to this recipe. The first time I made it I realized adding butter to a teriyaki glaze makes it a little greasy. I lived in Hawaii and no one adds butter to teriyaki. I tried it and did not like it. Besides it really doesn’t need it.
This time I added a little garlic to the marinade. And added cornstarch to the chicken before I started cooking. I let the marinade reduce then added the chicken back. Was very good.
So so good. Added veggies and slivered almonds with green onion garnish. Yum. Oh I also used white meat.
I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe Jean!
Hi Cheryl, yes you made it the authentic way. That’s how I remember my childhood girlfriend’s mother made it. They were Chinese. they all spoke chinese in the house. This was back in the late 60’s early 70’s
I just made this for dinner outstanding. I only added some fresh garlic bc we like it. But did everything else as directed.
Great to know that you enjoyed your dinner, Edith. Thank you for your excellent review and feedback!
I have been looking for an orange, ginger and teriyaki sauce for a long time. I marinated drumsticks for 24 hours, put them in the oven and boiled down the sauce. I put some veggies in a wok, put them on rice and poured the sauce over top with drumsticks on the side. Excellent recipe and simple, will use it a lot in the future with different variants. I use a lot of your recipes, they are tasty, quick and simple!
I’m so happy to hear that, Norm! Thank you for that amazing review!
This was so delicious! Followed the directions exactly and we loved it! It’s definitely a keeper! Thank you so much!
Sounds like you found a new favorite, Karen! Thank you so much for that wonderful review.
Your recipes are easy to follow with items most of us have in our pantry. In “my day” I had Graham Kerr and Julia Child. I had no idea what 3-4 of the ingredients were, nor did anyone at my grocery store! Therefore when I was “your age” I knew how to bake a potato, cooking anything on top of the stove forget it! I couldn’t afford the fire insurance! Thankful for Facebook and you a bright young teacher here for beginner cooks and rusty old cast irons like me! Thank you!
I’m so inspired reading your review. Thank you!
This teriyaki is SO delicious! Love it!
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review, Marie!
What is the shortest time to marinate it?
(Student)
Hi Ral, it really isn’t necessary with this recipe to marinate longer than 20 minutes.
So tasty and easy for a new mum! Simple is best as of lately.
Only thing I would do next time is double the maraide for my rice & veggies.
Thank-you!
Thank you so much for sharing that with us, Deana!
Loved it- I added a few julienned veggies and served over rice. Very easy and yummy! Thanks.
That sounds delicious! Thank you for that awesome review.
Just prepared this dish and I loved it. Smelled really good too, but after tasting the chicken I felt like the teriyaki flavor wasn’t strong enough.. Could it be that I didn’t marinade it long enough?
Hi Laura, that is possible. Was anything altered or changed in the recipe otherwise?
Wow the recipe was quick and easy-and man was it delicious!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Denise!
Question. Instead of boneless chicken thighs. Could I use boneless chicken breasts?
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.
Very delicious!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that!
absolutely wonderful! i was a little hesitant about so much orange juice and honey but it is so good!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that Varun!! Thank you for sharing that awesome review with me!
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.
That’s so great James! I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe!!
I cooked this recipe today and it was certainly delicious thank you for sharing your recipe!
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it Joy!
Using the marinate
I thought you shouldn’t use the marinate .
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. 🙂
This recipe was so easy to make and it tasted delicious! I also added 1/4 cup oyster sauce.
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite!.
How many calories approximately is this dish per serving? 🙂
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!
How do I make the recipe using this teriyaki marinade?
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 🙂
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.
Thank you for sharing that with us!!
Hi I dont have sesame oil any alternative?
Hi Glyselle, sesame oil gives the recipe more authentic flavor but it would still taste great without it.
Could you do this in a slow cooker?
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!
Didn’t change a thing, this recipe is so good!
That’s so great Annabel. Thank you for sharing your awesome review!
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 🙂
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.
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
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.
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!
Thank you for sharing those tips with us Teena! I’m happy you are enjoying our recipes!
Hi.. how much baking soda did you specifically use? Thank you.
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.
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?
Hi, we always use butter but I think it could work well with a substitution.
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! 🙂
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.
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.
I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Jessie! Thank you for the great review!
hi.can I use beef instead of chicken for this recipe?thanks
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!
Can I use brown sugar instead of honey for the marinade? Thanks
Hi Ver, yes that should work well with brown sugar.
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.
I’m drooling just thinking about that! Thanks for sharing your delicious review with other readers Vera!
I wish the calorie intake was listed
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: https://www.verywell.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4129594. 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!
Thank you so much for being patient Annette!!
I bought a “cup” measure which is useful for those of us in UK and Europe. Thanks for your brilliant and easy to follow recipes.
Great tip May! Thanks for following! 🙂
My fiance LOVES this recipe! I am not much of a cook, but after making this, he always requests it!! Thank you 🙂
Yay! I’m glad to hear the recipe is a hit. Thanks for sharing your excellent review Nicole!
This was amazing, and amazingly simple! My kids enjoyed it – and with picky eaters, it’s hard to find things they enjoy! I served it over a mix of rice and riced cauliflower – and it was just delicious! This is now my go-to for teriyaki chicken!
I’m glad to hear your entire family enjoys this recipe Eileen! Thanks for sharing your outstanding review!
Hi,
This is by far the best and easiest Teriyaki that I have tried and I now make it all of the time. A real winner!!
Hello Julie! I’m glad to hear you enjoy the recipe enough to put it in your regular rotation! Thanks for sharing!
need to know the recipe in the text!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : (
What recipe are you referring to?
Can I use olive oil instead of sesame oil?
Hi Ella, sesame oil gives Asian dishes amazing, more authentic flavor. You could replace it as an oil but you would be lacking some flavor with an olive oil.
this was excellent! I tried it and I replaced orange juice with lemon juice since we have no oranges. It was sweet and delicious <3
I’m glad to hear the recipe was a success! Thanks for sharing your great review with other readers!
👍👍👍 !!! Unbelievably good!!! I used thin chicken breasts instead of thighs and it was delicious!!! Keep your great recipes coming😁
Awesome, I’m glad to hear how much you love the recipe. Thanks for sharing your great review Kris!
I swapped in pineapple juice instead of orange juice, added 1 t minced garlic, and added chopped green bell pepper and pineapple while cooking the chicken. Came out fantastic!
I’m glad to hear how tasty the recipe was! Thanks for sharing your great review with other readers Sullivan!
Tried just now with chicken wings in snacks. Came out to be out of the world with drinks. I let the balance sauce made thick and saute the sauted wings in the same sauce. Excellent…………….
I’m happy to hear how much you love the recipe! Thanks for sharing your great review!
This was the BEST teriyaki recipe I have ever tried. My picky daughter (and even pickier friend) wanted 3rds! I am definitely making this again….thanks!
You’re welcome Amy! I’m happy to hear how much everyone enjoys the recipe. Thanks for sharing your fantastic review!
Don’t we need to put some salt? The recipe doesn’t mention about salt.
Hi Chalitha, there is no need for the salt since sauces give enough salt to thre recipe.
Hi, I tried this recipe twice. Both times it took longer than the “38 Minutes”. Rinsing off the Chicken, pulling off the skin, and deboning took awhile. Then marinating for Twenty Minutes and following the Cooking Instructions. And I serve this with Brown Rice. I won’t say how long it took, but I could have watched the Movie: “WHITE CHRISTMAS” nearly 3 Times.
Hi Earline, it can definitely make a difference what kind of chicken you are starting out with. I used one that was already skinned and deboned.
Can I make this recipe without ginger? I have most of the ingredients at home except for ginger. I don’t really feel like going to the store for just one thing. Please let me know.
Thank you
Hi Evenlyn, ginger gives it that distinct Asian flavor, but it can be subbed for dried ginger in a pinch. I have seen some ginger substitutes online but I honestly have not tried any of the suggested spice combinations.
I was thinking, could you pound some chicken breasts flat, leave whole, coat in the marinade, then griddle on a hot iron pan? To give some griddle lines and slight burnt flavour?
I think that could work well. Let me know if you try it!
Tried this tonight and it was a big hit. The sauce is so much better than store bought. Loved it. Did it with breasts and it came out terrific.
Awesome, I’m so glad to hear that Cathy! Thanks for sharing your excellent review!
Hi! Looking forward to making this tonight, so many great reviews! Can chicken breasts be substituted for chicken thighs? Thanks!
Hi, 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.
I love this recipe. I cooked it for the first time last night for my boyfriend and I. The taste of the orange is incredible, it’s a flavour you want to keep enjoying even when you’re totally stuffed because it’s so moreish and special. I steamed some brocolli and served it alongside the rice and chicken. 10/10 recipe, thanks for sharing.
My pleasure Lucia! I’m happy to hear how much you two enjoy the recipe! Thanks for sharing your fantastic review!
Made this, exactly to the recipe last week and it was so good, 10/10.
Trying A different method as I’m feeling extra lazy today and I’ve just popped some chicken drumsticks, with the sauce minus butter, into the oven. Will add the butter for the second half of cooking.. Fingers crossed it works out!
I’m glad to hear how much you enjoy the recipe Jen! Thanks for sharing your fantastic review!
Delicious
I’m glad you like it Zar! 🙂
just curious if you have the raw chicken sitting in the marinade and then take the cooked chicken and put it back in the same marinade the raw chicken was in if this would be considered safe.
I am by no means a professional cook so I really don’t know. I’ve just seen the cooking shows harp on keeping anything that touches raw chicken away from cooked chicken.
Hi Penny, 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. 🙂
Very tasty but I had to add a little more butter. It can use a little less soy sauce. I know if I didn’t adjust, my kids wouldn’t have eaten it.
I am looking forward to preparing this this weekend (just as the recipe instructs) but I am on a diet and would like to know the nutrition breakdown for this recipe do you provide that? I don’t see a like for such information.
Due to time constraints, I don’t typically include nutritional info, but 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 Gary!
Super easy and tasty. Made last week and my family keeps requesting that I make it again .. which I am doing tonite. I don’t have an orange.. just using orange juice.
I’m glad to hear your family enjoys the recipe as much as mine does! Thanks for sharing your excellent review Karyn!
The best chicken teriyaki recipe, better than any japanese restaurant ive been to! Really easy and simple, very delicious, the kids and family will love it!
I’m so glad to hear how much you and your family enjoy this recipe! Thanks for sharing your excellent review Anastasia!
Hi, This recipe sounds delicious and easy. I am going to make this for a get together of friends, can it be made ahead, then reheated,will it spoil the flavour at all?
Thank you
I personally think this is best fresh but it can be reheated if needed 🙂
Hello, making this tonight- looks awesome. In STEP 5 it says add reserved marinade to pan.
Are you referring to the bowl that once had the chicken in it?
Hi Caroline, yes that is correct. Use that same marinade which you reserved in step 3.
If you were to marinate this a little longer, what time would you suggest?
Hi John, because the sauce is so flavorful and the chicken is cut small, I don’t think I would recommend marinating longer, probably not more than 1 hour and you would need to refrigerate if marinating that long. I had one reader report marinating bone-in chicken drumsticks with this marinade for 8 hours but small pieces of chicken breast would probably taste salty for that long.
I made this and my husband approved! He is a picky eater for sure. He said it tasted like the chinese food we usually get 🙂
That is awesome!! So glad to hear you both enjoyed it 🙂
Hi! Would love to try this out today, was just thinking if i use apple cider vinegar instead of orange juice, will that be okay?
Hi Eds, I haven’t tried that substitution so I’m not sure how that would alter the flavor profile. I probably wouldn’t substitute that straight across since apple cider vinegar is much stronger in flavor and acidity than orange juice.
Ohhh okay 🙂 well i still followed your recipe! Was able to follow most of it (except for the frying chicken part since i need to fry in batches), and yes needed to change pans! Went out great, shouldve marinated it longer though 🙂
Made this today. Among all teriyaki recipes, this one is very close to the teriyaki chicken I tried in restaurant. Natasha thank very much.
Awesome, I’m glad to hear you enjoy the recipe! Thanks for sharing your great review!
Absolutely incredible. I added a wee bit of chilli oil (although it didn’t need it I just love chilli oil) one of the nicest recipes iv ever had. We had it with sticky rice done in the slow cooker. Sensational
Awesome! I’m so happy you love the recipe! Thanks for sharing your fantastic review!
I just made this last night and the whole family loved it! The only thing I changed was to add 1 tsp of chopped garlic to the marinade. It took a bit longer than the recipe suggests, but I also made a double batch. Next time, I am going to cut the chicken and put it in the marinade the night before. I am hoping that will make it faster the day of and increase the flavor. Thank you for this wonderful recipe!
You’re welcome Katerina! Thanks for sharing your tips with other readers! 🙂
Hi Natasha. You did a really great job presenting how to make this recipe. This is my next culinary project.
Thank you so much Fred! Please let me know what you think of the recipe when you decide to make it!
I really hate that in the “cost to make” they put such a low number. This did not cost me 8$
the chicken alone was 12$
It cost me around 40$ to make this
Hi Anon, I base prices on what a general grocery store would charge in the US. Prices can vary widely based on if you use organic or high end ingredients and even in some areas, foods are way overpriced (such as Maui, HI). The price is also what it would cost to make 1 recipe, so If it requires soy sauce, I don’t consider the entire cost of the bottle of soy sauce, but what it would cost for the portion in this recipe. I hope that makes sense so you can gauge easier in the future! 🙂
I use bottled Kikkoman Teriyaki Marinade & Sauce. Of course it’s doesn’t have the same fresh, wonderful flavor that you’d get if you make your own marinade but for me it’s a quick easy alternative. It still makes a great teriyaki chicken and rice dinner! (about $2.50 per bottle)
I spent around $16.00
So it depends on the person
Kikkoman soy sauce- less than 3.00
3 small oranges- 33cents each
Honey- less than 3.00
fresh ginger- around 2.00
sesame oil-less than 4.00
Green onion- around 3.00
I already had chicken,olive oil, butter and sesame seeds
Hi! I’m only 12 but I made this for my mum, dad and sister and they loved it! Only thing I did differently was reserving a portion of marinade and reducing it for ages to make a very thick, sticky glaze. Thanks for the brilliant recipe!
This looks so delicious, I would love to cook this later today! But is there any conversion to the metric System, at least for the liquids? I live in Europe and don’t have cups, unfortunately :/
Hi Nina, for this particular recipe, 1/4 cup soy sauce = 2 oz or about 50 ml. 1/3 cup orange juice = about 80 ml. I hope that helps! Also 1 Tbsp = 15 ml and 1 tsp = 5 ml
Thank you so much!!
I’m surprised that someone said we don’t have cups in Europe, um. Anyhoo, sounds delicious and without any products that are hard to get/expensive. I’ll make it soon.
It was delicious.. I will be making this again and again
I’m glad to hear that Maria! Thanks for sharing 😀
Made this tonight for hubby & me. It was SO GOOD!!!!
We just about could eat the whole thing. LOL
YES! I’m glad to hear you both enjoy the recipe so much! Thanks for sharing 😀
Can ground ginger be substituted for fresh?. I always have most these ingredients on hand minus the ginger.
Hi Lisa, I think it could work well with 1/4 tsp of dried ground ginger.
Hi! Currently about to make this dish. Just was curious how to make my sauce thicker at the end. Last time I made this my glaze came out really runny. Hopefully you see this within the next hour lol. Thanks!
Hi Josh, Im so sorry I couldn’t get to your question sooner – it’s been such a loooong day! Anyway, it’s most likely due to cooking on too low of heat. If you put it over higher heat, the sauce reduces down and thickens. I hope that helps for next time! 🙂
Hi
We live in England and as an occasional treat we dine in Wagammas – when I made this my kids said it was just as good! It was delicious and so easy to make. I served on white rice with fresh pea shoots, shredded carrot and cooked bean shoots on the side. It was yummy. Next time I think I will double up on the marinade as would have like a bit more sauce to pour over the chicken when served. Thank you for this lovely recipe.
You’re welcome Susan! I’m happy to hear everyone enjoyed the recipe!
Wonderful! Not often Wify enjoy my cooking..:) This time she sure did. Thanks for the lovely recipe…
That’s great to hear! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Thank you for this simple teriyaki recipe. It was a hit with my family. I served it over sticky rice in a bowl along with steamed broccoli. This will definitely go into our regular dinner rotation!
You’re welcome Beth! I’m happy to hear your family enjoys the recipe as much as mine does! 😀
Absolutely delicious! I always double the sauce just because it’s so yummy!
I’m happy to hear that Ashlee! Thank you for sharing 🙂
will try this recipe for dinner tonight! looks so awesome.. but i just want to know how do you make a buttery rice? thanks !
Hi Elle, I just make it the standard way using my rice maker; rice, water, salt and a little extra butter :). If you cook it on the stovetop, add more water than you would in a rice maker.
My goodness this was utterly amazing! I see what you mean about the butter! i am totally making more sauce next time though as it was so delicious, i also thickened it with cornflour so i didn’t lose as much sauce when reducing to thicken.
I’m happy to hear you love the recipe Holly! Thanks for sharing 😀
Pleased the pickiest of eaters! Thank you!
That’s AWESOME! Thank you for sharing 😀
This is my second time making this chicken this week. So yummy and easy. Thank you so much for sharing so many wonderful recipes!
You’re welcome Rachel! Thanks for sharing your wonderful review. 😀
Hi, would it taste as good if I use brown sugar instead of the honey?
Thanks 😊
Hi Heba, I think that would work fine 🙂
Love it! I’m the type who don’t usually cook, but I want to adapt a new lifestyle and thought of starting making easy dishes. This is the first one I tried and it was simple but tastes good. Now I’m excited to try the other recipes you shared. Thanks! 😊
You’re welcome Marella! I’m happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe. 🙂 Keep it up!
I made this for our dinner today. I did change a few things. When I got to the part where you ad the chicken into the pan with the remaining marinade I added some broccoli florets and a few pea pods. My hubby thought some fresh mushrooms and red or yellow peppers would have been good too. Oh, and I added some chopped onion as well and cooked just until the broccoli was al dente as we didn’t want it soft and mushy. It is a good recipe and will make it again.
Cindy, I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe and tweaked it to your liking 😋
I just tried it and it was absolutely delicious. I was sceptical at first when I saw the orange juice, but it turned out perfect. I can’t wait to cook this for my family and friends next time I do it, as I’m sure they will all love it. I’m placing this in my recipe book for sure!
Awesome! I love hearing reviews like this! I’m so glad you enjoy the recipe!
I have thin-sliced boneless, skinless chicken breast to use up. What adjustments, if any, do I need to make to this recipe?
Hi Debbie, Chicken thighs will be more tender for this stir fry but you could make it work with chicken breast. I would keep the recipe the same and just substitute with the thin sliced chicken breast.
I made this for my husband last week and it was DELICIOUS! We loved it! Easy peasy and tasty as could be.
That’s great! I love hearing reviews like yours! Thanks for sharing Stephanie 🙂
IAmazing recipe since I have extra oranges left from Lunar New Year! But will it be alright if I don’t use oranges in the recipe? Will it affect the taste? If so, is there a substitute for it? Thank you so much! 😀
Hi Jaslyn, I haven’t tested it without orange juice only because it works so well with them! I think they do add great flavor and a freshness to the marinade that you’d miss if you omitted oranges.
Can you use actual teryaki sauce?
Yes, I imagine it would work to just use a store-bought sauce, but be careful of the amount that you use. Many of the store-bought sauces are very high in salt and sugar.
Can I use chicken drumsticks for this recipe. Is there any adjustment needed for the marinade?
Hi Maria, I haven’t tried that so I can’t really say for sure how that would work. You are giving me a really great idea though! 😉 If you test it out, let me know how it goes! 🙂
Hi Natasha,
I actually tried it with a tray of drumsticks I got from Costco and it worked 😊. I cleaned and took out the skin, tripled the recipe, as it was about 6 lbs., added 3 cloves of grated garlic to the marinade (garlic lover in me 🤓), and left the batch to marinate for 8 hrs. It tasted so good! Scored high points from hubby and kids. Thanks for the recipe! 🤗
Oh that sounds amazing!! How long did you bake and at what temperature? Thank you so much for sharing that with me!!
I actually cooked it on the stove top, too.. probably about 30 minutes. I scored the chicken thighs to make sure it cooks through. Thanks again for posting this recipe 😊
You’re welcome Maria!
Hey what kind of honey do you recommend
Hi David, I don’t use any specific flavored ones, just a basic one from Costco. Jut about any honey would work 🙂
Let me just say, I LOVE this recipe! It’s so simple and tasty and way better than Panda Express! Haha! Thanks for giving us a nice alternative for when our son asks for Panda! 😉
Ha! That’s funny! We have the same “struggle” at our house. Glad you liked it!! 🙂
Does this marinade work for beef too?
Hi April, 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!
I made this tonight. So yummy. Everyone loved it, even my three picky kids. Super easy and quick. I did double the sauce so that I would have more for the rice. I served it with broccoli and sushi rice (which I love and is easier for the littles to eat due to it being sticky). Great recipe that is definitely going to be a part of our rotation of favorites!
I love hearing this! Thank you for sharing your amazing review Melissa! 🙂
I would love to use this recipe, however I’ve read that it’s unsafe to repurpose your poultry marinade even after boiling for a few minutes. Is there any added information you could give me that would put my mind at ease regarding this issue? Thanks!
Hi Amy, I have never read that; but on the contrary, it is safe when it is boiled just as raw chicken is safe when it is cooked. Can you provide a credible source for that – I’ve just never come across anything like that. I think if you were really concerned, you could probably use half of the liquid to marinate and half to add to the pan later. Consider that some of the sauce is obviously still on the chicken when it goes into the pan so if it were true that it’s not safe to consume, then it would mean that no marinated chicken is safe to consume which is not correct. I hope that makes sense! 🙂
I want to make this recipe but am unsure whether to use light soy sauce or dark, which would be best?
Hi Rachel, do you mean low sodium vs regular soy sauce? If you are on a low sodium diet, I would recommend the low sodium (less salt version), but I used regular Kikkoman brand soy sauce (as photographed).
Yes, that’s perfect, thank you!
Made this today – really tasty and easy to prepare. Will definitely be making it again.
Awesome! I love hearing reviews like this!
Hi Natasha
Light and dark soy sauces have different purposes and their differences go beyond the amount of sodium. In fact dark soy sauce has less sodium. By default soy sauce refers to… light soy sauce. In other words recipes calling for dark will explicitly lists Dark.
On a side note, if you are seeking to reduce sodium, it’s recommended to water down down regular soy sauce or add some lemon to it instead of getting low sodium soy sauce. That’s because low sodium is made differently.
I am ethnically Chinese who loves Japanese cuisine but the info above is based on Chinese soy sauces. The Japanese category of soy sauces is slightly different from the Chinese, which I purposely left out to not confuse further. If you can only have one type of soy sauce in your kitchen, get chinese/Japanese light soy sauce. The bottle will simply say “soy sauce”.
Thank you so much for sharing this with all of us, Edward! I’m sure our readers will find this helpful!
I love the recipe it’s super easy but why haven’t you used Mirin for the sauce?
I’ve never used that ingredient in this recipe. Have you tried it in this recipe? If you test it out, let me know how you like it!
Easy and delicious and my kids actually liked it! Thanks!
I am so glad the kids enjoyed it too!!
Can I marinate the chicken in the fridge for over 20 minutes? I have a cooking class that’s only 45 minutes and that would take to long to prep so I was gonna leave it in there the class before
Hi Rakia, that would work fine to marinate 45 minutes but I would refrigerate it since you don’t want to leave raw chicken out too long.
Cooked this last night and my husband couldn’t get enough of it! I enjoyed every bit of it from preparation to eating it!! Be blessed!
Thank you very much Julie! I am so glad you both loved it!