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. 
do i have to use sesame seed oil or can i use something else?
Brenda, sesame oil gives the recipe more authentic flavor but it would still taste great without it.
tried it last night… awesome!! any suggestions on how to make it a little spicier?
I haven’t experimented with making this spicier but maybe try adding your favorite hot sauce.
I haven’t experimented with making this spicier but maybe try adding your favorite hot sauce.
How much chicken is best? I saw the sauce ingredients, but not the amount of chicken thighs. I made this once and it was delicious but I don’t remember how much chicken I used.
Hi Julie, I have the amounts of chicken listed at the top of the recipe as well as in the print-friendly at the bottom: “1 1/2 to 2 lbs (about 6-7 medium) boneless skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of fat” 🙂
I dknt have fresh ginger. Do you think i could use ground ginger. If so how much? Thanks!
Hi Joyce, I think it could work well with 1/4 tsp of ground ginger. 🙂
Love this recipe! It is easy and delicious 🙂
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Do you happened to know the nutrition value….how may calories?
This recipe is delicious!!!
Hi Jan, I don’t typically include calorie counts because of the time constraint that I have. I really need to hire some help to do that for me! When I need a quick answer though; I have used Caloriecount.com (their recipe analyzer is free).
i really liked it! Sorry… What I meant to say was I LOVE IT!
Thank you for such a nice review, I’m all smiles 😁.
This is amazing. It is so tasty and easy to make. Thank you.
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing you awesome review! 🙂
Wonderful recipe, my grandchildren want it again next time they are over. My husband and I are having it today. Recipe is easy to make also.
Thank you for Dena for such a nice review, I’m so happy to hear that 😄.
Gotta try this recipe soon. Can I swap the honey for agave?
I really like the flavor of honey but I think that might work. Add it to taste.
This recipe has become my family’s favorite. Thanks to you and your lovely family. Also appreciate any Ukranian recipes you have – my mom was Ukranian and these dishes bring back happy memories.
That is awesome! I’m so happy it has become a favorite in your home 🙂
Natasha, thank you!! I made this recipe tonight, my husband and I simply loved it! Easy and delicious! Huge kiss from Brazil!
I’m so happy you loved it, thank you for sharing your wonderful review 😀.
This recipe is fabulous! The night before last I cooked pre made store teriyaki chicken and we had a family rice paper roll session with cut salad veggies and glass noodles and a lovely home made peanut dipping sauce. There were loads of veg/noodles/dipping sauce left so I decided to do it again as the kids had a lot of fun making their own rolls, but I didn’t love the taste of the store bought chicken, too sweet, and found your recipe on line. Well you should have seen the wide eyes on first taste, wow! Didn’t make the extra sauce as it would have made the rolls too soggy but it’s waiting in the freezer. Can’t wait to make it again and try it with rice but this will be fab again in the rolls or sushi! Thank you!!
You are very welcome, thank you for sharing that with us 😀
I made it for my kids who love to go to local ” I love teriyaki ” restaurant. they ate it for lunch and when I got home later the leftovers were gone 🙂 so this recipe is defiantly a keeper. I really like easy recipe like this one that turns out as good as restaurant ones. thank you Natasha. I was not into cooking before, but now when I make something from your website, and my kids eat it and ask to make again, makes me want to cook more ))) and I enjoy cooking now more and more ))
That is the best when kids love what we Mom’s make. That’s so great!
I made this for my brothers and dad, all I can say is it’s so good like this is amazing!!!! Best recipe ever!! Everyone needs to try this 😍😍😍
Kristina, thank you for such a great review on the recipe, looks like you found a new favorite chicken recipe 😀.
I cooked this last night and it really turned out great, it was easy to prep and took very less time. Posted a picture on Instagram _qsarahb with the link to this recipe. Thank you for this recipe 🙂
I’m so happy you enjoyed it and thank you so much for sharing on IG! 🙂
This will help those who want to freeze and save. I have been buying frozen chicken teriyaki from Trader Joe’s because I just don’t have time or energy to cook. I am currently slowing it down because I need to cut back on outside job time (now 75 yo) TIP: T.J.s frzn has the sauce in a separate pouch to be added to the chicken when reheated it in the microwave for serving. So that is what I will do for portions I want to freeze – freeze the sauch in a separate storage bag from the precooked chicken. ENJOY !!!
Mira
That is a great tip! Thanks Mira! 🙂
Dear Natasha, I made this recipe for my boyfriend tonight and finally he changed his impression about my poor cooking skill! Thank you for the easy tasty recipe!
AWWW! That is so awesome!! 🙂 🙂 🙂
Not as sweet as I would have liked it to be. Very easy to make but I will probably find another recipe for next time.
Hi Ani, you can adjust the sugar to make it sweeter if you prefer.
This recipe was so quick and easy and extremely tasty! Will be making again. Thank you 🙂
Natalie, thank you for such a nice review and you are welcome 😀.
Great Recipe – just don’t overcrowd pan otherwise the chicken won’t brown properly, I find I have to cook in two batches.
Hi Gareth, great tip! I use a really large non-stick pan but two batches would help with a smaller pan.
I wanted to make this and freeze for a later meal (trying to prep dinners for baby coming soon). Any recommendations??
I don’t think this would be the best recipe for freezing since it requires shore marinating time. By the time it would freeze and defrost, you would have marinated it too long. I really haven’t tested it so if you’ll give it a try, let me know how it turns out.
Omg this recipe was amazing! Thanks so much!
Joyce, I’m so glad you liked it 😀. Thank you for the nice review!
Use this recipe and it turned out GREAT! Thank you!
That’s awesome!! Thanks for sharing our great review! : )
Making this right now for the fam, my initial thoughts are its going to be dope or delicious lol
I would love to hear how the recipe turned out 😄.
But i have no orange here.
Hi Alma, the next best thing would be to use store-bought orange juice (not from concentrate is best).
I am making this right now and it smell so yummy😀 Do u think it will be ok to marinate the chicken over night?
Dina, I never tried it this way, since it’s such a quick prep. I’m not sure if the marinate still be ok after marinating overnight. I wish I had more definitive answer for you but I haven’t tested it myself.
Made this for dinner and it was delicious! Instead of the butter I used a bit of cornstarch to thicken the marinade and I also roasted the sesame seeds ahead of time but apart from those tiny changes I made it exactly to the recipe. Will definitely be making this again.
I’m so happy you liked it! 🙂
This was amazing! I have found the best recipes of the entire internet on this site!!! Thank you!
Awww that is quite a compliment. I’m all smiles :). Thanks Brooke!
Guess what I am having for supper!!!
Yay!!! I hope you love it! 🙂
So yummy! I made it tonight and everyone loved it. Thank you Natasha 🙂
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review!
Every time I make this I end up checking the ingredients as it seems just too simple. I’ve tweaked your fab recipe a bit for my own tastes. I don’t actually measure ingredient so I just go by feel, but I use less honey and add the orange zest and some chopped chilli to the marinade.
I add some mangetout peas to the pan before I return the chicken.
I serve with white rice cooked with a few cardamom pods, whole cloves and a small piece of cinnamon stick.
Deelish!
Wow that all sounds fantastic!
Just made this for my fam it was dank~
My slang is pretty shabby so I had to look up the word dank. I kid you not! Here’s what I found in the urban dictionary and it made me laugh: “Also an expression frequently used by stoners and hippies for something of high quality.” Not that you are a hippie or a stoner. Oh boy. lol. Thanks for the great review. I mean the dank review. ha ha ha, sorry.
I have to try this! I love honey/soy flavors and I have most of the ingredients in the house already. this looks so simple
I love when that happens! I hope you love it! 🙂
Looks like I just need an orange and I’m good to go! I love simple recipes that don’t use heaps of ingredients and I don’t have to spend hours making. This looks great! Thanks for posting it
This is my absolute favourite meal…. Simply delicious and so easy to prepare.
That’s wonderful! I’m so happy you discovered a favorite here 🙂
Oh my …. so good! This is my go to for teriyaki chicken forever! It drives me crazy when people do the “awesome recipe but this what I changed” thing but I have to admit I had no oranges, or oj even, but I had a pineapple. I think it worked out fine but will definitely try the orange next time. Thank you! This is umami heaven!
Ha ha your comment about “awesome recipe but,…” lol. I’m so happy you loved it!! Thanks for sharing. Now I’m super curious about the pineapple juice!! 🙂
👍
Hi Natasha.
Can I leave out the sesame oil if I don’t have it?
Yes, it will still work without it. I hope you try it one day though – it really makes Asian-inspired dishes taste authentic.
HI, are you suppose to use the same marinade that the raw chicken was in to make the sauce? Is that ok?
Yes, it is ok to do so. It only marinates 20 minutes. Once it’s cooked and the chicken is fully cooked, it is safe if that is what you are asking?
You have to make sure that the marinade comes to a full boil for at least 15 seconds to kill any bacteria before using it separatelyor in making the sauce.
Thanks for sharing that safety tip! Great to know it’s definitely more than adequate when sauteeing for 5 minutes. 🙂
Hello Natasha ! Very easy recipe for teriyaki chicken. Thank you for this . It looks delish. I am planning to make it tonight. Have a question to ask what can we use instead of honey in this recipe ? TIA 🙂
You could try brown sugar instead although I like the flavor that honey adds.
I made this today! I just use a little bit of vinegar, teriyaki soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger powder, brown sugar, black pepper… and guess what. My boyfriend and his sister loved it!!!!! Taste great with limited stuff! 😀
Oh awesome!! I’m so happy you liked it 🙂
Will be trying this tonight! Can’t wait!
Enjoy! 🙂
Trying this out tonight with steak! My silly self forgot to grab chicken at the store and steak is what we have at home. Hoping it turns out delicious… It sure smells it. 😃
Oh wow I haven’t actually tried this with steak. Let me know how you like it! I’m so curious! 🙂
I tried this recipe tonight and it was indeed excellent. Would have taken a pic but they ate it too fast! Thanks for sharing it.
Thank you so much for that awesome review! 🙂
Trying this out tonight!!! So excited
Let me know how it turns out 😀.
Hi. I’m thinking of preparing this recipe as one of my entrees for my 50th birthday party. How far in advance can this meal be prepared before it loses it’s freshness? Or, is there another chichen recipe that can withstand a buffet style table?
My go-to buffet style chicken is this one (it shows up to most of our special occasions and family dinners): https://natashaskitchen.com/2011/04/17/chicken-and-mushroom-casserole/ (make sure to watch the video linked in the post). This casserole can be kept covered in a warm oven until ready to serve and you can even wrap it in towels to keep it warm to free up your oven. I think this particular teriyaki recipe you are asking about would be good for a couple of hours on a buffet table. I hope that helps. Happy Birthday! 🙂
Loved this! We made sandwiches with it inside French bread.
I’m so happy you enjoyed the recipe. Thank you for sharing that with us 😀
Can you marinade it in the fridge throughout the day?
You can but it really isn’t necessary with this recipe to marinate longer than 20 minutes.
Very well explained step by step Easy Teriyaki Chicken Recipe I will try to cook this for my husband it”s always great to get something new from chicken.
Thank you Nadia! I hope you love the recipe! 🙂
Can I sub orange juice if I don’t have oranges?
I did when I made it but it was an orange juice that is 100% oranges – absolutely no additives (Nudie Pulp Free Orange Juice). I’m in Australia.
I really haven’t tested anything else with this recipe. Did you have a specific substitute in mind?
Its a really simple, easy recipe to make. I’m only 15 and I made it very easily. Also, it tastes AMAZING!
Thank you for the nice review, I’m so glad you liked it 😀.
tried it today-easy to follow recipe with great tips! turned out great -thanks Natasha. I wish I could add the picture here
That’s just awesome! I’m so happy to hear that 🙂
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!
Janice, that’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite!
So, I don’t have any ginger at home… is it alright not to use any or f.e. dried garlic? Unfortunately there are no open shops today where I live.
It won’t have quite he same authentic Asian flavor that giver provides but I think it will still work with some garlic instead.
This is really good. I was looking for a recipe last-minute and didn’t have time to run to the store, consequently I had to sub dry ground ginger for the fresh and chicken breast for the thighs. It was still great and got compliments from my son and husband. I will be making it again for sure. Next time I will use the fresh ginger, I’m sure it will only be better.
Thank you for the nice review Jen, I’m so glad that you all enjoyed 😀.
I am a teenager who has never really cooked before, so making this and having it turn out so well is awesome! My mom and I thoroughly enjoyed this meal and will for sure have it again.
That’s just awesome!! I’m so happy you enjoyed the recipe 🙂
Thank you for the recipe, my question is. is it safe to use the marinate where raw chicken was marinating for the glaze? my husband is concerned that it is not safe to use the same marinade for the glaze. thanks ahead for the response.
Hi Natasha, that would be the case if it wasn’t cooked but you do cook the sauce over high heat so yes it is safe. 🙂
It was long that I was looking forward to make Chicken Teriyaki. As I came across your blog I jus prepared it today itself. Slight variations was that I added veggies too and it was too good. Thank you so much for such a wonderful Jesture. Cheers!!!
Sameya, I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
making this tonite for my husband !!
Let me know how it turns out 😋.
Making this again tonight…its so easy and the flavour is beautiful.
Julie, that’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite!
I was just wondering, how many servings does this recipe make?
It serves 4 as a main coarse. I put the serving size at the top of the print friendly version on every recipe if you’re looking for it in the future.
I made this the same evening that I made the orange cramberry scones.
This is so far the best homemade teriyaki sauce. My husband also loved it.
I made coconut jasmine rice to go with it.
Thank you Natasha
Love
Sahane
Thank you for such a nice review, what a compliment 😊. I’m so glad you guys liked it.
My family enjoyed this! I used chicken breast instead of thigh meat and added some crushed red pepper because we like spicy food. The sauce didn’t thicken up enough for me, so I added just a bit of cornstarch mixed with a couple of teaspoons of orange juice, then added it in. This recipe will go in my file to add to the rotation. Delicious! Thanks so much for sharing!
It’s great to know it works with chicken breast. Thanks for sharing that with me! 🙂
Do you think I could marinate this overnight? Alternatively, could I make the marinade ahead of time? I’m looking for super fast dinner ideas because I work late 3 days a week. By the way, I have two VERY picky eaters in my family and they will actually eat foods from your blog, so THANK YOU
I’m so happy to hear that! Thanks for sharing that with me 🙂 You can definitely prep the marinade a day ahead and chop up the chicken the day before but don’t combine them until 20 minutes before cooking. It doesn’t need any more than 20 minutes of marinating time.
Hi Natasha. Thank you so much for another wonderful creation! Would it be alright to use chicken breast? And if yes what advice can you give for making it softer.
Happy Holidays!
There really isn’t an easy way to make the chicken breast more tender. Even if you used chicken tenders, it would be tougher than chicken thighs. Thighs are very forgiving and even if you overcook them a little, they taste great, while chicken breast turns rubbery and hard to chew. I wish it wasn’t the case because chicken breast is so much easier to work with but it is what it is :). Have a wonderful Christmas!
I made these with chicken breast and it tasted delicious, not rubbery at all! I added some extra water to have more sauce and thickened it up with some corn starch. Thank you for the great recipe!
Thank you for the nice review Valentina and you are welcome 😀.
A Chinese friend of mine said that the secret to make your chicken breast soft is to add a little bit of baking soda when marinating. Tired it. Works every time.
That’s so interesting! I’ll have to try it. Thanks so much for sharing that little secret with me 🙂
What about brining the chicken breast. Would that make the meat softer!
Hi Michael, I’ve never tried that so I can’t say for sure.
This was REALLY good! Pleasantly surprised, thank you! But I couldn’t thicken up the sauce afterwards, mine stayed on the watery side rather than a glaze like yours. But still a super quick and delicious recipe :)))
Svetlana, thank you for such a nice review, I’m glad you enjoyed it 😀. It’s not a super thick sauce but it helps to cook the it a little longer if you want it to be thicker.
Very easy and very tasty. My fussy 8 year old loved it.
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you so much Liz 🙂
looks great and simple.
I made recently chicken drumsticks with similar recipe but instead of orange i have added 1/2 cup rice vinegar and hot sauce and it was great. so have to try this recipe while i still have ginger.
Oh wow that does sound delicious! Did you marinate it longer? And do you recall the time and temp you baked them?
Yes, 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 Natasha, you read my dream to learn how to cook: teriyaki and sweet and sour chicken. Now I will be a cheffffff for 1000% and my big family will enjoy and tanksful for You!!!!!! Be happy awesome person. We all love you!!!! I wish to meet you on the heaven soon. ha-ha good night
Hi Nina! 🙂 I hope you all love the recipe!
Can’t wait to try this sounds yummy.
Thank you so much Susan! I hope you love it! 🙂
Can one substitute bonesless chicken breast slices for the chicken legs?
I think it would be dry and tough using chicken breast. It’s tempting because it’s so much easier to prepare if you don’t have to trim the thighs but you won’t have the same results using chicken breast.
I LOVE Teriyaki Chicken!! Can’t wait to make this recipe!!!!! 🙂
I hope you enjoy it!! 🙂
Hi! My question is completely unrelated to this recipe, but I’ve been meaning to ask for a while…. where do you buy the Ste Chapelle chardonnay that you use for cooking? Or where can I buy it?
Thanks!!
Happy Holidays
Hi Julia. It is an Idaho brand of wine so I’m not sure where you live or which stores would carry it in your area but it is sold in most grocery stores in Idaho, even costco. Their prices online are very close to what I pay at the grocery store: http://amzn.to/1QDNPUb
Looks delicious! Love homemade meals 🙂
Same here; it’s so much better than takeout. Better flavor and healthier too! Thanks Valya 🙂
oh em gee! I have the same exact recipe up on my blog!! I got it from Juliana over a year ago on Instagram as well, and I agree its amazing!!! 🙂
http://doublesidedspoon.com/homemade-teriyaki-chicken-recipe/
That is pretty hilarious and awesome! That’s just proof that it’s good! I actually used 2 lbs of chicken the last time I made it and it still turned out great! It’s a brilliant recipe! 🙂
This looks so delicious! Exactly the kind of meal I need right now in between all this crazy holiday baking and sweet eating! 🙂
No kidding! We’ve been eating a crazy amount of sugar since before Thanksgiving! 🙂
Thank you Natasha !!!!!!! You are so awesome. I love your site and your family . God bless you always.
You’re so sweet. Thank you so much Nina 🙂