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Tender chicken in a sweet and tangy sauce served with basmati rice. This healthy Teriyaki Chicken Bowl is perfect as a satisfying weekday lunch or dinner. Ready in under 30 minutes, this is a quick and easy teriyaki chicken recipe that anyone can make.
I LOVE teriyaki chicken. Ever since I tried it for the first time in Japan, it has become one of my favorite to-go meals. The combination of tender chicken glazed with that sweet and savory sauce is just irresistible. What makes it even better is knowing that it is both satisfying and healthy. A great way to load up on protein and hit the macros for my day!
This teriyaki chicken bowl recipe is actually my latest obsession. Here at home we’ve been having it on repeat lately, almost every night! It’s a delicious alternative to plain grilled chicken breast that everyone loves.
Why you will love this teriyaki bowl
- Quick and easy: This delicious teriyaki bowl comes together in under 30 minutes; the perfect meal for all those who have little time to cook or don’t like spending hours in the kitchen.
- Healthy and high protein: Made with tender chicken breast, this meal is packed with high quality protein and nutrients. Serve it with whole grains and vegetables for all the benefits.
- Cozy and delicious: Sweet and tangy, this tender teriyaki chicken is a comoforting dish to satisfy your cravings for Asian food.
- Meal–pre friendly: This high protein teriyaki chicken is perfect for all those who have no time to cook during the week. Prepare a large bulk on Sunday, refrigerate and you will have bowls for the entire week.
Simple teriyaki chicken ingredients
Making a teriyaki chicken bowl at home has never been so quick and easy. From chicken breast to soy sauce, my simple recipe only uses a handful of basic ingredients. The best thing is that they are also healthy and good for you. Here’s the complete ingredient list for the chicken and the homemade sauce.
- Chicken breast. Use boneless and skinless chicken breast. For a healthier meal, I recommend cooking raw chicken at home by yourself. To save time and for convenience you can also use precooked chicken.
- Soy sauce. For a healthier teriyaki chicken bowl recipe I like using low sodium soy sauce. Also regular or gluten-free soy sauce are suitable.
- Rice vinegar. When making teriyaki sauce at home, rice vinegar is added to provide a subtle tanginess that enhances all flavors while balancing the sweetness level.
- Maple syrup. In this recipe, maple syrup gives teriyaki chicken its traditional sweet flavor that perfectly contrasts the tanginess of vinegar. You can replace with honey, agave syrup or date syrup.
- Brown sugar. Similar to maple syrup, the sugar makes this teriyaki chicken bowl sweet, tangy, and irresistibly delicious. Brown sugar can be replaced with regular white sugar, coconut sugar, or any other granular sweetener (calorie-free, if desired).
- Cornstarch. Adding cornstarch to homemade teriyaki sauce helps thicken it’s consistency, creating a glossy texture that adheres better to the chicken and seasonings. You can replace with rice starch or all purpose flour.
- Seasonings. A mix of garlic powder, onion powder and grated ginger makes this healthy teriyaki chicken bowl flavorsome and irresistibly delicious.
What’s in teriyaki chicken bowl?
After cooking the chicken, it’s time to assemble your teriyaki bowl. From basmati rice to noodles, it goes well with literally anything you like. Whenever making it, here at home we like assembling our teriyaki chicken bowls with basmati rice, steamed broccoli, cucumber and a sprinkle of sesame seeds on the top.
We all know that chicken is probably one of the most macro-friendly food. It’s a source of lean protein with very little fats and carbs. That’s why this healthy recipe leaves the floor open to a plethora of combinations. From carbs to vegetables, here are some serving ideas for you.
Pick a source of carbs
Basmati rice, brown rice, wild rice, quinoa, couscous, roasted potatoes, sweet potatoes, noodles, konjac noodles, pasta.
Pick the vegetables
Steamed broccoli, carrots, eggplant, vegetable stir-fry, grilled zucchini, roasted red peppers, tomatoes, cucumber, cauliflower.
Last but not least, I recommend topping your healthy teriyaki chicken bowl with a sprinkle of sesame seeds. They will give you meal an Asian touch, more taste and plenty of health benefits.
Can I make vegan teriyaki bowl?
If you are looking for a plant based alternative to chicken, I recommend preparing the meal with seitan, tofu or tempeh. My favorite is seitan! The basic teriyaki sauce recipe remains the same, with the only difference that seitan or tofu will become your new source of protein.
How to make teriyaki chicken bowl at home
This healthy teriyaki recipe is so easy that it comes together in under 30 minutes. It consists of three easy steps: cooking the chicken, preparing the sauce and assembling the protein bowl. Read further for all details!
Dice chicken into cubes, then add to a hot pan with olive oil and stir-fry for a couple of minutes until cooked.
While the chicken is cooking, whisk together soy sauce with water, vinegar, maple syrup, brown sugar, cornstarch, garlic powder, onion powder and grated ginger.
Add the Teriyaki sauce to the pan with chicken and continue to cook, tossing until the sauce has thickened. This should take one to two minutes.
Serve warm with basmati rice and vegetables, garnished with sesame seeds if desired.
Chef tip
For a more saucy and delicious chicken, do not toss the sauce for too long. Start with 30 seconds and toss for a bit longer only if your healthy teriyaki hasn’t thickened yet. The longer you cook it, the dryer your chicken will be.
Storage directions
After cooking, you should first let the chicken cool completely at room temperature. Once it has cooled, transfer the teriyaki to an airtight food container and refrigerate. If kept in the fridge, leftovers will stay fresh for 3 to 4 days. For a longer storage you can also freeze it in freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months.
Meal prep teriyaki chicken bowl
This high protein bowl is an excellent dish for meal prepping. Prepare a batch ahead, portion it and store in airtight food containers in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop when you ready to eat.
FAQ – Frequently asked questions
Yes, making sugar-free teriyaki chicken is as simple as substituting maple syrup with sugar-free syrups and brown sugar with calorie-free alternatives.
To make this simple teriyaki recipe vegan, all you need to do is replacing chicken with seitan, tofu or tempeh. The sauce remains the same.
I prefer low sodium soy sauce, it has the same delicious flavor but is healthier. But you can also use regular soy sauce. Or choose gluten-free soy sauce, if it is necessary.
More healthy bowls
- High protein pasta salad with chicken
- Protein spinach chicken pasta
- Easy chicken pasta salad
- Chicken burrito bowl
- High protein savory oatmeal
Teriyaki Chicken Bowl
Ingredients
Chicken Breast
- 800 grams (1.7 lb) chicken breast, boneless and skinless
- olive oil, or cooking spray, to cook chicken
Healthy Teriyaki Sauce
- 120 ml (½ cup) soy sauce, low sodium
- 80 ml (⅓ cup) vegetable broth, or water
- 40 ml (2 ½ tbsp) rice vinegar
- 30 ml (2 tbsp) maple syrup, or honey
- 20 grams (1 ½ tbsp) brown sugar
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ⅔ tsp grated ginger
To Serve
- basmati rice
- vegetables of choice, such as broccoli, cucumber, zucchini
- sesame seeds
Instructions
Prepare Teriyaki Sauce
- In a bowl, whisk together soy sauce with water, vinegar, maple syrup (or honey), brown sugar, cornstarch, garlic powder, onion powder and grated ginger.
Cook Chicken Breast
- Heat a non-stick frying pan and grease with cooking spray or oil.
- Dice chicken into cubes, then add to hot pan and stir-fry for a couple of minutes until cooked through.
- Add the Teriyaki sauce to pan with the chicken and continue to cook, tossing until the sauce has thickened. This should take one to two minutes.
Assemble Teriyaki Chicken Bowl
- Serve warm with basmati rice and vegetables, garnished with sesame seeds if desired.
Delicious and easy to prepare
Hey dear Liza,
thanks a lot! This is one of my favorite recipes as well.
Have a great day,
Matteo