You’re going to flip over how good this Teriyaki Chicken Bowl recipe is. A healthy, nutritious one-dish dinner this Chicken Teriyaki Bowl features a homemade sauce and is ready in just 30 minutes. It’s a high-protein, low in saturated fat dish that’s perfect for meal prep.
Busy weeknights call for easy meals that won’t tank your efforts earlier in the day to eat well and reach nutrition goals. This easy Teriyaki Chicken Rice Bowl is the perfect meal for those nights when you don’t have a lot of time, but want to stay on track with your health priorities.
This dish is a great option full of simple ingredients that won’t stress you out to prep. And if you love teriyaki sauce, make sure to check out these salmon teriyaki bowls or beef teriyaki bowls.
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Why you’ll love this recipe
- Nutritious – With fresh veggies, boneless skinless chicken breast, and a savory homemade teriyaki sauce, this is a healthy dinner built on whole foods.
- Delicious – This teriyaki bowl is bursting with flavor, a perfect take-out fake-out that the whole family will love.
- One pan meal – You can make this easy dinner in one large skillet, making for easy prep and even easier cleanup.
- Versatile/customizable – While I’ve listed commonly “favorite veggies,” you can easily swap in others you prefer. Trade the chicken breast for skinless chicken thighs, or use a store-bought teriyaki sauce instead of homemade.
- Great for meal prep – Talk about getting a big bang for your buck! This teriyaki chicken and rice is great for meal prep, allowing you to make several lunches in just a little time.
Ingredients to make chicken teriyaki bowls
Here’s what you’ll need to make these easy teriyaki bowls:
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts – This is an affordable, lean protein. Watch for sales and stash an extra pack or two in the freezer for later. You can even find frozen cubed chicken at the store which will make this dish even faster to prep.
- Carrots – Carrots are always in season and last a long time in the fridge. You can buy them whole and shred them yourself or save time by purchasing pre-shredded carrots.
- Bell peppers – Thin slices of sweet bell pepper add a bright color and crunch to these teriyaki chicken rice bowls.
- Broccoli – Packed with fiber and nutrients, broccoli is a tasty addition. Purchase pre-chopped florets in a bag to save time. Or use frozen broccoli florets if that’s what you have on hand.
To make the homemade teriyaki sauce
For the teriyaki sauce, you’ll need soy sauce, garlic, fresh ginger, rice vinegar, sesame oil, honey, canola oil, water, and cornstarch. You can also choose one of the many decent store-bought sauces if you’re pinched for time.
Optional garnishes: sliced green onions and sesame seeds make for a pretty garnish.
How to make these easy teriyaki bowls
Here’s how to make this easy chicken teriyaki bowl recipe:
In a large wok or skillet over medium-high heat, heat 1-2 tablespoon cooking oil until shimmering.
Working in 2-3 batches, add the chicken pieces, cooking and turning often until golden brown, about 5 minutes per side. When all the chicken is cooked, transfer to a plate, cover loosely, and set aside.
Lower the heat to medium and add more oil if there isn’t much in the way of drippings left in the pan.
Cook the broccoli and peppers for about 5 minutes, until just beginning to soften. Add the shredded carrots, cooking for another 5-7 minutes until all the vegetables are tender.
Meanwhile, prep the sauce: In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil and honey, whisking until well combined. In a second small cup or bowl, whisk together the water and cornstarch.
Once the veggies are done, add the garlic and ginger to the pan, cooking just till fragrant, about 30-60 seconds. Add the soy sauce mixture to the pan, then stir in the water and cornstarch mixture.
Return the chicken to the pan, and stir all ingredients together for 5-7 minutes. The teriyaki sauce will thicken and the chicken and vegetables will become well coated with the savory sauce.
Serve over a bed of cooked rice and garnish with green onions and sesame seeds.
Why this is a heart healthy dish
This Chicken Teriyaki Bowl recipe is a great option for anyone looking to improve heart health. It’s low in added sugars, sodium, and saturated fat, while also leaning heavily on high-fiber veggies and lean protein.
Level up by serving it on whole grain brown rice and using a low-sodium soy sauce in the delicious homemade teriyaki sauce.
Recipe tips
- Use pre-grated ginger and pre-peeled garlic to save time without affecting the flavor. You can find both in convenient tubes or jars in the spice aisle or produce section of the grocery store as well as frozen into cubes in the freezer section.
- Use pre-shredded carrots from the produce department and bottled teriyaki sauce to save prep time
- Add pineapple for a little sweetness that’s packed with fiber as well as a nod to the Hawaiian history of Teriyaki.
- Using a wok instead of a standard skillet will allow you to cook food quickly at a high heat while also giving you plenty of space to stir fry.
Teriyaki Chicken Bowls – FAQ’s
With high fiber veggies, lean chicken breast, and a homemade sauce free of additives and preservatives, these teriyaki bowls can play a starring role in a healthy, nutritious diet.
Choose a sauce you love first and foremost, but if you haven’t found a favorite yet, you might want to check out the reviews on Serious Eats https://www.seriouseats.com/taste-test-bottled-teriyaki-sauce-what-is-the-best-brand where they tested both Japanese and American style, bottled sauces.
What is teriyaki anyhow?
According to this great article on Tasting Table, “‘Yaki’ means grill in Japanese, and ‘teri’ means shine — The marinade is a way of making fish shine while it’s cooking on the grill.”
The original teriyaki style sauce was actually a pretty thin fish marinade, not the thick and sugary sauce we use to marinate, baste and dip foods in as we do now.
It is also thought that the teriyaki we know and love today, actually originated here in America! Thought to have been developed by Japanese immigrants in America, trying to recreate the flavors that they loved and remembered back home, it morphed into the beloved sauce we now know.
It is in fact argued that the current style of sauce was created by Japanese-Americans in Hawaii. Hence why pineapple juice is often used in sauce recipes, as well as fresh pineapple when serving the dish!
If you enjoy these teriyaki chicken rice bowls, please let me know by leaving a comment and rating below. And you can check out some other healthy high protein chicken recipes below.
Tried this recipe? Please leave a comment and/or rating, letting me know how you enjoyed it! Connect with me on Instagram and Pinterest, and never miss a post by signing up for my weekly newsletter!
Equipment
- Wok optional
Ingredients
- 2 lbs Chicken breasts cubed into 1"-2" chunks
- 1 cup Shredded carrots
- 1 Bell pepper thinly sliced
- 1 cup Broccoli florets
- 3 Garlic cloves minced
- 1 teaspoon Grated ginger
- 3-4 tablespoon Canola oil
Homemade Teriyaki Sauce
- ⅓ cup Soy sauce
- 1 tbsp Rice wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoon Sesame oil
- 2 tablespoon Honey
- ¼ cup warm water
- 1 tablespoon Cornstarch
Instructions
- In a large wok or skillet, heat 1-2 tablespoon preferred cooking oil on medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook, stirring often, till browned on all sides and almost cooked through, about 7-9 minutes. You will likely have to work in batches and add more oil as needed.2 lbs Chicken breasts, 3-4 tablespoon Canola oil
- When all the chicken is cooked, transfer to a plate, cover loosely, and set aside.
- Lower the heat to medium and add more oil if there isn’t much in the way of drippings left in the pan.
- Cook the broccoli and peppers for about 5 minutes, until just beginning to soften. Add the shredded carrots, cooking for another 5-7 minutes until all the vegetables are tender.1 cup Shredded carrots, 1 Bell pepper, 1 cup Broccoli florets
Prep the sauce
- In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil and honey, whisking until well combined. In a second small cup or bowl, whisk together the water and cornstarch.⅓ cup Soy sauce, 1 tablespoon Rice wine vinegar, 2 teaspoon Sesame oil, 2 tablespoon Honey, ¼ cup warm water, 1 tablespoon Cornstarch
- Once the veggies are done, add the garlic and ginger to the pan, cooking just till fragrant, about 30-60 seconds.3 Garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon Grated ginger
- Add the soy sauce mixture to the pan, then stir in the water and cornstarch mixture.
- Return the chicken to the pan, and stir all ingredients together for 5-7 minutes. The teriyaki sauce will thicken and the chicken and vegetables will become well coated with the savory sauce.
- Serve over a bed of cooked rice or cauliflower rice and garnish with green onions and sesame seeds.
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