Teriyaki Chicken Bowl with Rice and Steamed Vegetables

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Steamed rice and vegetables are the perfect foundation for juicy chicken thighs coated in sticky homemade teriyaki sauce.

hero shot teriyaki chicken bowl with pour over teriyaki sauce

This Teriyaki Chicken Bowl is based on one of our favorite family take out meals. Everyone loves the delicious sticky teriyaki sauce on juicy chicken with lots of extra sauce to drizzle over the rice and vegetables.

So many nights I’ve brought this home in take out containers, but with this recipe we can skip the restaurant for good.

Contents hide

Make these teriyaki chicken and rice bowls, because…

Ingredients

How to Make it!

FAQs

Diana’s Tips for Success

Related Recipe

📖 Recipe

Teriyaki Chicken Thighs with Rice and Vegetables

Homemade Teriyaki Sauce

Marinade

Make these teriyaki chicken and rice bowls, because…

Boneless skinless chicken thighs are the happy medium between healthy choices and good taste. Add that these cuts are easier to cook because their little bit of extra fat makes them really hard to dry out with overcooking.

The homemade teriyaki is super simple to assemble. The fresh grated ginger and garlic add a big punch of flavor that you don’t get from a bottle.

Steamed Rice and Vegetable are a healthy foundation to build this bowl on, and you can choose your favorite combinations.

Pantry staples like soy sauce and brown sugar are the foundation of a good teriyaki sauce.

Ingredients

Soy Sauce- Light soy sauce is the foundation for both the teriyaki marinade and the sticky teriyaki sauce.

Brown Sugar- The sugar mixes with the salty flavor of the soy sauce and also helps create that amazing sticky coating on the outside of the chicken.

Fresh Ginger- Add a touch of spice and great depth with fresh ginger. Dry ginger works but doesn’t have quite the same punch.

Fresh Garlic- Grating the garlic releases all of the oils and makes it blend in really well to make sure every bite has full flavor.

How to Make Steamed White Rice

I find I get great results from following the package instructions. However, there are some general guidelines for cooking white rice well. Use two cups of water to one cup rice for softer rice and 1 ⅔ cups water to 1 cup of rice for firmer rice.

Bring the water to a low simmer.
Then, add the rice to the water.
Cover and simmer on low for 15 minutes.
Turn the heat off and leave the rice covered for an additional 10 minutes.
Finally, fluff the rice with a fork and serve.

How to Steam Vegetables Using a Steamer Basket

Place about 2 inches of water in a large stock pot and place the steamer basket on top. Make sure the basket doesn’t touch the water.
Bring the water to a simmer.
Place the cleaned vegetables in the steamer basket and place the lid on tight.
Steam until the vegetables are just fork tender.
Remove from basket and season vegetables before serving.

My Favorite Steamed Vegetable Combination

Our family's favorite combination, once again, comes from our favorite takeout restaurant. I use thick pieces of carrot, chunks of cabbage, broccoli, and sliced squash.

You can use any vegetable you enjoy eating steamed. Frozen stir fry mixes make a great add on as well.

How to Make it!

Step 1: Marinate the Chicken Thighs

Start by adding the Teriyaki marinade ingredients to a food storage bag along with the chicken thighs. Push out the air and seal the bag. Then massage the outside of the bag and make sure the marinade coats all of the thigh pieces.

raw chicken in food storage bag with marinade

Step 2: Make Cooking Sauce

Let the chicken marinate for at least 15 minutes and up to 24 hours.
In a small pot, mix together soy sauce, brown sugar, grated garlic, grated ginger, and cornstarch to make the teriyaki sauce.
Then heat the mixture on medium heat. Bring to a simmer, and let cook for 2-3 minutes or until the teriyaki sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Set the teriyaki sauce aside.

wooden spoon with teriyaki sauce to show thickness

Step 3: Brown the Chicken Thighs

Heat a large skillet on medium-high heat and add cooking oil.
Then add the marinated chicken thighs to the pan and cook for 5-6 minutes until they are golden brown.
Turn the chicken over and brown on the second side for an additional 5-6 minutes.

Step 4: Baste and Coat

Next baste the thighs with the teriyaki sauce.

example how to baste chicken thighs with teriyaki sauce

Then turn the chicken pieces over, and baste the back side. Let the Sauce start to brown and thicken on the outside of the chicken.
Baste and turn two times giving every piece a thick, sticky coating of sauce.

chicken thighs in pan with teriyaki glaze

Step 5: Assemble The Teriyaki Chicken Bowl

Remove the teriyaki chicken thighs from the pan and let rest for 5minutes.
Slice against the grain at 45° angle, and serve with your favorite rice and steamed vegetable combination.

example sliced chicken thighs for teriyaki chicken bowl

Place steamed rice and vegetables on the bottom of the bowl and then add sliced chicken to the top.
Top the Teriyaki Chicken Bowl with sesame seeds and chopped green onions for a restaurant quality dinner.

FAQs

How do you make teriyaki sauce thicker?

Thicken teriyaki sauce by making a slurry of cornstarch and cool water. Start with a small amount of the slurry. Make sure the cornstarch is fully dissolved before adding. Bring teriyaki sauce to a simmer while stirring to activate the cornstarch. Slowly add more as needed.

Can I substitute chicken breasts for thighs in this teriyaki chicken bowl?

Yes! You can use breast meat for this dish. If the breast pieces are large, you may want to pound a bit to flatten them out or butterfly the breast so that they will cook more quickly.

Diana’s Tips for Success

Be sure to mix cornstarch into the teriyaki sauce while it is still cold. Cornstarch will not dissolve in hot liquid.

Do not try to turn the chicken thighs too soon. Be patient! When they are nicely browned, they will release from the pan easily. If you feel like they are cooking too fast, simply turn the heat down.

I excluded sugar from my teriyaki chicken thighs’ marinade. Sugar in marinades will burn more easily and will make the outside of the chicken too brown before the inside is fully cooked.