Teriyaki Chicken Bowl features juicy, tender teriyaki chicken thighs served over steamed Japanese rice. This restaurant-style donburi cooks in just 30 minutes with handful of ingredients. Serve it with your favorite vegetable for your next lunch or a weeknight dinner.
Authentic teriyaki chicken is one of our favorite ways to prepare chicken. We cook chicken thighs on the stove in just a few minutes, then simmer them in a thick homemade teriyaki sauce. The meat is tender, the skin is crispy, and the homemade glaze is sticky and scrumptious. Serve on top of a bowl of Japanese or Calrose rice to catch the leftover teriyaki sauce and cleanse your palate.
If you want a more filling and nutritious meal, enjoy it with Furikake and Lemon Shishito Peppers, Miso Glazed Eggplant, Sautéed Green Beans with Furikake. Add this family-favorite meal to your weeknight dinner rotation and be ready to make enough for seconds!
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About Teriyaki Chicken Don
- Taste - The teriyaki chicken is savory and sweet and the rice is mild.
- Texture - The chicken is perfectly glazed and tender and the rice is firm.
- Effort - This rice and chicken recipe is straightforward. You just need to make the rice, teriyaki sauce, and chicken. You can also streamline the recipe by using store-bought bottled teriyaki sauce.
- Time - It takes about 10 minutes of prep, about a half hour to cook the rice and chicken, then a few minutes to assemble the don.
What is a donburi?
Donburi translates to "bowl" in English. These Japanese rice bowls typically feature fish or meat over steamed Japanese rice. This chicken teriyaki don is one of our favorites because it is easy to make and delicious.
Ingredients
Chicken Bowl
- Rice - Japanese short grain steamed rice is best for donburi because it is neutral and just lightly salted for flavor.
- Chicken thighs - We love boneless, skin-on chicken thighs because they are tender and succulent. Ask your butcher to remove the bone from the thighs for easy preparation.
- Garlic powder - Garlic powder adds the quintessential aroma to the bowl.
- Neutral cooking oil - We recommend a neutral cooking oil like avocado oil, grapeseed oil, or vegetable oil because they all have a high smoke point and won't burn. They also have minimal flavor so they won't change the taste of the chicken.
- Green onions - Chopped green onions add a mild finishing touch.
- Sesame seeds - Toasted sesame seeds add a mild and nutty flavor.
Homemade Teriyaki Sauce
- Soy sauce - Soy sauce, or shoyu in Japanese, is an essential condiment in Japanese cooking that adds a rich umami flavor to the teriyaki sauce. We use low sodium shoyu because it is healthier without sacrificing the rich flavor.
- Mirin - Mirin is a Japanese sweet rice wine that adds umami flavor and is the base of many Japanese sauces.
- Sake - Sake adds savoriness to the teriyaki sauce.
- Brown sugar - Brown sugar provides sweetness.
- Ginger - Grated fresh ginger adds a pungent spice.
See recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions
- Brown rice - If you want to make this don healthier, enjoy it with brown rice instead of white or a mix.
- Chicken breasts - Replace chicken thighs with breasts for a healthier option.
- Healthy Honey Teriyaki - Make with our Healthy Honey Teriyaki Sauce (Gluten-Free) for a healthier alternative.
- Unagi sauce - Unagi sauce has a thick syrupy texture just like teriyaki sauce, but is a little more savory.
- Salmon teriyaki donburi - Instead of chicken, a Teriyaki Salmon Bowl (Donburi)for a healthy fish alternative.
- Boneless skinless chicken thighs - You can also use boneless skinless chicken thighs if you don't like the skin.
- Chicken katsu donburi - Make a Chicken Katsu or Chicken Katsu Curry don for a crunchy fried chicken alternative.
Variations
- Shredded Nori - Add shredded nori (kizami nori) for extra crunch and seaweed flavor.
- Sansho pepper - Add a dash of sansho pepper for an aromatic, citrusy, peppery taste.
- Furikake - Furikake is a Japanese seaweed seasoning commonly made of dried seaweed, sesame seeds, and salt. It adds an ocean-like flavor to this seafood dish.
- Mitsuba - Mitsuba is a Japanese garnish that tastes similar to parsley.
- Extra teriyaki flavor - If you want to add extra umami flavor to the donburi, drizzle extra teriyaki sauce over it.
- Daikon sprouts (Kaiware Daikon) - Daikon sprouts add a light pepperiness.
- Spicy - Drizzle some Sriracha on the bowl to make this donburi spicy.
Instructions
Rice
- Make rice on stovetop or in rice cooker - Place rice in a saucepan and rinse the rice in the sink until the water runs clear, then drain. Combine washed rice and filtered water in a medium saucepan or in the pot and cook per rice cooker directions.
Chicken Teriyaki Bowl
- Mix teriyaki sauce - Add soy sauce, sake, mirin, and sugar in a bowl. Use a grater to grate the ginger into the mixture and whisk until well mixed. Set aside. (Photo 1)
- Tenderize and season chicken - Tenderize the chicken so they are the same thickness. Generously season on both sides with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. (Photo 2)
- Cook chicken - In a large skillet over medium heat, add oil. Once the oil is hot, use tongs to place the chicken skin side down. Use the tongs to gently push down on the meat so all of the skin comes into contact with the pan and cooks evenly. Cook for 5-7 minutes until the skin turns golden. (Photo 3 and 4)
- Cook thighs - Then turn the chicken thighs over, add a tablespoon of water to the pan, and cover with a lid. Cook for an additional 8-10 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F in the thickest part. (Photo 5)
- Simmer thighs - Reduce the heat to low, then pour the teriyaki marinade over the chicken. Cook for an additional 2 minutes to reduce the sauce, baste the chicken with the sauce, then remove from heat. (Photo 6)
- Cut chicken - Place the chicken on a cutting board and slice into strips. (Photo 7)
- Assemble bowls - Divide rice into bowls, place the chicken on top of the rice, and drizzle with the teriyaki sauce from the pan. Then sprinkle the chicken with sesame seeds and green onions then enjoy! (Photo 8)
Pro tip: Use tongs or a fish spatula to cook the chicken. A fish spatula is long and slotted, making it easier to pick up the chicken than it would be with a normal spatula.
How to Enjoy This Teriyaki Chicken Donburi
This chicken teriyaki bowl is best enjoyed by combining a little chicken and rice in each bite. The combination of neutral rice and rich teriyaki chicken is scrumptious and delicious. If you want to enjoy this teriyaki chicken don with a tasty side, it pairs deliciously with Spicy Kani Salad, Furikake and Lemon Shishito Peppers, Sautéed Broccolini, or Maple Roasted Kabocha Squash.
Recipe FAQs
Teriyaki chicken is just chicken, preferably a chicken thigh, and a sauce consisting of soy sauce, sake, mirin, and brown sugar.
Teriyaki chicken is a common Japanese dish. "Teriyaki" is a Japanese cooking method often used for meat and fish. It includes brushing or dipping the meat in sauce while it is broiled or grilled.
Teriyaki is sweet, salty, and rich with some tanginess.
Yes! The chicken and rice are nutrient rich. If you want to make it healthier, serve it with brown rice instead of white rice and a veggie like Shishito Peppers or Kabocha Squash or Spicy Kani Salad.
Both teriyaki and soy sauce are delicious umami flavored sauces. However, teriyaki has a sweet richness and thicker syrupy texture that make it perfect for cooking meat or fish in.
Equipment
This chicken teriyaki rice bowl requires kitchen essentials. For the rice, you will need a pot or rice cooker, and a rice paddle. For the sauce, you will need measuring spoons, a small saucepan, and whisk. To cook the chicken, you will need a non-stick pan or standard skillet, and silicone baking spatula or tongs, knife, and a cutting board.
Storage
Store the teriyaki chicken thighs and rice in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. After 3 days, you need to freeze the chicken. Frozen cooked chicken will last up to 3 to 4 months in the freezer. In order to reheat the chicken, heat the oven to 350°F, then heat it for 15 minutes or until warmed. If frozen, let the chicken thaw first before reheating it.
Cooking Tips
- Fewer steps - If you want to make this chicken recipe in fewer steps, use store-bought teriyaki sauce.
- Use a large bowl - Serve this dish in a donburi bowl or large bowl to ensure all of the ingredients will fit.
- If you are using a rice cooker and the outside of the rice gets hard or crispy, use a fork to fluff the rice and add moisture back into those crispy bits.
- Be sure to tenderize the meat so the pieces to cook evenly.
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Teriyaki Chicken Bowl (Donburi)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 cup short grain Japanese rice or calrose rice
- 4 cup filtered water
- 3 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sake
- 4 tablespoon mirin
- 2 teaspoon brown sugar
- 1 small ginger knob
- 4 boneless, skin-on chicken thighs about 1 pound, see notes*
- kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon neutral cooking oil
- 2 green onions sliced
- sesame seeds
Instructions
Rice
- Stovetop instructions - Place rice in a saucepan and rinse the rice in the sink until the water runs clear, then drain. Combine washed rice and filtered water in a medium saucepan. Bring the rice to a low boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot and simmer for 20 minutes or until the water is absorbed. Remove from the heat and let sit covered for 10 minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork.3 cup short grain Japanese rice or calrose rice, 4 cup filtered water
- Rice cooker instructions - Place rice in the electric rice cooker pot and rinse the rice in the sink until the water runs clear, then drain. Combine rice and filtered water in the pot and cook per the rice cooker directions.
Chicken Teriyaki Bowl
- Mix teriyaki sauce - Add soy sauce, sake, mirin, and sugar in a bowl. Use a grater to grate the ginger into the mixture and whisk until well mixed. Set aside.3 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon sake, 4 tablespoon mirin, 2 teaspoon brown sugar, 1 small ginger knob
- Tenderize and season chicken - Tenderize the chicken so they are the same thickness. Generously season on both sides with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.4 boneless, skin-on chicken thighs, kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- Cook chicken - In a large skillet over medium heat, add oil. Once the oil is hot, use tongs to place the chicken skin side down. Use the tongs to gently push down on the meat so all of the skin comes into contact with the pan and cooks evenly. Cook for 5-7 minutes until the skin turns golden. Then turn the chicken thighs over, add a tablespoon of water to the pan, and cover with a lid. Cook for an additional 8-10 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F in the thickest part.1 tablespoon neutral cooking oil
- Simmer in sauce - Reduce the heat to low, then pour the teriyaki marinade over the chicken. Cook for an additional 2 minutes to reduce the sauce, baste the chicken with the sauce, then remove from heat.
- Cut chicken and assemble - Place the chicken on a cutting board and slice into strips. Divide rice into bowls, place the chicken on top of the rice, and drizzle with the teriyaki sauce from the pan. Sprinkle the chicken with sesame seeds and green onions.sesame seeds, 2 green onions
Video
Notes
- Store leftover teriyaki chicken and rice in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. After 3 days, you need to freeze the chicken. Frozen cooked chicken can last up to 3 to 4 months in the freezer. In order to reheat the chicken, heat the oven to 350°F, then heat it for 15 min or until warmed. If frozen, let the chicken thaw first before reheating it.
- Use tongs or a fish spatula - A fish spatula is long and slotted, making it easier to pick up the chicken than it would be with a traditional spatula.
- Fewer steps - If you want to make this chicken recipe in fewer steps, use store-bought teriyaki sauce.
- Use a large bowl - Serve this dish in a donburi bowl or large bowl to ensure all of the ingredients will fit.
- If you are using a rice cooker and the outside of the rice gets hard and crispy, use a fork to fluff the rice and add moisture back into those crispy bits.
- Be sure to tenderize the meat so the pieces to cook evenly.
- Gluten-free - Make with gluten-free soy sauce, tamari, or Healthy Honey Teriyaki Sauce.
- *Bone-in, skin-on chicken -Â Ask your butcher to remove the bone from the thighs for easy preparation.
Michael Rybka
Everyone who ate this asked for seconds!
Kathleen Higashiyama
This made our day, Michael! We're happy to hear everyone enjoyed it. Thank you for trying our recipe!