This teriyaki chicken bowl recipe is about to become one of your favorite healthy, homemade meals! With a simple homemade teriyaki sauce, fresh chicken, rice, and your choice of veggies, our chicken teriyaki bowls are a one-stop-shop meal that is quick, easy, super customizable, and always a WHOLE LOTTA YUM!
Teriyaki Chicken Bowl
I don't know about you, but anything Asian inspired is always a favorite option in our home. Yet, take-out is not our preferred method to eat. While it can be nice to take a night off from cooking once in a while, and some take-out places do offer quality options, the fact is I like to know exactly what is going into my dinner.
Maybe I'm kind of a control freak... 😉
Back to the teriyaki chicken bowls... these bowls combine everything we love about takeout without having to worry about what is in them. Homemade, including the sauce, means we can create exactly what we are looking for. And, since the vegetables are not part of the "official" recipe, you can easily adapt this recipe to fit even the pickiest of eaters. Go simple by adding in some broccoli or get adventurous with cauliflower, pea pods, and even some water chestnuts.
We're are going to show you how to make your teriyaki chicken bowls using either your Instant Pot or your stovetop. Plus, we are including some tips to take the standard recipe and make this teriyaki chicken bowl recipe compliant for gluten-free eaters, paleo, and even low carb lifestyles.
Serve your teriyaki chicken bowls with instant pot broccoli, roasted broccoli, cauliflower rice, or a simple mix-bag of your favorite veggies to complete the meal.
Why You'll Love This!
- Authentic Asian flavor without all of the MSG and artificial ingredients in common take-out options and storebought varieties.
- Homemade teriyaki sauce is easier than you think and you can control the sweetness by decreasing or increasing the sugar as you prefer.
- A great basic chicken teriyaki bowl recipe, chicken teriyaki bowls can be customized to adapt to even the pickiest of eaters in your household.
- Instant pot chicken teriyaki bowls are gluten-free and dairy-free.
- Quick and easy, you can be eating homemade teriyaki chicken in less time than delivery.
Be sure to check out some of the other Instant Pot recipes available from Whole Lotta Yum such as instant pot Mexican shredded chicken, pressure cooker chicken noodle soup, and instant pot Cuban chicken stew.
On Keto? Grab our FREE keto foods list here OR Snag our Keto Binder HERE
Ingredient Notes
The base for your teriyaki chicken bowls is chicken and teriyaki sauce. We opt to serve ours with white rice, but you could easily use cauliflower rice instead. Veggies, of course, are up to you as well. Our goal with this recipe is to give you the basics and the ideas for customizing so you can truly make a dish your family will love.
- chicken breasts - cut into 1-1.5" cubes
- vegetable oil
- salt and pepper
- teriyaki sauce - homemade recipe below
- Optional garnishes - sesame seeds or sliced green onion
Homemade Teriyaki Sauce
- soy sauce - or wheat-free tamari to keep it gluten-free
- water - substitute ½ orange juice or pineapple juice, if desired
- ground ginger
-
garlic cloves - minced
-
brown sugar sweetener - brown sugar, coconut sugar, or golden erythritol
-
honey
-
rice wine vinegar
-
sea salt
-
sesame oil (optional)
-
cornstarch - or arrowroot
-
cold water
Variations
- Chicken Breasts - Chicken thighs can also be used
Equipment
A Pressure Cooker - This is the Instant Pot model that we used.
Diet Adaptions
- Low Sugar: Use coconut sugar or low carb golden erythritol instead of the brown sugar.
- Gluten-free: Use wheat-free tamari sauce instead of soy.
- Paleo: Use coconut aminos instead of soy sauce, coconut sugar as the sweetener, and serve with cauliflower rice.
- Low carb: Use erythritol instead of brown sugar, tamari sauce or coconut aminos instead of soy, arrowroot instead of corn starch, and a low carb honey substitute and serve with cauliflower rice.
Step by Step Instructions
Your chicken teriyaki bowls are going to come together surprisingly quickly. Be sure to read through the directions once before you start cooking.
Instant Pot Instructions
Prep
Turn your pot to saute high and add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil.
Pat the chicken dry (to make sure it crisps up) and then sprinkle it with salt and pepper.
Assemble
Quick sear the chicken for about 1 minute on each side, until it's starting to brown but not cooked through.
***Note: By slightly pre-cooking the chicken it only takes 5 minutes to come to pressure once you're ready to add the sauce.
In a separate small bowl, combine the soy sauce, water, ginger, garlic, brown sugar (or sweetener of choice), honey, vinegar, and sea salt. DO NOT add the corn starch yet (or you will cause your pot to burn).
Stir to combine then add the sauce ingredients to the pot covering the chicken.
Cancel the saute.
Pressure Cook
Add the lid and close your pressure cooker.
Set your instant pot to pressure cook on high for 3 minutes.
Quick-release the pressure as soon as the cook cycle is complete.
In a small bowl, dissolve cornstarch with ¼ cup warm liquid from the pot and add to the pot. Select Saute and simmer until sauce thickens.
Optional - broil for 1-2 minutes to get that crispy finish on the chicken like the pan-seared restaurant chicken.
Serve with your choice of sides and vegetables. We opted for white rice and a stirfry mix of vegetables.
Stovetop Instructions
Prep
Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Pat the chicken dry (to make sure it crisps up) and then sprinkle it with salt and pepper.
Assemble
Cook the chicken on all sides until just cooked through, about 3 mins.
In a separate small bowl combine the soy sauce, water, ginger, garlic, brown sugar (or sweetener of choice), honey, vinegar, and sea salt. DO NOT add the corn starch yet.
Cook
Add the sauce ingredients to the pot with the chicken except for the cornstarch and heat through.
In a small bowl, dissolve cornstarch with ¼ cup warm liquid from the pot and add to the skillet, stirring until thickened.
Serve with your choice of sides and vegetables.
Recipe Tips
- If you prefer a sweeter teriyaki sauce feel free to increase the sugar or honey.
- If you can't get fresh garlic, or just don't like to use it, ¼tsb of dried garlic will work.
- If you have sesame oil add a splash or two - but remember, a little goes a long way! 😉
- To add a little spice, try ¼tsp of red pepper flakes.
- It's perfectly OK to swap the homemade teriyaki seasoning for storebought, however, you do not want to add the storebought sauce to your Instant Pot - pre-thickened sauces may cause your pot to burn.
Common Questions
What To Serve with Teryaki Chicken Bowls?
Serve your teriyaki chicken bowls with instant pot broccoli, roasted broccoli, cauliflower rice, white or brown rice, or a simple mix-bag of your favorite veggies to complete the meal.
How Long Can You Store Leftover Chicken Teryaki Bowls?
Store leftovers in the fridge in a covered container for up to 4 days.
Can You Double This Recipe?
Absolutley! In fact, we highly recommend it whether you are making the Instant Pot version or the stove top.
More Asian Recipes
Looking for more Asian recipes?
- Cauliflower Fried Rice (Weight Watchers)
- Keto Crack Slaw
- Instant Pot Egg Drop Soup
- Low Carb Egg Drop Soup
Please leave a review if you make our recipe! We love feedback from readers, plus it helps others too.
Come connect with us on Instagram! Be sure to tag us (wholelotta.yum) when you make a recipe. You can also find us on Facebook, and Pinterest.
Easy Chicken Teriyaki Bowl Recipe
This teriyaki chicken bowl recipe is about to become one of your favorite healthy, homemade meals! With a simple homemade teriyaki sauce, fresh chicken, rice, and your choice of veggies, chicken teriyaki bowls are a one-stop-shop meal that is quick, easy, and super customizable.
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken breasts (or chicken thighs), cut into 1-1.5" cubes
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- salt and pepper (about ¼ teaspoon each)
- 1⁄4 cup soy sauce (or wheat-free tamari to keep it gluten-free)
- 1 cup water (substitute ½ orange juice or pineapple juice, if desired)
- 1⁄2 teaspoon ground ginger (or 2 teaspoon fresh)
- 1 teaspoon garlic cloves, minced
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar sweetener (brown sugar, coconut sugar, or golden erythritol)
- 1 -2 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon sesame oil (optional)
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch (or arrowroot)
- 1⁄4 cup cold water
- Garnishes- green onions or chives, sesame seeds
Instructions
Instant Pot Instructions
- Turn your pot to saute high and add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil.
- Pat the chicken dry (to make sure it crisps up) and then sprinkle it with salt and pepper.
- Quick sear the chicken for about 1 minute on each side, until it's starting to brown but not cooked through.
- ***Note: By slightly pre-cooking the chicken it only takes 5 minutes to come to pressure once you're ready to add the sauce.
- In a separate small bowl combine the soy sauce, water, ginger, garlic, brown sugar (or sweetener of choice), honey, vinegar, and sea salt. DO NOT add the corn starch yet (or you will cause your pot to burn).
- Stir to combine then add the sauce ingredients to the pot covering the chicken.
- Cancel the saute and set your instant pot to pressure cook on high for 3 minutes.
- Quick-release the pressure as soon as the cook cycle is complete.
- In a small bowl, dissolve cornstarch with ¼ cup warm liquid from the pot and add to the pot. Select Saute and simmer until sauce thickens.
- Optional - broil for 1-2 minutes to get that crispy finish on the chicken like the pan-seared restaurant chicken.
- Serve with your choice of sides and vegetables. We opted for white rice and a stir-fry mix of vegetables.
Stovetop Teriyaki Chicken Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Pat the chicken dry (to make sure it crisps up) and then sprinkle it with salt and pepper.
- Cook the chicken on all sides until just cooked through, about 3 mins.
- In a separate small bowl combine the soy sauce, water, ginger, garlic, brown sugar (or sweetener of choice), honey, vinegar, and sea salt. DO NOT add the corn starch yet.
- Add the sauce ingredients to the pot with the chicken except for the cornstarch and heat through.
- In a small bowl, dissolve cornstarch with ¼ cup warm liquid from the pot and add to the skillet, stirring until thickened.
- Serve with your choice of sides and vegetables such as steamed stir fry vegetables, rice, or cauliflower rice. Garnish with chopped green onions or chives and a sprinkle of sesame seeds or everything but the bagel seasoning. Enjoy!
Nutrition Information
Yield 4 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 310Total Fat 8gSaturated Fat 1gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 6gCholesterol 96mgSodium 1185mgCarbohydrates 22gFiber 0gSugar 17gProtein 37g
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