Asian Chicken Rice Bowl Recipe

Why You’ll Love This this Asian Chicken Rice Bowl

This Asian chicken rice bowl delivers restaurant-quality teriyaki flavors right in your own kitchen, with tender marinated chicken that practically melts in your mouth.

The sweet and savory sauce gets perfectly glossy and thick, coating every piece of chicken like a delicious blanket of flavor.

You get a complete, satisfying meal in one bowl – protein, rice, and veggies all working together in perfect harmony, plus it’s ready in about 30 minutes which means you can skip the takeout line tonight.

Ingredients List

This recipe keeps things invigoratingly simple with just a handful of pantry-friendly ingredients that you probably already have hanging around your kitchen.

• 1/2 cup teriyaki marinade
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch thick slices
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• Hot cooked rice
• Steamed vegetables

Here are a few healthy swaps to reflect on if you’re watching your wellness game:

• Swap white rice for brown rice or cauliflower rice to boost fiber and cut carbs
• Use coconut oil instead of vegetable oil for a cleaner fat source
• Pick low-sodium teriyaki sauce to keep the salt levels in check
• Load up on colorful steamed veggies like broccoli, snap peas, and carrots for extra vitamins and crunch
• Contemplate using chicken thighs instead of breasts – they’re juicier and often more affordable, though slightly higher in fat

Step by Step Directions

This Asian chicken rice bowl comes together in under 30 minutes with straightforward prep and cooking techniques.

• Prepare the marinade: Combine teriyaki sauce and sugar in a measuring cup, stirring until sugar completely dissolves.
• Reserve sauce for later: Remove 3 tablespoons of the teriyaki mixture and set aside.
• Marinate the chicken: Pour remaining marinade over sliced chicken in a large plastic food storage bag, press out air, seal securely, and turn several times to coat well – marinate for 15 minutes.
• Make the thickening sauce: Add enough water to the reserved 3 tablespoons teriyaki mixture to measure 2/3 cup, then blend in cornstarch until smooth.
• Cook the chicken: Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, add marinated chicken and sauté for 5 minutes or until thoroughly cooked through.
• Add the sauce: Pour in the cornstarch-teriyaki mixture and cook while stirring for about 1 minute until the sauce boils and thickens slightly.
• Assemble and serve: Spoon the glazed chicken and sauce over hot cooked rice in individual serving bowls, then add steamed vegetables on top or alongside as desired.

For an authentic restaurant-quality experience, consider using fresh noodles made with a professional pasta maker instead of rice for an Asian fusion twist.

Substitutions and Variations

• Add crunch – Toss in some sesame seeds, crushed peanuts, or crispy fried onions on top, because texture makes everything more interesting.
• Go low-sodium – Use reduced-sodium teriyaki sauce and add extra ginger, garlic, or a splash of rice vinegar to boost the flavor without all the salt.
• Make it a stir-fry – Cook everything together in one pan with the vegetables for a more traditional stir-fry approach, perfect for those nights when you can’t be bothered with multiple steps.

Additional Things to Serve With This Dish

This dish practically begs for some tasty sidekicks to round out the meal.

• Miso soup – Because nothing says “complete Asian meal” like a warm, salty bowl of comfort that takes literally three minutes to make from instant packets.
• Pot stickers or gyoza – Whether you go store-bought and pan-fried or get fancy with homemade, these little dumplings add that satisfying bite-sized element.
• Simple cucumber salad – Just slice some cucumbers thin, toss with rice vinegar, a pinch of sugar, and sesame oil for something cool and crisp.
• Edamame – Sprinkle with coarse salt and you’ve got the easiest appetizer known to humanity, plus people feel fancy eating beans from pods.
• Asian slaw – Shredded cabbage with a sesame-ginger dressing brings that fresh crunch factor, and it’s basically salad so you can pretend you’re being healthy.
• Steamed bao buns – If you want to go full restaurant mode, these fluffy little pillows are perfect for soaking up extra teriyaki sauce.

Cooking Tips & Tricks (Chef’s Notes)

A few little tricks will take this chicken rice bowl from decent to absolutely crave-worthy.

• Don’t skip the marinade time – I know 15 minutes feels like forever when you’re hungry, but this is where the magic happens and your chicken transforms from bland to brilliant.
• Cut chicken against the grain – Those crosswise slices aren’t just for looks, they make each bite tender instead of chewy, which is the difference between restaurant-quality and “why is this so tough.”
• Get your pan properly hot – That sizzle when the chicken hits the oil means you’re getting a nice sear instead of sad, gray steamed chicken that nobody wants.
• Reserve some marinade like the recipe says – This creates that glossy, restaurant-style sauce that coats everything beautifully instead of just having naked chicken sitting on rice.
• Use day-old rice if you have it – Fresh rice can get mushy under all that saucy goodness, but rice that’s been resting in the fridge holds its shape like a champion.
• Don’t overcrowd the pan – Cook in batches if needed because cramped chicken just steams and turns pale, and we’re going for golden-brown gorgeousness here.
• Taste your teriyaki before using – Some brands are sweeter, some saltier, so you might want to adjust that sugar accordingly unless you want dessert chicken.

Nutritional Facts

This Asian chicken rice bowl delivers a solid balance of protein, carbs, and nutrients while keeping calories reasonable for a complete meal.

• Calories per serving: Approximately 450-500 calories (depending on rice and vegetable portions)
• Protein powerhouse: Each serving packs about 35-40 grams of lean protein from the chicken breast
• Carbohydrates: Around 45-50 grams primarily from rice, plus natural sugars from the teriyaki marinade
• Fat content: Relatively low at 8-12 grams, mainly from the cooking oil
• Sodium levels: Moderate to high (800-1000mg) due to teriyaki sauce – consider low-sodium versions if watching salt intake
• Added sugars: About 6 grams from the marinade sugar, which is reasonable for a glazed dish
• Fiber boost: 2-4 grams depending on your vegetable choices and rice type (brown rice adds more)
• Key vitamins: Rich in B-vitamins from chicken, plus vitamin C and other nutrients from steamed vegetables
• Iron content: Good source at about 10-15% daily value from both chicken and fortified rice
• Customizable nutrition: Easily modified by using brown rice, extra vegetables, or reducing oil for different dietary needs

Fun “Did You Know?”

While teriyaki sauce might seem quintessentially Japanese, it’s actually an American-Japanese fusion creation that gained popularity in the 1960s when Japanese immigrants adapted their cooking techniques for Western palates.

I find it fascinating that chicken rice bowls originated from Japanese “donburi” dishes, which literally means “bowl.”

The cornstarch thickening technique I use in this recipe comes from Chinese cooking methods.

Here’s something cool: marinating chicken for just fifteen minutes actually penetrates the meat effectively because of teriyaki’s sugar content, which helps break down proteins faster than salt-only marinades.