Why You’ll Love This this Sweet & Savory Asian Teriyaki Chicken
This teriyaki chicken stir-fry brings together that perfect sweet-and-salty combo we all crave, with tender marinated chicken that soaks up every bit of that garlicky, honey-kissed sauce.
You get a complete meal in one pan – protein, veggies, and all those satisfying flavors that make takeout seem totally unnecessary.
Plus, with just a two-hour marinade and a quick stir-fry session, you’re looking at a dinner that’s way easier than it tastes, which honestly feels like cheating but in the best possible way.
Ingredients List
Getting this teriyaki chicken stir-fry on your table starts with gathering just a handful of simple ingredients that you probably already have hanging around your kitchen.
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken, cubed
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1/4 teaspoon ginger
- Salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 (4 ounce) can mushroom pieces, drained
- 1 bag frozen stir fry vegetables
- 4 cups cooked rice
A few things worth mentioning about these ingredients from a health perspective:
- The frozen veggie mix gives you a solid dose of nutrients without any prep work, though you could totally swap in fresh vegetables if you’re feeling ambitious.
- Using garlic powder instead of fresh keeps things simple, but fresh minced garlic would bump up the antioxidants if you want to go that route.
- The honey adds natural sweetness that’s a bit gentler than refined sugar, plus it helps create that gorgeous glaze.
- Chicken breast is lean protein central, keeping the dish satisfying without being heavy.
Step by Step Directions
Making this teriyaki chicken stir-fry is straightforward and takes about 2.5 hours from start to finish, with most of that being hands-off marinating time.
- Marinate the chicken: Combine soy sauce, garlic powder, honey, ginger, salt and pepper in a bowl to create your marinade, then add the cubed chicken and let it sit in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
- Heat your cooking surface: Warm the vegetable oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Cook the chicken: Add the marinated chicken to the hot oil and stir-fry until it’s no longer pink inside, about 5-7 minutes.
- Add vegetables: Toss in the drained mushroom pieces and frozen stir-fry vegetables, continuing to stir-fry for another 5 minutes until the vegetables are heated through and tender-crisp.
- Serve: Spoon the stir-fry over your cooked rice and enjoy immediately while everything’s still hot and steaming.
For the best results, consider using a professional carbon steel wok which provides excellent heat distribution and authentic stir-fry flavor.
Substitutions and Variations
- Sauce variations: Try adding a splash of rice vinegar for tang, or a teaspoon of sesame oil for that nutty depth that makes everything taste more restaurant-worthy.
- Pineapple twist: Throw in some pineapple chunks during the last few minutes of cooking for that sweet and savory combo that somehow works perfectly with teriyaki.
- Make it saucier: Double the marinade recipe and reserve half before adding the raw chicken – then you can drizzle extra sauce over the finished dish without worrying about food safety.
Additional Things to Serve With This Dish
While rice is the classic choice, there are plenty of other sides that’ll make this teriyaki chicken shine even brighter.
- Noodles instead of rice: Lo mein, ramen noodles, or even spaghetti work surprisingly well – because to be frank, carbs are carbs and they all love teriyaki sauce.
- Cauliflower rice: For those trying to sneak in more veggies or cut carbs, cauliflower rice soaks up that gorgeous teriyaki glaze just as enthusiastically as regular rice.
- Asian-style coleslaw: The crisp, fresh crunch creates this perfect contrast to the warm, saucy chicken – plus it adds that restaurant-feel to your home kitchen.
- Steamed edamame: Sprinkle with a little sea salt and you’ve got yourself a protein-packed side that makes the whole meal feel more complete.
- Jasmine or basmati rice: If you want to upgrade from plain white rice, these fragrant varieties add their own subtle flavor without competing with your teriyaki masterpiece.
- Quinoa: Another grain that plays well with Asian flavors, and it brings extra protein to the party – your health-conscious friends will definitely approve.
Cooking Tips & Tricks (Chef’s Notes)
Getting this teriyaki chicken just right comes down to a few key moves that’ll save you from the usual stir-fry disasters.
- Don’t skip the marinating time – I know two hours feels like forever when you’re hungry, but that’s what transforms plain chicken into something that actually tastes like it belongs in the sauce.
- Pat your chicken dry before cooking – wet chicken steams instead of searing, and steamed chicken in a stir-fry is about as exciting as cardboard, trust me on this one.
- Get your pan screaming hot first – we’re talking proper sizzle-the-second-it-hits-the-pan hot, because that’s how you get those beautiful golden edges instead of sad, gray chicken pieces.
- Cook in batches if needed – overcrowding the pan is the fastest way to turn your stir-fry into a sad chicken soup situation, and nobody wants that.
- Add frozen vegetables straight from the freezer – don’t thaw them first because they’ll turn into mush faster than you can say “soggy dinner.”
- Save some marinade for extra sauce – just make sure you boil it for a minute first since it touched raw chicken, but that extra drizzle over the finished dish makes all the difference.
- Taste and adjust at the end – maybe you need more honey for sweetness, or another splash of soy sauce for that salty punch, because every palate is different and yours is the only one that matters here.
Nutritional Facts
This teriyaki chicken stir-fry delivers a solid balance of protein, carbs, and vegetables while keeping the calories reasonable for a satisfying dinner.
- Calories per serving: Approximately 420-450 calories (based on 4 servings)
- Protein powerhouse: Each serving packs about 28-30 grams of lean protein from the chicken
- Carbohydrate content: Around 55-60 grams mainly from the rice, with some natural sugars from honey and vegetables
- Fat content: Roughly 8-10 grams, primarily from the cooking oil with minimal saturated fat
- Sodium levels: Contains approximately 800-900mg per serving, mostly from soy sauce
- Fiber boost: 3-4 grams from the mixed vegetables and rice
- Sugar content: About 8-10 grams, with honey contributing natural sweetness
- Vitamin rich: High in vitamin C and vitamin A from the stir-fry vegetables
- Mineral content: Good source of iron from chicken and potassium from vegetables
- Low cholesterol: Contains about 70mg of cholesterol per serving from the chicken
- Gluten consideration: Contains gluten from soy sauce unless tamari is substituted
Fun “Did You Know?”
Beyond the impressive nutritional profile, teriyaki chicken carries fascinating stories that’ll make your next dinner conversation as flavorful as the dish itself.
Did you know teriyaki literally means “glaze-grilled” in Japanese? The technique originated in the 17th century when Japanese chefs uncovered that glazing fish with sweetened soy sauce created an irresistible caramelized coating.
I find it amazing that what we call “teriyaki chicken” is actually an American invention from the 1960s, created by Japanese immigrants who adapted their traditional cooking methods for Western palates.
Today’s stir-fry version represents yet another delicious evolution of this centuries-old glazing technique.
