Name: Teriyaki Chicken Bowls
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces; 1 tbsp neutral oil; Sauce: 1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce, 1/4 cup honey, 2 tbsp rice vinegar, 1 tbsp grated ginger, 2 cloves garlic minced, 1 tbsp cornstarch + 2 tbsp water; 4 cups cooked white rice; 1 lb broccoli florets, steamed; Sesame seeds and sliced green onions, to serve

Teriyaki chicken bowl with glazed chicken over steamed rice

AI-generated recipe illustration

Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 4 servings

Teriyaki chicken bowls are the meal-prep monarch: glossy soy-ginger glazed chicken thighs over rice with steamed broccoli, assembled from a homemade teriyaki sauce that takes four pantry ingredients and beats every bottle at the store. The from-scratch sauce is the point — bottled teriyaki is mostly sugar and thickener, while this one is balanced enough to eat four days straight, which is exactly what your week is about to look like. Double the batch; you'll want the spare.

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
1 tbsp neutral oil
Sauce: 1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce, 1/4 cup honey, 2 tbsp rice vinegar, 1 tbsp grated ginger, 2 cloves garlic minced, 1 tbsp cornstarch + 2 tbsp water
4 cups cooked white rice
1 lb broccoli florets, steamed
Sesame seeds and sliced green onions, to serve

How to make teriyaki chicken bowls

Whisk the soy sauce, honey, vinegar, ginger, and garlic in a bowl; stir the cornstarch and water together separately.
Sear the chicken in oil over medium-high until browned and cooked through, 6–8 minutes.
Pour in the sauce and bring to a simmer; stir in the cornstarch slurry and cook 1–2 minutes until glossy and thick enough to coat.
Build bowls: rice, broccoli, glazed chicken, and a spoon of extra sauce from the pan.
Finish with sesame seeds and green onions.

Make it your own

Ingredient	Swap	Good to know
Chicken thighs	Chicken breast	Cook 1–2 minutes less; sauce covers any dryness sins
Honey	Brown sugar (3 tbsp)	The classic Japanese-American diner profile
White rice	Brown rice or cauliflower rice	Bowl format accepts all
Broccoli	Snap peas, carrots, or edamame	Anything steamable

Storage & leftovers

The whole point: refrigerate assembled bowls up to 4 days. Keep sauce-drizzled chicken separate from rice if you like distinct textures.

Microwave 90 seconds with a damp paper towel over the bowl — the rice re-steams instead of drying. Chicken and sauce freeze well for 2 months; rice is better fresh.

A few helpful answers

Is this real teriyaki?

It's the Japanese-American version — thicker and sweeter than Japan's brushed-on original, and the one American takeout taught us to crave.

How do I keep meal-prep rice from drying out?

Portion it still-warm into containers and lid immediately; the trapped steam keeps it soft. The damp-paper-towel reheat finishes the job.

Can I grill the chicken instead?

Excellent move in summer — grill thighs whole, slice, and toss with the thickened sauce. A little char makes teriyaki sing.

How spicy can I make it?

Add sriracha to the sauce (start with a tablespoon) or a big pinch of red pepper flakes with the garlic. The honey holds the balance.

ESTIMATED NUTRITION · PER SERVING

560 calories · 39g protein · 68g carbohydrates · 14g fat · 980mg sodium