gluten-free, poultry

Easy Teriyaki Chicken & Rice Bowls

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When it comes to easy dinners, these teriyaki chicken and rice bowls are our latest love.  Seriously, the kids like this dish so much that I’ve made it once a week for the last month! This recipe has definitely become a tried and true family favorite by my picky little taste testers.

The first time I ever made teriyaki chicken, I used chicken drumsticks. That was my trial run with this recipe and I can say that the flavors in the dish turned out great, but that cut of meat just didn’t feel right for the meal. What we really wanted was that rich, teriyaki flavor in a more familiar, restaurant-style form.

So, the next time we wanted teriyaki chicken for supper, I sliced up some boneless, skinless chicken thighs into bite-size pieces and used them in the dish instead. This second version with the smaller bits of chicken was a much bigger hit with the family, so that is that’s what we’re sticking with!

Once I had the chicken pieces marinating, I had to decide how to cook them. When I made this recipe with drumsticks, baking them was the obvious method to go with, but these little pieces of meat seemed like they should go into a pan. I decided to use a slotted spoon and lift the chicken pieces out of the marinade, I transferred them to a baking sheet and I put it all in the oven anyway. ( with fingers crossed, big time y’all!!)

Baking the meat worked out perfectly and I was pleasantly surprised at how much the end product really added a restaurant-style feel to this simple meal. What came out of the oven were some extremely tender, flavorful pieces of chicken with a super rich, golden color.

I just added some steamed brown rice and broccoli and we had a delicious and pretty meal in a bowl!

You should know by now that I’m not above reasonable, dinnertime short-cuts, especially during the  week. If they are available at your grocery store, using the convenient, frozen, microwave-steamable bags of rice and vegetables will help to make this a extra super-duper quick and healthy weeknight meal! (Frees up more time for that dreaded math homework y’all! bleh….)

I sincerely hope your family enjoys these easy teriyaki chicken and rice bowls too!
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Easy Teriyaki Chicken & Rice Bowls                                  printable recipe

Prep Time: 45 min (if marinating for 30 min)
Cook Time: 25 min
Servings: 4-6
                   

  • 1.5-2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
  • 1 cup organic soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1 medium clove garlic, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 2 teaspoons lime juice
  • 1 green onion, sliced
  • 1-1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1 cup prepared, steamed white or brown rice, for serving (I used HEB brand frozen, microwave-steamable brown rice)
  • 2 cups prepared, steamed broccoli or other steamed vegetable(s) of choice, for serving
  • toasted sesame seeds, for garnish
  • green onion, finely sliced, for garnish
1. Combine soy sauce, water, garlic, ginger, brown sugar, honey and lime juice in a medium-size plastic bowl and stir.  Add green onions and chicken pieces. Toss chicken with marinade, coating well. Cover the bowl and chill for at least 30 minutes. Chicken can marinate for up to 2 hours if needed, but remember to stir at least one time. 
2. Pre-heat oven to 375°. Prepare a rimmed baking sheet with a light coat of non-stick cooking spray. Use a slotted spoon and remove chicken from the marinade. Spread it out evenly on the prepared baking sheet. Reserve marinade to make teriyaki sauce (recipe follows). 
3. Place the sheet pan into the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, stirring at least once. Remove the baking sheet from the oven, place it on a cooling rack.  Place 1/2 cup – 3/4 cup of rice into a bowl and top with vegetables, chicken, and teriyaki sauce. Garnish with sesame seeds and fresh, sliced green onions. Enjoy!

Instructions to prepare extra teriyaki sauce: 
1. Pour the reserved marinade through a fine strainer and into a small sauce pan (this will remove any extra bits of garlic, chicken and green onion). Heat the pan and bring the marinade/sauce to a low simmer. 
2. Once the sauce is simmering, combine the cornstarch with 1.5 tablespoons of water in a small bowl or ramekin. Pour cornstarch mixture into the simmering teriyaki sauce and using a small whisk, stir briskly to make sure no lumps are formed. Bring the sauce just back to a boil, turn off the burner and remove the pan from heat. Serve a few drizzles of teriyaki sauce with the prepared chicken and rice bowls!

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12 Comments

  1. Angie Schneider
    February 4, 2018 at 6:57 am  ·  Reply

    Teriyaki sauce works like magic, doesn't it? The rice bowl looks healthy and delicious.

  2. Marcelle @ A Little Fish in the Kitchen
    February 4, 2018 at 8:42 pm  ·  Reply

    They are good stuff! Thank you, Angie! :0)

  3. Liz Berg
    February 6, 2018 at 3:10 am  ·  Reply

    Sounds like a terrific meal! I need to pick up some broccoli and it will be on our menu soon!!!

  5. Cocoa and Lavender
    February 6, 2018 at 2:51 pm  ·  Reply

    Perfect for a weeknight meal! We can get a nice walk in the neighborhood while the chicken is marinating! Love this, Marcelle!

  7. Kitchen Riffs
    February 7, 2018 at 3:01 pm  ·  Reply

    Can't go wrong with a kid-approved recipe! This does look like a winner — tons of flavor, and easy to make. Yup, my kid of recipe. But then I'm a kid at heart. 🙂

  8. grace
    February 8, 2018 at 1:21 pm  ·  Reply

    what a marvelous meal, marcelle–i can see completely understand why your kids love it! your sheet pan technique is awesome.

  10. Marcelle @ A Little Fish in the Kitchen
    February 12, 2018 at 4:50 am  ·  Reply

    Hi Grace!! It worked out well, thank you!! 🙂

  11. Andrea_TheKitchenLioness
    February 25, 2018 at 10:09 pm  ·  Reply

    Dear Marcelle, Teriyaki CHicken with rice and veg is simply the best! Really enjoy this recipe of yours!
    Hope you and the kids are doing well!
    Andrea

  12. Marcelle
    April 21, 2018 at 4:46 pm  ·  Reply

    Hi Andrea!! We are well, thank you for your visit sweet friend!:)

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