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Japanese

Teriyaki Chicken and Rice

Chicken thighs simmer in a soy, honey, and ginger sauce you mix yourself, then go over rice. It is sticky and salty in a measured way, not a bottle poured over plain meat.

Prep
10 min
Cook
20 min
Total
30 min
Servings
4
Difficulty
Easy
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Teriyaki chicken thighs over rice with scallions.

Why you’ll love it

  • The sauce is soy, honey, ginger, and garlic.
  • Thighs stay juicy.
  • The glaze reduces in the same pan.
  • Rice makes it dinner.

Ingredients

Servings4

Ingredient amounts scale. Oven temperature and cook time do not. Salt, spices, and leaveners are a starting point after you scale. Taste and adjust.

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Instructions

  1. 1

    Season the thighs with salt. Sear them in the oil over medium-high until browned, about 4 minutes per side. They may not be 165°F yet.

  2. 2

    Add the garlic and ginger. Stir 30 seconds.

  3. 3

    Whisk the soy sauce, honey, water, and cornstarch. Pour it in.

  4. 4

    Simmer, turning the chicken, until the sauce is glossy and the thickest thigh is 165°F, about 5 minutes.

  5. 5

    If the sauce gets too thick, add a spoon of water.

  6. 6

    Serve over rice and finish with scallions.

Pro tips

  • Cornstarch prevents a thin, watery glaze. Whisk it before it hits the pan.
  • Honey burns if the pan is dry and hot. The liquid protects it.
  • Slice the thighs if you want faster cooking.

Easy substitutions

Honey
Brown sugar, 2 tbsp.
Soy sauce
Tamari, same amount, for gluten-free.
Thighs
Breasts, pulled at 165°F and not simmered longer than that.

Storage and reheating

Storage

Refrigerate chicken and rice up to 3 days.

Reheating

Warm the chicken with a splash of water so the glaze melts again. Reheat rice separately if it is cold and clumped.

Nutrition

Estimates per serving, using standard ingredient averages and rounded to the nearest gram. This is not a lab analysis, and it shifts if you change brands or add sides.

Calories
520
Protein
36 g
Carbs
52 g
Fat
18 g
Fiber
1 g

Moderate · Stovetop · High Protein

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From the kitchen

Kitchen tools we love

Practical tools these recipes actually use. This is not a review roundup, and these are not paid placements. If affiliate links are added later, they will be labeled and disclosed.

  • A heavy 12-inch skillet

    Most of the chicken and steak recipes are written for one pan that holds heat. Stainless or cast iron both work.

  • An air fryer with a real basket

    The air-fryer recipes expect a single layer. A crowded basket steams instead of browning.

  • A half-sheet pan

    Drumsticks, potatoes, sausage, and carrots all use one. A dark pan browns faster than a very shiny one.

  • A sharp chef’s knife

    These recipes do not need a specialty blade. A sharp 8-inch knife is faster and safer than a dull one.

  • A large cutting board

    Big enough that the onion and the raw chicken are not sharing the same puddle.

  • Dry cups and a liquid cup

    Desserts in particular expect level dry measures and a separate cup for milk.

  • An instant-read thermometer

    Use it for poultry, pork chops, and meatloaf. Color is a weak guide.

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Ingredients