Baked teriyaki chicken is a delicious and easy dish that combines juicy chicken with a savory-sweet sauce. So simple and tasty – the whole family will love this dinner recipe.

I love how easy this chicken teriyaki is. Just heat a few sauce ingredients in a pan, pour over the chicken, and bake in the oven. What could be easier!

How to Make Chicken Teriyaki

Here is a brief overview of how this chicken teriyaki recipe comes together. For the full recipe including all measurements, scroll to the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.

1. Make the sauce. Whisk together the cornstarch and cold water in a small saucepan. Add in the sugar, soy sauce, cider vinegar, minced garlic, ginger, honey, and pepper and stir to combine. Bring to a boil then remove from heat.
2. Combine the chicken and sauce. Place the chunks of chicken in an oven-proof dish. Pour the sauce over the chicken and stir if needed to make sure all of the pieces are coated in the sauce.
3. Bake the chicken. Bake the chicken in the oven for 30-35 minutes, stirring once or twice during cooking to ensure the top of the chicken doesn’t get too dark. Check if the chicken is fully cooked by cutting open a large piece and ensuring it’s no longer pink in the middle. You can also use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the chicken. It should reach 165°F.
4. Serve and enjoy! Serve the chicken with boiled rice and green vegetables, topped with sesame seeds and chopped scallions.

Homemade Teriyaki Sauce

The homemade teriyaki sauce in this recipe acts as both a marinade and the sauce, infusing flavor into the chicken while it bakes. Making your own teriyaki sauce is easy and allows you to control the sweetness and saltiness. Start by making a cornstarch slurry (1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water) before baking. This will allow the sauce to thicken and help it adhere better to the chicken.

If you are cooking for someone who can’t have gluten, be sure to use a gluten-free soy sauce as regular soy sauce does contain gluten.

How to Serve

Serve your baked chicken teriyaki with cooked rice or noodles and lots of green vegetables. I like to serve mine with steamed broccoli and kale. The kids eat every bite – even the vegetables – with the yummy sauce poured over everything!

Chicken Breasts vs Thighs

I like to use chicken breasts in this recipe. The chicken isn’t in the oven long enough to render the fat off the meat in this recipe, so you really need to ensure all of the fat is removed beforehand. Using chicken breasts makes that a quick and simple job, and I find it’s still deliciously moist and flavorful. You don’t even need to marinate the meat beforehand.

Chicken thighs are delicious too and great for ensuring the meat is moist – however, I find them fiddly and time-consuming to trim. That’s fine on the weekend, but not mid-week when I’m in a hurry to get dinner on the table.

Storing and Reheating Leftovers

Store any leftover teriyaki chicken and sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. Reheat only the portion you plan to eat in the oven or microwave until heated through. If reheating in the oven, cover with foil to prevent drying out. I recommend storing the chicken and sauce in their own container and combining with rice and veggies once reheated. Serve with fresh or reheated rice and vegetables. Never reheat leftovers more than once.

Other Great Dinner Recipes

• Asian Beef with Vegetable Stir Fry
• Parmesan Crusted Chicken Alfredo
• Spicy Chicken Rigatoni {Like Buca Di Beppo}

If you make this teriyaki chicken recipe or any of my other recipes, I’d love to know what you think! Leave a comment below or send me a message. I love hearing from you!