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This Healthy Teriyaki Chicken stir-fry recipe is easy, delicious, and comes together faster than ordering out!

Golden seared chicken thighs tossed in a homemade sauce make this healthy teriyaki chicken an incredible recipe you’ll make again and again.

Healthy Chicken Teriyaki

Teriyaki chicken is a favorite recipe for an easy dinner, but most take-out options or bottled sauces are dense in sugar and sodium, which can leave us feeling “bleh”. This healthy teriyaki chicken is a delicious and lightened-up version of the classic, made with only four high-quality ingredients.

I use a similar homemade sauce to make chicken and broccoli teriyaki bowls, and the leftovers are a favorite for building teriyaki chicken tacos. So convenient!

Ingredients

Whether you use chicken breasts or thighs, make sure they are boneless and skinless. For the teriyaki marinade, you’ll need honey, soy sauce, garlic, and fresh ginger. I like to serve this protein with regular white or brown rice.

How to Make Healthy Teriyaki Chicken

Check the steps and the video below to learn how easy this teriyaki chicken is to make:

Make the marinade by whisking honey, soy sauce, garlic, and ginger.
Slice the chicken into even pieces, then combine it with the marinade and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
Cook the rice in a saucepan or in the rice cooker while the chicken marinates.
Cook the chicken in a skillet for 3 minutes on each side or until it is browned on both sides and reaches an internal temperature of 175F for thighs or 165F for chicken breasts. Do not discard the marinade, you'll need it!
Pour the marinade into the pan, simmer, and add the chicken. Toss to coat the chicken with the teriyaki sauce.
Serve the teriyaki chicken over a bed of rice. Enjoy!

Save time by slicing the chicken 2 days ahead and cooking the rice ahead. Once done, allow the rice to cool down to room temperature and refrigerate for up to 5 days. Teriyaki sauce can be stored in a zip bag in the fridge for up to 1 week. The day before you plan to serve this healthy teriyaki chicken, combine the chicken and allow it to marinate overnight.

Can You Freeze Teriyaki Chicken

Yes! To freeze this teriyaki chicken stir fry in single-serve portions, use a quart-size freezer bag and layer the rice, the cooked teriyaki chicken, and the vegetable of your choosing (usually broccoli or green beans for us).

top view of two bowls of teriyaki chicken with rice

How to Serve It

I love serving this healthy teriyaki chicken with steamed broccoli, green beans, edamame, or stir-fry veggies for extra color, fiber, and nutrients. Want to take the sweet-savory to a new level of goodness? Serve this meal with sliced oranges to complement the flavors of teriyaki.

Healthy Teriyaki Chicken

top view of a bowl of teriyaki chicken with rice

Servings: 4 bowls

Prep Time: 10

Marinate: 15

Cook Time: 15

Total Time: 40

This Healthy Teriyaki Chicken stir-fry recipe is easy, delicious, and comes together faster than ordering out!

4.97 from 26 votes

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Ingredients

1 ¼ pounds chicken thighs or breasts, boneless skinless
¼ cup honey
½ cup low-sodium soy sauce
1 garlic clove, grated
¼ teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
2 tablespoons oil
1 ½ cups rice

Instructions

Prep:

In a medium bowl, whisk the honey, soy sauce, garlic, and ginger until combined.
If using breasts, slice them into ½-inch thick strips, butterfly them, or cube them. This will reduce the cooking time. If using chicken thighs, cut them into large, even-sized pieces. Add the chicken to the bowl, toss with the marinade, and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
While the chicken marinates, begin to cook the rice according to package directions.

Cook:

You'll need to save the marinade; do not discard it when removing the chicken.
Heat a large pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the oil and heat it up. Working in batches, add the chicken to the skillet and cook for 3 minutes on each side, or until the chicken is browned on both sides and reaches an internal temperature of 175F for thighs or 165F for chicken breasts. Remove the chicken from the pan onto a plate and cook the second batch. If your pan is large enough, you don't need to cook in batches.
Pour the marinade into the pan and bring it to a slow boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 2 minutes. Return the cooked chicken to the pan, toss to coat with the sauce, and turn off the heat.