Easy Chicken Teriyaki Rice Bowls

In this post, We’re making a Teriyaki Chicken Rice Bowl with some marinated cucumbers. It’s really easy, delicious, and a total crowd-pleaser.

Why You’ll Love This

• It’s a Weeknight Saver: This comes together fast when you’re in a serious time crunch.
• The “First Knuckle” Method: No measuring cups needed for the rice if you know the secret trick.
• Better Than Takeout: The homemade sauce has that perfect sticky glaze without all the preservatives.
• Healthy-ish: You get your protein, your carbs, and a fresh, crunchy side all in one bowl.

things we need

Special Equipment/Instruments

• Rice Cooker (optional, stovetop works too)
• Large Skillet or Wok
• Microplane or Blender
• Whisk

Ingredients

For the Chicken & Rice

• 1.5 lbs Chicken thighs, boneless and skinless (cut into 1-inch pieces)
• 1 tbsp Avocado oil or neutral oil (for frying)
• Salt (to taste)
• 1 cup Basmati rice (uncooked)
• Water (for rice, use the “first knuckle” method or approx. 1.5 cups)

For the Homemade Teriyaki Sauce

• ½ cup Low-sodium soy sauce
• ¼ cup Packed brown sugar
• 1 tbsp Honey
• 1 tbsp Rice vinegar
• 1 tsp Sesame oil
• 1 tsp Minced garlic (approx. 2 cloves)
• ¼ tsp Ground ginger (or 1 inch fresh ginger, microplaned)
• Slurry: 1 tbsp Cornstarch mixed with 3 tbsp Water

For the Marinated Cucumbers (Sunomono)

• 1 large English cucumber (thinly sliced)
• 1 tsp Salt (for sweating cucumbers)
• ⅔ cup Rice vinegar
• ¼ cup Sugar
• 1 tsp Soy sauce
• 1 tsp Sesame oil
• 1 clove Garlic, microplaned
• 1 tbsp Fresh chives, chopped

Garnishes

• Sesame seeds
• Green onions (scallions), sliced
• Chili crisp (optional, for a kick)

Step 1: Let’s Get That Rice Going!

First thing you do, naturally, is grab some rice and toss it in the pot. Give it a quick rinse—or a couple of rinses—until the water is running clear.

The Pro Tip: Once rinsed, fill the water up to your first knuckle (rest your finger on top of the rice, and the water should hit that first line). Toss it in the rice cooker and just wait ’til it’s done.

Step 2: The Sauce & The Chicken

To save time, we grabbed some chicken thighs. Just season them with salt and toss them in a bowl.

For the teriyaki sauce, we’re blending up:

• Soy sauce
• Sesame oil
• Rice vinegar
• Ginger and garlic
• A healthy topping of honey

You can blend it all together, or if you want, Microplane the aromatics and whisk by hand. Once that’s done, pour it over your chicken. Marinate for 15–20 minutes if short on time; longer marinating (1 hour or more) yields better results.

Step 3: What NOT To Do

When it’s time to cook, get your pan hot with some oil.

Avoid overcrowding the pan, as this causes the chicken to steam rather than sear. Leave space between the pieces so the sugars can caramelize and develop a deep, dark color.

Once the chicken is cooked, remove it from the pan. Add the reserved teriyaki sauce to the same pan (prepare a fresh batch if the original was fully used as a marinade), then whisk in a cornstarch slurry to thicken. Return the chicken to the pan and toss to coat.

Step 4: Don’t Forget the Cucumbers

In the downtime while the chicken is cooking, Threw together some marinated cucumbers. It’s just salt, sugar, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, garlic, and chives. These are really tasty on their own

The Assembly

Now for the best part! Grab a bowl of rice, add the sticky chicken and those crunchy cucumbers. Garnish with sesame seeds and green onions, top it with a little bit of chili crisp for that extra kick.

Enjoy!

checkout more recipes

•  30-Minute Cheesy Taco Skillet (Family-Friendly)
• One-Pan Roast Chicken with Schmaltzy Root Vegetables
• 5 Cozy 30 Minute Dinner Recipes for Busy Nights

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uick Teriyaki Chicken Rice Bowl with Marinated Cucumbers

Recipe by Sana ReiCourse: DinnerCuisine: Japanese-InspiredDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

20

minutes

Calories

550

kcal

Chill time

15

minutes

Total time

50

minutes

A fast weeknight savior featuring sticky, sweet-savory chicken thighs served over fluffy Basmati rice with a side of refreshing, crunchy marinated cucumbers.

Ingredients

• Equipment Needed:

• Rice Cooker

• Large Skillet

• Microplane/Blender.

• Ingredients:

• 1.5 lbs Chicken thighs, boneless/skinless, cubed

• 1 tbsp Neutral oil

• 1 cup Basmati rice

• ½ cup Low-sodium soy sauce

• ¼ cup Brown sugar

• 1 tbsp Honey

• 1 tbsp Rice vinegar

• 2 tsp Sesame oil (divided use)

• 1 tbsp Cornstarch

• 3 tbsp Water

• 1 large English cucumber

• 1 clove Garlic

• 1 inch Fresh ginger

• ¼ cup White sugar (for cucumbers)

• ⅔ cup Rice vinegar (for cucumbers)

• Green onions, sesame seeds, chili crisp (for garnish)

Directions

• Rinse rice thoroughly and cook in a rice cooker using the finger-knuckle method for water level.
• Slice cucumbers thin, salt them, and let sit for 15 minutes. Squeeze out liquid. Whisk together ⅔ cup rice vinegar, ¼ cup sugar, 1 tsp soy sauce, 1 tsp sesame oil, and garlic. Toss with cucumbers and chill.
• Mix teriyaki sauce: Soy sauce, brown sugar, honey, 1 tbsp rice vinegar, 1 tsp sesame oil, ginger, and garlic.
• Coat chicken in half the sauce; marinate for 20 minutes.
• Sear chicken in a hot skillet with oil. Do not overcrowd the pan. Remove chicken when cooked through.
• Add remaining sauce to the hot pan. Stir in cornstarch mixed with 3 tbsp water (slurry). Whisk until thick and glossy.
• Return chicken to pan and coat in the glaze.
• Serve over rice with cucumbers. Top with green onions, sesame seeds, and chili crisp.

Notes

• The Pan Rule: Seriously, don’t overcrowd the pan. If you pack the chicken in, it boils instead of browning. Cook in two batches if you have to.
  
• Cucumber Snack: The cucumbers are super tasty on their own.
• Time Crunch: 15 minutes is fine for the marinade, but if you have an hour, the flavor is way better.