Fast and healthy with unmistakable flavor, these Gluten Free Chicken Teriyaki Bowls make a weeknight dinner go-to.
Served with rice and quick-pickled cucumbers, this meal is simple and high protein. Use homemade teriyaki or store-bought!
TLDR: Top Tips
TERIYAKI TO USE: I highly recommend using homemade teriyaki like my 3-ingredient teriyaki sauce! You can whip up a big batch and keep it in the fridge for months at a time. That said, store-bought will work for this meal; I just can't guarantee the taste will be the same.
VEGGIES TO TASTE: I love using quick-pickled cucumbers as a quick veggie side dish, but you can change up the sides to your liking! Broccoli, bok choy, snap peas, or cabbage all make great sides for teriyaki.
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Ingredients of note
CHICKEN THIGHS: Reach for boneless, skinless chicken thighs for this recipe to keep it fast and easy. You can use chicken breasts as a leaner substitute like in Honey Garlic Chicken Bowls, but the end result won't be as tender.
TERIYAKI: Use my 3-ingredient teriyaki sauce or your favorite store-bought version. I am a big fan of homemade.
CUCUMBERS: For sliced, quick-pickled cucumbers in this recipe, I like using English or Persian cucumbers, which have a less tough skin. They tend to be longer and thinner than garden cucumbers.
RICE VINEGAR: The quick-pickling G.O.A.T.! Use unseasoned rice vinegar.
Instructions
As promised, this meal cooks up fast - no marinating required!
Be sure to gather all needed ingredients and prep them (cut up chicken, slice cucumbers, etc.) before starting the recipe.
- Marinate cucumbers - combine sliced cucumbers, red onion, and rice vinegar in a bowl. Toss occasionally to coat in rice vinegar.
- Cook chicken - heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and start cooking the chicken, stirring occasionally to brown on all sides, for about 8 minutes.
- Add garlic and ginger - stir in the garlic and ginger and keep cooking for 1 minute or so.
- Add teriyaki - pour in the teriyaki and cook for another 5-10 minutes, until teriyaki has thickened and started coating the chicken, and chicken is cooked through (at least 165 degrees F).
- Assemble bowls - Divide rice, marinated cucumbers, and chicken teriyaki between bowls. Time to dive in!
FAQs
Yes, or course! I'd recommend cooking them by steaming in the microwave before adding to the bowls or stirring into the almost-finished chicken teriyaki to soak up extra sauce.
Absolutely. The cook time may vary, with thighs often cooking faster than breasts, but the method is the same!
Oooh, I love this idea - we often make chicken thighs for meal prep anyway!
Depending on how much protein you need for 5 meals worth of meals, you may need to increase or decrease the amount of chicken used. There is a little bit of leeway with this recipe, as there is some extra sauce.
Divide ½ cup of cooked rice between 5 meal prep containers. Divide teriyaki chicken between each container, being sure to drizzle over any extra sauce.
For meal prep, I'd recommend using steamed or roasted broccoli or sauteed bok choy as a side dish; cucumbers won't keep well with the rest of the ingredients or reheat well.
More tips for chicken teriyaki
- Cut the chicken into equal-sized pieces - if they aren't relatively consistent, smaller pieces will cook much quicker than larger pieces, leaving either overcooked or undercooked chicken in the finished dish!
- Don't overcook the chicken - it'll get tough and dry. If the sauce doesn't seem to be reducing quickly enough and the chicken is done, remove the chicken with a slotted spoon and continue reducing the sauce.
- Heat oil before adding chicken - make sure the oil in the skillet is hot (but not smoking) before adding the chicken!
Sides for teriyaki chicken
We served this gluten free teriyaki chicken with quick-pickled cucumbers. It's a fast, easy, and delightfully fresh side that counters the sweetness of teriyaki with briny crunch.
If you want to go a different route, though, here are some excellent sides for teriyaki chicken:
- Broccoli (roasted, frozen and steamed, or fresh - partially cook and remove from skillet before adding with the teriyaki)
- Bok choy (add with the garlic and ginger for a quick saute)
- Snap peas
- "Stir Fry" veggie blends
- Avocado
More quick weeknight dinner recipes
Weeknight meals have to be fast, protein-focused, and delicious in our house!
We're big fans of teriyaki, using it for Ground Beef Teriyaki Bowls with Bok Choy and Teriyaki Salmon Rice Bowls with Cucumber and Avocado.
Looking for something a little different, but equally fast and flavorful? Try Skirt Steak with Double-Corn Polenta & Shishitos or Thai-Style Basil Ground Turkey Bowls!
Did you try Gluten Free Chicken Teriyaki Bowls on a busy weeknight? I'd love to hear how it went! Comment below or tag me on Instagram.
Print📖 Recipe
Gluten Free Chicken Teriyaki Bowls
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 17 minutes
- Total Time: 27 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Entree
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Japanese
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Fast and flavorful, these gluten free Chicken Teriyaki Bowls are a perfect weeknight dinner go-to! I always have a jar of 3-ingredient Teriyaki Sauce in the fridge for meals like this - or use storebought teriyaki in a pinch.
Not feeling cucumbers? Serve with steamed or roasted broccoli, stir-fried bok choy, or snap peas!
Ingredients
- 2 medium cucumbers, preferably Persian or English
- ¼ cup thinly sliced red onion
- ½ cup rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 lbs chicken thighs, boneless and skinless
- 2 teaspoons grated ginger
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic (about 2 cloves)
- ½ batch 3-ingredient teriyaki sauce OR ½ cup store-bought teriyaki
- 4 cups cooked basmati rice
- ¼ cup sliced scallions, for garnish
- 2 teaspoons sesame seeds, for garnish
Instructions
- Thinly slice the cucumbers. Add to a medium bowl with sliced red onion and rice vinegar. Toss to coat and set aside, occasionally tossing while you prep the rest.
- Cut the chicken thighs into 2" pieces. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken thighs and cook, stirring occasionally, for 6-8 minutes, until browned on all sides. Add the grated ginger and minced garlic and cook for 1 minute. Pour in the teriyaki sauce and cook for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally while the teriyaki sauce bubbles and simmers, until reduced to a glossy, thick sauce. Remove from heat.
- Divide basmati rice and marinated cucumbers between 4 bowls. Top each with chicken teriyaki and spoon any remaining sauce in the pan overtop of each bowl. Garnish with sliced scallions and sesame seeds. Serve immediately or store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
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