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Weeknight Sesame Teriyaki Chicken with Ginger Rice. This is the super-fast Asian chicken and rice bowl that the whole family will love. Quick-cooking chicken, pan-seared, then tossed in a sweet and tangy garlic-ginger soy sauce with stir-fried fresh bell peppers. Serve this teriyaki chicken over steamed ginger rice and top with spicy cucumbers and toasted sesame crumbs. Every bite is saucy, sweet, and tangy. It’s delicious and even pretty healthy too. Major bonus? This is all made in one pan without the use of your oven.
Well, look at that, another chicken and rice bowl, another quick dinner, and you know what? I kind of love it.
This chicken…it is so good. Think, crispy, sweet, and tangy with soy sauce and rice vinegar. And…it’s served with all very delicious ingredients.
I’m talking gingery sesame rice, spicy cucumbers, and even some toasted sesame “crumbs”. And to top it all off, this chicken and rice dinner comes together in a matter of minutes. About twenty-five to be very exact.
Most importantly though…it’s delicious!
OK! And I got the post started. Sometimes writing out the first few sentences of each day’s blog post can be the hardest. I’ve said this before, but words really are not my thing. I love to tell a story through photos, but words on the hand? Well, words I can struggle with. Funny that I’ve now written two cookbooks (and 2495 blog posts). Not sure how that happened, but hey, I guess that just goes to show you that we shouldn’t sell ourselves short.
We can do more than we think!
The process.
Ok, so first up…start with the rice. I made a batch of sesame ginger rice, which is such a great complement to this sweet, tangy chicken. The ginger adds just the right amount of kick…which over here we find really delicious. Let the rice cook while you prepare the rest of the meal.
Now, those sesame crumbs? You need these, so don’t even think about skipping them. They’re simple Panko breadcrumbs, sesame seeds, and spicy chili flakes cooked in a bit of sesame oil. Everything gets toasted up in a skillet until golden and crisp. Finish with a pinch of salt.
These sesame crumbs are addicting, and they make for the perfect extra special finishing touch to this dish.
Now, make the sauce. It’s simply soy sauce, honey, and rice vinegar. A traditional teriyaki is made with Mirin and or rice wine, but it’s easier for me to find rice vinegar, so I just use that. I also ended up swapping the usual brown sugar for honey. This makes the sauce a little healthier and I also love the added flavor.
Now take some of the sauce and toss it with thinly sliced cucumbers. I wanted to add a fresh topping to this teriyaki, so my farmer’s market cucumber was finally put to good use. I then added a nice pinch of chili flakes to the cucumbers to make them spicy. Delish.
Pan-fry the chicken in a little oil until crisp, then add plenty of garlic, ginger, and bell peppers. Next, pour the sauce in and let it simmer down and thicken over the chicken and peppers.
SO GOOD.
Now, put it all together…
Spoon your rice into bowls, then add the chicken and peppers. Finish each bowl off with a good sprinkle of those spicy sesame crumbs and cucumbers.
Enjoy…immediately.
And that’s it…simple, quick, and oh so good. Perfect Asian dinner for any night of the week. We love this one!
Looking for other easy weeknight chicken dinners? Here are a few ideas:
20 Minute Florentine Butter Chicken with Burst Cherry Tomatoes
Spicy Honey Mustard Pretzel Chicken Fingers
Roasted Garlic Butter Chicken with Lemon Olive Dressing
Lastly, if you make this weeknight sesame teriyaki chicken with ginger rice be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Weeknight Sesame Teriyaki Chicken with Ginger Rice
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons sesame oil
- 1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup raw sesame seeds
- crushed red pepper flakes, using to your taste
- 2 tablespoons chopped chives or green onions
- 1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce or tamari
- 1/4 cup honey
- 3 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 2 cucumbers, thinly sliced
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts, thinly sliced
- 2 teaspoons corn starch or flour
- 4 cloves garlic, minced or grated
- black pepper
- 1 inch fresh ginger, grated
- 2 red or orange bell peppers, thinly sliced
- steamed white or brown rice for serving , (ginger rice in notes)
Instructions
- 1. To make the sesame crumbs: Heat 1 tablespoon oil, the Panko, sesame seeds, and a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook until lightly toasted and caramelized, 3-4 minutes. Watch closely. Spoon the crumbs out of the skillet onto a plate. Sprinkle with salt. Set aside.2. To make the sauce: Combine the soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, and 1 tablespoon oil. 3. Toss the cucumbers with 1/4 cup of the sauce and a large pinch of red pepper flakes. Let sit. 4. In a medium bowl, toss together the chicken, cornstarch, and a pinch of black pepper.5. Wipe the skillet clean. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat. When the oil shimmers, add the chicken and brown all over, until it becomes crispy, about 5 minutes. Add the bell peppers, garlic, and ginger, cook another 2-3 minutes. Pour in the sauce and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook until the sauce coats the chicken, about 5 minutes.6. Serve the chicken over bowls of rice. Top with sesame crumbs and spicy cucumbers. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
I made this for dinner tonight. It was SO good! Thank you for another great recipe. <3
Thank you so much Chris! I am really glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
My husband and I always struggle to find meals that we both want to eat. We have wildly different tastes, are both sort of picky, and often just end up feeding ourselves. I made this last night because it sounded delicious to me, and didn’t have anything the husband objects to. It was a huge hit! He went back for seconds and even had leftovers, something he’s usually against. The spicy marinated cucumbers were the kicker–we’ll be making this all the time! Thanks for a great recipe. 🙂
Wow that is so great! I am really glad this one turned out so well for the both of you! Thank you so much Caity! xTieghan
I’ve made this twice and both times it was a hit! The first time I made it exactly as the recipe states with the ginger rice, then the second time I thought I’d change it up and made it with the coconut rice from the Thai basil sesame cashew chicken recipe (which, also a great recipe!) and it was phenomenal too! But, I think it’s the crunchy sesame crumbs that take it to a whole different level. So easy and flavorful, I definitely recommend!
Thank you Jennifer! I am really glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
If I could give this six stars, I would. Fantastic. Comes together quickly and easily. Next time I’m going to double the sauce because it’s just that good and I wanted more to pour on the rice. Also, I might add baby boy choy in with the bell peppers. From one Cleveland girl to another, thanks!
Haha wow this is so amazing to hear! Thank you for trying this one, Alja! xTieghan
I made it! The flavors are great- that part is certainly taken care of in this recipe, However, I think eliminate something- the bread crumbs? The cucumbers? Just soooooo many carbs that it’s hard to stand up after. The rice is absolutely amazing and restaurant quality at home:)
Hi Jackie! I am glad you enjoyed this one! Please let me know if there is anything I can help with! xTieghan
This chicken was so easy and delicious! Definitely going into the rotation! ?
Love that! Thank you chelsea! xTieghan
This was incredibly flavorful and super easy to make. Adding to my regular lineup of easy weeknight meals!
Thank you so much Julie!! I am really glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
This was excellent! A cinch to make and delicious. You hit the mark every single time!
Thank you Megan! I am so happy to hear that! xTieghan
This looks delicious! I’m wondering if there is any way to convert this to have the chicken, peppers and sauce to be cooked in my crockpot?
Hey Rachel,
Sure you could do that, I would do 4-5 hours on low. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
So delicious! Since we’re only using veggies from the garden, I subbed broccoli for peppers and pattypan for cucumber. Made it with chickpeas not chicken. I love how adaptable all your recipes are for seasonal (to us at high altitude so we lag in what’s available) veggies.
Thank you so much Lindsay! I am really glad this recipe turned out so well for you!! xTieghan
The tangy teriyaki is so good with the fluffy Ginger rice. I love the sesame crumbs for a little crunch as well. So good!
Thank you so much Meghanne!! I am really glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
I made this last night and it was absolutely delicious! After dinner I dumped the leftover sesame crumble into the leftover sauce and ate it straight from the pan ? I’ve never had a bad experience with these recipes, but this was by far a favorite!
Wow yes! I am really glad this recipe turned out so well for you, Mandy! xTieghan
I LOVE Asian food, but usually order out because I feel like it’s easier/tastes better. Tried this last night because it looked SO good and absolutely loved it! It was so light and refreshing that the chicken wasn’t fried and heavy, but still had the crunch of the panko breadcrumbs! Will absolutely make again!!
Love to hear that! Thank you so much for trying this one, Kelsey! xTieghan
Absolutely DELICIOUS. The crunchy sesame topping was a game changer. Definitely keeping this in the arsenal for future dinners!! I would’ve taken a picture and posted it, but we ate it too fast.
Haha that is a good thing! I am really glad this turned out so well for you, Megan! Thank you! xTieghan
Very flavourful and easy to make! I LOVE the sauce for this recipe!!
Thank you so much Jen! xTieghan