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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
Servings: 4
Calories Per Serving: 642 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
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
Ginger Rice: Combine 2 cups water in a medium pot. Bring to a boil. Add 1 cup basmati rice, 1 inch grated fresh ginger, 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil, and a pinch of salt. Stir to combine, cover, then turn the heat down to the lowest setting possible. Allow the rice to cook 10 minutes on low, then turn the heat off completely and let the rice sit, covered for another 15-20 minutes (don't take any peeks inside!). Remove the lid and fluff the rice with a fork.
Am I missing something? When do you use the chives/green onions in the recipe?
Hey Jessica,
I use these as a garnish for the dish. I hope the recipe turns out amazing for you, let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Thanks! I’ve made it before and loved it. I just couldn’t remember what I did with the green onions. 🙂 Can’t wait to make it again this week!
huge fan of this one. the breadcrumbs are everything.
Hey Kristin,
Awesome!! I am thrilled that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! xTieghan
Whole family loved this one. My fav is the crunchy topping. I almost didn’t do the cucumbers but I am glad I gave them a try because they were delicious with the sauce.
Hey Cara,
Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am so glad that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
Loved this recipe! However, my chicken didn’t become crispy and after waiting too long for it to become crispy, the chicken started drying up (thankfully the sauce was great and saved the dryer chicken). Do you know what I could do to ensure crispy chicken? Love your recipes though!
Hey Selena,
That is so awesome this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it! Was there anything you adjusted? The cooking temp should really result in crispy chicken. Happy Friday! xTieghan
Loved this!! Made it exactly as the recipe is, but added another .5lb of chicken and still had enough sauce.
Hey Nicole,
I am delighted that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it! ☘️ xTieghan
I always tell myself I’ll take pictures after making your recipes, but they turn out soooo good and we dig in immediately so I end up forgetting ?
Loved this recipe.. we were unsure of the cucumbers at first, but it pairs together so well with this recipe!! So if you had/have doubts about it like we did.. GOO for it.
I only had the instant rice (the kind you pop into the microwave for 90 sec) so I just threw the ginger, salt, and half of the oil in afterwards.. it still turned out great!
Hey Savannah,
Thanks a bunch for making this recipe, I am so glad it was enjoyed! xTieghan
Love the flavor of this recipe! Every component adds something so special. Don’t skip on the toasted panko or green onions.
Hey Kate,
Thanks a bunch for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad it was enjoyed! xTieghan
I made this tonight for dinner and I have to say, this is a big thumbs down for me. Hands down the worst stir fry I’ve ever made. The recipe took 2 hours to make and tasted like pickled stir fry in the end. The bread crumbs on top made it have a weird texture to me. This is the first big “miss” from the recipes I’ve tried on this blog.
Also, the sesame oil in the ingredient list should say “divided” even though it mentions it in the steps and the green onions are not referred to in the recipe at all. Pet peeve of mine with recipes!
Hey Kay,
So sorry you did not enjoy the recipe, please let me know if I can help in anyway! xTieghan
What a delicious recipe. The picked cucumber and breadcrumbs take it to a whole new level. Thank you!
Hey Lesley,
Thank you so much for making the recipe, I am thrilled it was enjoyed! Have a great weekend:) xTieghan
Thank you for this winning recipe!!
Hey Kristin,
I so appreciate you giving the recipe a try, I am thrilled it was enjoyed! xTieghan
Took Much longer that 15 minutes prep. The receipt and photo are slightly inconsistent. The photos shows chucks of chicken which I find easier to cook and the recipes says thin slices. The green onions are included in ingredients but don’t seem to be included in instructions. But photo shots strips v minced. I think the recipes need more work to improve taste. Plus the timing is way off!
Hey Monica,
So sorry you did not enjoy this recipe, let me know if I can help in anyway! xTieghan
There is no way this recipe is “30 minutes” like truly – this took me over an hour with prep alone. Also, the green onions are not included in the directions at all. Nonetheless, it is delicious and relatively easy to make. The sesame bread crumbs are a must!
Hey Olivia,
So sorry this recipe took you longer than anticipated, everyone cooks at a different speed. Thanks for giving the recipe a try. Have a great Sunday! xTieghan
Made this tonight and we both LOVED it! Will definitely be making this again soon!
Hey Shelly,
Thanks so much for trying out this recipe, I am thrilled that you liked it! I hope you have a great week:) xTieghan
This was delicious! It will definitely be added to the rotation. The only thing I will change for next time is to use 1 cucumber instead of 2, as we seemed to have a lot leftover. Thanks for another great recipe!!
Hey Teagan,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad it was enjoyed! Happy New Year! xTieghan
Enjoyed this recipe so much as dinner tonight! The breadcrumbs are fantastic and do the extra kick! We will keep this recipe in our rotation! Love all your recipes!
Greetings from Munich, Germany!
Hey Sibylle,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am thrilled that it worked out for you! Happy New Year! xTieghan