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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.
Hi Tieghan……
Greetings from Canada
Love your recipes…have all your Cookbooks. Will make this recipe but could not find raw sesame seeds. Could I use regular sesame seeds instead?
Thank you!
Yvonne
Thanks so much for your kind message Yvonne!! So sorry, I’m not sure the different between raw sesame seeds and regular sesame seeds:) I’m assuming they are the same thing! I hope you love this recipe! xx
We totally loved this one. I skipped over it previously because I didn’t review it closely enough to realize no pineapple was involved—we like pineapple just not so much in Asian sauces and so many Teriyaki dishes have it. I added a Fresno pepper and served it over Udon noodles (which I added grated ginger to) and it was just the best! The crunchy crumbs and the saucy cucumbers were perfect with it, too.
Hi Lucy,
Happy Friday!!😎 I love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks for making it and your comment! xx
One of the best things I’ve made/eaten in a long time. The combination of flavors and textures and the ease at which it all comes together makes it a 100% make again meal. I’d be totally ok paying for this meal at a restaurant, so the fact that I can make it at home is a huge win.
Hey Karin,
Happy Sunday!!☀️🧁 I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your review, so glad to hear that it turned out well for you! xT
I love this recipe! I’ve made it several times. Most recently the peppers at my grocery store didn’t look great so I swapped them for Zucchini 👌
Hey Carissa,
Wonderful!! Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear that it was a hit! xx
This was delicious! Didn’t have rice vinegar, but used another flavored vinegar and it still turned out great. Will make again.
Hey Melanie,
Happy Sunday!!🌸 Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your review, I love to hear that it was a winner! xT
Made for dinners last night..followed to a T…Delicious!
Hey Donna,
Happy Wednesday!❄️ I appreciate you making this recipe and I’m so glad it turned out well for you! xT
Hi Tieghan,
Was wondering if it’s possible to make this without the red pepper or to substitute with another vegetable?
Thanks
Claire
Hey Claire,
Totally, use any veggies that you enjoy! Let me know if you have any other questions, I hope this recipe turns out well for you! xx
This is delicious! I agree with one of the other reviewers, took me over an hour to prep and cook, but well worth the effort and wait! I wasn’t a big fan of the panko sesame topping, but the cucumbers are awesome! I almost skipped the cucumbers, but very happy I didn’t! These could make a great garnish on other recipes!
Hey Judy,
Happy Thursday! So glad to hear that you enjoyed this recipe and thanks so much for making it! Sorry this took longer than expected! xT
Help! Did I do something wrong? The soy sauce is too strong! I think I followed to a T…but it felt like too much soy sauce in the recipe. What can I do to dilute? Next time I’d put a fraction of soy sauce. Would need to sub something else to make the sauce though…
Otherwise it’s an amazing recipe!!
Hi Haley,
Thanks for trying this recipe! Sorry you feel like the sauce is too strong. Did you use low sodium soy sauce? Next time, I would try tamari or coconut aminos. I hope this helps! xx
Love the recipe- I don’t always add the pickled cucumbers when I’m low on time. I also add a spoon of cornstarch to the sauce when cooking to thicken it a bit- made a difference!
Hey Alia,
Happy Monday!! I am delighted to hear that this recipe was tasty for you! Thanks for making it:) xx
This was great and I will make it again, but what do you do with the chives/green onions? Do they go in the cucumber salad? Ingredients are always listed in order of when you will use them so in this case they would be used in the cucumber salad. However, your picture looks like they are used as a garnish which means they should go at the bottom of your ingredient list. There is nothing in the directions that indicates what to do with them. The recipe is time consuming and little mistakes like this just add to the confusion.
Hi Rebecca,
Happy Sunday!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks a lot for making it! The green onions are used as garnish! xT
This was really delicious once I got it to the table. But this recipe–while not really difficult–is complex. I spent over an hour to make it–way more than “15 minutes prep and 15 minutes to cook”–the prep took me a good 45 minutes to pull together all the ingredients, slice, chop, toast the crumbs, mix the chicken with the cornstarch and let it sink in a bit, and then to put all together. And the cooking took me another 20 minutes.
I loved the recipe but think the intro on 15+15 is misleading.
I had my dinner guests lurking around the kitchen hungry for a half-hour, while I struggled to finish it all up and get it on the table. Had I known the complexity I would have done a lot of the chopping and sauce-measuring in advance and then thrown everything together later.
Hi there,
Happy Labor Day! Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your feedback! So glad it was enjoyed:) Sorry this took longer than expected! xT
I doubled this for 2 adults and 2 teenagers and we all devoured it. The sesame crumbles were so good with it! I also charred some Jalapeños for anyone who wanted more heat. This will be a regular in the rotation now ?
Hey Bri,
Happy Sunday!! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!? xTieghan
We love this recipe! I increase the sauce and add more veggies- broccoli, carrots, book choy, snow peas, red onion are all wonderful. Tieghan thank you for making our lives so much tastier!
Hey Birgit,
Awesome!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! Have the best weekend:) xTieghan
Hi Tieghan. I am preparing this tomorrow, just wanted to check with you… red pepper flakes or chili flakes? The ingredient list says red pepper, but you mention chili. Thanks Tieghan, for all your wonderful recipes ans inspiration!
Warm wishes from Cape Town
Wicolene
Hi Wicolene,
They are the same thing:) I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
This recipe was delicious, but the cucumbers were over the top perfection. Such a delicious, refreshing crunch. Just like with the saucy tahini noodle recipe – you wouldn’t expect them to make an impact but I can’t imagine it without them.
Hi Courtney,
Wonderful!! Thanks a bunch for trying this recipe out, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!! ?xTieghan
We did enjoy eating this, but I will probably make changes next time I make it. There are chopped chives/green onions in the recipe, but there is no indication of what to do with them. I see you garnished your dish in the photos with some slivered onions, but in the ingredient list, they are not at the bottom listed as a garnish. I ended up tossing them with the cucumbers. But maybe you should edit the recipe a little. The cakes were good but 2 cucumbers is way too much cucumber, fwiw.
Hey Susan,
Happy Friday!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! Yes, the green onions are a garnish:) xTieghan
So delicious! I know my family so we doubled the recipe and made three times the sauce and it’s on our favorites list already. Savory toasted breadcrumbs make it over the top and the cucumbers add a nice crunch. Thanks for the amazing recipe!
Hi Leslie,
Fantastic!! I love to hear that this dish turned out well for you and appreciate you making it:) xT