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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.

overhead photo of Weeknight Sesame Teriyaki Chicken with Ginger Rice

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!overhead photo of Ginger Rice

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.

overhead photo of Weeknight Sesame Teriyaki Chicken in skillet

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.

overhead photo of Weeknight Sesame Teriyaki Chicken with Ginger Rice with chopsticks in bowl

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!

overhead close up photo of Weeknight Sesame Teriyaki Chicken with Ginger Rice

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

Author: Tieghan Gerard
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
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.

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Ingredients

US Customary - Metric

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.
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overhead photo of Weeknight Sesame Teriyaki Chicken with Ginger Rice

This post was originally published on August 19, 2020
4.34 from 450 votes (355 ratings without comment)

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Comments

  2. 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. 🙂

    Reply

    1. 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

      Reply

  3. 5 stars
    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!

    Reply

  4. 5 stars
    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!

    Reply

  5. 4 stars
    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:)

    Reply

  9. 5 stars
    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?

    Reply

    1. 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

      Reply

  10. 5 stars
    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.

    Reply

  11. 5 stars
    The tangy teriyaki is so good with the fluffy Ginger rice. I love the sesame crumbs for a little crunch as well. So good!

    Reply

  12. 5 stars
    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!

    Reply

  13. 5 stars
    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!!

    Reply

  14. 5 stars
    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.

    Reply