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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.
This post was originally published on August 19, 2020
Second recipe and another five star hit!!!!
Wow
Thank you so much Carole! I am so glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
My kids devoured this! I only got a taste. I will double it next tine. Omitted the cucumbers because I didn’t have any. Subbed broccoli for the bell peppers because I also didn’t have any. Subbed apple cider vinegar for the rice vinegar because I didn’t have any. Otherwise I made exactly as instructed. It did take me a little longer. But very tasty!!!
Amazing! I am so happy this turned out well for you and your family, Emily! Thank you! xTieghan
Looooved this recipe! Delicious weeknight meal! We skipped the cucumbers but DO NOT skip the toasted panko! Such a great mix of textures that really elevated the meal. Was great as leftovers!
I am so happy this recipe turned out so well for you! Thank you Kate! xTieghan
Delicious! The panko/sesame topping and cucumbers make the dish. Will try again with shrimp or beef. This recipe is a keeper!
Thank you Marcia! I am so glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
Hi Tieghan,
I’ve been making your recipes for years. Such a big fan. This is my first time commenting. I really loved this one (as with all your recipes), but I had a hard time making the chicken go crispy. I don’t know if it has anything to do with the water that gets released when cooking and then the chicken just seems to boil in its own juices? Maybe that’s also the reason my sauce didn’t seem to want to stick to the chicken at all either. I had a similar issue with the sauce not wanting to stick/glaze the cauliflower in your Kung Pao Cauliflower. Any advice you could give me would be greatly appreciated! I really want to get this technique down properly. Thank you!
Hey Celia,
Thanks so much for your kind message and trying so many recipes. I really like to use cast iron skillets to crisp the chicken and then for the sauce, try adding some corn starch and simmering for a bit to help thicken it up. Please let me know if this helps for next time and if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Very good – the Panko/sesame topping was DIVINE and added great texture. One note- recipe calls for chives/green onions but doesn’t tell cook where/when to add.
Good recipe ( the sesame/Panko topping was DIVINE and added great texture!) One note: the receipts calls for chives/green onions but doesn’t tell the cook where/when to use.
Hey Julie,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try! You can add the chives as a garnish:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
My husbands comment “where did you hide the take out containers”. This is fabulous. Great week night recipe. I cheated on the rice as I had some Trader Joes Jasmine frozen rice. I just used those and toss in the sesame oil and ginger. Many thanks for sharing such great recipes
Haha wow that is amazing! I am really glad this turned out so well for you both! Thank you Jennifer! xTieghan
This was so good! My family loved it! Your recipes are favorites at our house?thank you!
Aw thank you! I am really glad this recipe turned out so well for you! xTieghan
Family happy.. need to make again. Instructions clear and easy to follow. (I’m not a cook.)
Thank you so much Rick! I am really glad you all enjoyed this one! xTieghan
Why’s does yours have such a nice dark color? Mine came out light light brown compared to yours.
Hey Cameron,
The longer you let the sauce simmer and thicken the darker it will get. I hope this helps for next time! xTieghan
Oh my gosh. This dish was just wonderful! The sauce is so simple but somehow it tastes SO amazing and flavorful! And the breadcrumbs are an absolute must- don’t leave those out!! They add such an incredible variety to the texture of the dish. Oh and the cucumbers- also soo good! All the parts of this dish go together perfectly- the ginger rice, the teriyaki chicken, the spicy cucumbers, and the breadcrumbs… I’m obsessed. This will be made on repeat at my house!!
Thank you so much Tessa! I am so glad this turned out so well for you! Thank you for trying it! xTieghan
Where can I find the recipe for the spicy cucumbers?
Hey Amanda,
The cucumber recipe is included in step 3. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I made this for dinner tonight and while the result was to die for the timing listed is deceiving. Prep and cook time is much longer than it says in the recipe! Start earlier than you think to not get hangry in a kitchen full of tasty smells halfway thorough…
Thank you so much Madeline! I am really glad this recipe turned out so well for you! xTieghan
This looks great!
Just wondering wether the nutrition information includes the rice?
Hey Olivia,
Yes the rice is included. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan