If you enjoy this honey teriyaki chicken recipe, check out these easy dinner ideas!
I’m going to be perfectly honest – I almost didn’t post this honey teriyaki chicken recipe on the blog. Halfway through cooking, the sauce didn’t cook down, so I pretty much thought this recipe was going to be a big soupy fail.
Luckily, in the last minute or two, it came together and it turned out better than I expected.
Adding Honey to the Teriyaki Sauce
You can serve this honey teriyaki chicken over brown rice to keep up with the healthy theme. I served over white rice since I was out. Some readers have also liked adding in some broccoli (genius!), so if you have that on hand it would be a fun way to mix it up.
Alternative Ingredients
For a little extra “tang,” I will add a tablespoon or two of Rice Wine Vinegar to the homemade teriyaki sauce. It doesn’t take much to make a big difference, and the taste of the vinegar complements the honey quite nicely.
Additionally, a teaspoon of Sesame Oil will add a toasted, smoky taste to the sauce. Using it reminds me of the grilled teriyaki cooked over hibachis in Japan. It is so good! I top it with toasted sesame seeds as a fun and pretty garnish.
Honey Teriyaki Chicken Recipe
Honey Teriyaki Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast Tenders
- 1/3 cup Honey
- 1/3 cup Teriyaki Sauce
- 1 tbsp Soy Sauce low sodium, if desired
- 1 tbsp Minced Garlic
- 1/2 tsp Black Pepper or to taste
- 1/4 tsp Salt or to taste
- 2 tbsp Sesame Seeds
Instructions
- Chop chicken tenders into one inch pieces. I think it looks prettier when you vary the shapes between rectangular chunks and triangles. It just gives it a more "restaurant" look.
- Transfer chicken into a large bowl. Add the teriyaki sauce, soy sauce, honey, minced garlic, salt and pepper. Massage into chicken.
- Transfer chicken (liquid and all) into an oiled and heated pan over medium high heat, stirring occasionally, for about five minutes.
- Crank the heat up to high, stirring occasionally. Cook until sauce has reduced. This process can take between 10 and 15 minutes. When the sauce thickens up and starts sticking to the chicken, add sesame seeds. Stir.
- Remove from heat. Let sit for five minutes before serving.
Video
Nutrition
This is so good, guys. Like really good. The chicken is perfectly moist and tender, the outside is nice and sticky. The sesame seeds provide the perfect crunch. I love it. Also, I’m pretty sure I just wrote a love letter to my chicken.
I’d love to know if you try this honey teriyaki chicken recipe! Be sure to check out these easy dinner ideas.
More Easy Dinner Ideas
Honey Dijon Salmon
Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken
Beef and Kale Soup
This looks sooo delicious!! This may be a dumb question but is the chicken already ‘pre-cooked’ or raw?
Funny you mention the cutting style of chicken. I’m a big fan of grilled chicken in stripes. I found Pampered Chef’s amazing double bladed scissors to be the best way to achieve that look. The scissors also works wonders on cubing, cutting that time in half (pun kinda intended). I’m not sponsored by them or anything, I just love that scissors so much!!
Not a dumb question at all! The chicken is raw. Those scissors sound amazing. Going to look them up now.
getting ready to make this now, smells great! what is the best kind of oil for this? Sesame? Olive oil?
Made the chicken last night. Very easy to make and was delicious tasted like it came from a restaurant and the kids loved it too big plus!
So glad to hear this! 😀
Looks yummy!!!
Looks really good, come share tomorrow at my link party http://www.memoriesbythemile.com/
Pinning!
Wanda Ann @ Memories by the Mile
Your chicken caught my eye right away at the Tuesday Trivia party so I just had to stop by! Looks fantastic … and who can resist healthy deliciousness! Thanks for sharing, Jazmin! Pinned 😉
hi jazmin!
i made this chicken and it smelled fabulous!! unfortunately my chicken was really tough. any suggestions for how to cook it more tenderly? obviously im a new cook 🙂
I use chicken tenderloins, they cook up nice and tender!
Your honey teriyaki chicken looks awesome! Thanks for sharing at Simple Supper Tuesday.
Thanks, Cindy!
That looks delicious!
What do you think about adding vegetables to the dish?
I think adding vegetables would be amazing. It would work especially well with broccoli.
I’m making this tonight, looks so good! I want to add broccoli, how would you incorporate it?
Hi! Broccoli works best if you place it in hot water for 2 minutes before adding to the chicken. Whether it’s fresh or frozen.
Jazmin that looks fantastic. The pictures or so vivid it looks like you could get a fork and eat it right off the page. Visiting from the Shady Porch.
Easy Life Meal and Party Planning
Thanks so much, Shawna!
I love when meals work out–especially when they seem like they won’t! Sounds like a great, healthy dinner that would totally hit my Chinese craving.
Amy | Club Narwhal
Thanks, Amy! I love when that happens too. 🙂
Looks absolutely delish. I promise to try this recipe after my next shopping trip. I was hoping that I had all the ingredients but I don’t keep teriyaki sauce on hand. Great Job~Kim
I made my own sauce from a recipe I found online, it was still great!
That looks absolutely delicious.
This looks so yummy! My family is always looking for more teriyaki chicken recipes. Definitely going to try this one! 🙂
That looks delicious. We love this type of dish. Cannot wait to try your recipe.
Definitely going to try! Thank you for posting!
I’m definitely trying this! Pinning for later!
Hi Jazmin. This looks delicious and a great one for a mid week family meal. Thanks so much for linking up at Thriving on Thursdays. I’m featuring this at tomorrow’s party.
Anne xx
This recipe was a fail for me. The sauce never stuck to the chicken like it should, i left it on the stove simmering for so long (about 30 minutes) the chicken came out dry and the sauce just mostly evaporated. Not sure where I went wrong…:(
I’m so sorry it didn’t work for you! You are actually the second person to say that about the sauce. I’m planning to make this again very soon and I will document the process from start to finish to see if I wasn’t clear about the instructions or happened to leave something out.
I used the teriyaki sauce recipe here: http://www.favoritefreezerfoods.com/recipe-teriyaki-sauce.html
because I didn’t have any sauce on hand.
I didn’t think it was going to glaze and coat the chicken at all because it was just frothy to start with as the chicken was cooking. I cooked on medium high from the start and then once I was sure the chicken was done (20 mins) I turned it up to high to try and get the sauce to set. It came out AMAZING. Truly impressed and adding this to my list of “go to” recipes. I think that if you leave it simmering, it won’t set. It needs a higher temp to glaze the chicken, but this is just my opinion and observations from making it once. Thanks for the recipe!
Did you use white or brown sugar for the teriyaki sauce recipe? It says you can use either one.
I used white because I didn’t have any brown on hand. I normally make recipes like this with brown, but the white worked just as well!
I used white because I didn’t have any brown. I normally use brown for recipes like this, so I was skeptical of the white, but it worked just as well!
I had the same problem so I put a couple tablespoons of cornstarch in a cup with a little water and mixed it in. It thickened instantly and stuck to the chicken. Try that.
That looks so good!
Thanks, Bonnie! It really was pretty tasty. I’m now using it as a base for a bunch of similar recipes at home (sub out the teriyaki sauce for bbq, sweet sour sauce, etc). Last night we made a Hawaiian chicken stir fry using this as a base.
WE LOVED THIS. It came out perfect! The sauce was tangy and sticky, and I tried to add another comment but Im not sure it showed up. We served it over cauliflower rice for more health, and subbed the honey for Agave, and added a super small pinch of cayenne for heat. I used Asian stir fry oil to cook it in, and it WAS SO GOOD! Seriously. My husband wants this weekly now.
Love Sesame Chicken and will try this recipe but first a dumb question. It sounds like you cook it on a burner, right, not in the oven?
Yup – I cook it on the stove.burner. 🙂
Mine didn’t come out this way at all! 🙁 I’m so disappointed. Maybe I did something wrong
I’m so sorry, Jessie! 🙁
Looking at out sauce and chicken right now…it looks like tar. The chicken finished 10 minutes early. We cooked it just above medium since you seemed wary about cooking heat and times. It tastes burned. We have a gas stove so maybe that was the problem…cook on lower heats guys.
Made this for my family tonight and it was enjoyed by all. Very strong flavors. I cooked it with medium heat the whole time and tended to it carefully, being mindful of the way you said it came together very quickly at the end. I might tone down the garlic and pepper next time I make it, but a very good recipe all in all. Served it with rice and some green veggies. Might try some pineapple on the side next time. Great stuff! Thanks for a great new idea!
Ok now that was teriyaki chicken! Super easy and so good…even my 14 mos. old loved it! Thanks for sharing!
Very good! I quadrupled the recipe and served it in a corporate cafeteria. It went so fast I’ll have to double that again! It took about 35 minutes so I’m glad I allowed enough time. This will be in my rotation. I will look at more of your recipes too!
Thank you!
Lisa
That is so cool, Lisa!!
Came out amazing!!!
It was fail for me because the sauce was kinda strong for me but my younger son loves it.
I just tried this. It was really good, but a little too salty for me. Next time I’ll just leave out the extra salt. I served over quinoa and had broccoli on the side. Thanks for sharing.
Cooked this for dinner tonight & sitting to eat some now! I have to say, it is DELICIOUS! thank you so much for sharing!
Just finished making this. Love love love. Best chicken teriyaki. Thank you
What a great dish. Though for my family I omitted the soy sauce and substituted 1/2 TBLS of Hoisan Sauce. Served with sticky rice and steamed green peas and mixed it all together. What a hit!! There wasn’t a scrap left. Thank You for such a quick, delicious recipe.
I loved this! Just make it today with steamed broccoli . The trick is really cranking the heat up to thicken the sauce. I was nervous too and as soon as I turned it on high, it all came together!
Made this tonight, it was delicious! Added broccoli and some crushed red peppers.
Made this last night and it was absolutely awesome! Looked just like the picture when done. The only change I made was added a sprinkle of red pepper flakes to the chicken while cooking. I sautéed some shredded carrots and snow peas to go with it, DELICIOUS! It will thicken, just turn it up high and keep an eye on it.
I made this last night for dinner and it was beyond AMAZING!! The sauce was so good, it thickened after 30 mins. The whole family loved it..Thank you for sharing 🙂
I made this last week and it was fantastic!! I just doubled the sauce recipe and added a splash of fish sauce. Yum yum yum
What kind of oil should you use?
I believe I used olive oil. But vegetable or canola oil would work as well. You don’t need very much oil to get it going.
So…I found this on Pinterest while looking for something yummy to make for dinner. I just made it. And I. am. in. LOVE!! I didn’t have any sesame seeds but it was great without. I pared it down for one serving and just threw in some broccoli. It was ABSOLUTELY AMAZING. I am pretty sure I will be making this again tomorrow and um…probably every day until I run out of ingredients. You are a genius!! Thanks for my new favorite recipe!!! 🙂
Never thought about adding honey, but I’ll definitely do that for next time! Great pictures 🙂
http://bythesparklingsea.wordpress.com/2014/03/05/college-cooking-teriyaki-chicken-bowl/
I just tried this and oh-my-dear-lord it’s good! I added some brown sugar, lemon juice and chili powder to the mix and it was delicious. Although I didn’t measure any of the ingredients so the sauce did come out a bit like “teriyaki soup” but it’s so yummy that I don’t mind pouring it over the chicken. 😀 Thank you, this was an awesome recipe! (I also found this through Pinterest 🙂
I’m so glad you liked it, Laura! I have to admit, unless I’m writing a recipe for the blog, I’m not usually too particular about measurements either!
I am making this for dinner tonight, it looks sooooo yummy!
I hope you liked it! 🙂
Is the sauce supposed to be boiling the whole time?
It will boil for most of the cooking time, but in the end it should come together to a sauce. If you’re having issues with the sauce thickening, crank the heat up to high and be sure to stir constantly.
made this tonight, it was soooo good!! My husband is a picky eater but he loved it too. I followed the suggestion of turning it on high, it turned out perfect. thank you 🙂
I’m so happy to hear it! 🙂
I just made it and looks so golden and delicious! I wish I can share a picture on here with you! I made it with couscous instead of rice and its just wonderful! Thanks for sharing your recipe!
That sounds so delicious!! I’ll try serving it over couscous next time. Thanks!
This is so simple and easy to make… and it tastes great!! Definitely adding this to the my list of new favorites!
I’m so glad you liked it!
My whole family loved it! So easy and delicious! I will be making it often! Next time I’m making a double batch so I have leftovers 🙂
So glad to hear it! Double batches of honey teriyaki chicken never go to waste. Don’t ask me how I know. 😉
I doubled the sauce recipe, left out the salt, added a couple teaspoons of cornstarch mixed with water to thicken it up. I turned it down from high when it started boiling and added the cornstarch then. The chicken was pretty much done after that. I also sprinkled in a little ginger powder. Poured it over vegetables and jasmine rice….really good! Thanks for the recipe!
The flavor of this was so good, but my meat turned out dry. I used this method of cooking in another recipe and the same thing happened. Do you think I need to start out with my pan hotter so that the meat is seared first? Thanks – Carol
I made it sauce not a problem at all! Just preheated pan so it was hot dumped in chicken and sauce cooked 5 minutes on med and then 10 on med high and bam. But it’s a little too salty maybe less soy or more honey? Any suggestions?
Made this tonight, was delicious! Added a pinch of cornstarch at the end just to help the sauce thicken up, worked like a charm. Very pleased with the results, super easy, will make again.
My dish was very salty. Couldn’t even choke it down. Even left out the salt.
I just made it and it was a success it was the best thing ever will repin it and ill make it again and again thank you so much for Sharing ur the best
I am so glad that you enjoyed it! 😀
Found This recipe on pinterest 😀 making this tonight for dinner 🙂 looook amazingggggg xx
I hope you liked it!
This was SO good! Except that I only used 1/4 tsp of black pepper instead of the 1/2 tsp called for and it was still too much pepper! My kids could hardly handle it. Next time I think I’ll use just a dash. 🙂
This was very good except my chicken came out dry. Next time I will be making more sauce for the rice and broccoli… I have a large family so I made this with 2.5 lbs of chicken. Next time I will double the sauce and have extra forr the family on the side…
OMG THIS IS SO DELICIOUS AND SIMPLE TO MAKE. ME AND MY BOYFRIEND LOVED THIS RECIPE!!! THANK YOU THANK YOU! ♥♥♥♥
I found this recipe on Pinterest and I loved it!! So easy to make and my sauce and chicken came out perfect!
I made this last week and it was so good! I’m making it again tonight! My husband loves it and I do too:) I served it over white rice and grilled some veggies and it was perfect!
Hey! I just made this a couple of weeks ago and recently made a video showing how to make it. Thank you so much for such a great recipe!
If you want to see how it’s made you can check it out here:
http://youtu.be/k7EHEazajMw
I loved your video, Julia!
Mine doesn’t look like the picture. It came out brown and it looks more soaked in sauce than glazed. It still came out tasting great but I wonder if I Did something wrong.
I’m sorry it didn’t work well for you but I’m glad it tasted great! A reader made a video of the recipe and hers looks very similar to my outcome. Hopefully it will help to see the process step by step. http://bit.ly/1tRu3YD
This is recipe we keep on making often. Even our picky eater two year old loves this dish. Thanks!
Sooooooo sooooooo good!!
I’m so glad to hear you like it! 🙂
I tried it tonight and it was a hit with the family! It was absolutely delicious!
So, so happy to hear it, Veronica! 😀
Perhaps I’m paying too much attention to detail but I watched the video and noticed the finished “color’ is lighter in the video (I love the way yours looks). What would account for that? Carmelization of the sauce or is there a difference in colors of Teriyaki sauce?
Thanks, Barbara! Caramelization of the sauce could definitely contribute to the color, but I can’t be 100% sure since I use a different teryiaki sauce almost every time I make this recipe. Depending on the sauce, the color does vary slightly each time I make it. The photo in this post was also shot with very specific lighting and was edited in order to bring out the colors.
I am really excited to try this recipe tonight. I bought teriyaki sauce for the recipe and its a thin consistency. When I watched the video hers looked quite thick? What do you use?
Hey Hannah, I seem to use a different brand of teriyaki sauce every time, but when possible I do prefer to buy a sauce with a thicker consistency.
I love to try this recipe it looks yummmmmmmmmmmmmmm
This is what I’m going to cook to my girlfriend tonight. She will love it! We both eat a lot of chicken in summer. Thank you for the idea.
I just made this and the finished product looked absolutely nothing like the picture BUT it was extremely delicious! Just not very visually appealing LoL.
I couldnt find a serving size?
Hi Meagan, since this recipe only makes four servings I just made the serving size 1/4 of the entire recipe, rather than a specific amount (though in hindsight it would’ve been smarter to do that). This is also how I calculated the calories.
Love this. we made it last night. I of course, needed something green on the plate so for last few minutes i added broccoli, lid and steamed. I didn’t feel like it had enough liquid to steam after about two minutes, so I added a little bit of water, covered another three minutes and was perfect. gave it a big stir to get teriyaki on all. yum…love one dish meals!
I just found your site and of course anything with an Asian theme pulls me right in. I was just wondering if this could be made with boneless thighs equally as well. I would think this would also lower the cost per serving as well. I haven’t made this yet, but rest assured it will be on the must try list this week.
I haven’t tried it myself, but I’m sure it could be made with boneless, skinless thighs. Good idea!
Using thighs will help for those who had dry chicken. It is very hard to dry out chicken thighs
Gerald, isn’t that the truth??? Another idea is to use chicken tenders (the non breaded ones) that cook in a couple minutes!
I love this recipe. I have made this several times and it always turns out fantastic. I have made it for friends when they come over for lunch and for dinner for my in-laws. I have given out the recipe several times because everyone loves it!
LOVE this! My new favorite meal! I add broccoli cauliflower and onion… I can never quite get the sauce to thicken but I never have been able to and it is still amazing! Would love to see some of your other recipes! Thank you!!
Hi! Thanks for the recipe. I’m from the Philippines and we use a different type of soy sauce here. Can I know what type or brand of soy sauce you used just to be sure I’ll be using the right one? Thanks!
Just finished this. Absolutely amazing! Thank you!!!
So great to hear that you enjoyed it, Lori! 😀
This has just been added to our menu for this week and can not wait to try it!
Ashley
whiskersandweights.blogspot.com
I have actually made this recipe a few times.. along the lines i have tried a few different things.. like using boneless skinless chicken thighs.. and adding some red pepper flakes for a kick and a little more garlic, and some ginger.. I actually have found that the Trader Joes Island soyaki sauce does great for this.. also as a lighter version, i have used agave instead of honey and Braggs Aminos instead of soy sauce.. so many ways to build on this but thank you for the great base!
Made this last night for dinner, my husband LOVED it. It was very tasty and super simple. I added some pineapple chucks for a little something extra–yum! I will say that you definitely do not need all that extra salt though with the soy sauce…maybe 1/2 the amount.
So glad you guys enjoyed it, Sarah!
Thanks for sharing this. My son loves all types of “sticky chicken” and I have all the ingredients already, so this will be supper soon!
Hope your family enjoyed it! 🙂
Made this last night and it is so yummy! I’m actually excited about having the leftovers tonight!! Thank you for a great recipe. I rated it 5 stars for sure!!
Awesome, Michelle! SO glad you liked it. They are great as leftovers… something about the flavors intensifying a bit. 😀
LOVE this receipe! I made it last night for dinner and my man and I could not have been any happier. I added some steamed broccoli to it. After reading the comments about the sauce not sticking, I got teriyaki sauce with corn starch in it…I wouldn’t recommend that route if you’re trying to eat clean, but if not, it works perfectly! Now we just have to decide who gets the leftovers!
Made this for dinner tonight & it was delicious! I doubled the recipe & changed it up a bit to be sure the sauce thickened. I coated my chicken with corn starch before cooking in a large skillet with olive oil. I cooked the chicken until it was cooked through and then added the sauce. It thickened perfectly!
i made this for my roommates and they loved it! I had the same problem with the sauce not boiling down, but eventually it did and then it was delicious!
So glad that you guys enjoyed it, Callie! The sauce has always turned out for me but some have mentioned that adding a bit of corn starch or cooking at a higher heat helps it thicken more quickly for them. 😀
I love this recipe. Super easy, super fast, super delicious, and my super picky daughter loves it. I make it almost weekly now!
I’m so, so glad you guys enjoy it! 😀
I made this last night and it was amazing!!! It tasted just as good, if not better than the expensive hibachi grill restaurant in town. Thank you so much for this recipe!! 🙂
I wonder if this could be made in a crock pot since the chicken cooks in the sauce?
Did you try this in the sauce? I am wondering the same thing – would like to try it in the crock pot.
I just made this tonight for dinner. I had a lot of people over for a Birthday dinner so I had to use 4x the amount, but it turned out absolutely AMAZING! I did read through the comments and was nervous to use the salt and pepper, so I didn’t use any salt and just a pinch of pepper. It did take quiet a while to cook down because of the amount I had to make, but after 25 minutes of high boil it did cook down perfectly! Thank you for such an amazing recipe! My husband wants it again tomorrow! Definitely will be one I make often! So easy and YUMMY! Double bonus!
Oh yay I’m so glad you guys liked it!!!
So delicious, and was just as good as take out! This is a keeper!
Im not an expert cooking, im actually a beginner and this was super easy and it was delicious! Me and my husband loved it. Thank you for sharing!
Thank-you very much for sharing.
We tried it with mini chicken fillets, but the meat came out a bit dry. Maybe wing is a better option? My chef friend says “breast is not always best”, but I’m not really a wing/leg lover.
Still enjoyed it though. One whole tablespoon of garlic is definitely right? Looks like she used less in the video.
Probably also better to make your own Teryaki sauce rather than a bottle? We also used rapeseed oil. Recommend that instead of olive oil?
Thanks again for a great recipe!
I made this last night but instead of pan frying, I spooned on top of chicken thighs and baked it at 350 for ~40 min. I added more sauce towards the end and baked for a couple more minutes. Came out delicious!
That sounds so tasty!
Could this be cooked in a crock pot?????
I havne’t tried it myself, but I’m sure it can be with some adjustments! 🙂
Made this tonight and I only have one complaint..It went too fast! Really good! Thank you for the recipe!
Yay! I’m so glad you liked it <3
Possibly this question has been asked but one of the reasons I haven’t made teriyaki chicken is because I cannot find teriyaki sauce… What brand do you use and where do you buy it?
I’m not too picky about teriyaki sauce and usually just pick up whichever brand is cheapest. It’s usually found right next to the soy sauce in most grocery stores. You can also pick it up on Amazon as well. 🙂
My family loves this recipe! And I love that it is so simple yet delicious and easy to make. I usually make it a couple times a month. 🙂
After all of the great reviews, I’m making this tonight. I planning to freeze half. Do you think this will freeze well?
I know this is an old thread but I had to comment how much I loved this! I already had the chicken marinating in only teriyaki at the time so I mixed everything else separate (probably had more teriyaki than honey) and threw in some half cooked frozen broccoli at the last 5 minutes. Amazing! And I can’t believe the kids are eating this broccoli and loving it
Thanks!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Kristy! Adding broccoli is such a great idea! 🙂
Found this recipe to be far too salty. Will leave the salt and soy sauce out if I ever try it again.
Sorry it didn’t turn out well for you! Definitely try it next time without the extra salt to see if it’s more to your taste. Also low sodium soy sauce may be better too. 🙂
This is an incredible, easy to follow recipe. Thank you so much for sharing, my entire family loves it!
Yay! So happy you guys like it! 🙂
I can not tell you enough how much i LOVE this meal!!! Literally just made this and took 2 bites and had to comment!! Made some rice with it and threw in some chives in the rice omg if i could hug you i would!! Thank you for posting and thank you for being a pintrest god!
Thanks a lot for sharing – easy and delicious recipe!
The second time I made it I spiced it up a bit with extra garlic and some fresh ginger and sriracha sauce.
Also added some carrot sticks half way through so they could absorb some of the nice flavors.
Do you think jasmine rice would make a difference?
that is what I have been using – my kids love it~!
have made this several times and it has become a family favorite – often requested more than once a week by the kids!
I got this site from my buddy who shared with me about this web page and now
this time I am visiting this site and reading very informative
articles or reviews here. – Vaughn
thanks for sharing it i found it so amazing
Thanks so much! Glad you enjoyed! Cheers!!