Add a kick of salty sweetness to your week with this unbeatable Teriyaki chicken meal prep recipe! With fluffy white rice and fresh, firm broccoli, this is the ultimate midday pick-me-up. It’s dairy-free!

Enjoy this teriyaki chicken meal prep in the middle of a busy workday or for dinner! I don’t mean to brag. But I do think this is one of the best meal prep ideas out there.

Every morsel of this juicy chicken is coated in a thick, luscious teriyaki sauce. With crunchy white sesame seeds on top, this is your mid-week trip to Japan on a plate.

Best of all, this super simple recipe means you can make four portions at light speed! Who said meal prepping can’t be delicious, easy, and affordable?

Chicken

Olive oil (2 tbsp) – Olive oil is rich and adds its own flavor to the dish. It also has a low smoke point, so it won’t get too hot and burn your chicken once it hits the frying pan.

If you’re not a fan or you don’t have any olive oil in the house, sunflower or canola oil will work as well.

Chicken thighs (2lbs) – Chicken thighs are dark meat, which means they carry extra flavor. Plus, they become extra tender once cooked. Use boneless and skinless chicken thighs if you can.

Sauce

Soy sauce (1/2 cup) – Soy sauce is the core ingredient for teriyaki sauce. It’s the base! The deep, dark saltiness is the perfect thing to anchor the sticky sauce and make it so rich.

Rice vinegar (2 tbsp) – A little bit of rice vinegar is just the thing to add a touch of acidity to the sauce. It helps balance out the rich saltiness and sweetness, along with the ginger and garlic.

If you don’t have rice vinegar, white vinegar will do in a pinch.

Ginger (1 tbsp, minced) – Ginger is an aromatic ingredient. It will add a rich, natural taste to the sauce, an earthiness you can’t deny.

Garlic (4 cloves, minced)

Brown sugar (2 tbsp) – Not only does it help balance the salty soy sauce, but it also helps thicken the sauce into a deliciously sticky one.

Honey (4 tbsp)

Sesame oil (1 tsp) – Sesame oil is one of the big parts of teriyaki sauce. It adds some nuttiness, and it’s also a great way to add some gentle fattiness to round out the flavor profile.

Water (1/2 cup) – Make sure to use cold tap water for the sauce, not boiling water!

Cornstarch (4 tsp) – Finally, we have the thickener. If you want a thick sauce, you can either reduce it for a very long time or save yourself some heartache with a dose of cornstarch.

To make sure your cornstarch folds in well, try making a slurry first. A little bit of water to make this cornstarch into a paste that blends well into the sauce.

Broccoli and Rice

White rice (1 cup ) – White rice is the ideal meal prep side dish because it’s easy to make in large quantities. Whip up a large batch of long-grain or Jasmine rice for this recipe.

Water (1.5 cups) – Make sure to use cold tap water to cook your rice and broccoli. It’s also a key component of the sauce to help it stretch further.

Salt and black pepper (to taste)– Freshly ground black pepper will always give you the best results with your chicken. However, Japanese dishes also often use ground white pepper as a substitute.

Broccoli (2 heads)– The fresher your broccoli, the better your dish will be. Check your broccoli stems as you’re shopping to make sure they’re firm and fresh.

Garnish

Sesame seeds – White sesame seeds are best to add some crunch and some nuttiness. However, you can always try a little drizzle of sesame oil if you don’t have them!

Green onions – Green onions are essential for a touch of freshness on top of the teriyaki sauce. Try slicing your green onions on an angle to make the pieces wider and thinner so they sprinkle well.

How to Make Teriyaki Chicken

Step 1. Make the Sauce. Grab a small glass bowl and pour half a cup of soy sauce. Add your rice vinegar, ginger, garlic, sugar, and honey.

Step 2. Cook the Chicken. Put about two tablespoons of light oil in the bottom of a frying pan and crank the heat to medium. Slice the chicken thighs into one-inch cubes and add them to your heated pan.

Cook these for around ten minutes. Ensure you get all sides of the chicken for that golden brown color and juicy texture.

Step 3. Pour the prepared sauce over the chicken in your frying pan. Cook until the sauce thickens naturally. Stir every once in a while to make sure none of it sticks to your pan.

Step 4. Finish the chicken by generously dusting it with white sesame seeds and sliced green onions. Slice your green onions on an angle to make them larger and flakier.

Step 5. Grab your two small heads of broccoli. Then, use a sharp knife to cut the florets of broccoli away from the stem. Add the florets to the boiling water and cook for just three to four minutes.

 Step 6. Now, it’s time to assemble your meal prep dishes! This recipe makes four portions, so grab four clean and dry meal prep containers. Glass airtight containers work best if you have them.

Divide your broccoli, rice, and chicken into the four containers. Make sure the chicken goes last so that you can get every drop of that delicious sauce on the other elements, too. And you’re done!

Why is Teriyaki Chicken so Good?

Teriyaki sauce is so good because it’s an example of a super-balanced sauce. It contains salt, fat, acid, and sweetness. That means it hits you in every single one of your flavor centers.

It’s versatile, easy to prepare, and keeps well, thanks to the sugar in the sauce. How can you argue with a clean eating meal prep idea like that?

What do You Serve with Chicken Teriyaki?

In Japan, teriyaki chicken is typically part of sushi or a rice bowl. So, its natural companion is rice! Use fragrant Jasmine rice or sticky white rice as the ideal foundation for a chicken teriyaki dish.

To make sure you’re getting all your nutrients in, it’s great to add a vegetable side dish to your teriyaki chicken meal too.

More Meal Prep Recipes

• Chicken and Sweet Potato Meal Prep
• Orange Chicken Meal Prep
• Honey Garlic Shrimp Meal Prep