These teriyaki chicken strips are tender, glossy, and soaked in that classic sweet-and-savory soy glaze everyone loves. They cook quickly, use simple ingredients, and taste amazing over rice, with veggies, or tucked into wraps. It’s the kind of easy weeknight dinner that feels a little special but still fits into real life.

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Why You’ll Love These Teriyaki Chicken Strips

• Sticky, shiny teriyaki sauce that clings to every strip
• Juicy chicken that cooks fast and stays tender
• Pantry-friendly ingredients (soy sauce, garlic, ginger, honey or sugar)
• Easy to serve with rice, veggies, noodles, or in wraps and bowls
• Family-friendly flavors—sweet, savory, not spicy unless you want it

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Benefits at a Glance

Benefit	What It Means	Perfect For
One-pan skillet recipe	Cook chicken and sauce in the same pan for easy cleanup.	Busy weeknights
Sweet + savory teriyaki flavor	Classic soy, garlic, ginger, and a touch of sweetness.	Family dinners and picky eaters
Quick cooking time	Chicken strips cook in minutes, sauce thickens fast.	Last-minute “what’s for dinner?” nights
Versatile serving options	Serve over rice, with veggies, or in wraps and bowls.	Meal prep and mix-and-match dinners
Easy to customize	Adjust sweetness, saltiness, and thickness of the sauce.	Different taste preferences in one household
Great for meal prep	Saucy strips reheat well for lunches or next-day dinners.	Make-ahead meals and lunchbox bowls

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Ingredients You’ll Need

For about four servings of teriyaki chicken strips, you’ll need:

Chicken

• Chicken tenders, or boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into strips
• Salt
• Black pepper
• 1–2 tablespoons of oil (such as olive oil or another neutral oil)

Teriyaki sauce / glaze

• Soy sauce (regular or low-sodium)
• Honey, brown sugar, or a mix of the two
• Water
• Rice vinegar (or another mild vinegar like apple cider vinegar)
• Fresh garlic (minced) or garlic powder
• Fresh ginger (grated) or ground ginger
• Cornstarch (to thicken the sauce)

Optional finishing touches

• A drizzle of sesame oil (for flavor, not frying)
• Sesame seeds
• Sliced green onions

If you prefer a lighter sauce, go with low-sodium soy sauce and a bit more water. For a deeper, more takeout-style flavor, use a mix of honey and brown sugar for sweetness.

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How to Make Teriyaki Chicken Strips

Prep the chicken

Pat the chicken tenders dry with paper towels. If you’re starting with whole chicken breasts, slice them into even strips so they cook at the same rate.

Season lightly with salt and black pepper. Keep in mind the soy sauce in the teriyaki glaze is salty, so you don’t need a lot of salt at this stage.

Cook the chicken

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add the chicken strips in a single layer. Cook for a few minutes on each side until the chicken is lightly browned and cooked through.

If your skillet is smaller, cook in batches so the chicken sears instead of steaming. Once the chicken is done, you can either:

• Transfer it to a plate while you make the sauce, or
• Push it to one side of the pan if there’s room to make the sauce directly in the skillet.

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Make the Teriyaki Sauce

In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together:

• Soy sauce
• Honey and/or brown sugar
• A splash of rice vinegar
• Minced garlic
• Grated ginger
• Water

In a separate small bowl, stir the cornstarch with a spoonful of water to make a smooth slurry. This helps prevent lumps when you add it to the sauce.

Pour the soy mixture into the skillet (with or without the chicken in it—either works, but it’s easier to thicken the sauce alone). Stir in the cornstarch slurry and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer over medium heat.

As it simmers, the sauce will start to thicken and turn glossy. Taste and adjust:

• Add more honey or sugar if you want it sweeter.
• Add a splash more soy sauce if you want it saltier and more savory.
• Add another small splash of vinegar if you like a brighter flavor.

Once the sauce has thickened to a glaze-like consistency, reduce the heat to low.

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Coat the Chicken in Sticky Teriyaki Glaze

Add the cooked chicken strips back into the skillet if you removed them earlier. Toss them in the sauce until every strip is coated in the glossy teriyaki glaze.

Let everything bubble together over low heat for another minute or two so the sauce clings nicely and the chicken really soaks up the flavor. If the sauce gets too thick, you can loosen it with a small splash of water and stir again.

Right at the end, you can add a tiny drizzle of sesame oil for extra flavor (a little goes a long way).

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Serving Ideas and Side Dishes

These teriyaki chicken strips are super versatile, which makes them perfect for busy weeknights and meal prep.

Serve them:

• Over steamed rice or brown rice with extra sauce spooned on top
• With fried rice or vegetable rice
• Over noodles or alongside a simple stir-fried veggie mix

Add easy sides like:

• Steamed or roasted broccoli, green beans, or snap peas
• A quick slaw or cucumber salad
• Mixed roasted vegetables

You can also use the chicken strips in:

• Rice bowls with veggies and a sprinkle of sesame seeds
• Wraps or lettuce wraps with crunchy veggies
• Meal prep containers with rice and vegetables for grab-and-go lunches

For a “pretty plate” moment, spoon rice into bowls, add the teriyaki chicken strips on top, drizzle with a little extra glaze, then finish with sesame seeds and sliced green onions.

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Tips, Variations, and Flavor Tweaks

Adjust the sauce thickness
If you like a thicker, stickier glaze, let the sauce simmer a bit longer after adding the cornstarch slurry. If it ends up too thick, stir in a spoonful of water at a time until it reaches your ideal consistency.

Balance sweet and salty

• Too salty? Add a bit more water and a little extra honey or sugar.
• Too sweet? Add a splash of soy sauce or a tiny bit more vinegar.

Make it a little spicy
For a hint of heat, add a pinch of red pepper flakes or a squeeze of sriracha to the sauce. It gives the all-familiar teriyaki flavor a mild spicy twist without overpowering it.

Double the sauce if you love extra glaze
If your family loves saucy bowls, simply double the sauce ingredients so you have plenty to spoon over rice and veggies.

Use what you have
You can use fresh garlic and ginger for maximum flavor, or use garlic powder and ground ginger if that’s what’s on hand. The recipe is flexible and forgiving.

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Storing, Reheating, and Meal Prep

These teriyaki chicken strips are fantastic for leftovers and meal prep.

• Store cooled chicken and sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3–4 days.
• Reheat gently in a skillet over low heat with a splash of water to loosen the sauce, or microwave in short bursts, stirring in between.

For meal prep:

• Portion rice into containers.
• Add teriyaki chicken strips on top.
• Add a side of veggies (steamed, roasted, or raw).

The sauce keeps the chicken moist and adds flavor to everything in the container, making it a great “heat and eat” option for lunches or busy nights.

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More Easy Weeknight Chicken Recipes to Try Next

If these teriyaki chicken strips are joining your weeknight lineup, you might also love:

• Honey Mustard Baked Chicken Strips
• Baked Almond-Crusted Chicken Tenders
• Buffalo Chicken Tenders
• Cajun Fried Chicken Strips

For more easy weeknight chicken recipes and “pretty plate” inspiration, you can follow along on Pinterest at @Dishesmadeeasy.

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