These 20-minute teriyaki chicken poke bowls make the perfect lunch or dinner! They're made with juicy chicken, paired with sticky rice, and topped with your favorite toppings (the possibilities are endless!).
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Mika's Highlight
This bowl is one of my go-to dinners because of all the fresh ingredients! It's delicious, quick, and makes great meal prep!
why you need these teriyaki chicken poke bowls in your life
Even though it’s not a traditional poke, teriyaki chicken is one of my go-to orders at my favorite place. And I’m guessing that if you're on this post, it’s one of yours as well! The good news is, you can easily make it at home and I’m going to show you how!
I might be biased, but here are a few reasons to convince you that you'll love it too!
- Quick: The teriyaki chicken only takes 15 minutes to cook. And while it cooks, you can prep all the toppings and rice, so it’s all ready in 20 minutes.
- Nourishing: Poke bowls are packed with fresh ingredients; these are no different. Not only that but they have protein rich chicken breast, are gluten and dairy-free, and can easily be made paleo-friendly or soy-free.
- Versatile: Poke bowls are awesome because you can top it with whatever you like! This makes it a favorite for the whole family because there are so many ways to enjoy it.
- Pan-frying: I like to pan-fry the chicken because it cooks very quickly and develops that great crisp exterior!
here's what you'll need
- Chicken: We like to use chicken breasts for this because it’s easy to come by and easy to cube and cook.
- Teriyaki Sauce: You can make your own sauce, but I'm all about keeping things simple and quick. Hence why I love making this with a store-bought teriyaki. I just look for a sauce without much sugar, such as the Primal Kitchen brand.
- The sauce flavor boosters: Adding fresh ginger and garlic is a great way to pack in more flavor with minimal work. You'll also need a bit of sesame oil.
- Rice: I love making this with microwave sticky rice because it’s simple, quick, and easy. If you are feeding a crowd, you can make a large amount of basmati rice in the Instant Pot. It's also delicious with coconut rice!
Teriyaki Hack: In general, store-bought sauces are filled with a lot of sugar and oil, teriyaki is particularly high in sugar. But there are some really great brands now with minimal added sugar, without any added sugar, or that only use natural sugar. Some of my favorite brands are Primal Kitchen, Kevin’s, and Ocean’s.
Topping Ideas
These bowls are delicious with so many things and the great thing about them is that they can be totally customized. Here are just a few of our favorite topping ideas!
- Cucumbers
- Edamame beans
- Jalapeno
- Avocado
- Carrots
- Lime juice
- Simple mango sauce
- Crunchy toppings (like fried jalapenos from Trader Joe's)
- Sesame seeds
- Sriracha mayo or other spicy mayo
- Green onions
- Pickled red onion
- Sweet chili sauce
recipe testing notes
Throughout our testing of this teriyaki chicken poke bowl recipe, we learned some key things that worked and didn't work. Here are the key takeaways!
- Add garlic and ginger: I learned quickly that store-bought teriyaki sauce is not very flavorful. But! If you add garlic and ginger to it though, the flavor is SO much better!
- Cooking the chicken: Overcooking chicken is the number one reason I don’t like chicken. But with this saucy recipe, you don’t have to worry so much because there is enough sauce that slightly overcooked chicken doesn’t taste much different. I do recommend checking it with a meat thermometer to try your best to not overcook it.
how to make this - step by step
Be sure to scroll to the recipe card for how to make these teriyaki chicken rice bowls!
Step one: marinade
Add the sauce and cubed uncooked chicken to a bag or large bowl and mix to coat. Let this sit in the fridge while you heat the stove. Heat the stove with sesame oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and ginger and saute until fragrant (about 1-2 minutes).
Expert tip: Cubing the chicken helps to cook it faster. This recipe is designed for chicken that is between ½” and 1” thick.
Step two: cook the chicken
Add the chicken to the pan and cook. You can cover it or cook it open, but leave it alone to develop the delicious caramelization on the bottom. Cook for 5-7 minutes before flipping.
Step three: keep cooking and prep
While the chicken is cooking, prep the toppings and mango sauce and cook rice. Flip the chicken when golden brown and cook for another 5-7 minutes. Then plate it all up and enjoy!
watch how to make this - step by step
common questions
Poke traditionally consists of raw fish, soy-based sauce, and fresh vegetables, and fruit toppings. It's a typical Hawaiian dish whose flavors combine umami with sweet and savory for a huge depth of flavor!
Yes! Poke bowls are never fried, they're light and refreshing, and packed with healthy and fresh toppings. Also, they're usually gluten-free and dairy-free, which doesn't mean healthy but it can help to meet dietary needs.
Poke sauce is typically a combination of soy sauce, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, and rice vinegar. But, poke sauces can vary greatly from sweet to spicy and beyond. What I love about teriyaki bowls is that teriyaki sauce shares many of these flavors that are true to classic poke.
allergy swaps
If you have special dietary restrictions, here are some substitution ideas to keep this poke bowl safe for everyone!
- Vegan: To make vegan poke, swap the chicken for tofu! And if you cannot have soy, feel free to use chickpeas.
- Soy-free: To make this without soy, you will need to find a soy-free teriyaki sauce, which is available at most stores now. Both Primal Kitchen and Ocean’s have a soy-free teriyaki-style sauce.
more easy protein bowls and lunches to enjoy
Did you try this and love it? Leave us a ⭐️ rating, we would love to hear from you!
Recipe
20-minute teriyaki chicken poke bowl recipe
Ingredients
Teriyaki Chicken
- 1 cup teriyaki sauce
- 1 pound chicken (uncooked, cubed, about 2 breasts)
- 2 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon garlic (minced)
- ½ tablespoon ginger (minced)
- 1.5 cups white rice (cooked)
Toppings
- simple mango sauce (store-bought or homemade)
- cucumbers
- edamame
- jalapeno
- avocado
- carrots
Before you start!
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Instructions
- Add the teriyaki sauce and cubed uncooked chicken to a bag or bowl and mix to coat. The chicken should be about ½" to 1" thick. Store in the fridge until ready to use.
- Heat a pan over medium heat with the sesame oil. Add the garlic and ginger and saute until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
- Add the chicken to the pan with all the sauce and cook for 5-7 minutes per side. Don't move it until the time is up so that it develops the delicious golden brown exterior.
- While the chicken cooks, prepare your rice and toppings. Then plate everything up and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Looking for more information?
Additional substitution information can be found above in the substitution section of this post.
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate and for informational purposes only.
Amazing,super quick and easy dinner and lunch for a busy college student. And affordable!