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Choose this sheet pan teriyaki chicken recipe any time you need a sure weeknight winner. With tender bites of chicken and a rainbow of oven-roasted veggies, it stays especially kid-friendly with a sweet and savory homemade teriyaki glaze. It’s the type of meal that can entice even littles who may need coaxing, but delicious enough that you’ll want the leftovers for your own lunch, too!
A Note from Monica
Why you’ll love this one-pan chicken teriyaki!
Simple sheet pan dinners like this teriyaki chicken just make weeknights better! You get all kinds of flavor and good-for-you ingredients made together with zero fuss, minimal prep time, little minding, and even less clean-up. Yes, please!
Toss everything on one big pan, then look forward to colorful bowls of chicken and veggies over your favorite hot rice or noodles. I love that everyone can easily grab whatever they like best, but everything on the tray is a solid real-food option. And the sauce is definitely the special ingredient!
I’ve been simmering this homemade teriyaki on repeat ever since we perfected it and my five year-old declared teriyaki salmon her favorite. Here, the trick is to use a bit on the chicken as it bakes and drizzle the rest as an umami-rich glaze at the end. You certainly can grab store-bought to make this even more quick, but I find everyone in my family prefers the consistency and taste of homemade, and of course it’s nice to know exactly what goes in it, too.
If you’re into easy Asian-inspired dinners, try my sheet pan beef and broccoli or kid-friendly ground chicken stir fry next. Enjoy!
This sheet pan method complements my quick-cooking skillet honey teriyaki chicken, which simmers a lighter sauce with fresh ginger and garlic directly in the pan, and my slow cooker version with extra tender shredded chicken that essentially cooks by itself. All the methods to get dinner done on all the days!
Ingredient Notes
- You can successfully use either chicken breast or chicken thighs. I’ve tested it all; both are great. Pros of chicken thighs: they can be more budget-friendly, stay tender and juicy even if left in the oven for an extra few minutes, and more easily develop appealing little caramelized edges where the sauce concentrates. On the other hand, chicken breasts cook more quickly, and many people just prefer the texture. Use what you like!
- Aim for an assortment of veggies. Yellow onion, bell pepper, broccoli, and carrots are shown here. Red or sweet onion, mushrooms, snow peas, and various types of squash are completely interchangeable. The goal is just to fill about half the tray with veggies and include enough variety that it looks pretty and there’s something that everyone might be willing to try.
- The best teriyaki sauces are bold, sweet, and savory, with a glaze-like texture that will form thick ribbons off the back of a spoon. My kid-friendly homemade teriyaki includes staples like soy sauce, rice vinegar, and toasted sesame oil. It takes just a few minutes and is totally worth it!
- Yes, this recipe uses garlic powder and dried ginger. This not only makes it extraordinarily easy to whip up, it also in my experience makes it extra kid-friendly because there are no small pieces to arouse suspicion. Obviously you can substitute fresh of either or both if that isn’t a concern!
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Simmer your teriyaki sauce in a small saucepan until it is thick enough to visibly coat the back of a dinner spoon, then let cool either in the pan or in a small bowl, as shown above. Set aside. This step can be done a few hours or days in advance if you like; store sauce in the fridge.
Step 2: Unless you made the sauce well in advance, start prepping the sheet pan while it is simmering. Chop all the veggies into similarly bite-sized pieces and toss directly onto a large sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Toss to combine and give them a brief head start in the oven set to 400°F.
Step 3: Add the chicken, also in bite-sized pieces, to the other half of the sheet pan. Drizzle generously with the teriyaki sauce. I like to start by putting the chicken in a big pile, pouring the sauce on top, then using tongs to spread the chicken out into a single layer, sort of running each piece through the sauce as I go, so it gets coated on both sides.
Step 4: Bake for roughly 15 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through to 165°F and the veggies are nice and tender. Pour on remaining teriyaki sauce, sprinkle with sesame seeds and sliced green onions, and plate generous spoonfuls over bowls of hot rice or noodles.
Recipe Tips
- Option to marinate. If you are prepping this earlier in the day, go ahead and toss the cubed chicken into a portion of the teriyaki sauce and marinate for 10-15 minutes at room temperature, or all day in the fridge. Just be certain to reserve plenty of teriyaki for serving, since you’ll discard all that was used as a marinade.
- Use a sturdy, rimmed pan. A very large sheet pan works best for this and many similar recipes, because most ingredients develop the best texture when they’re spread out and air can freely circulate. This enameled green pan is a treat for roasting anything with a sauce, because it makes clean-up outrageously easy. Everything practically just wipes off!
Serving Suggestions
My favorite way to enjoy this is simply plated over jasmine rice, which deliciously soaks up every last drop of sauce. Brown rice or cauliflower rice are also great options. Green onions and sesame seeds are a nice touch; extra sauce on top of my bowl is mandatory!
For an extra green option on the side, edamame always goes over well here. I just steam the pods and toss on a big pinch of flaked salt. So good.
Serving over a bowl of your favorite Asian-style noodles—think thick and chewy Udon, thin and light rice noodles, etc.—will make it feel even more like a fake takeout kind of night!
Make It A Meal Prep
Like many sheet pans, this combo can be stored all together and reheats beautifully, so it’s a terrific meal to tuck away for lunches throughout the week. Our favorite tightly-sealing, clear-lidded glass storage containers do the job perfectly.
Warm portions in the microwave. After years of experimentation, I’ve found I get the best results from using a longer cook time and 50% power to warm chicken. If the sauce seems thick or congealed, don’t worry—it will regain its original consistency when warm.
More Simple Sheet Pans
- Rosemary Garlic Sheet Pan Salmon with Green Beans
- Sheet Pan Chicken Gyros
- Pesto Chicken Sausage Sheet Pan
- Super Easy Sheet Pan Beef and Broccoli
Sheet Pan Teriyaki Chicken
Ingredients
For the Sauce:
- 1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar, see note
- 2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 Tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
For the Sheet Pan:
- 2 cups broccoli florets, chopped into small pieces
- 1 or 2 medium bell peppers, any color, seeded and chopped into bite-sized chunks
- 2-3 medium carrots, peeled and chopped into thin coins
- 1/2 medium yellow or red onion, sliced into wedges
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 2-3 large boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a large, rimmed sheet pan with parchment or cooking spray for easier clean up. Set aside.
- In a small saucepan, combine the soy sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, sesame oil, honey, cornstarch, ginger, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes. Set over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, whisking frequently, then reduce heat to medium and let it bubble for about 5 minutes, until the sauce is thick enough to visibly coat the back of a spoon. Set aside to cool briefly.1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce, 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar, 2 Tablespoons rice vinegar, 1 Tablespoon toasted sesame oil, 1 Tablespoon honey, 1 teaspoon cornstarch, 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- While the sauce bubbles, chop the veggies. Toss them all—broccoli, bell peppers, carrots, and onion—on half of the sheet pan.2 cups broccoli florets, 1 or 2 medium bell peppers, 2-3 medium carrots, 1/2 medium yellow or red onion
- Drizzle veggies with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss to combine. Place in the oven for a couple of minutes while you slice the chicken and the sauce continues to cool.2 teaspoons olive oil, kosher salt and black pepper
- When the chicken is prepped, remove pan from the oven and add meat to the other half of the sheet pan. Sprinkle with a big pinch each of salt and pepper, then pour about 1/3 cup of the teriyaki sauce over the chicken. Spread the pieces out into a single layer, leaving space between them if possible and turning to coat both sides in the sauce.2-3 large boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts
- Return to the oven and bake for about 15 minutes, until the veggies are tender and the chicken reaches 165°F.
- Remove from the oven and drizzle everything with the remaining teriyaki sauce, either on the pan, in a serving dish, or in individual bowls. Garnish with sesame seeds and sliced green onions, if desired, and serve over rice or noodles. Enjoy!
Notes
- Teriyaki Sauce: If you prefer a less sweet teriyaki sauce, reduce the brown sugar; I personally still like the sauce with as little as 2 Tablespoons sugar for the whole batch. You also are welcome to swap in fresh ginger and garlic—that’s more traditional, in fact!
- Veggie Swaps: Edamame, snow peas, and mushrooms all make good veggie swaps or additions.
- Sheet Pan: The coated pan shown here is this one – it really does do wonders for sheet pan meals because it never warps and is SO easy to clean.
- Storage/Reheating: Leftovers keep well in the fridge for at least 3-4 days, tightly covered. Our favorite meal prep boxes are great for portioning this with rice or noodles! Reheat in the microwave or in a saucepan over low heat. Add a very small splash of water if needed to thin the teriyaki sauce back out.
