Chicken teriyaki donburi is an easy Japanese rice bowl topped with tender chicken pieces glossed in sweet teriyaki sauce, fluffy rice, and your favorite toppings. It’s a quick, flavorful weeknight meal with minimal effort.
What is Donburi?
“Donburi” literally means “rice bowl” in Japanese. This version features steamed rice topped with saucy chicken, veggies, and toppings like mukimame, carrots, green onions, and a fried or soft-boiled egg.
Classic donburi dishes like gyudon, katsudon, unadon, and oyakodon are among Japanese staples. If you love cozy rice bowls and cozy Japanese takeout, this chicken teriyaki bowl will be on repeat.
Key Ingredients
This easy chicken teriyaki donburi recipe is ready in 30 minutes with simple homemade or store-bought ingredients. Here’s everything you need to make it.
- Teriyaki Sauce: Whisk the ingredients for homemade teriyaki sauce, or use a store-bought version. You can even sprinkle some toasted sesame seeds over the sauce for a finishing touch.
- Chicken: You’ll need about one pound of boneless, skinless chicken thighs or chicken breast, but precooked or rotisserie chicken works when you’re short on time. This rice bowl is also a great way to repurpose leftover chicken—try it with thin-cut chicken breasts or Dutch oven pulled chicken to make pulled teriyaki chicken.
- Rice: Follow the package instructions to cook Nishiki medium-grain rice or another short-grain variety, such as sushi rice or Calrose. You want the rice to be sticky so it can soak up any extra sauce.
- Toppings: Finish your chicken teriyaki donburi with crisp matchstick carrots, a spoonful of mukimame, and sliced spring onion (or green onions).
Homemade Teriyaki Sauce
Teriyaki Sauce Ingredients:
1 cup shoyu sauce (or soy sauce)
½ cup dark brown sugar
1 cup mirin
½ cup sake (or substitute with rice vinegar + ½ tsp sugar)
Instructions:
Combine shoyu, brown sugar, mirin, and sake in a small saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Then, reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes until it thickens.
Additions and Substitutions
Rice bowls are easily customizable. Swap in your favorite protein or mix and match veggies based on what you have on hand.
- Switch up the protein. Make the bowls with meatballs, pan-seared tofu, teriyaki salmon bites, or ground chicken instead of chicken thighs.
- Double the sauce. Love it extra saucy? Drizzle more teriyaki sauce over the top or serve some on the side.
- Swap out the base. Switch things up with brown rice, cauliflower rice, or even a bed of fresh greens for a lighter option.
Equipment
You’ll need a frying pan to sear the chicken and a medium saucepan or rice cooker to make the rice. Beyond that, keep a sharp knife and cutting board nearby for slicing the chicken and prepping the toppings.
How to Make Chicken Teriyaki Donburi
The full recipe with measurements is in the recipe card below.
Step 1: Season the boneless chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, cook the chicken in a single layer for 5–7 minutes per side, or until the internal temperature reaches 165℉ (74℃). Set the chicken aside to rest on a cutting board.
Step 2: Pour homemade or store-bought teriyaki sauce into the same pan and bring it to a simmer. Using a silicone spatula, scrape up any bits that have stuck to the pan from browning the chicken. Cook until the sauce thickens.
Step 3: Cut the chicken against the grain and return the slices to the pan, turning to coat the pieces evenly in the sauce.
Step 4: Scoop the hot rice into serving bowls, then top each bowl of rice with the teriyaki chicken, julienned carrots, mukimame, sliced green onions, and a sprinkle of sesame seeds. Finish with a drizzle of teriyaki sauce, or serve some on the side.
Expert Tips
- Don’t rush the sauce. If you’re making the teriyaki sauce from scratch, let the sauce reduce until it’s thick and sticky.
- How do you know when the chicken is done cooking? The chicken is done cooking when its internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C). Check it by inserting a food thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken thigh.
- Rest the chicken. After cooking, let the chicken rest for 5–10 minutes so the juices redistribute and the meat stays tender. Then, slice it against the grain so the sauce clings to every bite.
If you enjoy chicken teriyaki donburi, try more easy dinner ideas!
Serving Suggestions
Start with a base of fluffy white or brown rice, mixed greens, or a simple cabbage or cucumber salad. Then, pile on your favorite toppings—carrots, spring onions, mukimame, and a drizzle of teriyaki sauce for even more flavor.
Don’t forget the sides! A warm bowl of miso soup, seaweed salad, dumplings, and steamed or sautéed veggies like bok choy, broccoli, or snap peas make a complete meal.
Build Your Own Bowl
What I love most about donburi is how easy it is to make your own. You can keep it simple with store-bought ingredients or go all out and make everything from scratch. Either way, here are a few fun ways to mix things up and customize your bowl.
Start with a Base
- White Rice
- Brown Rice
- Mixed Greens
- Cauliflower Rice
- Cabbage Salad
- Cucumber Carrot Salad
Pick Your Toppings
- Carrots
- Green Onions
- Edamame or Shelled Mukimame
- Cucumber Ribbons
- Snow Peas
- Radish Slices
- Pak Choi
- Pickled Hakusai
- Fried or Boiled Egg
- Onsen Tamago
- Nori Strips
- Avocado Slices
- Furikake Seasoning
Meal Prep the Chicken Donburi
For those who meal prep, chicken teriyaki donburi is super easy to make ahead. Whip up a big batch of teriyaki chicken and double up on the rice and toppings to make quick, grab-and-go meals throughout the week.
What To Do With Leftovers
- Refrigerate: Store the leftover chicken in an airtight container. You can also save the rice and toppings, but store everything separately and assemble the bowls when you’re ready to eat.
- Reheat: Warm the chicken in the microwave, on the stovetop, or in the oven at 350°F (177 °C) for 5–10 minutes. I recommend adding a splash of water to loosen the sauce.
More Bowl Recipes:
Chicken Teriyaki Donburi
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon coarse black pepper
- ½ cup teriyaki sauce
- 2 cups cooked rice
- 1 carrot, julienned or matchstick
- ½ cup mukimame
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
- Season the boneless chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, cook the chicken in a single layer for 5–7 minutes per side, or until the internal temperature reaches 165℉ (74℃). Set the chicken aside to rest on a cutting board.
- Pour homemade or store-bought teriyaki sauce into the same pan and bring it to a simmer. Using a silicone spatula, scrape up any bits that have stuck to the pan from browning the chicken. Cook until the sauce thickens.
- Cut the chicken against the grain and return the slices to the pan, turning to coat the pieces evenly in the sauce.
- Scoop the hot rice into serving bowls, then top each bowl of rice with the teriyaki chicken, julienned carrots, mukimame, sliced green onions, and a sprinkle of sesame seeds. Finish with a drizzle of teriyaki sauce, or serve some on the side.
- Don’t rush the sauce. If you’re making the teriyaki sauce from scratch, let the sauce reduce until it’s thick and sticky.
- How do you know when the chicken is done cooking? The chicken is done cooking when its internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C). Check it by inserting a food thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken thigh.
- Rest the chicken. After cooking, let the chicken rest for 5–10 minutes so the juices redistribute and the meat stays tender. Then, slice it against the grain so the sauce clings to every bite.