If your ideal dinner sits somewhere between "I want a proper meal" and "I'd quite like takeaway without paying £12 for disappointment", this Crispy Teriyaki Chicken is for you. Golden chicken pieces, lightly battered and fried until crisp, then tossed in a glossy sticky sauce with vegetables and served over rice - it's outrageously good and very doable on a weeknight. It's crunchy, savoury, sweet and gingery in all the right places. Basically, one of those dinners that mysteriously disappears very quickly.
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Recipe Highlights
TASTE: Sweet, sticky & savoury
EASE: Weeknight-friendly
FAKEAWAY SCORE: 10/10
SEB'S RATING: Rice bowl = empty bowl
Simple Take Away Style Meal
I'm a big fan of making takeaway-style meals at home - partly because they're cheaper, partly because they're usually fresher, and mostly because I like being in charge of how much actual vegetable ends up in the pan. This recipe is a little fusion between our Crispy Teriyaki Beef Rice Bowls and Chicken Kung Pao: crisp-coated chicken chunks, stir-fried veg and that unmistakable Japanese teriyaki sauce vibe.
It has the perfect balance of sweet, savoury and sticky, with enough crunch to make it feel properly satisfying. And if you love this sort of thing, I've linked more fakeaway-style dinners below.
Step-By-Step Method
1. Cook the rice. Start by cooking your white rice according to the packet instructions. We like to rinse the starch layer off the rice first to keep grains separated. Keep rice warm while you make the rest.
2. Fry the vegetables. Heat a little oil in a large skillet or frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the diced carrot and red pepper and cook for 4-5 minutes until lightly charred but still with a bit of bite. Stir in the fresh ginger and garlic for the final minute, then set aside.
3. Make the batter. In a large bowl or shallow dish, whisk together the cornflour, plain flour, baking powder and salt. Add enough cold water to make a thin batter that lightly coats your finger.
4. Coat the chicken. Add the boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut into strips or bite-sized pieces) to the batter and turn to coat well.
5. Fry until crisp. Heat 1-2 cm of hot oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Fry the chicken in batches for 4-5 minutes, turning as needed, until golden and cooked through. Transfer to paper towels while you finish the rest.
6. Bring it all together. Return the vegetables to the pan and add the crispy chicken. Place over medium-high heat for 1-2 minutes. Pour in the teriyaki sauce and toss quickly to coat and cling to the chicken without softening the coating too much.
8. Serve immediately. Spoon over rice and serve while everything is still crisp and glossy.
Recipe Tips
- Use cold water in the batter. It helps create a lighter, crispier coating. Tiny thing, surprisingly effective. If you have fridge-cold sparkling water, it's even better.
- Don't overcrowd the pan. Frying too many chicken pieces at once drops the oil temperature and leads to sadness instead of crunch.
- Keep the batter thin. You're after a delicate crisp coating, not full pub fish-and-chip armour.
- Add the teriyaki sauce right at the end. This is the key cooking technique here. The longer the sauce sits on the chicken, the softer the coating becomes. Use your favourite shop-bought or homemade teriyaki sauce (you'll find a simple recipe in the notes section in the recipe card).
- Chicken thighs also work. If you prefer juicier meat, chicken thighs are a great swap - just cut into similar-sized chicken chunks.
Serving Suggestions
This works brilliantly as a complete meal with white rice, but there are plenty of ways to switch it up.
- Use brown rice for a nuttier, slightly heartier base
- Swap rice for egg fried rice or noodles
- Add steamed broccoli, pak choi or green beans on the side
- Finish with sesame seeds and green onions for a little extra flair.
Want a lighter option? Serve it over shredded lettuce and cucumber as a crispy chicken teriyaki bowl.
It also makes a very decent fakeaway Friday situation with prawn crackers and a cold drink.
More Crispy Chicken Recipes To Try
If crispy chicken is generally your thing (excellent taste, by the way), I've linked to more crunchy, saucy, deeply satisfying chicken recipes below.
Crispy Teriyaki Chicken With Rice
Ingredients
- 260 g (1⅛ cups) long-grain rice
For the Vegetables
- 1 large carrot peeled and diced
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger finely chopped
- 1 large garlic clove finely chopped
For the Crispy Chicken
- neutral oil for frying
- 300 g (11 oz) chicken breasts cut into strips
- 80 g (¾ cup) cornflour corn starch
- 80 g (¾ cup) plain flour all-purpose
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- cold water enough to make a thin batter (approx 200ml)
Sauce
- 6-8 tablespoon teriyaki sauce shop-bought or homemade* see notes
Instructions
- Cook the rice according to packet instructions. Once cooked, fluff with a fork and keep warm.
- Heat a drizzle of oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat.
- Add the diced carrot and red bell pepper and cook for 4-5 minutes, until slightly charred but still with a bit of crunch.
- Add the ginger and garlic for the final 60 seconds, stirring frequently. Set the pan with the vegetable aside.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the cornflour, plain flour, baking powder and salt.
- Gradually whisk in cold water until you get a smooth, thin batter that lightly coats the back of your finger.
- Pour 1-2 cm of oil into a deep frying pan and heat over medium-high heat until hot (around 170-180°C).
- Dip the chicken strips into the batter, allowing excess to drip off.
- Fry in batches for 4-5 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden, crispy and cooked through.
- Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels.
- Return the cooked vegetables to the pan and add the crispy chicken.
- Place over medium-high heat for 1-2 minutes to reheat.
- Pour in the teriyaki sauce and toss quickly to coat everything evenly. It will not be saucy, we are just looking for a light coating on the chicken.
- Cook for about 1 minute.
- Divide the rice between bowls and top with the crispy teriyaki chicken and vegetables. Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Courtney says
My son devoured this dinner. It's going to go in our regular rotation. Thank you!
Ieva Greber says
So pleased! It's the best compliment! 🙂
Mari says
I've been disappointed by takeout stir fry so often, both for the price and the taste. Making this fresh is definitely the better way, and your sticky sauce is just the thing!!
Ieva Greber says
That's the dream, Mari — better than takeaway, and no disappointing delivery wait either. So glad the sticky sauce hit the mark!