From the roundup: 16 Easy Skillet Chicken Dinner Recipes for Busy Weeknights
This teriyaki chicken breast skillet is the dinner I make when it is 5:30, I have not thought about what we are eating, and I need something on the table before the complaining starts. Sliced chicken breast and broccoli cook in the same pan, and a quick homemade teriyaki sauce, soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, and a cornstarch slurry, thickens into a sticky glaze in about one minute flat.
The whole thing takes 25 minutes, and most of that is active cooking. There is no waiting around. You are stirring, flipping, and watching the sauce go from thin to glossy right in front of you. I usually have rice going in the rice cooker before I even start slicing the chicken, and everything finishes at roughly the same time.
The sauce tastes noticeably fresher than anything from a bottle, and the broccoli still has a little bite because it gets a quick char in the pan first, then comes back in at the very end just to warm through. It is a simple technique that makes a real difference in the final texture.
Why this one is on repeat
I started making this on a Tuesday night when I had two chicken breasts that needed to be used and a head of broccoli that was one day away from going in the trash. I threw together the teriyaki sauce from memory, and three of my five kids asked for seconds, which almost never happens on a weeknight with anything that is not pasta.
The one mistake I made the first time: I skipped the cornstarch slurry because I did not want to dirty another bowl, and the sauce stayed completely watery and just pooled at the bottom of the pan. Do not skip it. It takes thirty seconds to mix and it is what turns this from a sad soy sauce situation into an actual glaze.
Why you will love this
- On the table in 25 minutes, including making the sauce from scratch
- One skillet for the whole meal, so cleanup is fast
- The homemade sauce uses pantry staples and skips the bottled stuff entirely
- Broccoli gets a quick char before the sauce goes in, so it does not turn to mush
- Leftovers reheat well enough for a next-day lunch over rice
Tips for success
- Slice the chicken to a consistent half-inch thickness. Uneven pieces mean some strips dry out while others finish cooking, and thin ends go rubbery fast.
- Let the chicken sit undisturbed for the first 3 to 4 minutes. If you move it around too early, it will steam instead of sear and you lose the golden crust that holds the sauce.
- Stir the cornstarch slurry again right before you pour it in. Cornstarch sinks to the bottom of the bowl quickly, and if you pour in just the water on top, the sauce will not thicken properly.
- Add the broccoli back in at the very end, after the sauce has already thickened. If it goes in earlier, it overcooks in the sauce and loses the texture from the initial sear.
If the sauce seems off
- Too thin: your slurry may not have been fully mixed, or the heat was too low. Turn it up to medium-high and keep stirring for another 30 to 60 seconds.
- Too thick or clumped: add a tablespoon of warm water and stir over low heat until it loosens back into a glaze.
- Too salty: a small drizzle of honey stirred in at the end balances it without changing the texture.
- Too sweet: a splash more rice vinegar cuts through it quickly, start with half a teaspoon.
Substitutions
Tamari swaps in for soy sauce one-to-one if you are cooking gluten-free. Maple syrup works in place of honey in the same amount, though the sauce will be slightly less thick. Apple cider vinegar can stand in for rice vinegar if that is what you have. For a richer result, boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into strips work well here and are more forgiving if your heat runs a little high.
If you are using frozen broccoli, add it straight from the freezer and give it an extra two minutes in the pan before you transfer it to the plate. It will not get the same char, but it works in a pinch. For picky eaters who refuse broccoli, snap peas or thinly sliced bell pepper hold up well in the same cook time.
Make-ahead and storage
You can whisk together the teriyaki sauce, the soy sauce, honey, and rice vinegar portion, and keep it in a jar in the fridge for up to three days. Having it ready cuts a few minutes off an already fast dinner. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. The broccoli softens a bit by day two, but the flavor is still good.
To reheat, use a skillet over medium-low heat with a small splash of water to loosen the sauce, or microwave covered for about two minutes, stirring once halfway through. I would not freeze this one. The broccoli comes out waterlogged and the sauce separates in a way that does not really come back together.
Teriyaki Chicken Breast Skillet with Broccoli
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Slice the chicken breasts into strips about 1/2 inch thick. Try to keep the pieces close in size so they cook at the same rate. Season lightly with black pepper. In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, honey, and rice vinegar. In a separate small bowl, stir the cornstarch and cold water together until smooth. Set both aside.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add the broccoli florets and let them cook without stirring for 2 minutes to get a little char on the edges, then stir and cook for 2 more minutes until the broccoli is bright green and just tender but still has a slight bite. Transfer to a plate.
- Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the same skillet. Add the chicken strips in a single layer and cook for 3 to 4 minutes without stirring, until the undersides are golden. Flip the strips and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes until cooked through with no pink remaining. The chicken should feel firm when pressed. If your skillet is small, cook in two batches.
- Reduce the heat to medium. Push the chicken to the edges of the skillet and add the garlic and ginger to the center. Cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly, until fragrant. Pour the soy sauce mixture into the skillet and stir everything together. Let it bubble for 1 minute.
- Give the cornstarch slurry a quick stir and pour it into the skillet. Stir constantly for about 1 minute as the sauce thickens and turns glossy. It will go from thin to coating everything fairly quickly, so keep stirring so it does not clump.
- Return the broccoli to the skillet and toss everything together so the sauce coats both the chicken and the broccoli evenly. Cook for 1 more minute just to heat the broccoli back through. Taste and add a little more soy sauce or honey if you want it saltier or sweeter.
- Serve immediately over steamed white rice. Garnish with sesame seeds and sliced green onions if you have them on hand. The sauce will continue to thicken as it sits, so serve it right from the pan for the best texture.
Notes
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