An Easy Lemon Teriyaki Glazed Chicken Recipe For Extra Flavor
Teriyaki Chicken never gets old, but if you do tire of it, this lemon teriyaki chicken will make you fall in love all over again. It’s a touch brighter with the addition of lemon zest and fresh lemon juice, and cooks up the same as the classic chicken teriyaki in less than a half hour. Serve this with Perfectly Roasted Broccoli, fluffy White Rice, and Asian Slaw With Sriracha Dressing.
Ingredients You’ll Need To Make Lemon Teriyaki Sauce
Cornstarch – This magic ingredient helps thicken our teriyaki sauce.
Lemon zest – Make sure you zest your lemon before you slice it for juicing. We’ve forgotten this more than once, and have found ourselves awkwardly zesting a cut lemon.
Fresh lemon juice (from 2 lemons) – Always a good idea to have a couple of lemons rolling around the refrigerator. Maybe you just have store-bought lemon juice? That will work too!
Brown sugar + honey – For thick, caramelized sweetness in your teriyaki sauce.
Soy sauce or tamari – A cornerstone for this dish! Either will do, but one or the other is a must! Check out our guide Pantry Essentials: Condiments for more notes on these items.
Spices – Ground ginger and garlic powder will add the warmth and flavor we’re looking for.
How To Make Lemon Chicken Teriyaki
Prepare the chicken. Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel (this will help the chicken get nice and crispy) and then season with salt.
Cook the chicken. Heat vegetable oil in a large saucepan. Once the oil is glistening, add the chicken and cook until it is browned on all sides.
Make the lemon teriyaki sauce. Combine the cornstarch and cold water in a medium bowl. Whisk in the lemon zest, lemon juice, brown sugar, soy sauce, honey, ginger powder, and garlic powder until smooth.
Add the sauce to the chicken pan. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat (this activates the thickening of your sauce) then reduce the heat to medium and cook until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon, about five minutes.
Serve! You’re moments away from a very tasty lemon teriyaki chicken rice bowl. Divide the rice between bowls and top with the chicken and sauce. Before serving, sprinkle with the sesame seeds and green onions.
How to Store Leftovers + Tips
You can store any leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for a few days. Rice tends to dry out when it’s reheated, so even though the microwave will get you there faster, we prefer to reheat rice on the stovetop with a splash of water.
Lemon teriyaki chicken can be frozen in an airtight container for up to three months.
Any chicken will work, but we recommend boneless chicken for ease of cooking.
You can substitute salmon to make a lemon teriyaki salmon version. Salmon cooks faster than chicken–you can cook it using this method, just keep your eye on it.
You can also use orange juice in this recipe for a little softer citrus flavor since orange juice is less acidic than lemon juice.
And just for good measure we wanted to talk about the difference between teriyaki sauce and marinade? Teriyaki sauce (or teriyaki glaze) is thicker than marinade with the addition of cornstarch. It can be used as a condiment for dipping, or as a sauce that meat is cooked in (like this easy lemon teriyaki chicken recipe!). As a marinade, chicken (or other protein) is soaked in teriyaki marinade to absorb the flavors before cooking.
Can’t get enough teriyaki? Try our Teriyaki Meatballs and Teriyaki Chicken Lettuce Wraps, too.
More Flavorful Chicken Recipes From The Modern Proper
When Life Gives You Lemons, Make Lemon Chicken Teriyaki
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