Teriyaki Chicken Quinoa Bowls

We love making rice bowls for quick dinners and meal-prep lunches, and this Chicken Teriyaki Quinoa Bowl is one of my new favorites. It comes together in less than 30 minutes and can be made with any combination of chicken and vegetables you like. 

If you are in need of a universally loved meal, it’s hard to find anyone who doesn’t love teriyaki chicken. With the classic sweet and savory sauce and tender chicken, this dish is popular for a reason. Kids and adults love it! In fact, it's one of the most requested dinners in our house.

So why not take that beloved dish and turn it into a tasty bowl with tons of fresh veggies and whole grains? Serve it family-style and let everyone build their own teriyaki bowls, or make these for meal prep for quick and easy lunches all week.

Why We Love Teriyaki Chicken Bowls

• Shortcuts: Even with the homemade teriyaki sauce, this dish is ready in less than 30 minutes. Swap in rotisserie chicken, store-bought sauce, packaged Asian vegetables, or precooked quinoa or rice, and you can make it these under 15 minutes.
• Great for meal prep: This dish reheats well, making it perfect for meal prep.I would even venture to say that it tastes great, warm or cold, making it perfect for packing.
• Versatile: This recipe can be made with any combination of protein and veggies. Use what you have on hand in your fridge and pantry.

Teriyaki lovers will want to make this bowl with teriyaki salmon, teriyaki shrimp, or teriyaki chicken thighs. It's also so good with some of these Crispy Asian Brussels Sprouts on top.

Ingredients and Easy Swaps

Here is everything you need to make this bowl.

• Chicken: I use boneless, skinless chicken breasts the most often, but this recipe also works with boneless, skinless thighs. You can swap in rotisserie chicken, shrimp, thinly sliced pork tenderloin, or tofu. 
• Teriyaki sauce: This homemade sauce uses soy sauce, pineapple juice, honey, rice vinegar, garlic, ginger, chili paste, and cornstarch. You can substitute chicken broth for the pineapple juice, tamari or coconut aminos for the soy sauce, and arrowroot powder for the cornstarch. For the sweetener, use honey, maple syrup, or brown sugar. You can also use your favorite store-bought sauce or stir-fry sauce.
• Vegetables: Use any combination of vegetables you like. The recipe calls for sugar snap peas, carrots, and red bell peppers. Try it with broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, onion, spinach, zucchini, cabbage, or baby bok choy.
• Quinoa: For the base of this bowl, I used quinoa which has a bit more protein than rice. Swap in brown rice, white rice, cauliflower rice, or greens.

How to Make Teriyaki Chicken Bowls

Follow these simple instructions to make these tasty bowls.

1. Make the teriyaki sauce: This recipe can be made with homemade teriyaki sauce or store-bought. For the homemade sauce, simply add all the ingredients to a saucepan and bring it to a boil. Immediately turn the heat down to a simmer and cook for 3-5 minutes until it has thickened. If you don’t want to dirty another pan, you can make the sauce right in the skillet after browning the chicken and cooking the vegetables. Then just add the chicken and vegetables right to the sauce in the same pan.
2. Prepare the base and toppings: Before you start cooking the chicken and vegetables, get the base of your bowl ready. This could be quinoa, rice, or greens. These bowls are really good with sushi rice as well, like these easy sushi bowls. Chop any additional toppings like fresh cilantro, red cabbage, green onions, or cashews.
3. Brown the chicken: The most important step when cooking the chicken is to cook it in a single layer. When the pan is overcrowded, the chicken will steam and can get rubbery. Also, make sure not to overcook the chicken. It should be just cooked through.
4. Saute the vegetables: In stir-fry style dishes, the vegetables should be tender-crisp, not mushy. Add them to the pan and cook them over high heat, stirring often, until they are tender-crisp.
5. Add the sauce: Add the teriyaki sauce to the pan and let everything cook together for 1-2 minutes. Do not cook the chicken and vegetables in the sauce any longer since the chicken can overcook, and the vegetables will get soggy. It can also cause the sauce to over-reduce.
6. Assemble the quinoa bowls: Now it’s time to build your teriyaki chicken bowls. Add the quinoa (or steamed rice/greens), layer in the chicken and vegetables, and add any additional toppings. Sprinkle with sesame seeds or green onions if you like.

Variations and Recipe Ideas

There are so many different ways to customize this recipe and make it your own.

• Change up the protein: Make this with chicken breasts, chicken thighs, ground chicken or turkey, thinly sliced pork, or thinly sliced beef. It also works with seafood like shrimp and fish. It's also great with ground beef like this Korean Ground Beef Bowl.
• Use different vegetables: These teriyaki chicken bowls work great with pretty much any combination of vegetables you like. Consider using broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, green beans, cabbage, mushrooms, bok choy, carrots, onions, and other veggies you like. Speed things up with frozen Asian veggies.
• Make it low carb: Use a low-carb sweetener like monk fruit or Stevia to make the teriyaki sauce and bowl with cauliflower rice, greens, or spaghetti squash.
• Add toppings: Consider adding edamame for extra protein. Add some raw cabbage for crunch. Finish the dish with chopped cashews or sesame seeds. Use fresh herbs like cilantro, basil, or green onions to add freshness. Add some avocado for healthy fats. 
• Vegetarian option: Make this bowl with tofu and tempeh, or simply add edamame to the vegetable mixture. With edamame and quinoa, it still has a good amount of protein.

Kitchen Shortcuts

Need to save time? Try these shortcuts.

• Frozen vegetables: This recipe works great with frozen vegetables. Just make sure not to cook them too long, or they can get soggy. They will only need a couple of minutes in the pan.
• Teriyaki sauce: Instead of making your own sauce, grab your favorite store brand of teriyaki sauce. 
• Precooked chicken: Instead of fresh chicken, use leftover or rotisserie chicken. Chop it and toss it in when you add the teriyaki sauce.
• Precooked rice or quinoa: To save time, start with precooked or frozen rice or quinoa instead of making your own grains.

Meal Prep and Storing Leftovers

This recipe keeps well in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Make sure to let it cool fully before placing it in the fridge.

If you are making this for meal prep, serve it in different ways. For example, you could make a teriyaki rice bowl, teriyaki chicken lettuce wraps, or Asian-style tacos.