Craving some Asian cuisine? Try whipping up this easy, simple, and oh so delicious teriyaki chicken recipe that only has 3 ingredients!

Did you know that the average American spends around $67 per week on takeout? That is over $3k a year, which should be enough to inspire you to start cooking. Besides, cooking at home is also healthier, and a great skill to have.

Sure, takeout can be very convenient, but nowadays there are tons of quick and easy recipes at your fingertips. So, if you are tired of spending well over $200 a month for someone else to cook chicken for you, you’ve come to the right place.

Don’t worry, you are not going to have to use a bunch of pots and pans and a million ingredients for this teriyaki chicken recipe. In fact, you will only need 3 food items you probably already have in your kitchen, and one pan to put it all together.

So, cancel that takeout order right now, and head to the kitchen. It is time to learn how to make the best chicken teriyaki ever.

What You'll Need

It is hard to believe that you only need three ingredients to make an entire dinner entre. However, it is possible, and the results are incredible.

For this super easy teriyaki chicken recipe, all you need is:

2 lbs of chicken thighs
½ a cup of brown sugar
1 cup of soy sauce

You should also have some salt close by to add as needed. It does not technically count as a fourth ingredient because you should always be using at least a little bit of it to season your food!

That is literally it. Crazy, right?

Traditionally, this mouth-watering sauce is made out of soy, sugar, and sake. However, for the sake (no pun intended) of making this a foolproof and easy recipe for teriyaki chicken, you only need to worry about the sugar and soy.

The result of this combination will be very close to the taste of teriyaki you know and love. It is sweet, it is salty, it is perfection.

How to Make it

Gather your ingredients and put on your chef’s hat (the hat is optional but highly encouraged). The first thing you have to do is cut the chicken into chunks. After that is done, follow these steps:

Add some oil or cooking spray to a medium-sized pan over a burner set to medium heat.
Once the pan is hot, sear the chicken evenly, and flip as needed.
Add the soy sauce and the sugar to the pan, and stir to combine the ingredients, bringing the sauce to a boil.
Continue stirring until the chicken pieces are completely coated and the sauce is reduced.
Serve and enjoy!

If you are feeling fancy, you can even add some scallions and/or sesame seeds to garnish. You can make some rice as a side dish, and you’ll end up with a restaurant-worthy plate of food. If you are left craving some dessert, stay within the three-ingredient theme and bake some peanut butter cookies.

Of course, the three-ingredient rule is just to make it as easy and foolproof as possible, but if you are a more seasoned chef, you can add other stuff. For example, a little bit of garlic goes great with the sweet and salty sauce.

The great thing about this recipe is that whether you keep it simple or add some extra elements, the result will always be great.

(To enjoy the final dish, you are free to take off your chef’s hat. You can also keep it on if it makes you happy).

Why You Should Try This Teriyaki Chicken Recipe

In total, this recipe should take you around 15 minutes to make, which is faster than waiting for takeout. This alone is a total win, but there are actually many reasons why you should want to make this teriyaki chicken recipe.

This is a great recipe to make if you are entertaining because you can’t really go wrong with it. Whether you make it for friends, family, a date, or for yourself, anyone who tries it will become an instant fan.

Furthermore, this is a great option to make if you are into meal prepping. It is extremely easy and fast to make, so cooking a big batch of it to last you for an entire week will not be a hassle.

If you are not a fan of cleaning after cooking (which is totally understandable), you will love this recipe. Because you are only using one pan, the cleanup time is very minimal.

Even though this recipe only has three ingredients, it is quite versatile. Even if you do not like chicken, you can still make this two-ingredient teriyaki sauce and add it to whatever protein or vegetable you want. So if you think about it, this is a recipe that will solve a bunch of your dinner dilemmas (you’re welcome).

You can make teriyaki tofu, fish, broccoli, meat, and anything else you can think of. In short, this teriyaki sauce will probably become one of your go-to’s.

Looking for More Easy Recipes?

This teriyaki chicken recipe is as easy as making dinner gets. You and whoever you share it with will absolutely fall in love with its perfect combination of sweet and salty.

The best part is that it is not only incredibly tasty but also versatile and customizable.

Now that you see that it is entirely possible to make food that is just as good and convenient as takeout, you will probably be on the lookout for more. If that is the case, make sure to check out the rest of our recipes. You won’t want to miss the next one!