This easy gluten-free chicken teriyaki recipe is a great dinner for a busy night! Tender chicken and a delicious homemade teriyaki sauce make for one delicious stir-fry!
One of my kids LOVES a good stir-fry dinner–Orange Chicken, Egg Roll Bowls, Sesame Chicken, you name it. It feels like hitting the jackpot, since a stir-fry is a quick dinner on a busy night. (Why does it feel like every night is a busy night?!)
Lately, we’re loving this gluten-free teriyaki chicken stir-fry. Tender bites of chicken tossed in our easy homemade teriyaki sauce channel all the flavor we love from takeout, made with less sodium in our own kitchen. Plus, it’s done in about 20 minutes–talk about a win!
But even beyond the flavor (WOW), and the speed (yay quick dinner!), I really love how simple the ingredients are. Let’s take a look at what you’ll need for this magic stir fry…
Simple Ingredients To Start
This easy dinner uses mostly pantry staples to make the magic happen–that means it’s an easy dinner to rely on! Here’s a peek at the key ingredients:
- Chicken. I make my chicken teriyaki stir-fry recipe with boneless, skinless chicken breast, but if you’re a fan of boneless skinless chicken thighs, feel free to use those instead! Whichever you use, just be sure to cut it into bite-sized pieces first, for best results.
- Oil. You’ll need a neutral oil to cook the chicken. I recommend avocado oil, but grape seed oil, canola oil, and vegetable oil all work!
- Water & Gluten-Free Tamari. To help moderate the salt content, the base of our gluten-free stir fry sauce is water and low-sodium gluten-free tamari (gluten-free soy sauce). If you know that you’re salt sensitive, or you’re looking for a soy-free option, coconut aminos can be a good substitute to try!
- Pure Maple Syrup. For sweetness. Feel free to use an equal amount of brown sugar, coconut sugar, or honey instead–just keep in mind they’ll slightly change the flavor.
- Rice Vinegar. Don’t skip it! The acidity brings the perfect balance to the gluten-free teriyaki sauce.
- Fresh Garlic & Ginger. Using fresh ginger & garlic cloves add vibrant, delicious flavor to this chicken stir fry. (I love using frozen cubes of garlic & ginger to save time on prep!)
- Toasted Sesame Oil. A little bit of sesame oil adds a rich, deep note to the sauce. I love it for so many delicious Asian-inspired recipes. (Sesame Chicken Salad, I’m looking at you!)
- Black Pepper. For a subtle warmth.
- Cornstarch. To thicken the sauce. I find it’s easier to work with than arrowroot, but you can try arrowroot if you need a corn-free option!
- Maybe Some Garnish. For a pretty touch, we love to add sliced green onions, sesame seeds, or red pepper flakes. Not strictly necessary, but lovely when you have them!
How To Make Gluten-Free Chicken Teriyaki Stir-fry, Step By Step
As always, you can find the full recipe with ingredient amounts, detailed instructions, and tips in the recipe card below.
- Combine Sauce Ingredients. In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, combine water, tamari, maple syrup, rice vinegar, ginger, garlic, sesame oil, and black pepper. Stir to combine. Add cornstarch and stir to dissolve until mixture is smooth. Set aside while you cook the chicken.
- Cook Chicken. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches so you don’t crowd the pan, add chicken pieces to the skillet (leaving space so the cubes don’t touch!) and cook 4-5 minutes per side, or until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through. (The internal temperature should reach 165 degrees F.) Set cooked chicken aside on a clean plate, and cook remaining chicken, until all chicken is cooked and set aside, adding more oil as needed.
- Cook The Sauce. Give the sauce one more quick stir (the cornstarch may have settled on the bottom of the bowl!), then add the sauce to the skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring or whisking constantly, until the sauce has thickened and turned glossy.
- Stir In The Chicken. Return the cooked chicken to the pan and stir to coat well with the thickened sauce. (The sauce will get even thicker as it cools.) Garnish with sliced green onion or sesame seeds, to taste.
- Serve & Store. Enjoy warm with rice, cauliflower rice, broccoli, or your favorite veggies! Leftover chicken will keep in an airtight container in the fridge 3-4 days. (The sauce will get much thicker when chilled, but will thin out again when you reheat the chicken.)
Make It A Meal! (What To Serve On The Side)
So, what do you serve with Chicken Teriyaki? Here are a few of my go-to’s.
- Rice or Cauliflower Rice. A fluffy bed of white rice, brown rice, or some cauliflower rice is great for soaking up extra sauce. You can even use rice noodles instead for a fun twist–YUM!
- Steamed Broccoli. Another favorite. I usually steam the broccoli florets while the chicken cooks so it’s all done about the same time.
- Stir-Fried Veggies. Or, you can try some stir fry veggies–use a bag of frozen stir-fry veggies to save time, or create your own blend of onion, bell pepper, carrots, snow peas, broccoli, bok choy, cauliflower, water chestnuts, etc.
- Fresh Fruit. I love to end the meal with some simple fresh fruit. Juicy orange slices, fresh pineapple, or mango can be delicious.
➡️ If you really want to make it a feast, you can start with some Egg Drop Soup or Chicken Lettuce Wraps!
FAQ + Tips And Tricks For The Best Gluten-Free Chicken Teriyaki
Go Low Sodium! When you can, I recommend choosing low-sodium or reduced sodium tamari. If you’re sensitive to salt, coconut aminos can be a great alternative. Can’t find low-sodium? Reduce the tamari by 1 Tablespoon and add 1 Tablespoon more water.
Is Teriyaki Sauce Gluten-Free? Most store-bought teriyaki sauce is NOT gluten-free in the United States, since it’s usually made with wheat-based soy sauce (which is not safe for celiac disease). We recommend our homemade gluten-free teriyaki sauce or gluten-free brands like Kevin’s if you need a store-bought option.
Prep Ahead Tips. This easy gluten-free chicken teriyaki makes a GREAT busy weeknight dinner, especially if you have a few minutes to get ahead in the morning. To work ahead, you can dice the chicken & store in an airtight container (so it’s ready to right in the pan!). You can also whisk up the sauce and store in the fridge. (For ease, you may prefer to add the cornstarch right before cooking, since the cornstarch can settle at the bottom of the jar/container.)
Recipe Card
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Gluten-Free Chicken Teriyaki Stir Fry
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 Servings 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
This easy gluten-free chicken teriyaki is one of my favorite dinners for a busy night! (Cut up the chicken & mix up the sauce in advance to save time on prep!)
Ingredients
For The Teriyaki Sauce:
- 2/3 cup water
- 1/3 cup low-sodium gluten-free tamari sauce*
- 3 Tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 1 Tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon finely minced fresh ginger
- 1 clove garlic, finely minced
- 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1/4–1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons cornstarch
For The Stir Fry:
- 1–1.25 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 Tablespoon avocado oil (or another neutral oil)
- Sliced green onion or sesame seeds, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Combine Sauce Ingredients. In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, combine water, tamari, maple syrup, rice vinegar, ginger, garlic, sesame oil, and black pepper. Stir to combine. Add cornstarch and stir to dissolve until mixture is smooth. Set aside while you cook the chicken.
- Cook Chicken. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches so you don’t crowd the pan, add chicken to the skillet (leaving space so the cubes don’t touch!) and cook 4-5 minutes per side, or until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through. (The internal temperature should reach 165 degrees F.) Set cooked chicken aside on a clean plate, and cook remaining chicken, until all chicken is cooked and set aside, adding more oil as needed.
- Cook The Sauce. Give the sauce one more quick stir (the cornstarch may have settled on the bottom of the bowl!), then add the sauce to the skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring or whisking constantly, until the sauce has thickened and turned glossy.
- Stir In The Chicken. Return the cooked chicken to the pan and stir to coat well with the sauce. (The sauce will get even thicker as it cools.) Garnish with sliced green onion or sesame seeds, to taste.
- Serve & Store. Enjoy warm with rice, cauliflower rice, broccoli, or your favorite veggies! Leftover chicken will keep in an airtight container in the fridge 3-4 days. (The sauce will get much thicker when chilled, but will thin out again when you reheat the chicken.)
Notes
- Tamari. Regular soy sauce is NOT gluten-free, so you’ll need to use gluten-free tamari (aka gluten-free soy sauce). I recommend low-sodium to help moderate the salt content. If you’re sensitive to soy or very salt sensitive, you can substitute coconut aminos. It’s slightly sweeter, soy-free, and less salty. Another option is to reduce the tamari by 1 Tablespoon and add 1 Tablespoon additional water.
- Sweetener. Feel free to substitute brown sugar or honey for the maple syrup, if you like. If you prefer a less-sweet teriyaki sauce, you can also experiment with reducing the sweetener to 2 Tablespoons or less, to taste.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 recipe
- Calories: 238
- Sugar: 9.1 g
- Sodium: 707.8 mg
- Fat: 7.1 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 14.6 g
- Fiber: 0.1 g
- Protein: 26.9 g
- Cholesterol: 82.7 mg
This is one of my favorites. I love teriyaki things but find it is sometimes tricky to make for myself at home. But this recipe is remarkably easy and delivers everything I want from teriyaki chicken.