One batch of teriyaki chicken becomes nine entirely different dishes. From futomaki sushi rolls to burgers, the same sweet-savory chicken takes on both Japanese and Western forms.
Teriyaki chicken lends itself so well to reinvention because its flavor is already settled — soy sauce, mirin, sake, and sugar. Whatever you make the next day, there is no need to season from scratch. It sits comfortably alongside rice, bread, cheese, and butter alike.
This article introduces nine teriyaki chicken variations, grouped by when you might want to eat them. The methods are left to each recipe page; here we look at how they differ and how to choose between them.
Table of Contents
Watch the Video
All nine dishes in a single video, with each one shown from start to finish.
Start with the Original Teriyaki Chicken
All nine begin with the same piece of teriyaki chicken. The base recipe uses a single frying pan, and finishes with fragrant, well-browned skin and meat that stays moist.
Before you begin, there is one thing worth knowing. In Japan, “teriyaki” usually refers to a cooking method — glazing with a sauce of soy sauce, mirin, sake, and sugar while cooking, until the surface takes on a sheen. The word names the process itself. Outside Japan, “teriyaki” more often refers to a rich sauce, typically with garlic and ginger added. The same word points to different things. What this article covers is the former: teriyaki as it is made in a Japanese kitchen.
One practical note as well. Several of these nine dishes use not only the chicken but the sauce itself. The pasta and the takikomi gohan in particular call for a good amount of it. The base recipe makes just enough sauce for one serving, and it reduces further as it glazes the chicken — so made as written, little is left for the following day. If you have these variations in mind, we recommend making extra sauce.
For Dinner Tonight
Three dishes that reach the table in the shortest time. Each begins with slicing and reheating the chicken.
Teriyaki Chicken Rice Bowl (Donburi)
Reheated chicken, sliced and placed over warm rice. An egg yolk or onsen tamago, shredded nori, white sesame seeds, and thinly sliced green onion bring together both flavor and texture. The sauce soaking into the rice is at the heart of what makes this bowl so comforting.
Teriyaki Chicken Rice Bowl (Donburi)
Teriyaki Chicken Pasta
No separate pot — the pasta cooks in the same frying pan as everything else. The umami of shimeji mushrooms, fresh spinach, and a soy butter finish come together as the teriyaki sauce coats the noodles. It takes about 12 minutes. Add a soft-boiled egg and the richness turns almost carbonara-like.
Teriyaki Chicken Doria
White sauce and chicken over teriyaki butter rice, topped with cheese and baked — a yoshoku classic. Maitake mushrooms give the sauce depth, and the sweet-savory glaze layers with the richness of dairy. The chicken goes on top of the sauce rather than being mixed in, so it picks up color and aroma in the oven.
For Lunch and Bento
Three dishes made to be carried. Each one slices to a clean cross-section.
Teriyaki Chicken Onigirazu
Rice and fillings layered onto nori, wrapped and sliced — an onigiri with no shaping involved. The order is lettuce, teriyaki chicken, mayonnaise, then a fried egg cooked on both sides. The cross-section is striking, and it suits both bento boxes and picnics. A lighter version using half a sheet of nori is included as well.
Teriyaki Chicken Onigirazu (Japanese Rice Sandwich)
Teriyaki Chicken Burger
The teriyaki burger, familiar from Japanese fast food, made at home. Toast the bun in a frying pan, spread it with butter, and lay down karashi mayo — that is the key. The gentle heat of Japanese mustard sharpens the sweet-savory glaze and gives the burger its distinctly Japanese character.
Teriyaki Chicken Sandwich
A sandwich built around an egg filling. Separating the yolks and whites of the boiled eggs gives the filling both smoothness and texture. Whole-grain mustard and butter bridge the sweet-savory chicken and the egg.
For the Table
Three dishes for when you want to serve several people at once.
Teriyaki Chicken Takikomi Gohan
Two gō of rice, cooked through in a frying pan. Simmered with dashi, shiitake, and carrot, the sweet-savory glaze carries through every grain. Serves three to four. If you would rather keep the chicken's caramelized edges distinct, it can be folded in after steaming instead.
Teriyaki Chicken Takikomi Gohan (Japanese Mixed Rice)
Teriyaki Chicken Futomaki
Rolled with sushi rice, tamagoyaki, and cucumber. The same page includes a tamagoyaki recipe seasoned to match the teriyaki chicken. The colorful cross-section makes it at home on a celebration table and an everyday one alike.
Teriyaki Chicken Futomaki (Japanese Fat Sushi Roll)
Teriyaki Chicken Salad
Lettuce, avocado, boiled egg, and cherry tomatoes, finished with orange and nuts. No separate dressing is needed — a light drizzle of mayonnaise and teriyaki sauce brings it together. Since it is mostly slicing and arranging, it can be prepared alongside other dishes.
Nine Dishes, One Teriyaki Chicken
From a donburi ready in minutes to a futomaki that brightens the table, teriyaki chicken shifts its shape to fit the occasion. A weeknight dinner, the next day's bento, a weekend with people around the table — the same piece of chicken answers to all of them.
And these nine are not the whole of it. That sweet-savory soy glaze will pair with whatever you already have in your kitchen. If a use comes to mind that is not covered here, we hope you will try it.
If you make something, we would love to see it — tag it #paqupelmade on Instagram.