Make juicy rice cooker teriyaki chicken with just 5 minutes hands-on time. A foolproof, set-and-forget recipe for an easy and delicious dinner.
Some nights I just want dinner to cook itself, and that’s when this rice cooker teriyaki chicken saves me.
With just 5 minutes of prep, the chicken turns out juicy and tender while I whip up miso soup and a simple Japanese side dish like refreshing Japanese tomato salad and/or creamy Japanese potato salad.
If you prefer the stovetop, try my regular teriyaki chicken recipe. Or, for a full one-pot feast, my rice cooker teriyaki chicken meal recipe shows you how to make takikomi gohan, sides, and chicken all at once.
It’s the easiest way to enjoy a foolproof, flavorful Japanese dinner with almost no effort.
Watch How to Make Rice Cooker Teriyaki Chicken
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Minimal hands-on cooking time: Just toss everything in the rice cooker, press start, and you’re done! While it cooks, you can throw together a couple of side dishes or simply kick back and enjoy a little break outside the kitchen.
- Minimal cleanup: Cooking teriyaki chicken in a pan usually leaves my stovetop splattered with oil (ugh). But with the rice cooker, there’s no mess to scrub. Just one pot to wash!
- Juicy, tender chicken every time: Coating the chicken in cornstarch keeps it moist and soft, even if it cooks a little longer. Honestly, this trick makes the recipe practically foolproof!
Notes on Ingredients
See the recipe card for the full ingredients list.
- Chicken thighs: Traditionally, teriyaki chicken is made with skin-on, boneless thighs. But since it’s tough to crisp up skin in a rice cooker, I go with skinless, boneless thighs here. If you do use skin-on, place them skin-side down when cooking.
- Sake: For the best flavor, use a drinkable sake like Junmai, though cooking sake works fine too. It helps the chicken soak up flavor, reduces any meaty smell, and adds depth to the sauce. You could swap in water, but sake really makes a difference.
- Maple syrup: Instead of using mirin and sugar, I chose maple syrup to keep the ingredients simple and add a gentle, natural sweetness. You can swap it with honey if you like, but since honey is sweeter and burns more easily, use a little less. Be sure to use pure maple syrup for the best flavor.
💡You can find these ingredients at Japanese or Asian grocery stores, or online at Amazon or Weee!
How to Make Tofu & Egg Donburi
Step 1: Coat chicken with cornstarch.
Step 2: Add chicken and the sauce ingredients to the rice cooker
Step 3: Use the white rice setting and cook for about 20 minutes.
Step 4: Flip the chicken and cook for another 2 minutes.
Kurumi's Tips
- Submerge the chicken: When adding the chicken to the rice cooker, press it down a little so the bottom sits flat and soaks up as much sauce as possible.
- Don’t pile it up: To cook evenly, avoid stacking the chicken. Lay the pieces in a single layer so they cook through and absorb the sauce properly.
What to Serve with Rice Cooker Teriyaki Chicken
Since this recipe doesn’t include veggies, I like to balance it with lighter, veggie-packed sides.
A warm bowl of miso soup is always a classic, and simple vegetable sides like Japanese tomato salad or easy Japanese potato salad make it a complete Japanese-style dinner.
When picking side dishes, try to avoid ones with very bold or sweet flavors so they don’t compete with the teriyaki sauce.
Storage & Reheating Instructions
- To store: After the chicken has cooled completely, place it in an airtight container with the sauce and refrigerate for up to 3 days. For longer storage, wrap each piece in plastic, put them in a freezer-safe bag, and freeze for up to 3 weeks. Keep the chicken whole and wait to cut it into bite-sized pieces until after reheating for the best texture.
- To reheat: When you’re ready to eat, just microwave and enjoy!
FAQs
To remove odors from your rice cooker, add 1 tablespoon of citric acid and fill with water to the max line, or use 1 tablespoon of baking soda with 1-2 cups of water. Run the white rice cycle, turn it off, let it cool, then wash all removable parts.
More Japanese Main Dish Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
💌 If you created this recipe and liked it, please let me know by leaving a comment below or tagging me on Instagram (@givemeumami). I'd love to see your creation!
📖Recipe
Easy Rice Cooker Teriyaki Chicken
Ingredients
Method
- Prep the chicken: Coat 4 chicken thighs with 1.5 tablespoon cornstarch in a bag until all surfaces are evenly coated.
- Prep the rice cooker: Mix 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons sake, and 2 tablespoons water, and 1.5 tablespoons pure maple syrup in the rice cooker. Shake off any excess cornstarch from the chicken and place the pieces in a single layer in the sauce. Press them down slightly so the bottom is flat and mostly submerged. If using skin-on chicken, place skin side down.
- Cook: Run the white rice setting for about 20 minutes.
- Finish: Flip the chicken and cook for another 2 minutes.
- Serve: Once done, slice into bite-sized pieces, pour over any extra sauce, and enjoy!
Notes
- Ingredients Notes
- Chicken thighs: Use skinless, boneless thighs for even cooking. If using skin-on, place skin side down.
- Sake: Junmai or cooking sake adds depth and removes meaty smell. Water works in a pinch, but sake makes a big difference.
- Maple syrup: My swap for mirin + sugar. Adds natural sweetness. Honey works too, but use less since it’s sweeter and burns faster. Use pure maple syrup for the best result.
- Cooking tips:Make sure chicken is submerged in the sauce and spread in a single layer (don’t stack).
- Serving suggestions: Pair with veggie sides like miso soup, refreshing Japanese tomato salad, and creamy Japanese potato salad. Avoid dishes that are too bold or sweet so flavors don’t clash.
- Storage & Reheating: Cool completely before storing. Refrigerate up to 3 days or freeze (wrapped) up to 3 weeks. Keep whole for best texture. Reheat in the microwave.
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Kurumi says
This recipe couldn’t be easier! I actually made it for my husband, who loves teriyaki chicken but isn’t a big fan of cooking. I love how quick and simple it is, and the best part is that there is no oily mess to clean up like after pan-frying chicken. I hope you love it too!