Sheet Pan Teriyaki Chicken and Vegetables

Why the Sauce Goes On Last

Teriyaki sauce has honey in it, and honey burns at 425°F. If you coat the chicken before roasting, the glaze turns bitter and black long before the chicken is done. Roasting everything plain with a little oil, salt, and pepper browns it properly. Then the thickened sauce goes on for the final 2 minutes, just long enough to turn sticky and cling.

What You'll Need

• Boneless, skinless chicken thighs. Cut into 1-inch pieces. They stay juicy at high heat and forgive a minute or two of overcooking.
• Broccoli, red bell pepper, and carrots. Slice the carrots thin, since they're denser and take longer.
• Neutral oil. Avocado or canola handles 425°F without smoking.
• Low-sodium soy sauce. The sauce reduces, so regular soy gets too salty. Use tamari for gluten-free.
• Honey. Sweetness and a sticky glaze. Brown sugar works too.
• Rice vinegar, garlic, and ginger. Fresh garlic and ginger are worth it here.
• Cornstarch. Thickens the sauce so it coats instead of pooling on the pan.

How to Make It

Heat the oven to 425°F and line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment or foil. Pat the chicken dry, then toss it with the broccoli, pepper, carrots, oil, salt, and pepper. Spread everything in a single layer with space between the pieces. Use two pans if it's crowded.

Roast on the lower-middle rack for 18–20 minutes, flipping once halfway, until the chicken reaches 165°F and the vegetables have browned edges.

While it roasts, bring the soy sauce, water, honey, rice vinegar, garlic, and ginger to a simmer in a small saucepan. Stir the cornstarch slurry, whisk it in, and let it bubble for 1–2 minutes until thick and glossy.

Pour about three-quarters of the sauce over the pan, toss, and roast 2 minutes more so the glaze sets. Serve over rice with the remaining sauce, sesame seeds, and green onions.

Swap the Vegetables

Troubleshooting

• Too sweet. Start with 2 tablespoons of honey and taste the sauce before adding the rest.
• Too salty. Use low-sodium soy sauce. The sauce concentrates as it simmers.
• Thin sauce. The cornstarch needs a full minute at a bubble to thicken.
• Pale, steamed chicken. The pan was crowded or the chicken was wet. Dry it and spread things out.

Variations

• Pineapple teriyaki. Add pineapple chunks for the last 10 minutes and use pineapple juice instead of water in the sauce.
• Spicy. Whisk 1–2 teaspoons sriracha or chili garlic sauce into the sauce.
• Chicken breast. Cut it the same size and start checking at 15 minutes. It dries out faster than thighs.
• Salmon. Roast fillets with the vegetables for 12–15 minutes, until 145°F, then glaze.
• Store-bought sauce. Use about ¾ cup and add it only for the last 2–3 minutes.

Other Takeout-Style Dinners

This is the oven version: hands-off roasting and a quick sauce. For a skillet dinner in 30 minutes, hibachi chicken fried rice is the move. Crockpot beef and broccoli cooks all afternoon while you're out. Ground turkey egg roll in a bowl is the lighter, low-carb option, and teriyaki turkey meatballs use a similar sauce. For more one-pan dinners, try parmesan crusted chicken sheet pan dinner.

Meal Prep and Storage

Divide the chicken, vegetables, and rice into containers and refrigerate within 2 hours. They keep 3–4 days. Reheat in the microwave for 1½–2 minutes with a splash of water, or in a skillet, until steaming hot (165°F). These fit well into a week of high protein meal prep.

The chicken and sauce freeze well for up to 3 months. Roasted vegetables go soft after freezing, so they're better fresh. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.

Cook's Tips

• Cut everything about the same size. That's what lets chicken and vegetables finish together.
• Use the lower-middle rack. Heat from below browns the undersides.
• Grate garlic and ginger on a microplane. They melt into the sauce with no chunks.
• Save some sauce. A spoonful over the rice makes every bite taste finished.