Teriyaki Chicken Poke Bowls

by Brenda Score on May 6, 2022 (updated September 12, 2023)

These Teriyaki Chicken Poke Bowls feature sushi rice, teriyaki chicken, pineapple, and your choice of fresh toppings for an easy lunch or dinner that’s loaded with fresh flavor. The ability to customize the toppings makes these a hit with the whole family!

Overhead view of teriyaki chicken poke bowl topped with fresh veggies

Easy Teriyaki Chicken Rice Bowls

Poke bowls and rice bowls are one of my favorite ways to pull together a meal that’s packed with flavor. Our whole family loves them, although not everyone likes poke bowls with the traditional raw fish. So these Teriyaki Chicken Rice Bowls feature delicious glazed bites of chicken, just like the menu from our favorite local poke bowl restaurant. These bowls make EVERYONE happy!

This teriyaki chicken rice bowl recipe features sushi rice and teriyaki chicken, topped with any variety of fresh ingredients like pineapple, edamame, cucumber, and carrot. And of course, we always have some quick pickled red onions on hand – they add tangy flavor and crunch, plus another layer of beautiful color.

Since many of the ingredients can be made in advance, these chicken poke bowls are great for meal prep, but also make a super easy and filling dinner as well!

“Absolutely delicious and so easy to make. The teriyaki sauce was best I ever had. I am going to pre-make a bunch. So good!!!”
Deb

Chopsticks selecting a piece of chicken from a teriyaki chicken poke bowl

What Are Poke Bowls?

A traditional poke bowl, like my Hawaiian Poke Bowl recipe, is basically deconstructed sushi with rice, raw fish, and toppings that you’d normally find rolled up in a sushi roll.

However, poke bowls these days are no longer limited to raw fish and often just referred to as a rice bowl with protein, veggies, and some sort of dressing topping. Many restaurants that specialize in poke bowls know that not everybody likes fish, so they offer options like chicken. Which I love, because otherwise some of my favorite people wouldn’t go with me to poke restaurants!

Poke bowls are super fun to make because you can pick and choose the toppings.

This Sweet Potato Bowl was my first non-traditional poke bowl recipe, made to showcase our daughters’ love for sweet potatoes. And today I’m sharing a new favorite – a poke bowl recipe loaded with tender, delicious teriyaki chicken!

What You’ll Need

Below are the ingredients for each element of these chicken poke bowls. Several of the ingredients, like rice vinegar, are repeated on almost all of the lists. And besides the fresh ingredients, most of the others are simple pantry staples.

For the Sushi Rice

Sushi rice – This recipe is best made with short grain Japanese sushi rice but it can also be made with classic white rice. Sushi rice is smaller and starchier than regular white rice so it gives that classic sticky sushi rice texture.
Water – Cook the rice in water.
Rice vinegar – Rice vinegar (also called “rice wine vinegar”) adds a hint of acidity to the rice and is how sushi rice is traditionally flavored. If you use seasoned rice vinegar, consider skipping added sugar and salt.
Sugar – Sugar adds a bit of sweetness to the rice. It enhances the sweetness in the rice vinegar and pairs deliciously with teriyaki.
Salt – Salt helps balance out the sugar and vinegar in the rice.

Overhead view of teriyaki chicken ingredients

For the Teriyaki Chicken

Soy sauce – Soy sauce is the base of our homemade teriyaki sauce. It adds saltiness and umami flavor.
Water – Water dilutes the soy sauce so we don’t end up with an overpowering glaze.
Brown sugar – Light brown sugar adds sweetness to the teriyaki sauce. Honey would also be delicious.
Rice vinegar – Rice vinegar adds acidity to the teriyaki sauce. It helps balance out the sweetness of the brown sugar and the saltiness of the soy sauce.
Garlic & ginger – Garlic and ginger are staples of teriyaki sauce. I like to grate them both with a microplane zester so they incorporate smoothly into the sauce.
Sesame oil – Sesame oil adds a nutty, earthy flavor.
Cornstarch – Cornstarch thickens the teriyaki sauce into a glaze so it coats the chicken better. It makes the bites of chicken so pretty!
Olive oil – Olive oil helps the chicken brown and crisp in the oven – plus it helps prevent it from drying out.
Chicken breasts – Boneless skinless chicken breasts work great in this recipe but boneless skinless chicken thighs would also be extra flavorful if you’re a fan of dark meat chicken. Just be sure to cut the chicken into uniform 1” pieces so they cook evenly

Overhead view of spicy mayonnaise vinaigrette ingredients

Creamy Spicy Mayo Vinaigrette

This is an easy li’l sauce to whip up – I LOVE the creaminess mixed with the fresh acidity of lime juice!

Rice vinegar – Rice vinegar adds acidity to the vinaigrette and helps tie together all of the flavors in the bowl.
Fresh lime juice – Lime juice also adds acidity but gives a fresher, brighter flavor.
Sriracha – Sriracha brings the heat to the bowl! Feel free to adjust the amount of sriracha to taste depending on how spicy you like your poke.
Mayonnaise – Mayonnaise makes the vinaigrette creamy, with the texture and flavor of spicy mayo that’s typically served with sushi.
Toasted sesame oil -Sesame oil adds nuttiness and brings through the sesame flavor from the teriyaki.
Water – Water helps thin the dressing so it isn’t too thick. Add as little or as much as you like to achieve your desired consistency.

Overhead view of a teriyaki chicken poke bowl topped with fresh veggies

Additional Add-Ins & Toppings

All of these toppings are optional and you can add as little or as much as you like.

Pineapple – Pineapple adds sweetness and fun texture to the bowls. Not to mention, it’s a delicious pairing with teriyaki. When our girls order chicken poke bowls at restaurants, they ALWAYS add pineapple to their bowls!
Edamame – Edamame adds additional protein. I like to buy the shelled steam-in-bag edamame for this recipe. Just steam it according to the package instructions and top it with a pinch of kosher salt and you’re good to go.
Persian cucumber – I’m using a Persian cucumber because they’re perfectly sized and their tender skins don’t require peeling. Just slice and enjoy.
Carrot – I like to peel carrots into ribbons – it just adds fun shape and texture. But chopping them would work as well. Or just buy a bag of pre-shredded carrots!
Pickled red onions – This is truly one of my favorite condiments EVER. It’s so easy to make, always in our fridge – it goes great with so many meals! If you’re serving pickled onions with these bowls, I recommend making these first, or even the day prior, so they have some time to pickle while you’re making the rest of the bowl. Also – know that the thinner you slice the onion, the faster it will pickle. Here’s how to make pickled red onions!
Green onion – Green onion adds fresh onion flavor. I like to use both the white and the green parts.
Sesame seeds – Sesame seeds add a small crunch and traditional flavor. White, black, or toasted sesame seeds would all work.

Some other fun toppings would be avocado, celery, pickled ginger, fried onions, and nori sheets. I oftentimes add a handful of tender greens to the bottom of my bowl for even more freshness!

Angled overhead view of a teriyaki chicken rice bowl

Do I Have To Use a Homemade Teriyaki Sauce?

Although making homemade teriyaki sauce is completely optional, it’s so delicious! Feel free to use ¾ cup of your favorite teriyaki sauce in place of the homemade sauce.

Just keep in mind that you will still need to add the cornstarch and cook it to make a glaze, unless your store-bought sauce already incorporates a thickening agent.

How to Make Teriyaki Chicken Poke Bowls

There are a few steps to making these chicken poke bowls, but keep in mind that many things can be prepped at the same time. You can easily pull this super tasty poke bowl recipe together in under an hour. Get the rice cooking, then start the chicken and pickled onions.

Make the Sushi Rice

Rinse the rice (optional). Rinse the rice in a fine mesh sieve until the water runs clear. This step removes any starch from the rice, which gives you grains that are more separated when cooked. If you really don’t care about that, skip the rinsing!
Cook the rice. If you have a rice cooker, it’s really the easiest way to make a pot of rice – we have this one and use it all the time. Otherwise, bring the rice and water to a gentle boil on the stovetop and cover with a tight fitting lid. Cook according to package directions, until plump and tender.
Add the rice vinegar. Whisk together the rice vinegar, sugar, and salt – and then fold into the cooked rice to evenly coat.

Chunks of chicken breast in teriyaki sauce in a mixing bowl

Bake the Teriyaki Chicken

Make the glaze. Whisk together the soy sauce, water, brown sugar, rice vinegar, ginger, garlic, sesame oil, and cornstarch. Cook until the mixture has thickened into a glaze that just covers the back of a spoon. Add half to a medium bowl and stir in the olive oil.
Bake the chicken. Add the cubed chicken to the bowl with the teriyaki glaze; fold to coat evenly. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until just cooked through. Brush with the reserved teriyaki glaze, and broil for 2 to 3 minutes, until the glaze is browned and caramelized.

Make the Creamy Spicy Mayo Vinaigrette

Combine the ingredients. Whisk together the rice wine vinegar, lime juice, and sriracha. Add the mayonnaise and sesame oil, then whisk in the water until smooth.

Overhead view of a teriyaki chicken rice bowl

Assemble the Poke Bowls

Assemble the bowls. Divide the rice between two large bowls or four smaller bowls. Top with the teriyaki chicken and any additional toppings you like. Drizzle with the spicy mayo vinaigrette and garnish with sesame seeds and green onion as desired.

Spicy mayo vinaigrette being poured over a teriyaki chicken poke bowl

Serving Suggestions

These teriyaki poke bowls make a great lunch or dinner. If making these for dinner, I usually get two large bowls out of these ingredients, while for lunch I make the servings smaller and get 3 or 4 bowls.

Plus loading these up with additional toppings can make the servings stretch even further! I usually just create a little “toppings bar” so that everyone can add whatever they want to the bowl.

I shared my favorite toppings, but feel free to go wild and customize these as you want. The beauty of poke bowls is that they can be switched up every time, to whatever you’re craving that day!

Overhead view of a teriyaki chicken rice bowl, with chopsticks resting on the bowl

How to Store & Reheat Leftovers

Each element of these chicken poke bowls should be stored separately, in an airtight container in the fridge. Ingredients will keep well for 3 to 4 days. And the pickled red onions will be good for a month or so, just store them in a jar with their pickling juice.

Leftovers can also be easily turned into meal prep. I like to reheat the chicken in the microwave but everything else can be enjoyed cold. If you have to head to work, you can assemble the bowls at home, keep the chicken separate, reheat at work, and enjoy.

More Tasty Lunch Ideas:

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overhead view of a teriyaki chicken poke bowl with rice, edadame and veggies

Teriyaki Chicken Poke Bowls

Yield: 2 dinner servings/4 lunch servings

prep time: 25

cook time: 35

total time: 1

These Teriyaki Chicken Poke Bowls feature sushi rice, teriyaki chicken, pineapple, and your choice of fresh toppings for an easy lunch or dinner that's loaded with fresh flavor. The ability to customize the toppings makes these a hit with the whole family!

4.4 Stars (59 Reviews)