Teriyaki Chicken Stir Fry with Grilled Scallions

This teriyaki chicken stir fry is bursting with bold flavours of smoky grilled scallions, fresh bok choy, snow peas and yellow peppers. Chicken breast strips marinated overnight add a depth of flavour and a healthy protein boost. 

Love the flavours in this recipe? Be sure to check out our baked Teriyaki Salmon!

This recipe for Teriyaki Chicken Stir Fry was inspired by our recent obsession with our local Japanese takeout. When we crave a healthy Asian dinner, we often reach for the phone and order Teriyaki Donburi Rice Bowls. They are absolutely delicious!

As this has been happening more and more often, I decided to recreate our favourite flavours at home in the form of teriyaki chicken stir fry. In order to do that, we need to know…

What goes into Teriyaki Sauce?

We need to get the technicalities out of the way first. Teriyaki actually refers to the method of cooking, which is grilling, rather than the sauce.

However, there is a classic sauce that is a telltale sign of chicken, salmon or beef teriyaki. Just think of it as a Japanese barbecue sauce. 

The main ingredients that make teriyaki sauce are usually This is an affiliate link.mirin, This is an affiliate link.soy sauce, grated ginger and sugar or honey. In this recipe the teriyaki sauce has a double purpose.

To intensify flavours I recommend first marinating your chicken in the teriyaki sauce overnight or at least for 3 hours prior to cooking. Then using the marinade as a sauce in your stir fry. 

I often get asked if it’s safe to use the marinade as part of the sauce and the answer is yes, it absolutely is! It would be silly not use it after you put all the best flavours in your marinade. It is safe as long as the marinade gets boiled for 5 minutes to destroy the bacteria. 

What vegetables to use

One of the best things about a stir fry is that it is a great way to empty out the vegetable crisper in your fridge. You can use pretty much anything you like, as long as your vegetable mix is of similar texture.

If the texture is similar, all vegetables will cook at the same time. Otherwise, you can cut the hardier vegetables like carrots or broccoli stems into thin strips to speed up the cooking time. 

I do have a few personal favourites for stir fries. I nearly always use snow peas and red or yellow peppers for their sweetness, texture and the way they look.

For this stir fry I also went with a quartered bok choy, a small red onion, and the real winner, grilled scallions aka green onions.

Since teriyaki is supposed to be grilled, I decided to infuse my stir fry with a bit of smokiness that comes from grilled onions. They only take a minute to get those nice char marks but they absolutely transform this simple stir fry. 

Vegetable suggestions for stir fries

If looking for a few options to choose from, here is my list of vegetables most often found in my stir fries:

• broccoli
• asparagus
• carrots cut into thin strips, matchsticks 
• baby corn
• kale
• bok choy
• red, yellow and green peppers
• mushrooms
• zucchini
• snow peas

Protein suggestions for teriyaki stir fries

• skinless, boneless chicken breasts or thighs
• salmon
• thin beef strips
• shrimp
• duck
• tofu

As you can see, adding your personal touch to this stir fry recipe, as long as you keep the suggested cooking method and the teriyaki sauce, will get you a delicious and exciting dinner. 

You can mix and match different proteins and vegetables to make the stir fry truly your own. Just remember that not everything cooks at the same rate, so be ready to adjust if necessary.

Serving suggestions

I want the flavours of the stir fry to shine without anything getting in their way, which means that all I need to serve it with is a heap of fluffy white rice. For a bit more flair, you could always serve it with Coconut Rice.

And because this stir fry is packed with meat and vegetables already, there really is no need to add any sides. It is a complete meal all on its own.

Storage and leftovers

Leftover stir fry can be kept for 3-4 days if refrigerated in an This is an affiliate link.airtight container.

Although a microwave is a convenient choice for reheating, I always prefer to take it back to a wok. A splash of water may be needed to loosen up the teriyaki sauce.

More favourite stir fries

• Beef, Mushroom and Snow Pea Stir Fry
• Speedy Sesame Shrimp Stir Fry
• Filipino Noodles with Pork and Shrimp
• Easy Shrimp Chow Mein
• Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry