Sous Vide Chicken Teriyaki Recipe (Easy And Flavorful)

Try this tasty sous vide chicken teriyaki, perfect to serve with steamed rice and vegetables. The sous vide cooking method ensures perfectly cooked and flavorful chicken every time.

2 Ingredient Sous Vide Chicken Recipe

I’m a busy mom with little time on most nights to get a tasty dinner on the table. That’s why I love using the sous vide machine. I bulk cook my proteins ahead of time, and then refrigerate them for later in the week. On the busy night, I pull them from the fridge and finish the meat accordingly.

I am on a mission to create simple ways to finish off my sous vide meals, and this recipe does just that. With only two ingredients total, with one being the chicken, you can make teriyaki chicken that taste like it came from a restaurant.

• Boneless, skinless chicken breast or thighs
• Japanese BBQ Sauce (I prefer The Original Japanese Barbecue Sauce)

The secret ingredient isn’t so secret. Japanese Barbecue Sauce is all the rave out there right now, and it’s the perfect ingredient to use as both a marinade and a finishing sauce.

When heated, it reduces and sugars caramelize to form the tastiest, sticky glaze.

How to make chicken teriyaki in the sous vide

Step by Step Instructions

1. Set sous vide precision cooker to 145 degrees F for chicken breasts or 165 degrees F for chicken thighs.
2. Place chicken pieces in either vacuum bags or freezer zip-lock bags with the teriyaki sauce. Seal appropriately with either a vacuum sealer or using the water displacement method.
3. Place in the sous vide machine for 1.5 to 2 hours.
4. Remove from the cooker, and finish immediately or refrigerate for up to 5 days before finishing.
5. To finish immediately after cooking, add chicken without the juices to a large skillet. Add more teriyaki sauce, and heat over medium him heat until the sauce thickens to a glaze, turning to coat all sides. To finish later after refrigerating, add the cooked chicken with the juices to a large skillet over medium high heat. Bring to a simmer until warmed through. Pour off the liquids, and add more teriyaki sauce. Heat to a simmer until the glaze thickens, turning to coat on all sides.
6. Serve with fluffy, cooked white rice and your favorite veggies such as carrots or broccoli.

Storage Instructions

Let leftovers cool completely. Transfer to an airtight container, and store in the fridge.

For the full ingredient amounts and recipes steps for how to sous vide teriyaki chicken, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Sous Vide Teriyaki Chicken

I’m doing a happy dance because I’ve nailed chicken in the sous vide. It’s not hard to make perfectly cooked chicken in the sous vide, that’s actually the easy part. The hard part is seasoning it or finishing it in a special way that everybody loves.

I’ve found that it only takes one ingredient, yes you read that correctly, to make the tastiest chicken around. It’s reminiscent of the teriyaki chicken that you get from the food court at the mall.

Recipe FAQs

• Use this recipe for white meat or dark meat. Cook white meat chicken at 145 degrees F, and cook dark meat chicken at 165 degrees F.
• Be sure the cooking bags stay submerged in the sous vide water bath.
• Japanese barbecue sauce is thinner than traditional barbecue sauce, with a texture similar to teriyaki sauce.
• After cooking, refrigerate the chicken in the bag for up to 5 days before finishing in a frying pan with more sauce.
• The final chicken has a tasty, sticky glaze due to the teriyaki sauce reducing.

Recipe Variations

• Make your own Japanese BBQ sauce by combining soy sauce, ginger, garlic, green onion, sesame oil, rice wine (mirin) and rice vinegar, if desired.
• Slice the chicken into bite size pieces after cooking in the sous vide, and then finish the slices or chunks in the sauce.
• Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds before eating, or garnish with scallions or spring onions (green onions).

Sous Vide Recipes

We love using the sous vide method to create delicious dishes. Here are some of our favorites.

• Sous Vide Beef Short Ribs
• Pork Spare Ribs – Sous Vide
• Sous Vide Chicken Thighs
• Sous Vide Parmesan Chicken
• Sous Vide Carrots

Does teriyaki sauce go on before or after sous vide cooking?

The answer is both! Add teriyaki sauce into the cooking bag with the chicken, and then finish it by adding more to a hot skillet to make a sticky glaze.

What happens if you leave chicken in sous vide too long?

Leaving chicken in sous vide for too long can result in an unpleasantly mushy texture as the proteins break down excessively. It’s best to follow recommended cooking times to prevent an unfavorable texture.

Tasty Chicken Recipes

Chicken is always a safe bet when trying to decide what to fix for your family and friends. We have lots of options and also love our friend Leah’s Grilled Barbecue Chicken and Liz’s Grilled BBQ Chicken recipes.

Sous Vide Blackened Chicken

Roasted Chicken Legs

Chicken with Zucchini and Tomatoes

Honey Mustard Chicken

Kitchen Staples and Utensils

• Vacuum Sealer
• Vacuum Bags or Freezer Bags
• Sous Vide Cooker
• Large Skillet
• Japanese barbecue sauce