This easy chicken teriyaki stir-fry is the result of the fusion between the Japanese flavor and some popular vegetables such as the portobello mushrooms and asparagus. The chicken is stir-fried with the savory teriyaki sauce, which has an intensely delicious flavor. The crunchy vegetables and mushroom furnish a sharp contrast and make it a perfect one-pot meal.

The flavor of the teriyaki sauce is similar to the Chinese char Siu sauce, as both are created with soy sauce and caramelized with sugar. You can refer to the Char Siu recipe, which I had just published a few weeks ago.

I’ve also published a more authentic teriyaki chicken recipe a year ago. In that recipe, the breast meat is pan-fried with skin on, uncut. The skin is pan-fried until crisp, and the teriyaki sauce is added to the pan carefully without wetting the skin. In this recipe, I remove the skin because it will turn soggy as a result of stir-frying with the sauce. 

I also pan fry the vegetables and chicken separately because they need to cook at different duration. Besides, I add most of the teriyaki sauce to the chicken to give it a stronger taste and only mix a small amount to the vegetables and mushrooms so that it is not overpowering. Stir-fried the vegetables separately also helped to preserve the crunchiness. At the end of the cooking process, I mix the chicken and the vegetables in the pan and serve. 

So without further ado, here is the step-by-step guide on how to prepare teriyaki chicken stir-fry with vegetables and mushrooms.

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1. Cut and get ready all the ingredients

Chicken meat

I use breast meat in this recipe since I have some stock in the refrigerator. Otherwise, I prefer to use deboned drumstick because it has a richer flavor, and the meat will not turn tough after pan-frying. 

Butterfly the breast meat, then tenderize it by hitting it with the blunt side of the knife or a meat mallet. Then cut it into bite-size pieces. 

Marinate the meat with some salt for thirty minutes to enhance the flavor. This step is useful since the sauce will only coat the surface but will not penetrate the interior of the chicken pieces. 

The asparagus

I am using asparagus because I love its crunchiness. You can swap it with other crunchy vegetables such as French beans, and snap peas. 

Snap the asparagus at about the one-third position near to the stalk. Peel off the fibrous surface with the vegetable peeler. 

The mushrooms

Clean the portobello mushrooms with a dry cloth, then cut into half or quarter. 

You can use other mushrooms available locally. Enoki mushrooms, king oyster mushrooms, and shiitake mushrooms are more prevalent in Asia, which are all suitable in this teriyaki chicken stir-fry.

If you are using the dried Chinese mushrooms, soak them overnight or at least one hour with hot water to rehydrate them thoroughly before use.

Scallion

Cut the scallion crosswise into round, thin, hollow rings. It can be eaten raw, and therefore only add to the stir-fry in the last step.

Bell pepper (Capsicum) 

Cut the bell pepper into bite-size pieces. I prefer to use the red bell pepper because of the color combination. You can add some yellow bell pepper for more color if you have it on hand 

2. Constitute the teriyaki sauce before stir-frying

This stir-fry teriyaki sauce is not only suitable for this recipe, but it can be used in a wide range of Japanese and fusion cuisine. You can make a larger batch and keep the remainder in the refrigerator for future use.

Japanese soy sauce

The Japanese soy sauce is the key ingredient for preparing teriyaki sauce. It has a unique taste and, therefore, cannot be substituted with the Chinese light soy sauce.

Mirin

Mirin is a sweet Japanese wine that is widely used in many Japanese cuisines. It is very often used together with the Japanese soy sauce. There isn’t any substitute as it has a unique taste.

Rice wine (or sake) 

You can use sake or any rice wine for this recipe. Good sake is expensive, So any Japanese cooking wine which is relatively cheaper Is a reasonable substitute. 

Ginger and garlic

Ginger and garlic are required to complete the taste profile of the teriyaki sauce. Cut the ginger into slices and bash a few cloves of garlic to mix with other ingredients. 

Sugar

You can use either white or brown sugar. The sugar will carmelize and thicken the sauce. These ingredients provide a constant pull between sweet and salty, a complex flavor that elevates the food halfway to paradise.

At the same time, It will also help to form a glossy finishing to the chicken. 

Prepare the sauce:

It is quite simple to prepare the sauce. All you need is to put all the necessary ingredients in the pan and cook it down to half of its original volume.

Since we will use the sauce to stir fry the chicken, we do not want to wet the chicken too much. Therefore, I let the sauce boil for a while until it is slightly thickened. Then, remove the ginger and garlic, and it is ready to be used.

3. Pan-fried the chicken and coat with the sauce

Once everything is in place, brown the chicken with some oil in a pan. I find that using a nonstick pan is more convenient as it is not only non-stick but required less oil and easy to wash after use. 

Add about 2/3 of the teriyaki sauce to the chicken pieces. Mix and combine until the chicken pieces are coated with the sauce to produce a glossy sheen. 

4. Cook the vegetables and mushrooms separately

Next, remove the chicken from the pan. Keep some oil in the pan, and saute the asparagus and mushroom for 1 minute. Add a small amount of water to cook the asparagus until tender-crisp.

Once the water is about to dry out, add the bell pepper and saute for another half a minute. Add the remaining one-third of the teriyaki sauce And combine well.

5. Combine the chicken and the vegetables, and serve

Return the pan-fried chicken to the pan. Have a few quick stir and flip. Dish out and serve.