The Pioneer Woman's Chicken Teriyaki Is on the Table in 30 Minutes

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On a busy weeknight, almost nothing is more powerful than the allure of take-out…other than the allure of a meal that’s just as tasty, comes together just as quickly, and saves you money, too. That’s one of the reasons why we love Ree Drummond, The Pioneer Woman. She’s a pro at creating recipes for weeknight meals that totally satisfy on the flavor front, and that don’t take you hours to put together. The most recent Pioneer Woman recipe to solve our weeknight woes? A savory, sweet, tangy teriyaki chicken bowl that’s served with white rice and broccoli, and it’s ready faster than you can get food delivered to your door.

Now, Drummond isn’t one to shy away from store-bought ingredients, but in this case, she says it’s totally worth it to whip up your own homemade teriyaki sauce. Her recipe calls for soy sauce as the base, though she says you can use coconut aminos or tamari as alternatives. Brown sugar and honey add sweetness and body to the sauce, so it gets shiny and sticky just like what you’d get from a restaurant. It’s not traditional, but she also adds sesame oil, and spice lovers can add their heat of choice.

Drummond calls for using chicken thighs in her recipe, which stay juicy even if you forget about the pan for a little while and they cook longer than intended. They also soak up all of the flavors of the teriyaki marinade, browning like a dream when they’re sautéed. The reserved marinade has cornstarch added, and it’s added back to the pan with the cooked chicken until it thickens up into a shiny teriyaki sauce that clings to every bite.

Drummond recommends serving this meal with broccoli and rice. Our recommendation? Opt for steam-in-bag broccoli and microwavable rice pouches to get this meal on the table really fast, and without dirtying any extra dishes.

You’ll have a family friendly meal that costs pennies on the dollar compared to take-out, and it’s ready faster, too.

Before you go, check out our slideshow below:

Watch: A 5-Ingredient Grilled Pizza That’s Easier Than Ordering Takeout