One-Pan Potatoes & Chicken Teriyaki

Five ingredients, one skillet, and about 20 minutes of active cooking. This chicken teriyaki skips the typical rice pairing and builds the starch right into the pan with potato wedges that get par-cooked in the microwave, then browned alongside the chicken.

Microwaving the potatoes first is the move that makes this work as a quick dinner. Raw potato wedges would need far longer in the skillet than thin chicken strips, so getting them tender before they hit the pan puts both proteins and starch on the same timeline. They go into the hot skillet already soft inside, so they just need a few minutes to pick up golden, crispy edges.

Brown the chicken strips over high heat first, then add the par-cooked potatoes and let them sear until they develop some color too. The teriyaki sauce and sliced scallions go in right at the end, just long enough to coat everything in that salty-sweet glaze.

Chef Tips

• Cut the chicken into uniform ½-inch strips so they cook evenly. Uneven pieces mean some are overcooked while others are still pink.
• Don’t crowd the skillet. High heat and space between pieces are what produce browning. If the pan is too full, everything steams instead.
• Add the teriyaki sauce at the very end and toss quickly. It burns fast over high heat if left sitting in the pan.
• Vent the plastic wrap when microwaving the potatoes. Sealed wrap traps too much steam and can pop.

Variations

• Toss in broccoli florets or snap peas with the teriyaki sauce for more vegetables and color.
• Swap teriyaki for a spicy sriracha-soy glaze if you want more heat.
• Use sweet potatoes in place of regular potatoes for a naturally sweeter base.