Ben’s Original Street Food Teriyaki Rice with Chicken is a Mouthful (And Not The Fun Kind) 

Ben might not be your uncle anymore (bye bye, Uncle Ben’s), but Ben’s Original is still a king of shelf-stable rice products and he just came out with a brand new shelf-stable, microwaveable meal that cooks in only 90 seconds: Ben’s Original Street Food Teriyaki Style Rice with Chicken. I tried it to see if it’s worth buying, or if you’re better off pestering your real uncle into making you some rice instead. 

Personally, I’m wary of anything that calls itself “teriyaki-style.” It’s a waving red flag telling me this product was made by people who don’t know what teriyaki sauce should taste like. But I like Ben’s, and I’m willing to give him the Ben-efit of the dout. Ha….ha. 

The following article contains affiliate links that may generate a small commission to us when you make a purchase through the link. Learn more about how we work with affiliates here.

New Ben’s Original Meal

Ben’s Original Street Food Teriyaki Style Rice with Chicken

Amazon

Kroger

Pros: The chicken pieces are doing a lot for this dish. They’re very tender, cut into the kind of small nibbles you want from any good fried rice, with a charred texture on the outside like it’s been crisping on a pan for a while and soaking up the sauce. It’s my favorite part of this stir fry and deserves recognition—chicken can often go so, so wrong in prepackaged meals. 

Cons: Teriyaki, this is not. The overwhelming flavor note is red pepper, followed by tamari and something sweet that took me a minute to pinpoint as pineapple juice. Already that sounds more complex than how this actually tastes. It’s not outright offensive, but it’s lackluster, and that’s all I can really say about it.

Verdict: I’m sorry, Ben. But you’re not my uncle any more, so I can be honest with you. This isn’t your best work, and I can’t recommend that people buy it. But I’ll keep buying your other stuff anyway.

Credit: LIv Averett / Ben’s Original

Rating:

5/10

Sporks