Chicken Teriyaki and Vegetables :: A Healthy Weeknight Meal

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This chicken teriyaki and vegetables is super easy, fast, and the whole family loves it! The sauce has a hint of orange and is deliciously sweet without a lot of sugar. I like to keep frozen chicken thighs and frozen stir fry veggies on hand so that I have a quick, healthy, and delicious meal available. Sometimes we get scared of making our own sauces, but don’t worry! You really can’t mess this one up.

Serves 6

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

Chicken Teriyaki Sauce:

1/2 cup Coconut Aminos

1/3 cup Orange Juice

1 Tbsp Honey

1 Tbsp Olive Oil or Sesame Oil

2 Tbsp Corn Starch

1/4 tsp ground Ginger (optional)

Stir Fry Ingredients:

1 Tbsp Olive Oil or Sesame Oil

1 Pound Chicken Thighs, skinned and de-boned

1 Whole Bell Pepper, chopped into bite-sized pieces

8 cups Frozen Stir Fry Veggies

1 cup cooked Black Rice

1 cup cooked Basmati Rice

2 Tbsp Sesame Seeds

Chicken Teriyaki Directions:

  1. Mix all the ingredients, except the cornstarch, together for the chicken teriyaki sauce in a small bowl and set aside.
  2. Prepare chicken thighs by trimming fat and cutting into bit size pieces or strips. Add the chicken to ½ of the sauce and let marinade for about 30 minutes. If your rice isn’t cooked yet, start it now.
  3. Meanwhile, add the cornstarch to the other half of the sauce and stir together. Set aside.
  4. Heat your oil or cooking spray in a wok for 1-2 minutes or until hot. Add the bell pepper and cook for about 2 minutes. Add your vegetables and stir fry until they are steaming hot, about 5 additional minutes. Remove from skillet and place in a bowl with cover to keep warm.
  5. Add your chicken to wok and cook until not pink and internal temperature reaches 165 F (about 5-8 minutes). Stir the sauce that was set aside and add it to your skillet. Cook sauce with chicken until sauce is thick (about 2 additional minutes).
  6. Serve chicken teriyaki and vegetables over rice or noodles. Add sesame seeds and green onion to serve.

Notes

Soy Sauce vs. Coconut Aminos

Soy has been in the news a lot and is fairly controversial. Because of soy’s estrogen-like compounds called isoflavones, many have theorized that it may cause harm. There is no research to support this theory. Soy has many great benefits and studies show that it can reduce cholesterol and blood pressure. It also has the ability to reduce risk for breast cancer especially when consumed as a young girl. Nutritionally, coconut aminos and soy sauce are similar. Coconut aminos are slightly higher in protein and lower in sodium, but not significantly. Lastly, coconut aminos have a slightly sweeter taste, so preference may come down to taste. I chose to use coconut aminos for this recipe because I like the taste, but you can use either.

You can use fresh veggies also like broccoli, zucchini, bell peppers, onion, or yellow squash. Just note these will take longer to cook than the frozen veggie option above.

I like to use chicken broth to cook my rice as I feel it adds flavor.

If you need to thaw your chicken thighs, place them in warm water for about 20-30 minutes.

Nutrition Info Per Serving

Total Calories: 404, Total Fat: 13.7 g, Total Carb: 41 g, Fiber: 3.4 g, Protein: 27.4 g

You may also enjoy this fajita seasoning recipe. Or try out these three delicious soups!

Originally published November 2018.



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