Coming from a Japanese and Hawaiian lineage, teriyaki was a staple in my household and is still one of my favorite ways to prepare chicken. This teriyaki chicken rice bowl is full of flavor and is a balanced, nutritious meal idea that’s pretty easy to prepare.
Where does chicken teriyaki come from?
Teriyaki comes from Japan and refers to foods grilled in a soy sauce and mirin glaze, sometimes with garlic added. Since there is a high Japanese population in Hawaii, teriyaki has morphed into a kind of fusion dish, with pineapple juice, brown sugar, ginger and green onion frequently added.
Growing up, my mom taught me a simple equation to make a perfect teriyaki sauce: soy sauce, brown sugar and water, in equal parts. From there, you can add ginger, garlic and grated onion. And that’s what I’ve been using as my teriyaki sauce ever since! Sometimes I just add garlic and sometimes I go all out. Either way, it’s delicious!
Ingredients for Teriyaki Chicken Rice Bowl
Before making this recipe, make sure you have all of the following ingredients to ensure your teriyaki chicken rice bowls turn out perfect:
For the teriyaki chicken:
- Chicken breast or thigh: If you want more juicy, tender chicken, I recommend chicken thighs, but either will do well for this recipe.
- Soy sauce: I use low sodium soy sauce, but full sodium works fine and makes for a richer final product.
- Brown sugar: You can also use white sugar, but the flavor profile will be a little different.
- Water
- Minced garlic: I use the jarred stuff, but the fresh stuff will be even better.
- Grated ginger: I actually use frozen cubed ginger and it turns out great, but fresh is best.
- Grated onion: I like yellow or sweet onion for this. I simply run it over a cheese grater!
- Olive oil: For cooking.
For the rice bowls:
- Short grain rice: I like using brown rice for the extra fiber, but white rice works great as well. Make sure to get short grain (what they use for sushi).
- Frozen edamame: Shelled or unshelled.
- Chili garlic sauce: Adds so much flavor to the edamame.
- Soy sauce
- Kimchi: Optional, but highly recommended.
How to make Teriyaki Chicken Rice Bowl
Combine the soy sauce, brown sugar, water, garlic, ginger and grated onion in a medium sized bowl. Whisk together. Slice chicken breasts or thighs into thinner pieces if needed and add to the bowl. Ensure the marinate is covering the chicken. Cover and marinate for at least 4 hours (ideally overnight). Also move frozen edamame to the refrigerator to defrost.
Before starting the chicken, start cooking rice in a rice cooker or over the stovetop according to the instructions on the package.
Once chicken is done marinating, remove from the refrigerator. Place a large skillet over medium heat. Once warm, add olive oil. Once oil is heated, add chicken to the skillet. Cook on until browned on one side and flip. Continue cooking until chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
In a small saucepan over medium heat, add the remaining marinade. Cook, stirring occasionally, until bubbling. Set aside. Remove the chicken from the skillet once fully cooked and brush cooked marinade on top. Let cool.
Remove edamame from the refrigerator and add to a large bowl. Toss add chili garlic sauce and soy sauce. Toss together until evenly coated. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and slice into strips.
Finally, assemble the bowls. Add rice first, then edamame, kimchi and teriyaki chicken. Add furikake seasoning on top if desired. Then enjoy!
Is chicken teriyaki healthy?
This teriyaki chicken does contain some added sugar, so if you are trying to lose weight, it may be beneficial to reduce the amount in this recipe. Just remember, it’s overall caloric intake that really matters for weight loss. But besides the sugar, this recipe is nutritious and filling.
One serving of this teriyaki chicken contains 12 grams of carbohydrates, 28 grams of protein and 4 grams of fat. It’s an excellent source of vitamin B3 (niacin), vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), phosphorus and selenium. It’s also a good source of vitamin B2 (riboflavin), vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid), vitamin B12, magnesium, manganese, potassium and zinc.
In general, teriyaki chicken is a delicious way to consume chicken, which is nutrient dense food. Plus, the ginger, garlic and onion add some additional health benefits. Garlic and onion in particular are high in prebiotics, which support the growth of beneficial gut bacteria.
Is soy sauce bad for you?
Soy is very controversial nowadays and I completely understand the confusion. Soy contains phytoestrogens, which some believe mimic estrogen in the body, leading to a variety of health issues. But despite these claims, there is little evidence to suggest soy is harmful. In fact, there is plenty of evidence to suggest that soy is beneficial for both women and men.
For menopause, there is plenty of evidence to suggest the phytoestrogens in soy foods have beneficial effects such as reducing hot flashes and depression. In men, it seems that phytoestrogens have no effect on hormone levels.
There are some concerns that phytoestrogens can increase estrogen levels in the body, leading to hormonal issues such as endometriosis. While there still needs to be more human research on this topic, there is promising evidence that phytoestrogens can play a beneficial role in the prevention and treatment of endometriosis.
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Teriyaki Chicken in a Bowl
Ingredients
Teriyaki Chicken
- 1 lb chicken breast or thigh
- 1/4 cup soy sauce low sodium
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 1 tbsp grated ginger
- 2 tbsp minced onion
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Rice Bowls
- 1 cup short grain rice brown or white
- 1 package frozen edamame
- 1/4 cup chili garlic sauce
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 cup kimchi
Instructions
- Combine the soy sauce, brown sugar, water, garlic, ginger and grated onion in a medium sized bowl. Whisk together. Slice chicken breasts or thighs into thinner pieces if needed and add to the bowl. Ensure the marinate is covering the chicken.
- Cover and marinate for at least 4 hours (ideally overnight). Also move frozen edamame to the refrigerator to defrost.
- Before starting the chicken, start cooking rice in a rice cooker or over the stovetop according to the instructions on the package.
- Once chicken is done marinating, remove from the refrigerator. Place a large skillet over medium heat. Once warm, add olive oil. Once oil is heated, add chicken to the skillet. Cook on until browned on one side and flip. Continue cooking until chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, add the remaining marinade. Cook, stirring occasionally, until bubbling. Set aside. Remove the chicken from the skillet once fully cooked and brush cooked marinade on top. Let cool.
- Remove edamame from the refrigerator and add to a large bowl. Toss add chili garlic sauce and soy sauce. Toss together until evenly coated. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and slice into strips.
- Finally, assemble the ingredients into 4 bowls. Add rice first, then edamame, kimchi and teriyaki chicken. Add furikake seasoning on top if desired. Then enjoy!
