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This chicken teriyaki recipe is a delicious healthy version of the popular Japanese dish. With no added sugar or starch, this easy, gluten free chicken dinner is a guilt-free treat! It’s gluten free, paleo, low carb, and Whole30 compliant, so dig in and enjoy it!
Friends! Yes, friends! I have talented friends. You all included. *Wink wink* Today’s talented friend shout out goes to my friend ChihYu Smith from IheartUmami.com. If you’re paleo, you will love her easy recipes! And guys, she just launched a new cookbook! Which is what I am sharing here today. A paleo teriyaki chicken recipe from her cookbook ASIAN PALEO. Plus I’ll be chatting a wee bit about the cookbook in general. So sit back, relax, and get ready to drool. Seriously. Napkins are a must.
Healthy Asian Paleo Recipes
Are you a healthy eater who craves Asian foods and other delicious meals that may not always be the best for you?
I know the struggle, and so does ChihYu Smith! She’s an author, blogger, and Whole30-certified coach. Her new cookbook, Asian Paleo, is packed with recipes that are nutrient-dense and healthy, but they’re ALSO satisfying and packed with umami. The recipes in her book are perfect examples of how to achieve Asian flavors that are free of gluten, soy, wheat, rice, grains, dairy, and added sugar.
Umami? Is there umami in the healthy chicken teriyaki recipe? YES, there is! It’s not a bad thing; in fact, it’s a very good and very delicious thing!
What is Umami?
Every single edible food on the planet fits into one or more of the five taste categories, which are:
- Sweet
- Salty
- Sour
- Bitter
- Umami (savory)
What does umami taste like?
Foods with an umami taste are savory, earthy-tasting, and often have a meaty or brothy taste. Examples of the umami taste can be found in soy protein, mushrooms, Parmesan cheese, and miso.
What’s inside the Asian Paleo cookbook?
The Asian Paleo cookbook <- (affiliate link) is divided into 5 sections of recipes to fit whatever food you’re in the mood for!
- Weeknight BFF features dinners that require very little prep and cooking time.
- Batch-Cooking Perfect features recipes that are perfect for prepping for the week ahead.
- Weekend Fun shows that you can still entertain friends while sticking to your Paleo diet.
- Easy Add-Ons range from vegetables to side dishes that perfectly pair with a variety of recipes.
- Flavor Pop includes recipes for healthy homemade condiments to replace gloppy, cloying store-bought sauces.
Chicken Teriyaki Recipe
This chicken teriyaki recipe is made with no added sugar or starch! Better yet, the chicken is roasted in the oven with simplified cooking methods to help you enjoy good food fast. It is best to use boneless chicken thighs with the skin on. You can even ask your butcher to remove the thigh bones for you, to save time!
Roasting and broiling the chicken is the most time-consuming part of making this chicken teriyaki recipe. Everything else is super quick! My favorite part is the I Heart Umami chicken teriyaki sauce. It is SO good! It has the amazing taste of restaurant teriyaki sauce but without all of the excess salt, you can eat it guilt-free!
Ingredients in Chicken Teriyaki Sauce
- ¼ cup apple juice
- 3 ½ tablespoons coconut aminos
- 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh garlic
- 1 to 1 ½ teaspoons arrowroot flour
If you don’t have coconut aminos (or you can’t have coconut products), you can use low sodium sodium soy sauce instead. Be sure to buy a gluten free soy sauce though!
Serving Suggestions
Serve this meal with fresh leafy greens of your choice, sweet potatoes, or Chinese cauliflower fried rice. Oh, and some Asian Crab and Avocado Spiralized Cucumber Salad would be perfect as well!
Healthy Chicken Teriyaki Recipe (Paleo)
5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star
5 from 6 reviews
- Author: Lindsay Cotter
- Total Time: 38 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
Healthy Chicken Teriyaki Recipe (Paleo and Whole 30 friendly)
Ingredients
Units Scale
For the Chicken Teriyaki
- Cooking oil spray (avocado, coconut, or ghee)
- 4 boneless chicken thighs, skin on (about 1 ½ pounds)
- Sea salt
- ⅓ cup I Heart Umami Teriyaki Sauce (see recipe below)
- Toasted white sesame seeds (optional)
- Chopped scallions (optional)
For the I Heart Umami Teriyaki Sauce
- ¼ cup apple juice
- 3 ½ Tablespoons coconut aminos
- 2 Tablespoons cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh garlic
- 1 to 1 ½ teaspoons arrowroot flour
Instructions
Make the Teriyaki Sauce
- Combine all the ingredients in a small saucepan, mixing until there are no lumps.
- Gently warm over medium-low heat, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon until slightly thickened, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Store in an airtight glass container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Make the Chicken Teriyaki
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and place a baking rack on top. Lightly spray the rack with oil.
- Pat the chicken dry. Lightly season with a bit of sea salt on all sides.
- Place the chicken thighs, skin side up, on the prepared rack. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the skin becomes light golden brown and the meat is completely cooked through (165°F on a meat thermometer).
- Remove the chicken from the oven and brush with the teriyaki sauce. Change the oven setting to high broil. Place the chicken back in the oven and broil for 3 minutes to give the skin a nice golden color. (If you use skinless chicken, broil for only 1 to 2 minutes.)
- Wait for 5 minutes before slicing the chicken into bite-sized pieces. If desired, sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and chopped scallions.
Notes
Reprinted from Asian Paleo by arrangement with The Countryman Press, a division of W.W. Norton & Company, Inc. Copyright © 2019, ChihYu Chiang | I Heart Umami.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 23 minutes
- Category: Chicken
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: Asian
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 196
- Sugar: 0.5 g
- Sodium: 400.6 mg
- Fat: 6.4 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 1.3 g
- Fiber: 0.1 g
- Protein: 31.1 g
- Cholesterol: 146.5 mg
Alright my friends, time to finish drooling and go grab yourself the ingredients to make this chicken! Plus the cookbook, obviously!
P.S My future goal is publish another nourishing cookbook that’s food allergy friendly. Simple ingredients and allergy friendly. I’d love to know what type of cookbooks you find most useful and any other topics that I can help you with. That we can help you with! Chime in!
Cheers,
LC
