This easy chicken teriyaki is gluten, dairy, and refined sugar-free! It’s the tastiest thing you’ll make all week and requires less than 30 minutes to throw together. This better-than-takeout recipe is the perfect meal to assemble after a busy work day when you want something both light AND satisfying!
Guys, let’s be honest here – teriyaki sauce is SO good. If you don’t think so, well then I’m sorry, you’re in the wrong place. For years and years I bought bottles of teriyaki sauce from the store thinking it’d be hard to make myself at home. Wellllll I was wrong. So wrong. Chicken teriyaki is actually very easy to make at home, and much tastier. I made my recipe healthier than the others you’d find online because, uh…. have you met me?? It’s just what I do. Honey replaces refined sugar and low-sodium tamari replaces soy sauce. Though because I know these healthier ingredients aren’t always what we have on-hand, I’ve included tons of easy swaps to make sure anyone and everyone can make this recipe!
What You Need To Make Chicken Teriyaki
Fresh Ginger – The ginger is what makes this dish, in my opinion. If you don’t have any fresh ginger, you can substitute it with 1/2 teaspoon of dried ginger instead.
Tamari – Literally just soy sauce’s gluten-free, lower-sodium cousin. It tastes incredibly similar to soy sauce but is that much better for you. Though if you don’t have tamari, you can use soy sauce instead.
Honey – Most teriyaki sauces are made with sugar, like a lot of sugar. I love using honey for its natural sweetness and healthy dose of antioxidants. You can substitute maple syrup or regular ole’ sugar for the honey in this recipe.
Adjust This Recipe To Your Dietary Needs
Paleo: To make this chicken teriyaki paleo, use coconut aminos instead of tamari, maple syrup instead of honey, and arrowroot starch instead of corn starch. You can also serve this over cauliflower rice with a side of roasted broccoli for a low-carb meal – YUM!
Vegan/Vegetarian: Tofu would make a great replacement for the chicken in this recipe. Simply cut into into 1-inch squares and cook it the exact same way you’d cook the chicken. If making this vegan, use maple syrup instead of honey.