Name: Healthy Teriyaki Chicken Rice Bowls
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 1 pound chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces; 1 tablespoons avocado oil; pinch of salt; 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated; 3 garlic cloves, minced; 1/4 cup tamari, or soy sauce; 1 tablespoons lemon juice; 1 teaspoon sesame oil, optional; 2 tablespoons honey; 1 tablespoon corn starch; 3 tablespoons water; 2 cups cooked rice; 1 crown broccoli, steamed; sliced green onions; sesame seeds

30 Minutes or Less

One-Pan Hunan Chicken

By Samantha Russo August 30, 2023

Seriously flavorful and delicious restaurant-style hunan chicken! Bites of tender chicken and stir-fried veggies tossed in a savory hunan sauce. Super quick and easy to make, ready in just 15 minutes!

overhead image of hunan chicken in a skillet with sesame seeds and sliced green onion on top.

What is Hunan Chicken?

Hunan Chicken is a healthy, popular Chinese-American dish made with pieces of tender chicken stir fried with veggies and tossed in a tangy, sweet, and spicy sauce. This dish originates from the Hunan province of China and is traditionally hot, spicy and loaded with chilies. In this Hunan Chicken recipe, you can control the spice level by adding as much chili paste as you like.

close-up image of hunan chicken in a skillet.

What You’ll Need To Make Hunan Chicken

Chicken Breasts – This dinner recipe starts with one to two pounds of boneless and skinless chicken breast. To prepare them, start by patting each chicken breast dry with a paper towel, then thinly slice them into bite-sized pieces. Once cut, season them well with salt and black pepper, before coating in corn starch, then stir-frying!

Corn Starch – Coating this hunan chicken in corn starch before cooking will help each piece cook up a whole lot crispier and delicious! However, if you don’t have corn starch, you can certainly use arrowroot starch or tapioca starch instead. And if you’d like to cut down on the amount of corn starch, you can leave it off the chicken pieces, and instead add just a tablespoon of starch to the sauce ingredients. You’ll need at least a tiny bit of starch in this recipe, to help thicken up the sauce.

Soy Sauce – Any kind of soy sauce you’d like will work! If gluten-free, be sure to use tamari instead of soy sauce. Tamari is the gluten-free equivalent to soy sauce. Or, for a healthier option, use 1/3 cup of coconut aminos instead.

Fish Sauce – Most hunan chicken recipes are made with oyster sauce, which is a thick, dark sauce made of soy sauce, oyster extract, and sugar (lots of sugar!). So to make this classic recipe just a bit healthier, I swapped out the oyster sauce for a tablespoons of honey, plus a teaspoon of fish sauce. The honey helps to sweeten things up, and the fish sauce gives this dish its signature briny flavor. I also figured, while neither oyster or fish sauce are super common in most kitchens, fish sauce would be a bit easier to get your hands on!

Tips and Tricks

If you have a wok, use it! Wok’s cook quickly, and heat to a higher temperature, which is perfect for this stir-fry recipe. However, if you don’t own a wok (it’s ok, I don’t either), use either a large stainless steel or cast-iron pan instead.
Once done, if the sauce isn’t as thick as you’d like it to be, then add in some corn starch. But don’t simply add the corn starch in by itself. Instead, whisk 1 tablespoon of corn starch with 1 tablespoon of water in a small bowl until dissolved. Then, pour that corn starch slurry into your sauce and give it 2-3 more minutes to thicken.
Serve this hunan chicken however you’d like! I enjoyed mine over cauliflower rice for an extra healthy meal. Though it also tastes delicious over white rice, brown rice, or even quinoa!

Adjust This Recipe To Your Dietary Needs

Make it Paleo: Turn this into a paleo chicken stir-fry by using tapioca starch instead of corn starch, and coconut aminos in place of the soy sauce.

Make it Vegan: Make a hunan tofu by replacing the chicken breasts with a large block of extra-firm tofu, cut into 2-inch cubes! Also, leave out the fish sauce, and replace the honey with maple syrup.

5 from 4 votes

Hunan Chicken

Seriously flavorful and delicious restaurant-style hunan chicken! Bites of tender chicken and stir-fried veggies tossed in a savory hunan sauce. Super quick and easy to make, ready in just 15 minutes!

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 10

Total Time: 15

Servings: servings

Ingredients

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
salt and black pepper, to taste
1/4 cup corn starch, or tapioca starch
2 tablespoons avocado oil
1 cup broccoli florets
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 zucchini, sliced

For the hunan sauce:

1/2 cup chicken or vegetable broth
1/3 cup soy sauce, or tamari if gluten-free
1-2 tablespoons chili paste
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil, optional

Instructions

Season chicken with salt and pepper, then toss in a bowl with corn starch until evenly coated.
Heat avocado oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook chicken 2-3 minutes per side or golden brown and cooked through. Remove chicken from skillet and set aside.
Add broccoli, bell pepper, and zucchini to skillet – sauté for 5-6 minutes or until tender, but still crisp.
While veggies cook, whisk together all sauce ingredients in a small bowl.
Add cooked chicken back into skillet along with the sauce, reduce heat to low and cook for a few minutes or until sauce has thickened.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 300kcal

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30 Minutes or Less

Healthy Teriyaki Chicken Rice Bowls

By Samantha Russo January 23, 2023

These healthy teriyaki chicken rice bowls come together in under 20 minutes! Fresh ginger, garlic, tamari to make it gluten-free, and honey to naturally sweeten things up. Ditch the takeout this week, and make this healthier recipe instead!

close-up image of healthy teriyaki chicken

What You’ll Need to Make Healthy Teriyaki Chicken Rice Bowls

Chicken Breast: Boneless and skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces cooks in just a matter of minutes! However, feel free to use any piece/cut of chicken you’d like. Or, if you’re feeling adventurous, replace the chicken with salmon or tofu – the possibilities are endless!

Ginger: Fresh, grated ginger adds tons of delicious fresh flavor to our healthy teriyaki chicken. I usually purchase a bunch of fresh ginger (it’s pretty cheap!) and store it in my freezer until I need to use it. But if you can’t find fresh ginger, feel free to use just 1 teaspoon of dried ground ginger in its place.

Tamari: What is tamari? Tamari is simply gluten-free soy sauce. It tastes exactly the same as soy sauce, but is 100% gluten-free. It’s safe for people who suffer from celiac disease or a gluten intolerance! However, if you’re fine with gluten, go ahead and use soy sauce in this recipe instead.

Honey: A refined sugar-free sweetener to help balance this teriyaki sauce! You won’t notice the difference between this honey-sweetened sauce and the sauce you’d order at a restaurant.

healthy teriyaki chicken rice bowls with sliced green onion on top.

Tips and Tricks

I served my healthy teriyaki chicken over white rice with a side of steamed broccoli, but feel free to serve yours with whatever you’d like! Brown rice, quinoa, or even cauliflower rice make a great base to these bowls. Also, any steamed veggie will pair perfectly with this meal!

The chicken cooks pretty quickly in this recipe, thanks to it being cut into such small pieces. Therefore, keep an eye on it and be careful not to overcook the chicken. It should only take a few minutes to cook through!

Adjust This Recipe to Your Dietary Needs

Make it Gluten-Free: Use tamari instead of soy sauce, which is 100% gluten-free.

Make it Vegan/Vegetarian: Replace the chicken with pressed and cubed tofu, and the honey with maple syrup!

Make it Paleo: To make a paleo teriyaki chicken, simply replace the honey with maple syrup and use coconut aminos instead of soy sauce – it’s that easy! Also, serve over cauliflower rice or with extra steamed veggies, instead of white rice.

Healthy Teriyaki Chicken Rice Bowls

4 from 8 votes

Recipe by Samantha Course: DinnerDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

5

minutes

Cooking time

15

minutes

Total time

20

minutes

These healthy teriyaki chicken rice bowls come together in under 20 minutes! Fresh ginger, garlic, tamari to make it gluten-free, and honey to naturally sweeten things up. Ditch the takeout this week, and make this healthier recipe instead!

Ingredients

1 pound chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 tablespoons avocado oil
pinch of salt
1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup tamari, or soy sauce
1 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon sesame oil, optional
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon corn starch
3 tablespoons water
For serving:
2 cups cooked rice
1 crown broccoli, steamed
sliced green onions
sesame seeds

Directions

Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat, add in the chicken and sprinkle with salt. Cook chicken for 2-3 minutes per side or until cooked through. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
Reduce heat to low, add in the ginger and garlic, cook for 1 minute or until fragrant. Add in the tamari or soy sauce, lemon juice, sesame oil, and honey, mix together.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and water until the cornstarch has dissolved. Transfer corn starch and water to the sauce along with the cooked chicken.
Stir until sauce thickens, about 3-4 minutes. Divide between four bowls with rice and broccoli, then top with sliced green onions and sesame seeds.

Recipe Video

Notes

Storage: Store the rice and vegetables in a separate container than the teriyaki chicken. Place them both in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 3 days.

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OTHER HEALTHY RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE

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30 Minutes or Less

Asian Cucumber Salad

By Samantha Russo July 11, 2022

Cool and refreshing Asian cucumber salad! Full of flavor, and easy to throw together in a few simple steps. The perfect side dish or healthy lunch recipe.

overhead image of asian cucumber salad on a plate with a spoon

What You’ll Need To Make Asian Cucumber Salad

Mini Cucumbers – Six mini seedless cucumbers are the star of this recipe. I cut mine into fun little spirals for my salad, but you can simply slice them instead. If slicing, I recommend a mandolin to help slice the cucumbers as thin as possible.

Fresh Ginger – Fresh ginger goes a long way in this Asian cucumber salad! Start by cutting about a 1-inch piece from a knob of whole ginger. Then, peel your ginger with either a spoon or a vegetable peeler. Once peeled, run the ginger along a microplane or the fine side of a box grater.

Rice Vinegar – For a hint of acidity, rice vinegar tastes best. However, if you don’t have any, feel free to use white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar in its place.

Sriracha – While optional, I recommend a tiny drop of sriracha to round out the flavors in this recipe. For a mild version, start with just 1/2 teaspoon. Or, for a spicy Asian cucumber salad, add upwards of 1-2 teaspoons.

close-up image of asian cucumber salad on a plate

How to Cut Cucumbers

Cut 1/4-inch of each end of a mini cucumber.
Place two chopsticks on either side of the cucumber.
Then, make thin (about 1/8-inch) diagonal cuts along the cucumber, stopping when your knife hits the chopsticks.
Flip cucumber over and make the same exact cuts, in the same direction, on the other side.
Lastly, cut each the cucumber in half, then add them to a bowl for this recipe!

Adjust This Recipe To Your Dietary Needs

Make it Gluten-Free: For a 100% gluten-free Asian cucumber salad, use tamari in place of the soy sauce. Tamari tastes just like soy sauce, but unlike soy sauce, is certified gluten-free!

Make it Vegan: Use maple syrup in place of the honey for a completely vegan side dish.

Asian Cucumber Salad

3 from 42 votes

Recipe by Samantha Course: SidesCuisine: AsianDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

5

minutes

Cooking time

0

minutes

Total time

5

minutes

Cool and refreshing Asian cucumber salad! Full of flavor, and easy to throw together in a few simple steps. The perfect side dish or healthy lunch recipe.

Ingredients

6 mini cucumbers, spiralized (see Notes) or thinly sliced
1 teaspoon salt
1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1 garlic clove, peeled and grated
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon sriracha, optional
3 scallions, thinly sliced
pinch of sesame seeds

Directions

Place cucumber in a large bowl and sprinkle with salt, then let sit for 10-15 minutes while you make the dressing.
Whisk together the ginger, garlic, rice vinegar, honey, soy sauce, maple syrup, and sriracha in a small bowl.
Check on the cucumbers, and drain the water that’s gathered at the bottom of the bowl.
Add dressing, scallions, and sesame seeds to the cucumbers and toss to coat. Either serve immediately or let marinate in the fridge for a few hours.

Notes

How to Cut “Spiralized” Cucumber: Cut off each end of a cucumber, then place two chopsticks on either long side of the cucumber. Then, make thin diagonal cuts along the cucumber, stopping when your knife hits the chopsticks. Flip cucumber over and make the same cuts on the other side. Last, slice each cucumber in half, now they’re ready for this recipe!

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30 Minutes or Less

20-Minute Mongolian Chicken

By Samantha Russo June 2, 2022

Quick, easy, and insanely delicious 20-minute mongolian chicken! Inspired by the flavors in your favorite dish from your local Chinese restaurant – comes together in less time than it’d take you to order takeout.

overhead image of mongolian chicken on a plate over cauliflower rice

What You’ll Need To Make Mongolian Chicken

Chicken Breast – Thinly slice two large, boneless and skinless chicken breasts against the grain. Once sliced, it’s ready to use in this recipe! And for extra crispy chicken pieces, we start by coating them in corn starch before cooking. However, if you don’t have any corn starch, you can use arrowroot starch or tapioca starch in its place. Or, you can skip this step altogether!

Scallions – Slice three whole scallions (white and green part) however large or small you’d like. I typically slice mine in 2-inch pieces, since I love biting into large pieces of sautéed scallions in my mongolian chicken.

Ginger – If using fresh, whole ginger, slice off a 1-inch knob of ginger and remove the skin. Then, run your piece of ginger along a microplane grater until its finely grated. Or, to save time, I recommend buying a jar of minced ginger, and using that in this recipe instead!

Soy Sauce – Soy sauce is the classic addition to this Chinese-inspired recipe. However, if gluten-free, use tamari in place of the soy sauce. Or, for a slightly healthier version, use reduced sodium soy sauce instead!

close-up image of mongolian chicken in a skillet

Adjust This Recipe To Your Dietary Needs

Make it Paleo: Turn this into an easy paleo dinner recipe by replacing the corn starch with tapioca starch, and using coconut aminos in place of the soy sauce. Then, serve your cooked chicken over cauliflower rice – yum.

Make it Gluten-Free: For gluten-free mongolian chicken, make sure the corn starch you use is entirely gluten-free, and replace the soy sauce with an equal amount of tamari. Tamari is the gluten-free equivalent to soy sauce, and tastes exactly the same!

overhead image of mongolian chicken in a skillet.

Interested In More Chicken Recipes? Try These!

20-Minute Mongolian Chicken

0 from 0 votes

Recipe by Samantha Course: MainCuisine: ChineseDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

5

minutes

Cooking time

15

minutes

Total time

20

minutes

Quick, easy, and insanely delicious 20-minute mongolian chicken! Inspired by the flavors in your favorite dish from your local Chinese restaurant – comes together in less time than it’d take you to order takeout.

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds chicken breast, thinly sliced
salt, to taste
1/4 cup corn starch, or arrowroot starch
3 tablespoons avocado oil
3 scallions, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1-inch piece fresh ginger, grated
1 tablespoon corn starch
1/2 cup vegetable broth
1/4 cup soy sauce, or tamari if gluten-free

Directions

Season chicken breast with salt, then toss in corn starch to coat.
Heat avocado oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, once hot add in the chicken – cook until golden brown and cooked through. Remove chicken from skillet and set aside.
Lower heat to medium and add in the garlic, ginger, and scallions. Cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
Whisk the corn starch into the vegetable broth, then pour into the skillet along with the soy sauce. Reduce heat to low and simmer until sauce has thickened.
Once thick, add chicken back into the skillet and toss in sauce, then serve.

Recipe Video

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30 Minutes or Less

One-Pan Kung Pao Tofu

By Samantha Russo January 28, 2022

This kung pao tofu will quickly become one of your favorite dinner recipes! One pan and 15 minutes is all you need for this intensely flavorful meal. This kung pao tofu is also entirely vegan, plant-based, and gluten-free!

kung pao tofu on a plate over rice, with sesame seeds on top

What You’ll Need

Extra Firm Tofu – Extra firm tofu is the key to getting it super crispy! It will hold its shapes once cut and cooked, forming these little golden brown nuggets of perfection. Tofu is also the perfect blank canvas to really any recipe! It has very little flavor on its own, but absorbs all the flavors it’s paired with. The tofu in this recipe soaks up all of our delicious kung pao sauce, making it just incredible!

Red and Green Bell Peppers – Two bell peppers give this dish incredible color and brightness! Start by removing the core and any seeds from each pepper. Then, chop them into similarly-sized pieces. Stir fry the bell peppers for only a couple of minutes in the fourth step of this recipe. The goal is to get them tender, while still maintaining their bite.

Unsalted Cashews or Peanuts – You’ll find either cashews or peanuts in most kung pao recipes. They, too, give this overall dish the perfect crunchy texture that pairs beautifully with our smooth and tangy sauce. However, if you don’t like nuts, you can simply leave them out of your kung pao tofu.

Top Tips

Oil your pan well before frying up the tofu. If not enough oil is used, your tofu might stick to the pan – losing that delicious outer, crisp coating!
For an even saucier vegetable stir fry, double the sauce recipe! This kung pao tofu sauce is seriously so good, you’ll practically want to drink it. So don’t skimp on the sauce, and make as much as you’d like!
Feel free to turn this into a kung pao chicken recipe instead! To do this, simply replace the tofu with 2-inch cubes of chicken and cook them in the second step until fully cooked through. Then, use your chicken just as you would the tofu in the remainder of the recipe.

close-up image of kung pao tofu on a plate over rice

Adjust This Recipe To Your Dietary Needs

Make it Gluten-Free: To ensure this recipe is completely gluten-free, use tamari instead of soy sauce. Tamari is the gluten-free equivalent to soy sauce and tastes exactly the same!
Make it Nut-Free: For a nut-free version, simple leave out the cashews or peanuts in this recipe. But if you’d still like that nutty flavor, you can add in a couple tablespoons of sesame seeds instead.

One-Pan Kung Pao Tofu

5 from 3 votes

Recipe by Samantha Course: MainDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

5

minutes

Cooking time

10

minutes

Total time

15

minutes

This kung pao tofu will quickly become one of your favorite dinner recipes! One pan and 15 minutes is all you need for this intensely flavorful meal. This kung pao tofu is also entirely vegan, plant-based, and gluten-free!

Ingredients

For the tofu:
14 ounces extra firm tofu, cut into cubes
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons sesame oil or avocado oil
For the veggies:
3 garlic cloves, minced
2-inch piece ginger, grated
3 scallions, sliced (white and green parts separated)
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 cup raw unsalted cashews or peanuts
For the sauce:
1/4 cup vegetable broth
3 tablespoons soy sauce, use Tamari for gluten-free
1 tablespoon rice vinegar, or white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons corn starch
1 teaspoon sriracha
1 teaspoon sesame oil

Directions

Place cubed tofu in a bowl with cornstarch and toss to evenly coat.
Heat sesame oil in a large pan over medium-high heat, then fry tofu in a single layer for 2-3 minutes per side or until golden brown. Remove cooked tofu and set aside.
Add garlic, ginger, and white parts of scallions to pan and cook for 2-3 minutes or until fragrant.
Add in red and green bell peppers, sauté for 2-3 minutes then place tofu back into pan along with green parts of scallions and cashews or peanuts.
Whisk together all sauce ingredients in a bowl, then pour into pan and reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer until sauce has thickened then serve over rice.