Meal Prep Chicken Teriyaki Broccoli

Name: Healthy Chicken Teriyaki
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 ¼ lb Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast (cut into bite-sized pieces); 1 tablespoon Low Sodium Soy Sauce (or coconut aminos); ¼ cup Low Sodium Soy Sauce (or coconut aminos); ¼ tablespoon Salt (or rice wine vinegar); ¼ teaspoon Pepper; 3 tablespoons Cornstarch (or arrowroot powder); ¼ cup Water; 3 tablespoons Honey; 1 tablespoon Rice Wine Vinegar; 2 tablespoons Garlic (minced); 1 tablespoon Ginger (minced); ¼ tablespoon Red Pepper Flakes; 1 ½ cups Broccoli Florets (sliced small); 1 cup Carrots (sliced in coins); 1 cup Snap Peas; 3 Green Onions (chopped and divided in half)

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Skip the takeout and make this Healthy Chicken Teriyaki at home instead! It comes together in half an hour, packs 34 grams of protein, and has fewer than 290 calories.

Quick Summary: Healthy Chicken Teriyaki

Why Make This Recipe: Coating the chicken in cornstarch before searing locks in moisture while a second pinch thickens the sauce into a glossy glaze for a healthy dinner that cooks in one pan.
Nutrition: 291 calories, 34 grams of protein, 3 grams of fiber
Diet: Low-Calorie, High-Protein
Time: 30 minutes
Method: Stovetop stir-fry
Best for: Craving takeout but prefer to cook at home, quick dinners, busy weeknights
Tip: Don’t overcrowd the skillet or the chicken and veggies will steam instead of brown. If needed, cook this dish in batches to avoid overcrowding.

At the end of a long day, the temptation to order takeout is real, but you can make a healthy meal that’s better than takeout in just 30 minutes. This healthy chicken teriyaki recipe comes together in less time than it would take you to pick up takeout, and it has a fraction of the calories and sugar.

It’s sweetened with a touch of honey and cooked in just a bit of oil, so it’s low-calorie while still packing in over 30 grams of protein. You’ll feel full, satisfied, and happy that you cooked a healthy dinner at home!

If you like easy low calorie meals, you will love my salmon with zucchini recipe and this jalapeno lime chicken recipe!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Better Than Takeout: Stir-fry takeout dishes are loaded with excessive calories and sugar that don’t keep you feeling satisfied long after dinner. This chicken teriyaki has fewer calories and less sugar, but it tastes just as good as dinner out.
Ready in Only 30 Minutes: Sometimes we just need a quick meal after a busy day.
Packed with Veggies: Rather than your typical stir-fry with a few tiny shards of carrot and onion, this teriyaki is packed with broccoli florets, whole snap peas, and carrot coins.

Ingredients

Chicken Breast: Use skinless, boneless chicken breasts cut into uniform 1-inch cubes so the chicken cooks evenly at the same rate.
Soy Sauce: This recipe is naturally higher in sodium, so use low-sodium soy sauce to reduce the total amount. If you want to avoid soy, try making my stir-fry sauce without soy instead.
Cornstarch: Coating the chicken in cornstarch, also called velveting, helps lock in the moisture and protect it from high heat. This results in tender, juicy pieces of chicken in your teriyaki. It also helps thicken the sauce.
Honey: A good teriyaki sauce needs a little bit of sweetener, and honey is the perfect natural sweetener for this Asian-inspired sauce.
Garlic & Ginger: Fresh, minced garlic and ginger work best for this recipe. You can use jarred garlic or ginger as well, but I don’t recommend using ground, dry powders.
Broccoli, Carrots, & Snap Peas: Cut broccoli florets into small pieces and use carrots cut into even coins so you can taste the veggies in the teriyaki. You can use frozen broccoli, but fresh is better so it cooks up tender but still crisp.

See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.

Variations & Dietary Modifications

Make It Gluten-Free: Most soy sauces contain gluten, so if you need this recipe to be gluten-free, use a gluten-free tamari soy sauce or coconut aminos instead.
Use More or Different Veggies: One of the best things about a stir-fry is how versatile it is. You can add more vegetables or substitute the ones in this recipe for whatever you have on hand. Try it with bok choy, green beans, mushrooms, bell pepper, or peas.
Try a Different Protein: Substitute the chicken for another protein like shrimp, tofu or ground beef, like in my ground beef stir-fry.
Vegetarian: Swap out the chicken for tofu instead.

How to Make Healthy Chicken Teriyaki

This healthy chicken teriyaki stir-fry is the perfect weeknight dinner because it’s ready in just 30 minutes. Chop and prepare the chicken and veggies before you start cooking, because the cooking process goes very quickly.

Chicken with spices and cornstarch in a bowl.

Step 1: Season the Chicken. Place your chicken pieces in a medium bowl with 1 tablespoon of the soy sauce, salt, and pepper. Stir to coat the chicken. Then sprinkle 1 teaspoon of cornstarch over the chicken and stir it again to coat the chicken in it.

Ingredients to make the teriyaki sauce in a bowl.

Step 2: Create the Sauce. Whisk together the remaining soy sauce, water, honey, rice vinegar, garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes, and remaining cornstarch in a small dish until they are combined and smooth.

Step 3: Sear the Chicken. Spray a large nonstick skillet or wok with cooking oil and heat it over medium-high heat. Once the oil starts to shimmer, add the chicken pieces in a single, even layer. Let it cook undisturbed for 2-3 minutes, then turn the chicken over and cook for another 2-3 minutes to develop a sear.

Step 4: Add Broccoli and Carrots. Add the carrots and broccoli to the skillet and toss to combine them with the chicken. Cook them for 5 minutes.

Step 5: Pour in the Sauce. After 5 minutes, add the snap peas and the sauce to the skillet. Stir until the chicken and veggies are well coated. Then cook the stir-fry until the sauce thickens and appears glossy. This should take about 2-4 minutes.

The sauce and green onions added to the chicken and veggies.

Step 6: Add Green Onions. Stir in half of the green onions and toss to combine them into the stir-fry. Let it cook for another minute, then remove it from the heat and serve with the remaining green onions sprinkled over the top. Serve with a side of brown rice or some healthy fried rice.

Expert Tips

Prep Everything Before Cooking: This chicken teriyaki stir-fry cooks very quickly, so be sure to chop up the chicken and the vegetables before you turn on the stove. You won’t have time to cut ingredients while the chicken is cooking.
Don’t Overcrowd the Pan: Be sure the chicken is arranged in a single layer with a bit of space in the pan. If it’s overcrowded, the chicken will steam instead of sear. You may need to sear it in batches to avoid overcrowding.
Avoid Stirring Too Frequently: While it’s tempting to stir the chicken occasionally while it cooks, it’s important to leave it alone. The chicken needs 2-3 minutes to develop a sear to lock in the flavor and moisture. Stirring too much will result in dry, chewy chicken.

A bowl filled with rice and chicken teriyaki.

Storage Directions

Storing: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You can also freeze this chicken teriyaki, without any rice, for 3 months.
Reheating: It’s best to reheat this dish in a skillet on the stove until the chicken is warmed up to 165°F. The chicken tends to dry out and turn tough in the microwave. Be sure to thaw frozen leftovers for 24 hours in the refrigerator before reheating them.

Serving Suggestions

Next time that takeout craving hits, make this easy and healthy chicken teriyaki instead. It will keep you feeling satisfied long after dinner, and it’s a fraction of the calories from a takeout stir-fry. You can enjoy this teriyaki on its own or serve it over rice or with a side salad for some extra veggies.

This chicken teriyaki tastes amazing served over a bed of rice, quinoa or barley. For a low carb option, you can also serve it over cauliflower rice or a mix of rice and cauliflower rice.
One of my favorite takeout sides is lettuce wraps, so if I’m extra hungry I will make a side of chicken lettuce wraps to have with my dinner and leftovers.
Get an extra serving of veggies by making an Asian-inspired salad, like this Asian-style broccoli orange salad or this low-calorie Asian salad to go with your dinner.

Healthy Chicken Teriyaki Recipe FAQs

How do I lower the sodium in my teriyaki stir-fry sauce?

There are 1,372mg of sodium per serving in this dish, but you can lower it by substituting half of the soy sauce for water or a low-sodium broth. You could also use coconut aminos instead of soy sauce because it is naturally lower in sodium. If it’s still a concern, you can skip the additional salt in the recipe.

Can I make my healthy chicken teriyaki without honey?

You can make this chicken teriyaki without honey, but the sauce won’t taste the same. The honey balances the saltiness of the soy sauce and adds body, so without it the sauce turns thin and sharp. If you want less sugar, cut the honey to 2 tablespoons and add an extra splash of rice vinegar rather than leaving it out entirely.

Why isn’t my healthy chicken teriyaki sauce thickening?

If your sauce isn’t thickening there may be a lot of excess moisture or the sauce hasn’t reached a simmer to activate the cornstarch. Be sure the sauce is simmering so it can thicken. If it becomes too thick add a splash of water or low-sodium broth to thin it back out.