This Teriyaki Chicken Rice Bowl is the perfect weeknight dinner. A cheap healthy meal that uses chicken thighs, rice, and a host of flavorful spices. Topped with avocado and cucumber, this dish is reminiscent of sushi in a bowl. To make this a 30-minute meal, you need to read the secret home chef tip!
Raise your hand if you need more healthy dinners in your life!
I for one definitely do! I love eating healthy weeknight meals, but sometimes it can be hard to get yourself motivated to cook. It’s those nights I tend to reach for the takeout menu for our local pizza joint or decide to head up to the food carts. While this is great, our budget and waistlines can only take in so many burritos and slices of pie!
I love this Teriyaki Chicken Rice Bowl because it just tastes like chicken teriyaki sushi! Kid you not, the flavors of this rice bowl are spot on to sushi. So, if you’re craving sushi, but don’t want to break the budget or go overboard by eating too many rolls, then I’d highly recommend trying this teriyaki chicken rice bowl. It’s a cheap healthy meal that’s simple to make at home.
This recipe is super simple to follow, tasty, and comes together effortlessly.
Recipe Notes for this Teriyaki Chicken Rice Bowl
This rice bowl is made up of three different components – rice, chicken, and vegetables. That’s it!
You start by first cooking your brown rice. Bonus, if you have a microwave you can easily cheat the system and go for one of those quick microwave brown rice packets turning this into a 30-minute meal. If you don’t and you have to cook the rice the traditional way, the brown rice will take around 45-50 minutes to cook. Keep this in mind!
While your rice is cooking, you’ll want to marinade your chicken in the teriyaki sauce. This teriyaki sauce is a healthier version of store-bought, with less sugar and more tastiness. You’ll simply marinade the cut chicken thighs, then cook in a skillet until cooked through and sticky. There are a few options for the sauce in terms of what source of sweetness you use. I either use honey or coconut sugar, but brown sugar is also an option. The sauce does need just a touch of sweetness, and I prefer to use honey over other sweeteners. If using coconut sugar, you’ll need around four teaspoons rather than two teaspoons as indicated in this recipe because it’s less sweet.
It’s time to assemble your rice bowls and eat!
After your chicken is cooked, it’s time to assemble the bowls. I opted for fresh cucumber and avocado and, to make it more like a traditional sushi roll, roughly sliced a sheet of nori and added black sesame seeds. An optional addition is a creamy Sriracha mayo! Totally optional, but certainly delicious. This teriyaki chicken rice bowl tastes good with and without it!
This rice bowl is a great alternative if your favorite take out is sushi and you’re looking for a healthier option. It’s fresh, delicious, and filling so you won’t find yourself hungry hours later! It will absolutely satisfy your cravings while keeping in mind your desire for healthier dinner options.
Ingredients
- 1 cup brown rice (uncooked)
- 2 cup water
- Salt, to taste
- Optional: 1/2 tbsp butter
- 5 chicken thighs, fat removed, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1/4 cup soy sauce, or tamari soy if you have it
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 2 tsp honey/brown sugar or 4 tsp coconut sugar
- 2 tsp fresh ginger
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 tsp white sesame seeds
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 an avocado, sliced
- 1/2 an English cucumber, cut into 3" long slices
- 1 Nori sheet roughly sliced into thin pieces
- Optional garnish: black sesame seeds, green onions, cilantro
- 2 tbsp mayonnaise
- 1 tsp Sriracha
- 1/2 tsp rice wine vinegar
Instructions
- Rinse rice and place in a medium-sized saucepan with water, salt, and butter.
- Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer 45 - 50 minutes, until water has been absorbed. Fluff with a fork.
- Place chicken and teriyaki sauce ingredients in a bowl and mix.
- Set aside 30+ minutes.
- Heat a skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add 1/2 tbsp of olive/grapeseed/coconut oil.
- Add chicken and cook stirring until chicken is cooked through and sauce has started to thicken - about 15 minutes.
- Add a spoonful of rice to a bowl.
- Add chicken to one side, cucumber on the other side, and sliced avocado.
- Garnish with nori, black sesame seeds, green onions, and cilantro.
- If using, drizzle over sriracha mayo.
Notes
Home Chef Tip: To make this a 30-minute meal, use microwave rice packets to save time. If using microwave rice packet, cooking time reduces to 15-20 minutes, and total time reduces to 25-30 minutes.
We hope you enjoy this Teriyaki Chicken Rice Bowl recipe from SoFabFood Home Chef, Georgina from The Home Cook’s Kitchen, as much as we do. If you love this recipe, you can find more like it by visiting our 30-Minute Meals Section. For daily recipe inspiration, subscribe to our newsletter, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Pinterest. Enjoy!
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