Easy Mall Teriyaki Chicken
you can have without sampling the entire food court
I know that you’re guilty.
Guilty of eating enough food court samples at the mall to make it a full appetizer.
At least if you’ve ever visited any of the shopping malls across America in the last decade.
Who can blame you, though?
Being surrounded by good smells, people waving delicious bourbon chicken in your face, and the inevitable hunger after shopping makes it hard to resist.
But I was an even easier target.
I didn’t need the samples to skip the shopping and skip straight over to the spot serving grilled teriyaki chicken.
All I needed was to see the chicken being cooked fresh on a flat-top grill and that nicely sauced chicken being spooned over a generous serving of steamed rice and vegetables.
That was enough to entice me and feel like I was picking the healthier option.
For a while, I genuinely thought it was the healthier option at the food court until I saw this:
Are they the worst nutrition facts when it comes to mall food? No.
Are they great nutrition facts when it comes to high-protein food? Absolutely not.
So while it’s a decent pick if you have to eat something at the food court, it’s not going to help your protein or weight loss goals.
Despite all that, you can’t deny teriyaki chicken of any kind, especially this kind, is freaking delicious.
You’re going to have the craving pop up at some point.
Which is why I’m bringing you a version of this Mall Teriyaki Chicken you can easily make at home.
It’s pretty much the same tender chicken covered in salty, yet sweet sauce that we all know and love.
But with more protein, less fat, and less calories.
This teriyaki chicken also takes less time to make than the usual mall style because there is zero marination time required.
If you want to make it today, you can do that.
All you need is a few ingredients from the Asian section of your grocery store and staples you probably already have.
Next time you find yourself drifting toward the food court for some teriyaki chicken, remember you can make this high-protein option in under 45 minutes.
Or just walk a ton of extra steps around the mall.
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Here are a few notes regarding the recipe:
Use a cast iron pan or wok to brown the chicken if you have one.
Don’t overcrowd the pan when adding your chicken to the pan.
This will ensure that it browns properly.
Resist the urge to stir or move the chicken while it’s searing on each side.
Substitute the mirin with cooking sherry or rice vinegar plus 1-2 tsp sugar.
Don’t add any salt to the rice or vegetables. The chicken and leftover sauce will provide enough flavor.
The calories account for 1/2 cup of cooked rice.
Mall Chicken Teriyaki
42G Protein Per Serving | 456 Calories | 30-40 Minutes | 8 Servings
Ingredient List
Teriyaki Chicken
3 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp mirin
2 tsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp liquid smoke
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp white pepper
1/2 tsp black pepper
3/4 tsp salt
Chicken Sauce
1 1/4 cup chicken bone broth or stock
1/2 cup teriyaki sauce
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tbsp brown sugar substitute (or 2 tbsp zero-calorie sweetener plus molasses)
1 tsp garlic powder
3/4 tsp ginger powder
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
2 tbsp cornstarch
Other Ingredients
Avocado oil spray or cooking spray of choice
3 bags steam-in-bag broccoli florets
4 cups cooked jasmine rice
Cooking Instructions
Start cooking your rice in a pot or rice cooker.
Slice the chicken into rough strips. Add the strips to a large bowl along with all the ingredients under the teriyaki chicken list. Mix well to coat and set aside.
In a pot, combine the ingredients listed under “chicken sauce”. Simmer until slightly thickened and set aside.
Preheat a large pan to medium-high and coat with cooking spray.
Add the chicken and sear on each side for 2-3 minutes until nicely browned.
Pour a few tablespoons of the chicken sauce over the chicken, toss to coat, and remove from the pan. Repeat with the remaining chicken left.
Microwave the broccoli according to package directions.
Spread 1/2 cup of rice across a plate. Top with 1 cup of broccoli and roughly 6 ounces of chicken.
Drizzle with leftover chicken sauce if desired. Then it’s time to eat!
Don’t forget to check out the archive here for other gourmet high-protein recipes.
Eat Well,
Marcus Matkins
God tier macros! Love that it's specifically "mall" teriyaki chicken. It's the comfort food my wife and I look forward to eating when I visit home back in NYC (usually Sarku Japan). Thanks for sharing. Marcus.