Chicken Teriyaki

This is an authentic Japanese chicken teriyaki recipe made with sake. The sake is the key ingredient to making this the most delicious teriyaki sauce ever! I have been eating this since I was a kid, as my mom made it a lot when I was growing up. She got the recipe from a friend of hers, who was from Japan.  This is a really quick dinner, so is great for a weeknight, and also tastes even better the next day if you have leftovers. 

I always make this with organic brown or wild rice and a side of steamed organic broccoli.  The broccoli goes really well with the teriyaki sauce!  I cooked the brown rice in the morning, since it takes about an hour to cook, and just reheated it at dinner time. You can either steam the broccoli in a pan on the stove, or if you are in a hurry, you can just toss the broccoli in a microwave-safe dish with a lid (and add a small amount of water), and cook it in the microwave for about 5 minutes.

Chicken Teriyaki

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 pound organic free-range chicken, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup canola oil
6 Tbsp sake
6 Tbsp organic tamari
3 Tbsp sugar

Directions

1. Place chicken and flour in a large sealable bag and shake until chicken is evenly coated.

2. Heat canola oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken to pan and reduce heat to medium. Cook until cooked through and golden brown.

3. Mix  sake, tamari and sugar together and add mixture to pan.  Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Simmer until sauce thickens (coats spoon).

4. Serve and enjoy!

What are the nutritional benefits of this meal? Chicken is an excellent source of protein and is rich in B vitamins. Brown rice is unrefined, so contains it's original abundance of iron, zinc, manganese, selenium, antioxidants and fiber. Broccoli is packed with vitamins C and K, and is also a good source of folate and calcium.