These teriyaki chicken lettuce wraps are crunchy, umami, and sweet. A great meal for lunch or meal prep. They’re low-calorie, low-carb, dairy-free, and high-protein.
Teriyaki chicken is a staple menu item at most Asian restaurants. While it’s tempting to keep ordering it to bring home, why not consider making it yourself?
Making healthy chicken teriyaki at home is quite simple. It’s even better when it’s made in a healthy matter and served in a fresh, crisp lettuce wrap.
In fact, each wrap is less than 200 calories. Plus, there are 22 grams of protein per serving. They are also low in carbs and only have about 7 grams of carbs per serving.
These lettuce wraps are delicious and will leave you feeling full in a good way. The ingredients are straightforward, and the recipe itself is relatively easy to make.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Chicken breasts (1 lb) – Chicken breasts are a great source of low-fat protein.
Olive oil (1 tsp) – It prevents food from sticking to the cooking pan and develops a rich flavor while cooking.
Soy sauce (1/4 cup) – Soy sauce is a critical ingredient in teriyaki sauce. If you are eating a gluten-free diet, you can use tamari or coconut aminos instead.
Water (1/4 cup)
Honey (1 tbsp) – Honey is one of nature’s best sweeteners. It’s a healthy way to add the sweetness that makes the sauce so delicious.
Rice vinegar (1 tbsp) – Rice vinegar is one of the pantry ingredients you didn’t know you needed so badly. It provides an unmatchable sweet, tangy flavor that is great in many sauces and dressings.
Cornstarch (1 tbsp) – Cornstarch is going to be the ingredient that helps thicken the teriyaki sauce. You will need it to create the chicken mixture together and not become a leaky mess in the lettuce wrap.
Sesame oil (1 tsp) – Sesame oil is another essential component of the sauce. A slight amount of sesame oil goes a long way, but it develops a fantastic, rich flavor.
Ginger (2 tsp) – Fresh ginger (especially paired with garlic) is a great way to establish the authentic Asian taste you want from this dish.
Garlic (2 cloves) – It has immune-boosting properties and brings an incredible amount of flavor to the dish.
Lettuce – You’ll want to find large leaf lettuce for this recipe. For example, spring mix and spinach won’t work. Sweet gem, romaine, Baby bib, and cabbage leaves are great options.
Sesame seeds (1 tsp) – Not only do sesame seeds make a great garnish by adding texture to the wraps, but they are really good for you.
Green onion – Green onions are often used as a final garnish for that extra pop of flavor. You could also use chives or another fresh, green herb as a garnish, as well.
How to Make Teriyaki Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Step 1. First, we will make the sauce. You will need to combine the soy sauce, honey, vinegar, cornstarch, water, sesame oil, ginger, and garlic.
Simply mix the items together in a small bowl and set the bowl aside.
Step 2. Then you will need to cook the chicken. Drizzle cooking oil into a hot pan. Now add the chicken and mix it around the pan. Each side of the chicken pieces should start to brown a little bit.
Step 3. Pour the sauce over the pan and keep the pan on medium-high heat. The teriyaki sauce will start to thicken as it heats up and simmers.
Step 4. Toss the sauce and chicken together so that the chicken is evenly coated.
Step 5. Now, lay out all of your lettuce leaves so that it’s easy to scoop each chicken portion into them.
Scoop the chicken teriyaki into the lettuce leaves. Finally, garnish the chicken with sesame seeds and green onions.
Is Teriyaki Chicken Healthy For You?
Whether or not teriyaki chicken is good for you really depends on who and how it’s being cooked. This recipe assures you that the chicken is healthy and a great addition to your diet.
If you order teriyaki chicken at a restaurant, it might have some ingredients that could warrant it unhealthy. Even some frozen options might yield the same results.
When in doubt, it’s always best to either make it yourself or do your research before buying pre-made teriyaki chicken.
What Goes Well With Chicken Teriyaki?
These wraps will go great on their own, or you could pick a fun side to go with them.
You could also add some steamed cauliflower rice to the wraps. Or even sauteed vegetables like sliced bell peppers and onions.
Chicken teriyaki would also go really well with healthy noodle options like zucchini noodles or rice ramen noodles like these.
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Teriyaki Chicken Lettuce Wraps (Low Calorie)
Ingredients
Chicken
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts diced
- 1 tsp olive oil
Teriyaki Sauce
- 1/4 cup soy sauce preferably low sodium
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 2 tsp fresh ginger grated
- 2 cloves of garlic minced
For serving
- Sweet gem lettuce
- 1 tsp sesame seeds
- green onion sliced
Instructions
- Start by combining soy sauce, water, honey, rice vinegar, sesame oil, cornstarch, ginger, and garlic in a bowl.
- Now, heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add in chicken and cook it for 5 minutes on one side. After, flip the chicken with a spatula and cook for additional 3 minutes. The chicken should be slightly brown.
- Pour the sauce into the skillet and cover all the chicken. Lower the heat and cook for another 3-5 minutes until the sauce thickens up.
- Layout your sweet gem lettuce leaves and fill them up with teriyaki chicken.
- Top with sesame seeds and green onion.