We LOVE Asian food — but I rarely have the special ingredients in the house to make these delicious foods… and I’ve learned the hard way that there aren’t many substitutes for the blend of spices and seasonings that make Asian food taste, well, Asian.
So most of the time, I just use Soy Sauce and call it good… Dave and I don’t mind the difference!
However, the other night, I was in a pinch because our plans changed at the last minute and I didn’t have dinner ready. My first reaction was just to make sandwiches or a frozen pizza, but then I remembered that I had already defrosted some chicken and had several boxes of Green Giant veggies in the freezer (I can get them free or almost free when they go on sale).
Within minutes {literally about 15 minutes total} I whipped up this super simple and extremely delicious semi-homemade Chicken Teriyaki.
We all had seconds, and it even got Sarah’s approval!
Recipe for Chicken Teriyaki:
Ingredients {for about 4 servings}
- 2-3 small chicken breasts; chopped into bite-size pieces
- 2 boxes Teriyaki Vegetables; frozen
- Extra Soy Sauce and Sesame Seeds(optional)
Directions
- Heat olive oil or vegetable oil in a large skillet and cook chicken until no longer pink
- Meanwhile, “steam” the veggies in the microwave for HALF the time called for on the box
- Once the chicken pieces are cooked, add the half-cooked veggies to the pan and continue sautéing over medium heat.
- Add extra soy sauce as needed and sprinkle with sesame seeds if desired.
- Serve over rice, noodles, or eat it as-is.
And THAT’S “fast food”!
If you’re intimidated by Asian cuisine, this might just be the perfect “recipe” to try… especially since you don’t have to worry about mixing the seasonings just right or buying expensive ingredients that will end up sitting in your pantry for months.
Do you have any simple Asian recipes?
Visit my virtual recipe box for more simple, delicious, family friendly, recipes!
Tricia says
Made this recipe tonight and it was really good! And the best part was how quick and easy it was to make! Thank you so much!!!
Aa. says
I love asian food too! I have some easy asian recipes, and they go like this:
-put some olive oil and a small garlic into a pan
-add chicken/pork (usually the first choice for our family) and sote untill almost cooked (I always use ginger in the recipe)
-add veggies/ fruits and sote them
-add soy sauce, than add a mixture of 1 tea spoon of flour, 3-4 or even 5-6 big spoons of wather and a little bit of sugar and vinegar, just a hint.
Soy sauce mixture and ginger are the must haves in our family in asian food. As vegetables, we use any combination of vegetables we have in the house (onion and carrots always go in the recipe, because we always have them on hand; we also use eggplants, zucchini, pineaple, mushrooms, etc). We serve them over simple rice, because the sauce already has a lot of spices.
Debra Kapellakis says
WOW! That is so cool! BRAVO!
Shannon says
I will definitely have to try this! My daughters love teriyaki chicken and I’ve been afraid to try it from scratch on my own. Thanks for posting this!
Ann says
The reason I have given up on frozen vegies for stir-fry is the overly-cooked mushy broccoli! When I look at this picture, I am sure it tastes good but it is begging for some freshly stir-fried broccoli that isn’t cooked to death! I say, buy a bottle of teriyaki sauce or add some white wine, white sugar, and garlic to your soy sauce and stick with fresh veggies!
Cathy says
Sounds great – I like Asian food and can never get the seasoning right. Will definitely give this a try. Also – thanks for the printable recipe!!
Doreen says
Great idea! I know what you mean about buying all the ingredients and rarely using them again. I speak from experience ;).
LL, teriyaki veggies typically have Asian spices dominated by soy sauce.
L.L. says
what are teryiaki vegetables?