Chicken Teriyaki Tacos
I will admit that although we love tacos, Tuesday Taco Night isn’t really a thing around our house. It just worked out Tuesday night because grilled chicken is definitely a weekly event. The grilled chicken is really for me and usually happens Monday or Tuesday night when I grill extra to have for lunch and maybe another dinner during the week. But here is the problem, sometime I get “the look” when I say dinner will be grilled chicken (again). Plus, it’s pretty easy to fall into the habit of always serving it with rice or quinoa and grilled veggies or a salad. The expression on my guys’ faces Tuesday clearly said the thrill of the grill – at least with chicken – was gone. That’s a problem, I love the leftovers and the many possibilities of chili, casseroles, and soups that those leftovers provide. The breakdown was that it was time to get creative and how about this – we had Chicken Teriyaki Taco Night! It worked! They loved it! Maybe it was the fresh pineapple or the pretty vegetables. Maybe it was the Teriyaki sauce that just involved reserving half of the marinade I always make and heating it up. Or maybe, and I do believe this, it was the lure of the taco. When you give people the chance to roll up their food in a tidy little package, somehow it becomes irresistible! Go figure. The best part was that it was pretty much a complete meal with protein, plus veggies, fruit, and even healthy carbs. I guess you could make rice or beans, but why? It’s a little more trouble to cut up the chicken – maybe 2 minutes and thread it on skewers – another 2 minutes, but totally worth it from a presentation and entertainment aspect. I may be wrong, but I think a lot of us want to eat healthy items – like grilled chicken and veggies, but still want to please family and friends. This one is a guarantee on both counts. Enjoy a Teriyaki Taco night very soon. It will make you happy!
Chicken Teriyaki Tacos
Ingredients
1½ lb chicken breasts, cut in cubes (about an inch or two each)
Fresh pineapple cubes (buy in a package in produce section – or buy a pineapple and make your own!)
1 red pepper cut into 1-inch pieces
1 yellow pepper cut into 1-inch pieces
I red onion, peeled and quartered
Tools: wooden or metal skewers (Soak wooden ones in water so they don’t burn.)
Marinade
½ cup brown sugar
1 cup soy sauce
1 cup sherry
1 Tbsp sesame oil
2 -3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp ginger, chopped
Optional: 1 or 2 pineapple cubes, chopped fine
To make sauce – 1 Tbsp cornstarch
To serve: flour tacos, Teriyaki sauce, and optional garnishes such as sesame seeds, cilantro, avocado, hot chili paste – anything you like on a taco!
Directions
Combine all ingredients for marinade.
Add half to a large bowl or plastic bag to marinate chicken and half to a small sauce pan to make Teriyaki sauce.
Marinate chicken for at least an hour and up to 3 hours.
Light grill or oven broiler.
Skewer chicken alternating with pieces of vegetables and pineapple.
Grill or broil skewers, flipping after a couple of minutes, until chicken is just done and vegetables begin to brown – about 8 minutes.
To make Teriyaki sauce, heat reserved marinade to a boil, lower heat and stir in cornstarch dissolved in 2 Tbsp water until thickened – about 1 minute.
Pour a little over the sauce over the chicken, sprinkle with sesame seeds if desired, and serve with tacos and garnishes of choice.
Happy Taco Night!
