The first time I had Teriyaki chicken, I was 9 or 10 years old and living in Hawaii. My family hadn’t been living on the island long, and we had been trying out all the new tastes and treats of our new paradise home. My mom received a frozen box of Teriyaki patties from somewhere, and so she cooked it up for dinner.
When she pulled that pattie out of that box, broiled it up. . .WE WERE ALL HOOKED. The saltiness mixed with the sweet. . .and how it carmalized when she cooked it. It was Salsbury Steak on STEROIDS. I think we had those patties every night for 3 months straight. And. . .every member of my family, loved every night of it.
It was divine.
Sometimes we think we need to be master chefs to have a nice meal. Or that everything needs to be cooked from scratch. But what makes a perfect meal is the love that you put into it (filling it with flavors that you dream about) not the time spent, or the help you got by using grocery store convenience items.
This humble meal seems quite opulent when plated, but is quite demure in it’s preparation. Such a winner for it’s ease and lack of effort, and a keeper because it comforts the soul and fills the belly.
It’s a step up from my humble teriyaki patty beginnings, but just as easy and delightful to make.
Want to see the live action version? Check out my Youtube video here. . .
Teriyaki Chicken and Coconut-Lemon Cilantro Rice Bowl
For the Teriyaki Chicken:
Ingredients:
- Frozen Chicken Tenderloins
- Cooking Spray
- Season All, or your favorite seasoning
- Teriyaki Marinade (I used store brand , nothing fancy)
- Your fave Barbecue Sauce (I like Sweet Baby Ray’s ), optional
For the Cilantro-Lemon Coconut Rice
- *3 Cups rice (I like medium grain)
- 1 can coconut milk
- 2 cups water
- I bunch cilantro, chopped finely
- 2 TB lemon juice
- Salt, to taste (about 1/3 tsp)
Directions:
- Pre-heat oven to 375.
- In a shallow oven safe pan, place your frozen chicken tenderloins (I used aluminum foil to cover the pan for easy clean up). Spray both sides of the chicken with cooking oil, and then season lightly with Season All, or your favorite seasoning.
- Drizzle to coat Teriyaki marinade onto the tenderloins. Place in oven and cook for 30 minutes.
- During the last 8 minutes of chicken cooking time, remove the tenderloins from the oven, and drizzle lightly with barbecue sauce. Place back in oven for remainder of time.
- While the chicken is cooking, make the rice. Rinse rice according to package directions. Add to Rice Cooker and pour in 1 can of coconut milk. Add 2 cups of water, and 1/3 tsp of salt. Stir. Close lid and turn on rice cooker and cook until done.
- Once the rice has completed cooking, add the chopped cilantro and lemon juice. Add 1 TB at a time, to your liking. You may want a subtle tang, or you may like little bit more punch like me. Add more salt, if desired. Serve with Teriyaki Chicken! Enjoy!
*I almost always use a Medium Grain rice. I do this because it has a softer texture, and it doesn’t turn hard once refrigerated. Just a personal choice, but I makes for a wonderful quality in a rice, especially if serving in lunches or in salads.
**I’ve been making this rice since 2010. I love it so much. Check out my 2010 Basmati Rice version, it has more subtle flavors.
