TERIYAKI CHICKEN BENTO BOXES
Make dinnertime fun with these homemade teriyaki chicken bento boxes! Enjoy a combination of teriyaki chicken on rice with dumplings, edamame beans and sesame slaw.
The teriyaki chicken is oven baked for maximum simplicity, given there are a few different components to prepare for this meal. It’s still saucy, sticky and delicious though!
While that cooks, prepare the slaw, rice and edamame, and quickly pan fry some dumplings.
Dumplings might not be a traditional addition to bento boxes, but they make a quicker, easier alternative to tempura veggies.
If you don’t have bento boxes at home, you can use an assortment of small dishes instead, or just pop everything together on individual serving plates.
TERIYAKI CHICKEN BENTO BOXES
Make dinnertime fun with these homemade teriyaki chicken bento boxes! Enjoy a combination of teriyaki chicken on rice with dumplings, edamame beans and sesame slaw.
Ingredients
TERIYAKI CHICKEN
- 600 g boneless, skinless chicken thighs (1lb 5oz)
- 2 Tbsp water
- 1 1/2 Tbsp cornflour
- 3 Tbsp cooking sake
- 3 Tbsp mirin
- 3 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 1/2 Tbsp brown sugar
TO SERVE
- 400 g herb coleslaw (without dressing) (14oz)
- 3 Tbsp roasted sesame dressing
- 3-4 Tbsp sliced pickled ginger
- 3 Tbsp soy sauce
- 2 x 250 g microwave pouches brown rice (8.8oz)
- 1 cup frozen edamame beans (whole) (125g)
- 2 tsp sesame seeds
DUMPLINGS
- 2 tsp peanut oil
- 250 g frozen pork dumplings (8.8oz)
Instructions
MAKE TERIYAKI CHICKEN
Preheat oven to 190ºC (375ºF) fan bake. Dice chicken into roughly 2cm / 0.8in pieces, season with salt and pepper and place in a medium-sized roasting dish. Whisk water and cornflour together in a small-medium bowl. Whisk in sake, mirin, soy sauce and sugar. Pour over the chicken and stir to combine. Bake for 20 minutes, stirring halfway through, until chicken is cooked and sauce is thick and sticky.
PREPARE SERVING INGREDIENTS
Prepare dishes for serving - you can place a number of small dishes (6 per person) on plates or trays, or use store-bought bento boxes. Alternatively, just mix everything together on one plate (less dishes!). Plate up the slaw and drizzle generously with dressing. Divide ginger and soy sauce between small serving dishes.
COOK DUMPLINGS
Drizzle oil in a large non-stick frying pan, then add the dumplings. Add water to one third of the height of the dumplings. Cover with a lid, turn heat to high and cook for 5 minutes, until water has evaporated. Uncover, reduce heat to low and cook for 3-5 more minutes, until dumplings are golden underneath and cooked through.
Microwave rice according to instructions on packet. Microwave edamame for 1-2 minutes, until warmed through.
SERVE
Place dumplings, rice and edamame into separate individual serving dishes. Top rice with teriyaki chicken and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve!
Recipe Notes
WINE MATCH: A Sauvignon Blanc.
GLUTEN-FREE OPTION: Make sure cornflour, cooking sake and mirin are gluten-free. Cooking sake can be swapped for dry sherry. Use gluten-free soy sauce. Use gluten-free dumplings if you can find them, or omit these from the recipe. Make sure dressing is gluten-free, otherwise swap for your favourite gluten-free dressing.
INGREDIENT SWAPS / NOTES: Chicken could be swapped for tofu or salmon (reduce cooking time by 5 minutes). You can use dry sherry or Chinese cooking wine instead of sake.
STORING AND REHEATING: Chicken, dumplings, edamame and rice can be stored together and reheated in the microwave. Assemble the remainder of the ingredients just before serving.
