Teriyaki Chicken Stir Fry

A delicious stir fry recipe from the Paleo Running Momma blog! Having all your ingredients prepped before starting is a must for this one. Purchasing matchstick carrots, pre-cut peppers, and pre-cut broccoli florets can help cut down on kitchen time tremendously. To make the sauce, just throw all your ingredients into a blender and you're done. Last, dice your chicken and coat with salt, pepper, arrowroot or tapioca flour, and coconut aminos. Now you're ready to heat up your skillet or wok and quickly cook a delicious Teriyaki Chicken Stir Fry meal!  I ended up quadrupling the chicken and vegetables, but decided just to triple the sauce, which was a mistake. The sauce amount is a perfect ratio for the meal and will thicken up and reduce once heated up. I worked in 4-5 batches for the chicken and ended up using my Instant Pot on sauté mode to cook all of the vegetables at once. I tend to do that a lot since I typically cook 3-5 times the amount the original recipe calls for. Like all of the Paleo Running Momma recipes I have tried, this one turned out tasty! 

​Teriyaki Chicken Stir Fry
Ingredients:
Sauce:

• 2 medjool dates pitted or 2 Tbsp raw honey, melted (honey is paleo but not Whole30 compliant*)
• 1/4 cup very hot water use 2 Tbsp water if not using whole dates
• 1/4 cup coconut aminos
• 2 Tbsp rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
• 2 tsp sesame oil optional
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 1 tsp fresh grated ginger
• 1 tsp arrowroot starch or tapioca

Chicken:

• 1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs sliced into bite size pieces
• Sea salt and black pepper
• 2 tsp arrowroot or tapioca flour
• 1 tbsp coconut aminos
• 1 Tbsp avocado oil

Veggies:

• 1 Tbsp avocado oil
• 1 large bell pepper thinly sliced
• 1 large or two medium carrots, peeled and cut into matchsticks (juliennned)
• 3 scallions white and green parts separated, thinly sliced
• 1 1/2 cups broccoli florets blanched**

Directions:

1. Have the ingredients prepped before beginning since everything will cook quickly.
2. Begin by mixing the sauce. If using medjool dates, use a small high speed blender to blend together the dates, water, coconut aminos and rice vinegar. Then stir in the sesame oil, garlic, ginger, and arrowroot. If using date syrup or honey, you can simply whisk the ingredients together in a bowl. Set aside.
3. Place the chicken pieces on a cutting board or in a large bowl and sprinkle all over with the salt, pepper, and arrowroot, then drizzle with the coconut aminos and toss to coat.
4. Heat a large non stick skillet or wok over medium high heat and add one tablespoon of the oil. Once sizzling, add the chicken in a single layer and let them cook for a minute or until browned. Stir and cook the chicken for another 2 minutes or until fully cooked and golden brown all over. Remove to a plate and set aside.
5. Add one tablespoon of oil to cook the veggies and keep the heat on medium high. Add the white scallions, carrots and peppers and cook, stirring often, for 1-2 minutes or until barely fork tender.
6. Add the blanched broccoli to the skillet followed by the cooked chicken and sauce. Stir to coat the chicken and veggies in the sauce. The sauce should thicken right away, cook another 30 seconds to heat through and combine flavors. Serve hot, over fried cauliflower rice or alone. Enjoy!

Notes:
*You can also sub in 2 Tbsp date paste or date syrup if you prefer. If you’re not using whole dates, use just 2 Tbsp water.
**Blanch the broccoli by steaming, scalding in boiling water, or microwaving. The broccoli should be bright green.

Original recipe found here