🇯🇵 Japanese
FREE PREVIEW
Chicken Teriyaki Donburi
⏱ 25 min
🍞 ~25g (kid-default: ⅓ cup real short-grain rice + teriyaki chicken)
🍽 4 servings
⭐ 5/5
⚠️ Estimates only — not medical advice. Carb counts vary by brand and portion. Always verify with your endo or CDCES.
🌍 Cultural note
"Donburi" literally means "bowl" in Japanese — a one-bowl meal of rice topped with something saucy and protein-rich. Chicken teriyaki donburi (oyakodon's friendlier cousin) is the Japanese equivalent of a comforting weeknight dinner.
Why this recipe is T1D-friendly
- Rice is the carb hot zone — we default to a measured ⅓ cup of real short-grain so the dish stays the dish, just portioned
- Sugar in standard teriyaki is brutal; this version uses monk fruit + a touch of mirin for shine (sauce total: ~3g per serving)
- Heavy protein-to-rice ratio means slower glucose curve
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs, diced (0g)
- 1⅓ cups cooked short-grain or jasmine rice (⅓ cup per serving — see "Rice & base options" below)
- 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce (3g)
- 2 tbsp mirin (8g — yes, a little carb, but it makes the glaze)
- 2 tbsp monk fruit or allulose (0g)
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar (0g)
- 1 tbsp grated ginger (1g)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced (2g)
- 1 tbsp avocado oil (0g)
- 1 tsp cornstarch + 1 tbsp water (slurry) (2g)
- 2 scallions, sliced (2g)
- 1 tsp sesame seeds (0g)
Directions
- Whisk soy sauce, mirin, monk fruit, rice vinegar, ginger, and garlic. Set aside.
- Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high. Add chicken, sear 5-6 min until golden and cooked through.
- Pour sauce over chicken. Simmer 2 min.
- Stir in cornstarch slurry. Cook 1 min until sauce glazes the chicken.
- Portion rice into bowls (this is your bolus decision — see notes below).
- Top with chicken + sauce. Finish with scallions and sesame seeds.
Dash's kid tips 🐆
- Serve in a small bowl — Japanese-style donburi bowls feel "special" and naturally portion the rice
- Let your kid sprinkle the sesame seeds themselves — instant ownership of the meal
- Save extra teriyaki sauce in a squeeze bottle for "kid-decorating" their bowl