Chicken Teriyaki Taco Recipe

The chicken teriyaki taco combines the beloved umami Teriyaki chicken with a warm tortilla, resulting in a delicious fusion creation. This recipe is an easy and healthy meal to make.

Jump to:

• ✅  Why This Recipe Works
• 🍎 Calories and Nutrition – Is It Healthy 
• 📋 Ingredient Notes
• 📖 Substitutions and Variations
• 🔪 Step by Step Instructions 
• 💭 Recipe FAQs
• 💡 Expert Tips
• 🍽 What To Eat It With
• 🍳 Recipe

✅  Why This Recipe Works

Easy to make – No hours of prepping and chopping needed. Once you’re ready to make the tacos, it will take 20 minutes to put them together.

Flavorful and well-balanced – By utilizing traditional Teriyaki marinade ingredients for the chicken and expert cooking techniques, you can make delicious a chicken teriyaki taco with fresh ingredients from home at a fraction of the cost 

Low in calories and macro-optimized – This recipe was specially developed by yours truly to be low-calorie and macro-friendly, so you can enjoy this delicious healthy taco without getting off track on your fitness goals

🍎 Calories and Nutrition – Is It Healthy 

Most tacos will generally run at about 200 calories each, where most of the calories come from the tortilla and there tends to not be enough protein content. By making a few tweaks, I’m able to keep the calorie content low, increase the protein content, and make a more satiating meal. 

This recipe for 4 chicken teriyaki tacos comes in at 404 calories with 45 grams of protein, 26 grams of fat, and 39 grams of carbs.

Here’s what I did to make it healthier:

• Portion amount the chicken used – I used a 6 ounces of chicken in this recipe, which adds enough protein content to the dish while being at a manageable calorie level
• Use a low-calorie tortilla – Traditional tortillas are typically 100 calories a piece. Thankfully, low-calorie taco tortillas are now a staple at the grocery store, running at only 25 calories each. My favorite is the Mission tortilla brand.
• Portioned the marinade ingredients mindfully – Most of the marinade ingredients are relatively low, but it’s still important to keep portion control in mind. I used a portioned amount of this so that the marinade still has the right flavor without breaking the calorie budget.
• Omitted high-fat toppings – I omitted high-fat toppings and sauces from the tacos, such as sour cream and mayo-based sauces. 
• Omitted usage of oil – I used cooking spray instead of traditional cooking oil, which saves about 120 calories that are largely from fat

For a detailed breakdown of each ingredient, their portioning, and how they make up the nutrition profile of this chicken teriyaki taco recipe, you may refer to the table below:

📋 Ingredient Notes

To make the chicken teriyaki taco, you will need the following ingredients.

Chicken – I used boneless skinless chicken thighs for lean protein with optimal juiciness. You can also use chicken breast if you prefer, but chicken thigh tends to be much juicier.

Teriyaki Sauce – Key ingredients for the teriyaki marinade include soy sauce, mirin, and sugar. Traditional recipes also tend to use sake, but I omitted it here.

Low-Carb Taco Tortillas – I used a low-calorie flour tortilla from Mission Tortilla, which is only about 25 calories each. I use flour because of personal preference, but they also sell a corn version as well. 

Cheese – I served these tacos with a portioned amount of cheese. I used pepper jack but you can use any cheese you desire. Oaxacan cheese, mozzarella cheese, and cheddar would also work.

See my recipe card below for a complete list of the ingredients with measurements.

📖 Substitutions and Variations

Use low-carb corn tortillas – You can also opt to use low-carb corn tortillas from Mission taco if you prefer corn tortillas.

Mix and match the toppings – Korean pear, green onions, and radishes are some good topping options. 

Use beef – Beef would also be a great protein source for this chicken teriyaki taco. Check out my kalbi taco recipe as a starting point, and use the marinade from this recipe to make. 

Switch up the cheese – If you prefer cheese in your taco, feel free to add a portion size of cheese. Oaxacan cheese is a personal favorite of mine, especially Mexican food. It has a similar consistency to Mozzarella cheese. Feel free to use any type of cheese you’d like.

🔪 Step by Step Instructions 

Make the marinade – Add the onion, sugar, mirin, and soy sauce into a bowl and stir together thoroughly. 

Prepare the chicken – Cut the chicken into small, bite-size pieces, trimming off the excess fat. Add the chicken pieces into the bowl with the marinade and mix together thoroughly. Let marinade for 30 minutes or overnight. 

Prepare the taco toppings – When you’re about ready to make the tacos and the meat has been fully marinated, prepare the taco toppings. Mince the onion and green onion into small pieces, slice the radish and pear, and set aside. Also, set aside the tortillas you are using at this point.

Cook the chicken – Heat a cast iron skillet or grill pan over the stove to medium-high heat. Place the chicken pieces in a single layer and cook for about 3-4 minutes on each side. 

Toast the tortilla – Use a skillet set to medium to high heat to lightly toast the tortilla for about 30 seconds on each side.

Assemble the taco – Lay the tortilla out on a flat surface, then add the chicken, cheese, and toppings in that order. Serve and enjoy your chicken tacos!

💭 Recipe FAQs

💡 Expert Tips

If you don’t have time to marinade – Cook the chicken without the marinade in the skillet for 3-4 minutes on each side, or until the chicken is fully cooked and begins to brown. Then add the sauce into the pan and coat the chicken and let simmer until the sauce begins to reduce. 

Pair it with fresh toppings – The umami flavors of the teriyaki sauce pair beautifully with some fresh flavors, such as Asian pear or green onions. 

🍽 What To Eat It With

🍳 Recipe