Sugar-Free Teriyaki Chicken Thighs

Teriyaki chicken is the plate lunch everybody grew up on, and the shine on it usually comes from sugar. This version keeps the shoyu, ginger, and garlic, swaps the sugar for allulose, and lets the thighs do the rest. It reduces into a real glaze in the same pan. Broccoli takes the spot the two scoops rice used to hold.

I’m Mark. I make this on a weeknight when the Costco pack of thighs is open and I want dinner in half an hour. Thighs stay juicy even if you get distracted for a minute, which is why I use them over breast here. If you want a creamier thigh dinner from the same pack, make the coconut-milk chicken thighs with bok choy.

Yield: 4 servings  |  Prep: 10 minutes  |  Cook: 18 minutes  |  Total: about 30 minutes

Hawaii Grocery Notes

• Costco: boneless skinless chicken thighs in the multi-pack. Freeze what you will not cook this week. Avocado oil. Bagged broccoli florets.
• Foodland / Times: shoyu (read the label and pick one with no sugar or corn syrup). Fresh ginger, garlic, green onion. Unseasoned rice vinegar, not the seasoned kind. Allulose or monk fruit sweetener: check the baking aisle, stock varies.
• Don Quijote: more shoyu and tamari choices, toasted sesame oil, sesame seeds. Walk past bottled teriyaki sauce and marinade unless the label shows no sugar.
• No rice. No bottled teriyaki. No cornstarch slurry.

Ingredients

• 2 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs, patted dry, big fat pieces trimmed
• Black pepper
• 1 tablespoon avocado oil
• 12 oz broccoli florets

Sauce

• ¼ cup shoyu (or tamari; coconut aminos works, see notes)
• 3 tablespoons granular allulose (or a monk fruit sweetener to taste)
• 1 tablespoon unseasoned rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
• 3 garlic cloves, grated or minced
• 2 tablespoons water
• ⅛-¼ teaspoon xanthan gum, only if the glaze needs help

To finish

• 2 green onions, sliced
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
• Chili pepper water at the table (optional)

Instructions

1. Whisk the shoyu, allulose, rice vinegar, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, and water in a small bowl until the sweetener dissolves. Taste it. It should read salty-sweet, not like candy.
2. Pepper the thighs on both sides. Skip the salt; the shoyu brings plenty.
3. Heat the avocado oil in a wide skillet over medium-high until it shimmers. Lay the thighs in smooth side down and leave them alone 5-6 minutes until well browned. Flip and cook 4-5 minutes more, until the thickest piece reads 165°F on a thermometer.
4. While the chicken cooks, steam the broccoli 3-4 minutes until bright green and tender-crisp. A steamer basket works, or a covered bowl with a splash of water in the microwave.
5. Drop the heat to medium-low. If the pan is swimming in fat, pour off most of it. Add the sauce and simmer 2-3 minutes, turning the thighs, until the sauce turns glossy and coats them. Allulose browns faster than sugar, so keep the heat down here. If the glaze stays thin, sprinkle ⅛ teaspoon xanthan gum into the sauce while whisking and give it 30 seconds.
6. Rest the thighs 2-3 minutes, then slice. Spoon the pan glaze over the top. Green onion and sesame seeds on top, broccoli on the side. No rice. The broccoli catches the glaze just fine.

Kitchen-Estimate Macros (per serving)

Kitchen estimates only, not lab-tested. Calculated for 1 of 4 servings (about 8 oz raw thigh, a quarter of the sauce, a quarter of the broccoli). Allulose counted as zero net carbs. Thigh trim varies; untrimmed thighs run higher in fat and calories.

Calories	Fat	Protein	Net carbs
~385	~17 g	~49 g	~6 g

Notes

• Hidden sugar: bottled teriyaki, “teriyaki marinade,” seasoned rice vinegar, and some shoyu. Read the label before it goes in the cart.
• Coconut aminos instead of shoyu: sweeter and less salty, and it adds about 2 g net carbs per serving. Cut the allulose to 1-2 tablespoons and taste before you add more.
• Monk fruit: many granular blends are mixed with erythritol, which can turn gritty as the glaze cools. Dissolve it fully and serve warm. Pure monk fruit extract is strong, so start with a pinch.
• Gluten: regular shoyu contains wheat. Use a tamari labeled gluten-free if that matters at your table.
• Leftovers keep 3-4 days in the fridge. Reheat gently with a spoon of water so the glaze loosens instead of burning.
• Same Costco thigh pack as the coconut-milk thighs. Buy once, cook both in a week. Want crunch instead of glaze? Try the pork-rind chicken katsu.

Mark Souza
Honolulu