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I am sure you know by now that I am a great sushi fan of sushi and can eat it at any time of the day. I can start my morning with a sushi roll for breakfast, a bowl of chirashizushi for lunch, and conclude my day with nigiri and sake for dinner.
Despite my profound love for raw fish and seafood, I sometimes crave for a change of taste. Off late I have been experimenting with different types of meat, other than the regular salmon and tuna to make sushi.
One of the recipes that exceeded my expectations and turned out to be a lip-smacking delight is the teriyaki chicken sushi roll and today I will share with you the recipe and instructions on how to make it at home.
Contents
Teriyaki Chicken Sushi Roll Recipe
If you must have seafood in your sushi, this recipe also works well with smoked salmon. I prefer ‘smoked’ over raw to retain the cooked sushi aspect of it. Now, let’s take a look at things you will need to make Teriyaki Chicken Sushi Roll at home:
What you will need:
- Seasoned sushi rice
- Chicken tenderloins cut into 4 thin strips
- Japanese cucumber cut into thin strips
- Ripe but firm avocado, cut into slices (optional)
- Nori sheets
- 3 tablespoons teriyaki marinade
- 3 tablespoons of sushi rice wine
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
Before you start preparing the chicken, cook sushi rice in advance so that there is enough time for it to cool down. Once the rice cools, season it well with vinegar, sugar, and salt. I have created an article to help beginners step-by-step with cooking and seasoning sushi rice to perfection. Read it here.
While the sushi rice cools, let’s prepare the chicken. For this, add a tablespoon of sesame oil to the pan and put it on the stove on medium heat. When the oil is hot, add thin strips of chicken and sprinkle some kosher salt over it. Turn it over and sprinkle salt on the other side as well.
Cook both sides of the chicken until it changes color and becomes golden brown. When the chicken is thoroughly cooked, it not only tastes much better but the bacteria is also destroyed. Use a sharp knife (see my favorite) to ensure that the meat has turned succulent and tender.
When the chicken is well cooked, it will release some juice and become easy to break with a knife or fork. The outer skin should be slightly golden, and not have any traces of pink color. Make sure you do not overcook the meat or else it will turn too dry, chewy and tough.
Now add the thick teriyaki marinade to cooked chicken strips and let it simmer for a few minutes. This is an important step to ensure that the meat gets infused with the teriyaki flavor.
Cook until the sauce is reduced and the chicken turns dark brown in color. When it is properly cooked, remove from the pan and allow the chicken strips to cool.
When both the sushi rice and teriyaki chicken is ready, let’s get to the final and most important step – rolling the sushi. To do this, place the bamboo mat on the kitchen counter and cover it with a plastic cling wrap. Put the Nori sheet over the plastic wrap, rough side facing upwards.
Now, take a medium ball of seasoned sushi rice and layer it on the Nori sheet leaving a one-inch gap on the top and bottom. Now arrange the fillings, first the cucumber strips, then avocado and lastly chicken strips. You may add 1 or 2 cucumber pieces over the chicken and drizzle some teriyaki sauce over it.
Lift the bamboo mat from one end and start rolling by applying gentle pressure to make a compact roll. When you reach the end of the roll, wet the edges with water and seal it. Give the roll one more hug with the bamboo mat to ensure that the fillings stay together.
Now, take a sharp sushi knife and moisten the blades so that the sticky sushi rice does not stick to it. Cut the sushi roll into 6-8 equal pieces and serve with Japanese soy sauce, wasabi, and pickled ginger.
If you don’t plan to eat the Teriyaki Chicken Sushi Roll immediately, cover it with a cling film and refrigerate until the guests arrive. Serve chilled with sauce.
Uramaki Or Inside-Out Style
If you wish to make an inside-out roll, the sushi rice and filling preparation will remain the same. After you add a layer of seasoned sushi rice over the Nori sheet, flip it over to have rice facing downwards. Now arrange the fillings over the Nori and start rolling to make a compact roll. Seal the edges with a few drops of water.
Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds over the sushi rice to make the exterior more crunchy. You may also use different toppings of your choice to enhance the taste. Some examples of toppings can be finely sliced avocado or bell peppers with mayo sauce drizzled on the top.
Teriyaki Chicken Handrolls
After getting the maki rolls right, I decided to try my hand at making handroll using the teriyaki chicken sushi roll recipe. I admit that I twisted the recipe a bit for the handroll but the results did not only look aesthetically pleasing but also tasted incredibly good.
For the handroll, you will need:
- Chicken breast fillets (500 grams)
- 1/3 cup teriyaki marinade
- 2 tsp vegetable oil
- 8 Nori sheets, cut into quarter size
- 2 tsp of wasabi paste
- 6 green onions, finely sliced
- Pea sprouts, neatly trimmed (100 grams)
Start by cooking sushi rice as per the instruction provided in this article. Season the rice with vinegar, sugar, and salt as mentioned.
Take a glass or ceramic bowl, and mix chicken fillets with the teriyaki marinade sauce. Now place a pan over a gas stove on medium heat and add oil to it. When the oil gets hot enough, add the seasoned chicken strips.
Let the chicken cook for 6 minutes on medium flame and then flip over to cook the other side again for 6 more minutes. You will see the chicken releasing water and turning brown in color. Prick the chicken strips with a sharp knife or fork to make sure they are cooked thoroughly. Now, transfer the chicken to a plate and let them cool. When they cool down, cut the chicken pieces into 1 cm thick slices.
On the kitchen counter, place the quartered nori sheet rough side facing upwards. Damp your fingers and take a teaspoon of seasoned sushi rice to spread it around the middle of the nori sheet.
Dab a little wasabi on the rice to enhance the flavor. Now arrange chicken strips, green onions and pea sprouts close to each other. Now fold the nori sheet to form a cone shape and seal the edges with a few drops of water. Make sure the sprouts emerge out of the cone slightly.
4 Different Variations For Chicken Sushi Roll Recipe
#1. You can add more fun to the recipe by trying different variations for cooking the chicken pieces. One of my favorite variations is canned shredded chicken mixed with lite mayo. I prefer this style when I am too busy or lazy to prepare the chicken separately.
#2. Another variation that’s an absolute favorite and reserved for days when I am in the mood for lengthy preparations is sweet chili chicken sushi roll. For this style, you will need to marinade chicken strips with sweet chili sauce. Then heat oil in a pan and cook both sides for 5 minutes until the chicken is thoroughly cooked and turns golden in color.
#3. If your kid loves chicken sushi, you can make a filling of chicken schnitzel for his lunch. Heat oil in a frying pan and add crumbled chicken schnitzel to it. Cook for about 3-4 minutes on both sides or until the chicken is cooked and golden. Drain excess oil in an absorbent paper and cut the chicken into thin strips.
#4. Those who like to add some heat to their sushi rolls can make spicy chicken fillings for sushi. The recipe contains shredded threads of thoroughly cooked chicken mixed with spicy Japanese mayo sauce or sriracha sauce.
Gluten Free Grilled Teriyaki Chicken Sushi Roll
If you are on a celiac diet or have a gluten intolerance that does not mean you cannot enjoy the different flavors of sushi. You just need to be smart and more informed about the choices you make to ensure that gluten does not creep into your food unnoticed.
While the traditional teriyaki chicken sushi recipe mentioned above is not gluten-free, I decided to share a special version for all my friends who wish to cut gluten from their diet. For this recipe, you will need the following items
- Olive oil
- Salt
- Boneless chicken thighs
- Gluten-free teriyaki sauce
Trim the fatty part of the chicken pieces. Mix prepared chicken and teriyaki sauce in a bowl evenly and refrigerate for 20 minutes for the meat to absorb the sauce
Preheat the grill on medium heat or use a frying pan for cooking chicken if you don’t have a grill. Brush some olive oil on the grill pan and put the chicken thighs on it.
Grill for 4-5 minutes, and flip the pieces using a pair of tongs to ensure that they get cooked evenly. When the sauce tends to caramelize, turn down the heat. You may give a second coat of sauce on the chicken to enhance the flavor.
When the chicken is cooked well, remove from heat and let it cool. When the chicken cools completely, use a sharp Japanese knife to cut it into even strips.
Use these chicken strips in preparing your gluten-free grilled teriyaki chicken sushi roll. Follow the same steps as mentioned above but use the gluten-free chicken strips as fillings. Also, remember to serve tamari sauce instead of traditional shoyu.
Teriyaki Sauce Recipe
As teriyaki sauce has a major role to play in this delicious chicken sushi roll, I decided to help beginners make this special marinade sauce at home. Although you can get it in the stores, I prefer making at home.
What you will need:
- A quarter cup of fresh orange juice
- 1 tsp. Sesame oil
- Half cup of coconut aminos
- 1 tbsp Raw honey
- 2 large garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1 tsp. fresh ginger, finely minced
- 1 tsp. Rice vinegar
- 1 tsp. Arrowroot
- 1 tsp. coconut aminos
Take a bowl and add the top 7 ingredients to it. Whisk lightly to make an even mix, put the pan on medium heat and bring it to boil. Reduce heat and let the mixture simmer for 5 minutes. Now mix the last two ingredients in a bowl and slowly pour into the pan. Stir the mixture for about 1 minute or until the sauce thickens. Let the sauce cool down completely and you may now use it in the teriyaki chicken sushi roll recipe.
Top 5 Cooked Sushi Roll Recipe
Besides the awesome taste of chicken cooked in teriyaki, another reason why I love this style of sushi is that it rules out any bacterial contamination. Hence, you don’t have to worry about the chicken getting infected with bacteria or your sushi going bad if it sits outside for too long.
The freshness window of cooked sushi rolls is much higher than those containing raw fish or seafood As a result, they serve as delicious food you can pack in school or office lunch boxes. Here are the top 5 cooked sushi roll recipes you can try at home.
1. Spicy Crab Sushi Roll
If you are a seafood fan, this cooked sushi recipe is something you would like to make at home. You may use real crab meat, cooked with spicy sauce to use as fillings. Alternatively, you may shred the imitation crabsticks into fine threads and mix it with sriracha sauce, mayo sauce, and masago.
2. Florida Sushi Roll
You have probably heard about California roll and Philadelphia roll, so here’s presenting another amazing sushi named after a U.S. state – Florida sushi roll. This is a contemporary styled sushi roll that contains cooked crayfish along with other ingredients to bring out the authentic flavors. Crayfish contains a low amount of mercury and when cooked properly, it is safe for pregnant and breastfeeding women.
3. Smoked Salmon Sushi
This type of sushi is great for those who don’t get sushi-grade salmon in their area or have apprehensions about eating raw fish. Beginners can try the smoked salmon sushi to get familiar with the idea of eating sushi. The recipe includes a filling of smoked salmon strips, avocado, and cucumber.
4. Chicken Katsu Sushi Roll
If you are a fan of fried foods, you are going to love this recipe that contains crispy chicken strips as fillings. You will need a whisked egg, panko, and flour to make crispy breaded chicken to be used as fillings.
Start by dipping the chicken pieces in flour, then coat it in egg mixture, and then cover with panko to get tasty fried chicken. The Chicken Katsu sushi roll also contains other ingredients such as Romaine lettuce, cucumber(optional), and avocado (optional).
5. Heaven Sushi Roll
Bring together crab tempura and coconut shrimps in a sushi recipe, and you have a perfect formula for the taste of heaven, don’t you think? The fried coconut shrimps go inside as fillings within the roll and the shredded crab sticks tempura form the crispy toppings that are to die for.
To add a lemony zest to the recipe, you may add a small pie of lemon on top of each bite-sized piece. Although preparing this style of sushi is time-consuming, the fruits of labor are truly worth the pain and patience.
Related Questions
Is teriyaki chicken sushi safe for pregnant women?
Yes, it does not contain any raw meat, hence there is no risk of bacterial infection. Pregnant and breastfeeding women craving for sushi can satisfy their cravings with this delicious roll.
Is this sushi gluten-free?
The teriyaki marinade may contain hidden gluten so if you are on a celiac diet, make sure you buy gluten-free teriyaki sauce from an Asian grocery store. You can also buy it online from Amazon.
Should I let the chicken piece sit with the marinade for a few minutes?
The more you allow the chicken to sit with the marinade, the more flavourful will be the taste of cooked chicken. I suggest pricking fine holes on chicken breasts using a fork to allow quick and easy absorption of the sauce.
How many calories in Teriyaki Chicken Sushi Roll
A serving of 6 pieces of Chicken Teriyaki Roll contains about 500 calories, which can be broken down into 36% fat, 15% protein, and 49% carbohydrates.
