This Teriyaki Chicken and Cauliflower Recipe combines tender chicken, crispy cauliflower, and sweet and sticky teriyaki sauce. It’s a low carb dinner recipe that is simple to make in only 30 minutes!
We also love this chicken and mushrooms recipe, chicken asparagus stir fry and chicken broccoli stir fry!
Table of contents
Teriyaki chicken and cauliflower is an Asian inspired dish made in minutes in the comfort of your own home.
Ginger and garlic infused tender bites of chicken, beautifully charred cauliflower and a healthier version of a classic teriyaki sauce.
Served cauliflower with chicken on its own for a lighter, low carb healthy dinner.
This quick and easy stir fry has restaurant quality flavors but is simple enough to make for a busy weeknight dinner. The key is to have all your ingredients prepped to work quickly!
Ingredients You’ll Need
This chicken and cauliflower recipe ingredients are same simple staples I use to make Instant Pot teriyaki chicken and baked teriyaki salmon but with addition of low in carbs cauliflower florets.
- Chicken: 1 inch pieces of boneless skinless chicken breasts or boneless skinless chicken thighs.
- Cauliflower: Cauliflower chopped in small florets.
- Minced garlic and ginger: Fresh minced garlic and fresh minced ginger adds savory taste and a zingy spiciness.
- Finely chopped green onion: To sprinkle as as garnish before serving.
- Teriyaki sauce: Soy sauce (I use Bragg’s liquid aminos), maple syrup or honey, rice vinegar, toasted sesame oil and cornstarch.
How to Make Teriyaki Chicken and Cauliflower
If you’re lucky enough to own a cast iron skillet, you’ll be able to achieve delicious charred cauliflower. And if not, no worries. This chicken and cauliflower recipe tastes amazing no matter what!
Prep: Making sure you have everything chopped, prepped, and ready to go is super important when making a stir fry. Chop all your veggies and meat and have them both ready at your side.
Combine sauce: In a medium bowl, add soy sauce, maple syrup, rice vinegar, toasted sesame oil, and cornstarch. Whisk to combine and set aside. The cornstarch will be used as the thickening agent in the sauce.
Cook veggies: Preheat a large cast-iron skillet or a deep skillet over medium high heat. Add cauliflower florets to cook until char marks develop or it’s to your desired texture. Stir a few times and transfer to a bowl to set aside.
Add chicken: Return skillet to the stove and add a bit more oil. Add the chicken, garlic, and ginger to cook. Don’t stir too often, you’ll want to leave it alone to allow for the seared edges to form.
Pour sauce: Grab the bowl of teriyaki sauce you made earlier on and give it a stir. You want to incorporate everything so that none of the cornstarch is sitting at the bottom of the bowl. Pour it over the chicken and stir. Cook until thickened.
Simmer and stir: Add cooked cauliflower back into skillet. Combine with the chicken and stir to coat making sure the cauliflower gets its fair share of the sauce. Let it simmer for a moment before turning off the heat.
Sprinkle and serve: Garnish chicken and cauliflower with green onions and sesame seeds.
Tips For Success
Make the most out of this flavor packed, naturally gluten free cauliflower chicken recipe with these tips!
- Skillet: Using a well-seasoned skillet is the best way to give the cauliflower an unbelievable charred flavor. You can also use a deep non-stick skillet or a wok. Just know that when using a wok, you will end up with steamed cauliflower rather than charred.
- Similar sized pieces: This includes both cauliflower and chicken. Same size ensures they get done at the same time.
- Don’t overcrowd the pan: If your skillet is too packed it won’t sear the meat and cauliflower, but rather than steam them.
- Be ready: Stir fry is a technique, not a flavor. It means “cook fast”. So that’s exactly what you need to be ready to do with this chicken and cauliflower recipe!
- Toasted sesame oil: This gives the sauce a nice smoky nutty flavor. You can skip it if you don’t have any, it won’t make or break the dish. Just a nice added bonus!
Recipe Variations
- Brown sugar: This is traditionally what is used in a teriyaki sauce, so you can use it if you’d prefer.
- Other veggies: Feel free to swap cauliflower for broccoli, zucchini, sugar snap peas, snow peas, mushrooms, and even bean sprouts! You want al dente (not mushy) veggies for this chicken and cauliflower recipe, so depending on what you use, will determine how long you cook it for.
- Frozen cauliflower: Save time with frozen or pre cut refrigerated cauliflower. If using frozen, thaw first.
- Leftover chicken: Another shortcut is to use leftovers of oven baked chicken breast or baked honey garlic chicken.
What to Serve with Chicken and Cauliflower
To serve up this delicious chicken and cauliflower, I recommend making Instant Pot brown rice or Instant Pot quinoa. These healthy grains are perfect for soaking up the delicious sauce. Here are a few other favorites:
- Salad: A side of Asian chopped salad is full of such vibrant color!
- Slaw: Peanut slaw with its savory taste pairs well with sweeter teriyaki.
- Low carb: Learn how to make cauliflower rice and double up on the cauliflower benefits.
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
Store: Enjoy leftovers for healthy lunch ideas by keeping them in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days in the fridge.
Reheat: Reheat in a pot with a splash of water or broth to avoid burning. This will also help bring a little moisture back to the chicken. Cover and simmer on low, stirring a few times.
FAQs
This dish freezes well when kept in an airtight container. Should stay good for up to 3 months, so if you’ve made too much or have made extra for a later date, you’re in luck!
Yes! Feel free to make your sauce a few days in advance, store in the refrigerator and stir well before using. You can also prep cauliflower and chicken 2-3 days in advance and store separately in the refrigerator.
More Chicken and Cauliflower Recipes to Try
More Chicken and Vegetables Recipes to Try
- Chicken and bell peppers
- Chicken and tomatoes
- Chicken and zucchini
- Chicken and corn
- Chicken with zucchini and tomatoes
- Chicken and asparagus
Teriyaki Chicken and Cauliflower Recipe
Ingredients
Chicken and Cauliflower:
- 1 1/2 lbs cauliflower chopped into small florets
- 2 lbs boneless & skinless chicken breasts or thighs cut into 1” cubes
- 4 large garlic cloves minced
- 1 tbsp ginger minced
- 2 tbsp oil for frying
- 3 green onion sprigs finely chopped
- 2 tbsp sesame seeds
- Brown rice or quinoa for serving
Teriyaki Sauce:
- 3 tbsp soy sauce I used Bragg’s liquid aminos
- 3 tbsp maple syrup or honey
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
Instructions
- Cook brown rice or quinoa as per package instructions. Prep and chop all veggies and meat. Stir fry happens fast.
- In a medium bowl, add soy sauce, maple syrup, rice vinegar, toasted sesame oil and cornstarch. Whisk until combined and set aside.
- Preheat large cast iron skillet (the best for char!) or deep skillet on medium-high heat and swirl 1 tbsp of oil to coat. Add cauliflower and cook for 5 minutes, stirring just a few times to allow char develop. It should be cooked al dente and not mushy. Transfer to medium bowl and set aside.
- Return skillet to the stove and swirl remaining 1 tbsp of oil. Add chicken, garlic and ginger; cook for 7 minutes, stirring just a few times to allow char develop.
- Give teriyaki sauce a whisk, pour over chicken, stir and cook for 1 minute or until thickened. Add previously cooked cauliflower, stir and let simmer for 1 more minute, continuing to stir to coat veggies and meat in sauce. Turn off heat.
- Sprinkle with green onion and sesame seeds. Serve hot with brown rice or quinoa.
Notes
- Store: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days.
- Freeze: In an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight. Reheat in a pot with a splash of water or broth, simmering on low while covered. Stir a few times.
- Skillet: I enjoy using a well-seasoned cast iron skillet for this recipe because it gives cauliflower an unbelievable charred flavor. You can also use large deep non-stick skillet or wok. Just keep in mind wok will “steam” veggies more than char, unless you have a very good wok that sears well.
- Toasted sesame oil: Adds a nice smoky touch to teriyaki sauce but you can skip if you don’t have any on hand.
I added mushroom and bellpepper. It was really yummy. My husband really liked it. Thanks for this recipe.
You are super welcome!
Easy and delicious! I used brown rice, but I didn’t have green onions. The whole family enjoyed!
That is so amazing to hear! Glad you enjoyed my recipe!
Fantastic recipe! Only things I changed were I used liquid aminos instead of soy and I used pearl cous cous instead of quinoa or brown rice. Whole family loved it.
Perfect! Yes I use Bragg’s all the time. Glad you liked my teriyaki chicken and cauliflower.
Never thought of the combo of cauliflower and teriyaki but it really works! Tweaked the recipe to incorporate cooked, shredded chicken – instead of marinating the chicken, I just added the sauce and the chicken to the skillet after sauteeing the cauliflower with sweet
onion. Topped with fresh snipped chives. Delicious, healthy meal served with leftover quinoa. Thanks!
Hi olena,
Made this for dinner tonight! I followed your recipe as written and it was great! Even my husband ate it! It was sooo good! I’m trying to eat clean (except for restaurant cheat days) and it’s hard to find recipes that are both easy and delicious. Loving your site!
Hi Leticia. Awesome and thank you. I know what you mean. Sometimes I think my recipe is too simple or why is my blog so popular and then after searching for recipes online I realize HOW hard it is to find smth easy and healthy. Like I was looking for vegan chocolate cake recipe, a simple one. OMG good luck to me. I will create my own LOL.
Loved this recipe! It was so much better and fresher tasting than the normal teriyaki that I make. I really liked the cauliflower with it (usually make with broccoli). I’m just starting clean eating and am not always quite sure what I can eat-didn’t think I could use soy sauce. I am happy I can. I love your recipes! Tomorrow night I am making stovetop zucchini noodle lasagna-can’t wait:)
Thanks, Deborah! You will be surprised how much you can eat. Basically no processed foods and farmed animals.
This looks amazing. Thank you for bringing us clean meals. I can’t wait to try this. I just bought a head of organic cauliflower yesterday for 3.99 and the non organic was 4.99. Crazy but happy to have my cauliflower. Love it.
You are welcome, Kayla. Weird, right?! That is what I heard. If conventional shit didn’t exist, we would pay even less for organic.
Hi Olena, Can I skip the corn starch? or is there an alternative?
Hi Maria. Yes, you can skip it or use any other sauce thickener. If you skip it sauce will be liquid which is fine.
Hey Olena, cauliflower is now $1.29/lb at Food Coop! I bought 2×1.5 lb heads for less than $4. Time to come to US 😉
The sauce was tasty, not too sweet. The cauliflower was a little too crunchy and raw for my liking though. Next time I’m going to try roasting the cauliflower first, then quickly stir-frying with the chicken once the chicken is cooked.
Sure thing. No need to roast it. Just cook longer in a skillet on a lower heat. Can even cover and it kind of steam and be soft. Enjoy!
Love this! Hope the price on organic cauliflower drops here in the US also. I’d like to be able to just find any at any price right now. So far all non-organic and I’m not willing.
But I am book marking this for when it does come in for sure! The marinade looks so good! Thank-you!