Chicken teriyaki: the glaze is sugar, so measure the sugar.
A teriyaki glaze is soy, a sweetener and a little oil, and the sweetener is where it gets heavy. Skin off, less sugar, less oil, and a serving goes from 774 to 559 kcal.
- 559 kcal a serving, down from 774 for the classic, with 44 g protein, 72 g carbs and 10 g fat
- 3 swaps, each with what it does to a serving, and 2 ways to add protein, up to 54 g a serving
- 4 servings, weighed at 1,800 g when finished, from 9 USDA FoodData Central entries in the library
Classic vs lighter, per serving.
The same chicken teriyaki, made two ways from the same library entries and the same 4 servings. The lighter version is the one built on the screens below.
| Per serving | Classic | Lighter | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| kcal | 774 | 559 | −215 |
| Protein g | 38 | 44 | +6 |
| Carbs g | 79 | 72 | −7 |
| Fat g | 33 | 10 | −23 |
| Saturated fat g | 8.7 | 2.4 | −6.3 |
Saturated fat comes from the same USDA entries; the recipe sheet itself shows calories, protein, carbs and fat. Calorie and macro figures are fitness estimates, not medical or dietary advice.
Swap by swap.
Each change in turn, from the classic to the lighter version, and what it does to one serving.
1. Use skinless thigh, not skin-on
−175 kcal, +6 g protein, −1 g carbs, −21 g fat, −6.0 g saturated fat a serving
For the same 700 g, 175 kcal and 21 g of fat less a serving, and the thigh stays juicy.
2. Use 15 g of sugar, not 40 g
−25 kcal, −6 g carbs a serving
Sugar is 387 kcal per 100 g, so 25 g less is 25 kcal a serving, and the glaze still shines.
3. Use 7 g of sesame oil, not 14 g
−15 kcal, −2 g fat, −0.3 g saturated fat a serving
Sesame oil is strong, so half the amount still flavours the pan. The rest was 15 kcal a serving.
More protein, if you need it.
Hitting a protein target is the hard part for most people. Each option is added to the lighter version on its own, with what it does to a serving of 44 g protein and 559 kcal. Save the one you like as its own recipe.
Use 900 g of chicken
+60 kcal, +10 g protein, +2 g fat, +0.6 g saturated fat a serving, making 54 g protein a serving
Another 200 g of skinless thigh adds 10 g of protein a serving for 60 kcal.
Add edamame
+60 kcal, +6 g protein, +4 g carbs, +2 g fat, +0.3 g saturated fat a serving, making 50 g protein a serving
200 g of edamame on the side adds 6 g of protein a serving for 60 kcal.
Oil and fat: the type changes the fat, the amount changes the calories.
The three oils below are each 884 kcal per 100 g, and ghee is within a few calories of them. Swapping one for another moves the saturated fat, not the calories; using less is what saves them. Butter is lower per gram only because part of it is water.
| Fat, per tablespoon, 14 g | kcal | Fat g | Sat fat g |
|---|---|---|---|
| Olive oil | 124 | 14 | 1.9 |
| Canola oil | 124 | 14 | 1.0 |
| Avocado oil | 124 | 14 | 1.6 |
| Ghee (butter oil) | 123 | 14 | 8.7 |
| Butter, salted | 100 | 11 | 7.2 |
The sample data
These are the amounts of the lighter version used on the screens below, with each figure taken from the library entry for that ingredient. They are sample figures for a pot or tray of this size, not a measurement of anyone's kitchen.
| Ingredient | Amount | kcal | Protein g | Carbs g | Fat g |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken thigh, skinless, raw | 700 g | 847 | 138 | 0 | 29 |
| White rice, raw | 288 g | 1,051 | 21 | 230 | 2 |
| Broccoli, raw | 400 g | 136 | 11 | 27 | 1 |
| Soy sauce | 45 g | 24 | 4 | 2 | 0 |
| Sugars, granulated | 15 g | 58 | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| Sesame oil | 7 g | 62 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Ginger root | 15 g | 12 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Garlic | 10 g | 15 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| Cornstarch | 8 g | 30 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Whole recipe | 1,488 g | 2,235 | 175 | 287 | 39 |
| Per serving (4) | 450 g | 559 | 44 | 72 | 10 |
Calorie and macro figures are fitness estimates, not medical or dietary advice. Ingredient values are from USDA FoodData Central, which is in the public domain.
Why this recipe
Teriyaki is a good recipe to build because the sauce is only a few ingredients, and each one is easy to see: the soy, the sugar, the oil. Bottled sauces vary a lot, and building your own means the numbers are yours.
What to weigh
Weigh the rice raw, as the library entry describes it. The sample finishes at about 1,800 g from 1,488 g of ingredients, because the rice drinks water. Water adds grams, not calories.
The full workflow, in four steps.
1. Open Create a recipe and search the library
Open Add food and choose Create a recipe, name it, then choose Add ingredient and search the library. Typing "chicken thigh" lists the entries, with and without skin and raw or cooked, each with its calories per 100 g.
2. Enter the amount you weighed
Pick the raw, skinless thigh, switch the portion to grams and enter what the scale showed. The sheet shows 847 kcal for the chicken before you add the rice.
3. Add the rest, then set the servings and finished weight
Add the rice (weighed dry), broccoli, soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, ginger, garlic and cornstarch, then enter the 4 servings and the 1,800 g you weighed at the end. One serving comes to 559 kcal.
4. Save it and log a serving
Save the recipe and it becomes one of your own foods. The next screen is the normal Add food form, ready to log one serving or any weight of it.
Tips while you build it
- Thicken the glaze with the cornstarch and a splash of water at the end. It coats the chicken in seconds, so a little sauce goes a long way.
- Taste before you add more sugar. The soy and ginger do more than you expect, and you can always add a pinch.
- A serving is about 450 g, chicken, glaze, rice and broccoli. Log by weight when you are measuring.
Go further
- Making the takeaway version? Build the skin-on thigh, 40 g of sugar and 14 g of oil version as a second recipe, and log whichever one you served.
- Use a bottled teriyaki sauce instead: search "teriyaki sauce" and enter the grams you pour.
Each change is a second recipe with its own name, so the first stays as you built it.
Chicken teriyaki questions.
How many calories are in chicken teriyaki?
It depends on the chicken, the sugar and the oil. The sample comes to 559 kcal a serving made lighter, with 44 g protein, 72 g carbs and 10 g fat, against 774 kcal with skin-on thighs and a sweeter glaze.
Is homemade teriyaki really lighter than bottled?
It can be, because you choose the sugar. Bottled sauces differ, so check the label and enter the grams you actually use.
Should I weigh the rice raw or cooked?
Raw, because the library entry is raw. Weigh the finished plate once, to enter the finished weight.
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Cook it once. Log it for good.
Build a lighter version of your own japanese favourite in Nutrition.