Beer-Flavored Chicken Teriyaki

First and foremost: Beer is not paleo. Sorry [Insert sad trombone noise here].
Secondly, I don’t care. Actually, I don’t give a rat ass if it’s not paleo.
There, BOOM, in your face!
Beer - let me rephrase that - a good beer, is like nectar from gods. It’s one of the best tasting, most complexly flavored beverages in the world.
And man...getting home from work (or from training), plopping on the couch, and opening up a nice craft beer is the greatest feeling ever.
There’s nothing quite like it.

Back to beer not being paleo.
Beer is not paleo because it’s made from grains and, moreover, alcohol is not paleo. So yeah, not a chance.
But if you - just like myself - love a good beer, then it’s okay to splurge once in a while (even more than that. HA!)
And when I say good beer, I mean a high-quality Belgian beer or those specialty beers produced by the microbreweries that are popping up seemingly everywhere.
None of that inexpensive booze we all consumed in ridiculous amounts during college (don’t give me the eyes, we all did!)

Beer is awesome in marinades too.
Now, I have something to admit to you. I rarely cook with beer (I definitely prefer to drink it), but it absolutely adds something to this chicken.
The soaking of the chicken in the marinade means that it absorbs all of the flavour and the beer lends greatly to that, creating such a soft and light texture that leaves you wanting more. The mirin, the rice vinegar and the soy sauce complement the chicken in an almost unique way.
The result is a juicy, tender, packed with umami and perfectly caramelized chicken.
It’s 5 stars in terms of flavor and does not disappoint. Trust.

Beer-Flavored Chicken Teriyaki                                                               Print this recipe!

Ingredients
Serves 4

2 chicken breasts (boneless and skinless), cut into ½-inch chunks

Marinade

⅓ cup / 80 ml organic wheat-free soy sauce (or coconut aminos)
4 tablespoons mirin (if you can’t find mirin use white wine)
4 tablespoons rice vinegar
6 tablespoons raw coconut palm sugar
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 cup / 250 ml beer
1 teaspoon olive oil

Directions

In a large bowl combine all marinade ingredients and mix until sugar dissolves. Add chicken chunks and marinate for at least 30 minutes (marinate overnight for fullest flavor).
Lift chicken from marinade and set aside (if you want, you can skewer chicken onto bamboo sticks that have been soaked in water for 5 minutes.)
Pour marinade into a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce to a simmer, and let reduce to about 1 cup, stirring occasionally.
Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook for about 8 to 10 minutes. Add reduced marinade and cook for further 3 minutes until chicken is glazed and cooked through.

Nutrition facts

One serving yields 244 calories, 3 grams of fat, 18 grams of carbs and 28 grams of protein.