Seattle-Style Teriyaki Meets Mom’s Stir-Fry (With a Gay Little Garden Twist)
When the sizzle of teriyaki sauce hits a scorching-hot cast iron skillet, it zaps me straight back to my childhood. Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, teriyaki joints were absolutely everywhere—wedged between nail salons and vape shops in every strip mall and proudly holding it down in mall food courts. Maybe it was that local ubiquity, or maybe it was just that teriyaki checks the holy trinity of dinner goals: quick, cheap, and a reasonably healthy. Either way, teriyaki-style stir-fries were my mom’s go-to weeknight move.
Now I’m making my own version: Chicken Teriyaki with Rainbow Chard—a recipe that fuses my mom’s practical blueprint with my backyard garden haul, with a little seasonal pride thrown in (the leafy, colorful kind and the personal identity kind).
Seattle Teriyaki: A Local Obsession
In Seattle, teriyaki isn’t just food—it’s a cultural institution. Everyone has their favorite spot, but let’s be honest: they all kinda taste the same (in the best way). Charred, juicy chicken thighs lacquered in a sticky-sweet soy glaze. A mountain of fluffy rice. A side of crisp iceberg drizzled with…some kind of mystery dressing. It’s comforting, fast, and endlessly satisfying. It’s the culinary equivalent of a flannel hoodie and your first legal weed purchase.
My Mom’s Stir-Fries: A Hyper-Local Obsession
Since going out for teriyaki was usually reserved for dire hangriness or nights my mom “just couldn’t,” she often recreated the experience at home. Her formula? Sauté a protein and a veg, drown in sauce, serve over rice, boom—dinner.
It was always a little different depending on what was in the fridge (or the freezer), which taught me three essential cooking truths:
- Use what you’ve got
- Cook it all in one pan if possible
- Sweet-salty sauce makes everything taste amazing
This chicken teriyaki with chard is basically a mash-up of Seattle-style teriyaki and my mom’s stir-fry ethos: flexible, fast, and full of vegetables.
Rainbow Chard: Garden Joy + Queer Joy
While my mom leaned on frozen stir-fry veggie blends (respect), I’ve taken a different path—namely, growing my own vegetables like some sort of queer suburban homesteader. One of my absolute favorite crops? Rainbow chard.
Rainbow chard is delicious, beautiful, and wildly photogenic. But more importantly, it’s the gayest vegetable in the garden. The stems come in every color of the Pride flag. The leaves are lush and dramatic. And like me, chard thrives in the moist, unpredictable climate of the Pacific Northwest.
Using rainbow chard here isn’t just practical (it’s hearty, grows like a weed, and both the stems and leaves are edible)—it’s personal. It’s garden joy and queer joy in one leafy green package.
Chicken Teriyaki with Rainbow Chard: Don’t F*ck It Up!
Okay, it’s actually kind of hard to mess this up. This is an easy chicken teriyaki stir-fry with chard, rice, and sauce. That’s it. But here are a few tips to keep things running smooth:
- Slice the chicken right: Cut each breast in half with the grain, then slice into thin strips against the grain for max tenderness. (If you’re lost, there’s a diagram in the recipe!)
- Use both the chard stems and leaves: The stems are sturdy and delicious but need more cooking time. Toss them in early with the chicken. The leafy tops go in at the end—they wilt fast.
- Divide and conquer your green onions: Cook the white and light green parts with the stems and chicken; toss in the dark green tops with the chard leaves for a final burst of oniony freshness.
- Garnish however you like: I’m partial to toasted sesame seeds, but chili oil, homemade hot sauce, a soft egg, or even a classic Seattle-style teriyaki side salad (shredded iceberg, carrot, maybe some ranch?) all work beautifully.
Get a Chard-On (or a Kale-on)
This recipe is versatile as hell. No chard? Use kale, beet greens, spinach, or collards. Not into stems? Skip ‘em. Got celery, broccoli, snow peas, or mushrooms? Throw them in.
As for protein: chicken thighs, flank steak, shrimp, or tofu all work great. The sauce and technique are flexible—this is a choose-your-own-adventure stir-fry. A queer stir-fry, if you will.
Cook with Pride. Eat with Joy.
Chicken Teriyaki with Rainbow Chard
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 4 tbsp pineapple juice
- ¼ tsp MSG optional
- 2 tbsp sesame oil or substitute canola oil
- 2 medium boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 12 oz chard stems removed and cut into 1-inch sticks; leaves roughly chopped
- 2 green onions sliced (white and light green parts separated from dark green tops)
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- Steamed medium-grain rice for serving
- Toasted sesame seeds optional, for garnish
Instructions
- Make the teriyaki sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, soy sauce, pineapple juice, and MSG (if using). Set aside.
- Prepare the chicken: Cut each chicken breast in half with the grain, then slice into strips against the grain.
- Cook the chicken and vegetables: Heat the sesame oil in a large skillet over high heat. When hot, add the chicken, chard stems, and the white/light green parts of the green onions. Season with a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is golden brown and the chard stems are tender, about 7–8 minutes.
- Add sauce and thicken: Pour the teriyaki sauce into the skillet. Lower the heat to medium-low. In the same bowl used for the sauce, mix the cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of water. Stir the slurry into the skillet and cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens.
- Finish with chard leaves and green onions: Add the chard leaves and the dark green tops of the green onions. Cook, stirring often, until the leaves are wilted and tender, about 1–2 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Serve: Spoon the chicken and chard over steamed rice. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds, if desired.
