Bread
Subway Inspired Sweet Onion Chicken Teriyaki
Tender glazed chicken, melty cheese, crisp vegetables, and a bright sweet-onion teriyaki sauce layered in toasted sub rolls for an easy fast-casual lunch.
Inspired by Subway
Prep
30 min
Cook
20 min
Serves
4 servings
Difficulty
Medium
Cooking Tools
Pantry match
Uses the current servings and temporary recipe changes.
Missing 21 ingredients
- • 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, sliced into 1/2-inch strips
- • 1 tablespoon neutral oil
- • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- • 1/2 cup water
- • 1/3 cup finely grated sweet onion
- • 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
- • 3 tablespoons honey
- • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- • 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
- • 2 garlic cloves, grated
- • 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- • 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon cold water
- • 4 sturdy 7-inch white or wheat sub rolls
- • 8 slices provolone or American cheese
- • 2 cups shredded lettuce
- • 1 medium tomato, thinly sliced
- • 1/2 cucumber, thinly sliced
- • 1/2 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
- • 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
View ingredient-by-ingredient match
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, sliced into 1/2-inch stripsMissing
- 1 tablespoon neutral oilMissing
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher saltMissing
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepperMissing
- 1/2 cup waterMissing
- 1/3 cup finely grated sweet onionMissing
- 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauceMissing
- 3 tablespoons honeyMissing
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegarMissing
- 1 tablespoon brown sugarMissing
- 2 teaspoons grated fresh gingerMissing
- 2 garlic cloves, gratedMissing
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oilMissing
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon cold waterMissing
- 4 sturdy 7-inch white or wheat sub rollsMissing
- 8 slices provolone or American cheeseMissing
- 2 cups shredded lettuceMissing
- 1 medium tomato, thinly slicedMissing
- 1/2 cucumber, thinly slicedMissing
- 1/2 green bell pepper, thinly slicedMissing
- 1/4 red onion, thinly slicedMissing
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Method
Recipe notes
Grating the onion into the sauce provides sweetness and body without large raw pieces. Reserve finishing sauce before it goes near the chicken, and reduce the skillet glaze only until it clings so the meat remains juicy.
Planning, storage, and serving
Storage and reheating
Refrigerate cooked chicken and sauce in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Store vegetables and rolls separately, reheat chicken to steaming, and assemble only the sandwiches being served.
Make-ahead tips
Prepare the sauce and slice vegetables up to 2 days ahead. Cook the chicken a day ahead if needed, but toast rolls and add chilled vegetables immediately before serving.
What to serve with it
- - Baked potato chips
- - Cucumber-sesame salad
- - Fresh fruit cups
Equipment needed
- - Large skillet
- - Small saucepan
- - Broiler-safe sheet pan
Difficulty explained
The sauce and chicken are simple, but keeping clean finishing sauce separate, reducing the glaze properly, and timing hot filling with crisp vegetables require organization.
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Nutrition facts
Updating nutrition…
Alternatives
Apply a reviewed substitution to this temporary working copy. The published recipe stays unchanged.
Browse reviewed options
Granulated sugar plus molasses
For each cup, mix 1 cup granulated sugar with 1 tablespoon molasses.
Tamari
Use tamari in the same amount for a similar savory profile.
Boneless skinless chicken thighs
Use an equal weight of boneless skinless thighs.
Type the ingredient you're missing — we'll find what you can use instead.
Pitfalls to Watch Out For
- Crowding wet chicken causes steaming instead of browning; pat it dry and cook in two batches if the skillet is small.
- Using sauce that touched raw chicken as a finishing drizzle risks cross-contamination; reserve a clean portion before cooking.
- Over-reduced teriyaki becomes salty and sticky; remove it from heat as soon as it coats the chicken.
Nutrition Context
- Chicken provides substantial lean protein, while the roll and sweet teriyaki sauce supply most of the carbohydrate.
- Soy sauce, cheese, and bread make sodium relatively high; low-sodium soy sauce and plenty of fresh vegetables improve balance.
FAQ
What makes sweet-onion teriyaki different from regular teriyaki?
Finely grated sweet onion, honey, and vinegar give it a brighter, fruitier sweetness than a soy-forward teriyaki glaze.
Can I marinate the chicken in the sauce?
You can marinate it for up to 2 hours, but discard that marinade and use separately reserved clean sauce for glazing and finishing.
How do I stop the sandwich from becoming soggy?
Reduce the glaze until it clings, toast the cheese against the bread, dry the vegetables, and assemble immediately.
Can I serve it cold?
The chicken is best warm, but fully cooked chilled chicken can be used if kept below 40°F and eaten within the storage window.
Can I make the sauce less sweet?
Reduce the honey to 2 tablespoons and omit brown sugar, then taste after the onion has simmered before adjusting.
What sides pair best with this dish?
Good pairings include Baked potato chips; Cucumber-sesame salad; Fresh fruit cups. Choose one or two based on how substantial you want the meal to be.