Sheet Pan Stir Fry with Orange Teriyaki Sauce

I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned this before ( here and here and here ) but I’m really into recipes that require throwing something into the oven. Like literally. There are days where I just want to chuck a chicken into the oven from the back of my kitchen, close the door, and keep on reading my “Saveur” article about some form of fancy cookery. Ok, yes, I was being figurative, not literal, but there truly are days when I’d rather dream about fancy cooking, ideally in a far off, warm destination where a robot cleans my huge pile of dishes, than make dinner tonight. So I made this sheet pan stir fry with orange teriyaki sauce for those kind of days. A recipe for people like us.

We, “I am a foodie but I’m tired” folk.

I made this by roasting some of my favorite winter vegetables, brussels, squash, onions, mushrooms and zucchini (which is not actually a winter veg but it tastes good) on 2 sheet pans for less than 20 minutes. I also threw in some chicken, but you could also use tofu, tempeh, pork or beef. It’s kind of a baseline recipe you can adjust to your diet, liking, or current season. The pièce de résistance is the orange teriyaki sauce that is naturally sweetened, scented with orange zest, ginger, and garlic and tossed with scallions, fresh basil and cilantro. It pretty much makes this dish. It’s how the “I am a foodie but I’m tired” folk can have something insanely delicious with little fuss.

How to Make Everything Taste Amazing when you’re tired

I didn’t make a New Year’s resolution this year, but I have kinda been intentional about one aspect of my cooking ever since Jan 1. I have been trying to make things that are kinda boring taste amazing by regularly buying a couple key staples. And it’s a philosophy that is tied into this sheet pan stir fry recipe.

Fresh herbs: I would say that there is almost always a bunch or fresh cilantro sitting in our fridge, ever since I was awakened to it my freshman year of university when I went to Qdoba for the first time (sad, I know). But recently I have been trying to play with more fresh herbs and combining them in interesting ways. I buy a variety and them try and find a way to use them in every meal I make.

Fresh herbs:

I would say that there is almost always a bunch or fresh cilantro sitting in our fridge, ever since I was awakened to it my freshman year of university when I went to Qdoba for the first time (sad, I know). But recently I have been trying to play with more fresh herbs and combining them in interesting ways. I buy a variety and them try and find a way to use them in every meal I make.

Citrus (especially zest): Citrus can dramatically transform a dish. For instance, my seafood chowder recipe from a couple weeks ago absolutely came alive when I added lemon to it. More notably lemon zest. When a dish calls for say lime juice, I try throwing in some lime zest too. It adds an inexplicable extra zing.

Citrus (especially zest):

Citrus can dramatically transform a dish. For instance, my seafood chowder recipe from a couple weeks ago absolutely came alive when I added lemon to it. More notably lemon zest. When a dish calls for say lime juice, I try throwing in some lime zest too. It adds an inexplicable extra zing.

Umami: Umami is what is considered the 6th flavor sensation. It is that dark, savory sense you get when you eat a beef stew. Or a glass of nicely aged cabernet sauvignon. It can come from a variety of things: fish sauce, tamari, miso paste, balsamic vinegar, just to name a few. Adding a small amount of an ingredient that has a strong umami flavor adds serious depth and savoriness. Y ou can play around with ingredients from different cultures and try them together.

Umami:

Umami is what is considered the 6th flavor sensation. It is that dark, savory sense you get when you eat a beef stew. Or a glass of nicely aged cabernet sauvignon. It can come from a variety of things: fish sauce, tamari, miso paste, balsamic vinegar, just to name a few. Adding a small amount of an ingredient that has a strong umami flavor adds serious depth and savoriness. Y ou can play around with ingredients from different cultures and try them together.

Sweetness: I am not a sugar person. Actually, I very rarely eat sugar or anything sweetened. But adding a small amount of natural sweetener like raw honey or maple syrup to a savory dish can cut through spice and lighten up a heavy dish.

Sweetness:

I am not a sugar person. Actually, I very rarely eat sugar or anything sweetened. But adding a small amount of natural sweetener like raw honey or maple syrup to a savory dish can cut through spice and lighten up a heavy dish.

Great Tips! What About The Sheet Pan Stir Fry?

So the base of this teriyaki sauce is both tamari (or soy sauce) and hoisin sauce (a Chinese cooking ingredient that is sweet, salty and bursting with chinese 5 spice), which brings in the super umami-ness. It’s sweetened up with a moderate amount of maple syrup. Fresh orange zest brings that citrus zing I was talking about. The garlic and ginger are like the bass guitar of this recipe. It drives all the flavor forward. And then it gets tossed with the herbs: scallions, basil, and cilantro for extra credit, but the kind of extra credit that is everything.

Toss your veggies with a little oil and salt, let them roast, and in the meantime throw together the sauce, which takes 5 minutes. When the veggies are done toss the teriyaki sauce, herbs, and veggies together on the same sheet pan. Serve over rice, noodles or as is. Sheet pan stir fry requires little time in the kitchen and more time doing what you do (or in reality obsessing over Pinterest or something that tired people do when they I procrastinate).

I can’t wait to here how your sheet pan stir fry turns out. Let me know how it goes! Rate the recipe and share your thoughts and questions in the comments below. Use the hashtag #popkitchen when you post photos of recipes you’ve made to your Instagram and tag @stacyfeyersalo. I’ll share my favorite photos on POP KITCHEN’s account.

Recipe

Sheet Pan Stir Fry with Brussels, Squash, + Orange Teriyaki Sauce

Ingredients

1 zucchini
8 oz mushrooms, sliced
½ a large red onion, sliced into half moons
4 cups brussels sprouts, bottoms trimmed off and cut into ¼ inch/6 mm slices
½ an acorn squash, seeds removed and cut into ½ inch/12 mm slices
1 lb/.5 kg protein like chicken breast, tofu, tempeh, shrimp, pork or beef, cut into 1 inch/2.5 cm cubes
1 Tbsp +1 tsp high smoke point oil (refined coconut, refined olive, canola, grape seed)
½ tsp sea salt
1 Tbsp ginger, grated
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 green onions, sliced (on a diagonal for fanciness)
1 Tbsp hoisin sauce (use gluten free variety if GF)
2 Tbsp tamari or soy sauce
1 Tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp chili garlic sauce, sambal oelek, or other chili paste
½ tsp orange zest
3 Tbsp water
Fresh basil
Cilantro
Orange segemnts
Avocado slices
Cooked brown rice
Crushed Peanuts
2 sheet pans
1 small sauce pan
1 small bowl

Instructions

First, set your oven to 425 F/281 C/7 gas. On two sheet pans layer your veggies. I put the brussels, zucchini, mushrooms, and onion on one and the chicken and squash on the other. You want to make sure that everything is laying flat and getting contact with the pan. I do not like using tin foil or parchment for this dish. Parchment doesn’t give nice caramelization. Tin foil rips when you go to flip your veg. Drizzle all the vegetables with 1 Tbsp of oil and a good pinch of salt (about ¼-1/2 tsp). Toss it together on the pan and spread all the vegetables out into a nice even layer. In a small bowl, toss together 1 tsp of oil and ¼ tsp of sea salt with your protein (chicken, beef, tofu, tempeh). Lay the protein on the sheet pan making sure the protein has lots of space when you put it on the pan.
Place both sheet pans into the hot oven. Allow to cook for 10 minutes. Turn all the vegetable and the chicken over so it gets golden on both sides. Cook an additional 8 minutes or until the vegetables are nice and caramelized and, if you’re using chicken, it has reached an internal temperature of 165 F/73 C.
TERIYAKI SAUCE: While the chicken and vegetables are roasting, combine the ingredients for the teriyaki sauce. Warm a small sauce pan over medium heat and add the teriyaki sauce. Bring the sauce up to a simmer and allow to cook for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat but keep warm until the vegetables are finished. If it is too thick, add a little extra water.
All of your vegetables will have shrunk considerably. Combine all of the veg and chicken onto one sheet pan. Drizzle 2 Tbsp of the teriyaki sauce over the stir fry and gently toss to combine. A little goes a long way guys. Give it taste. Does it need some more teriyaki sauce? Put a little more on. A squeeze of orange or lime, do it!