Grilled Teriyaki Chicken
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So saucy, so sticky, so so good! And you can prep and marinate everything ahead of time! Serve over rice + veggies.
With an incredibly easy homemade teriyaki sauce, this recipe comes together so quickly and so easily. Sweet, savory, and wonderfully sticky goodness here.
And you can even marinate your chicken (breasts are a great sub if desired) ahead of time, leaving prep work to an absolute minimum when ready to serve.
All that’s left to do is to throw these bad boys right on your grill until they’re wonderfully sticky and charred, basting with some of that homemade teriyaki sauce.
Serve over rice and broccoli or any other veggies you have on hand. This makes for a perfect quick weeknight meal or when you have company over on a summer night. It’s takeout right at home but made so much better.
CAN I USE CHICKEN BREASTS?
Yes, chicken breasts can absolutely be used here but chicken thighs have more dark meat and a higher fat content which will yield juicier, more flavorful chicken when thrown on the grill.
I’M SHORT ON TIME AND INGREDIENTS – CAN I USE STORE-BOUGHT TERIYAKI SAUCE?
Yes and yes. Some of my favorite store-bought brands are Kinder’s (sweet/salty/garlicky) and Yamasa (best Japanese-style IMO and a little less sweet).
WHAT IF I DON’T HAVE A GRILL?
No grill, no problem. A cast iron grill pan or a large cast iron skillet will work beautifully here, especially during those winter month when it’s too cold to grill out!
Grilled Teriyaki Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- ½ cup reduced sodium soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons mirin
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- TERIYAKI SAUCE: In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine 1/4 cup cold water and cornstarch. Stir in soy sauce, mirin, brown sugar, honey, ginger, garlic and sesame oil. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 4-5 minutes. Let cool completely.
- In a gallon size Ziploc bag or large bowl, combine chicken and 1/2 cup TERIYAKI SAUCE; marinate for at least 2 hours to overnight, turning the bag occasionally. Drain the chicken from the marinade.
- Preheat grill to medium high heat. Brush chicken with canola oil.
- Add chicken to grill, and cook, turning occasionally, until chicken is completely cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, about 10 minutes. Brush chicken with TERIYAKI SAUCE, cooking for an additional 1-2 minutes.
- Serve immediately with remaining TERIYAKI SAUCE, garnished with green onions and sesame seeds, if desired.
Did you make this recipe?
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Really yummy recipe! Will make again!
This recipe was easy and tasty, i marinated the chicken overnight and cooked it in the Grill. It was sticky but worth it, i made veggies like zucchini, bell peppers and corn and it was a delicious and fast dinner. Thank you!
DELICIOUS!! I needed something easy and delicious to throw on the grill by the pool for family visiting. This did not disappoint! Everyone thought it was amazing. Everything I have made from DD has always turned out great. Thanks for coming to my rescue with this recipe! 🙂
A hit! Â Teriyaki sauce had a very nice flavor. A plus was that the sauce had no pineapple as our son-in-law is allergic to it. We made mostly thighs, but added 2 breasts. My husband and I preferred thighs – juicer. Our daughter/son-in-law preferred the breasts. We WILL make this recipe again!
I can’t wait to make to make this. I love cooking on the grill. This is one recipe I’m going to love.
Quick and easy to make, perfect for busy weeknights.
Yummy I made this with chicken breasts on the grill and used the extra sauce for tilapia too and it was super wonderful. Made steamed broccoli and jasmine rice. Thanks much
Super tasty, and easy. Had all the sauce ingredients already at hand. (Had to improvise on the mixing using rice wine vinegar.) Enjoyed with basmati rice and stir fried up some veggies from the fridge. Yum!
I usually make my own teriyaki sauce, but add vinegar, or pineapple juice to cut the soy. The mirin just didn’t do it. It had too much of a soy taste, maybe too salty. I do use low sodium soy sauce. My 21 year old son told me that this was one chicken dish that I made that he really didn’t care for. I have loved all of your other dishes.
This looks and sounds delicious! Â Can this be baked or broiled in the oven? Â