Grilled Teriyaki Chicken

This is an authentic teriyaki chicken recipe that has all the flavors you expect. Read on to see how easy it is to make Chinese food from scratch.

For a complete meal, make my fried rice or fried spring rolls recipe.

This recipe was originally posted March 21, 2015, we’ve tweaked it a bit since then. This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here. 

How to Make Grilled Teriyaki Chicken

1. Grilled Teriyaki chicken is one of my favorite foods, I’ve always loved it and always will. There is just something so amazing about that sweet and smokey flavor.
2. The first time I tried making my own Teriyaki chicken I ended up pretty disappointed with the recipe. It didn’t taste anything like the takeout kind. So I was on a mission to recreate it myself.
3. After coming up with my ideal recipe, I realized the secret to that special taste is cooking the chicken on a commercial griddle. Commercial griddles are very pricey therefore most people don’t own them. I discovered that cooking the teriyaki chicken on a grill is a great alternative to the griddle because it can maintain very high temperatures without dropping the moment food is placed on it.
4. If you don’t own a grill, you can always cook it on a skillet over high heat, but it won’t have that significant smokey flavor. I’m telling you, the grill does all the work.

Grilled Teriyaki Chicken Ingredients

There are two parts to this recipe – the chicken marinade and the homemade teriyaki sauce. Both of them are important, they make this chicken turn out juicy and full of incredible flavor.

Chicken Marinade:

• Chicken thighs, deboned
• Garlic, minced
• Ginger, zested
• Brown sugar
• Low sodium soy sauce

Teriyaki Sauce:

• Grapeseed oil
• Garlic, minced
• Low sodium soy sauce
• Sake (rice wine)
• Mirin
• Brown sugar

How to make Grilled Teriyaki Chicken

The complete instructions are in the recipe card further down. But here is the overview, with step by step pictures.

1. In a bowl, whisk together the garlic, ginger, brown sugar, and soy sauce.

2. Add the chicken thighs to the soy sauce mixture and stir just to combine. Cover the chicken with plastic wrap and let it marinate in the refrigerator.

3. Once the chicken has marinated, grill each chicken thigh.

4. While the chicken is grilling, heat the grapeseed oil in a large pan. Add the garlic and stir, then add in the soy sauce, sake, mirin, brown sugar, and water.

5. Let the sauce cook over high heat until it just starts to thicken. bring the heat down to low and let it simmers. You don’t want it to cook for too long, or else it will become bitter.

6. When the sauce has thickened, add in the grilled chicken and let it simmer. Cut the chicken into strips and serve over hot rice. You can pour extra sauce on top of the chicken if you like it saucier.

Teriyaki Chicken Marinade

I discovered that the secret to a really juicy chicken with flavor in every bite is the marinade. The marinade soaks the meat and injects spice into every crevice.

You can let the chicken rest in the marinade for 2 hours up to overnight. I haven’t personally tasted much difference between a 2 hour and an overnight one, so it all depends on how much time you have and when you are going to grill it.

What to Serve with Grilled Teriyaki Chicken

My teriyaki chicken makes a really filling lunch or an Asian treat for dinner. If you are going to eat this for your lunch pair it with my Asian chicken salad.

If you are going to make this for dinner, serve it with some rice and steamed veggies. You could also make the following recipes for a dinner that tastes like takeout:

• Homemade Chow Mein
• Gluten-Free Stir Fry with Rice Noodles
• Crispy Crab Rangoons

Grilled Teriyaki Chicken

This is an authentic teriyaki chicken recipe that has all the flavors you expect. Read on to see how easy it is to make Chinese food from scratch. 

5 from 4 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Asian

Keyword: Grilled Teriyaki Chicken

Prep Time: 2 hours 20 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 2 hours 45 minutes

Servings: 6

Calories: 390kcal

Author: Dina Polyashov

Ingredients

Chicken Marinade

• 6 chicken thighs deboned
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 1/8 tsp ginger zested
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce

Teriyaki Sauce

• 2 tbsp grape seed oil
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
• 1/2 cup sake rice wine
• 1/2 cup mirin
• 3 tbsp brown sugar
• 1/2 cup water

Instructions

Make the teriyaki marinade

• In a bowl, whisk together 1 clove minced garlic, 1/8 tsp zested ginger, 1 tbsp brown sugar, and 1/3 cup soy sauce.
• Add the chicken thighs to the soy sauce mixture and stir just to combine. Cover the chicken with plastic wrap and let it marinate in the refrigerator for 2 hours.

Grill the chicken

• Once the chicken has marinated, grill each chicken thigh for about 4 minutes on each side

Make the Teriyaki Sauce

• While the chicken is grilling, heat 2 tbsp of grape seed oil in a large pan over medium high heat. Add the garlic and stir for about 10 seconds. Then add in the soy sauce, sake, mirin, brown sugar, and water.Let the sauce cook over high heat until it just starts to thicken. bring the heat down to low and let it simmer for about 15 minutes. You don't want it to cook for too long, or else it will become bitter.
• When the sauce has thickened, add in the grilled chicken and let it simmer for about 2-3 minutes on each side. Cut the chicken into strips and serve over hot rice. You can pour extra sauce on top of the chicken if you like it more saucy.

Nutrition

Calories: 390kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 110mg | Sodium: 1067mg | Potassium: 284mg | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 90IU | Vitamin C: 0.5mg | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 1.3mg

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Hi, I’m Dina, so glad you stopped by! I believe life is too short for bad coffee and boring meals. With my easy to follow step-by-step recipes, you’ll be surprised at how quickly a wholesome and delicious meal can come together. I hope you find something you enjoy!

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