This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.
This chicken teriyaki recipe is quick, saucy, and packed with flavor—so much better than takeout and perfect for busy weeknights.
Finding a meal that gets unanimous thumbs-up from everyone at the table can feel like a small victory. At my house, chicken teriyaki—a Japanese dish with marinated chicken and a sweet, savory glaze—is always a win. It’s super flexible, too. Throw it on the grill in the summer or pop it under the broiler when it’s cold outside.
One blended mixture does double duty here: some marinates the chicken, and the rest becomes the sauce. Just remember to set aside the sauce portion before adding the raw chicken. There’s no need to brush or baste as it cooks, either—the sauce gets spooned over at the end.
“My boyfriend and I made this last night and we loved it…Easy, quick, and delish!”
What You’ll Need To Make Chicken Teriyaki
- Soy Sauce: The base of the marinade and sauce—salty, savory, and packed with umami.
- Sugar: Balances the soy sauce with sweetness and gives the sauce its classic teriyaki flavor. I usually use white sugar, but brown sugar works too.
- Mirin: A sweet Japanese rice wine that adds depth and just a hint of acidity. If you don’t have it, you can leave it out—the chicken will still be delicious.
- Sesame Oil: Adds a nutty, aromatic flavor to the dish. Look for toasted (Asian) sesame oil, which is dark in color and nutty in flavor, not the light, untoasted variety.
- Ginger and Garlic: These aromatics contribute a spicy, pungent flavor, adding depth to the sauce.
- Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs: My go-to for this recipe—they stay juicy and soak up the sauce beautifully. You can use boneless skinless chicken breasts if you’re in a pinch or prefer white meat, but thighs are definitely the best choice for teriyaki.
- Cornstarch: Used to thicken the sauce, giving it a glossy texture that clings to the chicken.
- Scallions: These mild green onions add a fresh crunch and a pop of color to the finished dish.
- Sesame Seeds: A light sprinkle at the end adds subtle crunch and makes the dish look finished.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
How To Make Chicken Teriyaki
Step 1: Make the marinade. In a blender, combine the soy sauce, sugar, mirin, oil, ginger, garlic, and ½ cup water. Blend until smooth and foamy, about 1 minute. Set aside 1 cup of marinade and refrigerate (you’ll use it for the sauce).
Step 2: Marinate the chicken. Place the chicken in a bowl or zipper-lock bag, pour in the remaining marinade, and refrigerate for 1 to 4 hours (don’t go longer or it’ll get too salty).
Step 3: Cook the chicken. Grill over medium-high heat for 6 to 8 minutes per side, or broil on a foil-lined baking sheet about 6 inches from the heat for 8 minutes per side, until cooked through and charred in spots. Keep an eye on it, as the sugar in the marinade can cause some charring on the foil.
Step 4: Make the teriyaki sauce. Whisk the reserved marinade with the remaining ¼ cup water and cornstarch until smooth. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes until thickened.
Step 5: Serve. Serve the chicken whole or sliced, topped with the teriyaki sauce (a little goes a long way), scallions, and sesame seeds.
Make-Ahead, Freezing & Reheating
This chicken reheats well, so making the whole recipe ahead is a good option when you know dinner will be a scramble. Just keep the chicken and sauce separate until serving.
- Make ahead: Cook the chicken and sauce, then refrigerate promptly in separate airtight containers for up to 3 days. If you’re prepping the raw chicken instead, stick to the recipe’s 1-to-4-hour marinating window; overnight is too long and can make it overly salty.
- Freeze: Freeze the cooked chicken and sauce separately in freezer-safe containers or bags for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
- Reheat: Warm the chicken in the microwave or in a 350°F oven, covered with foil, until hot throughout. Reheat the sauce in a small saucepan, stirring and adding a splash of water if it needs loosening. Add the scallions and sesame seeds just before serving.
Video Tutorial
Chicken Teriyaki
Ingredients
- 1 cup soy sauce
- ¾ cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons mirin
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh ginger from a 2-in knob
- 4 cloves garlic coarsely chopped
- ¾ cup water divided
- 3 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, trimmed
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 3 scallions dark green parts only, for serving
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds for serving
Instructions
- Make the teriyaki sauce: Combine the soy sauce, sugar, mirin, oil, ginger, garlic, and ½ cup (120 ml) of the water in a blender and process until smooth, about 1 minute. It will be foamy. Set aside 1 cup (240 ml) of sauce and refrigerate until ready to cook (you'll use it for serving).
- Place the chicken in a 1-gallon (4L) zipper-lock bag and add remaining blended teriyaki sauce. Press out the air, seal the bag, and turn to coat the chicken with marinade. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours (no longer, or the dish will be too salty).
- Preheat the grill to medium-high. Place the chicken on the grill and cook, covered, until chicken is lightly charred and cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes per side, rearranging as needed to ensure even browning. (For an indoor option, see the broiling instructions in the Notes below.)
- Thicken the sauce: In a small saucepan, whisk the reserved sauce (be sure it’s cold or room temperature), the remaining ¼ cup (60 ml) water, and cornstarch until completely smooth. Bring the sauce to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat and simmer until thickened, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Slice the chicken crosswise about ½-in (13-mm) thick, if desired, and serve with the teriyaki sauce, scallions, and sesame seeds. Be judicious with the sauce — a little goes a long way.
Notes
Pair with
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you’re following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
See more recipes:
What To Serve With Chicken Teriyaki
Steamed broccoli and jasmine rice are my usual picks—both are simple, and both are good with a little teriyaki sauce spooned over them. Get the rice going while the chicken marinates, then steam the broccoli as the chicken cooks.
More Asian-Inspired Chicken dishes You’ll Love
Add a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Hey, I really want to make this dish and was wondering if the ginger had to be fresh or if I could use ginger paste or ginger powder without sacrificing too much of the original flavor?
Hi Kat, I like this best with fresh ginger, but you can get away with ground ginger powder. You’ll need much less — I’d recommend a scant 1/4 teaspoon. Hope you enjoy!
Delicious and easy-used bottled garlic and ginger and the taste was wonderful with only 1 hour of marinating.
I made this chicken for my book club and everyone raved about it. I marinated the thighs for 1 hour and it was plenty of time. I grilled the chicken about 6 mins per side as the pieces were on the smaller side. Will definitely make again.
Made this last night and it was wonderful. Loved the ginger! We added pineapple for those who like a little something extra.
This is a fantastic recipe! It’s also amazingly easy, which I appreciate when I don’t have a lot of time to get dinner on the table. Because the marinade time is flexible and can be as short as one hour, you can decide to make it last minute and still get excellent results. I used boneless thighs and they came out beautifully, but also used chicken tenderloins, which worked out in a pinch. The flavor of the marinade and sauce is restaurant quality. My family devours it!
This recipe was a big hit at my house. My teenager said “Mom, you really stepped up your game!” Ha ha. It did taste like restaurant food. I followed the recipe – except I skipped the mirin and only marinated for 30 min (and it still tasted great). I used the broiler and served it with steamed broccoli and steamed rice, as recommended. I also appreciate the 3 lbs of chicken, because even with 4 people we now have leftovers. Thank you!
I’ve made this recipe once with chicken and once with salmon. It was a big hit served both ways. It was the best teriyaki sauce I’ve ever had and far superior to anything you can buy. The dish was not only delicious but looked picture perfect. But the real proof is in the fact that there was nothing left over which was also the saddest part because I would have loved to have some leftovers for lunch!
This was excellent! I am always on the search for great Asian-inspired meals and they don’t always have the rich flavor that you’d hope. This one does! We subbed chix breasts because that’s what we prefer. And we had some extra sauce leftover to use on rice bowls the next day. Thanks for another great recipe!
So good!
We loved it. My husband can’t stop raving. I did have to make a substitution. We substitute coconut aminos for soy in all recipes calling for soy. Knowing it is sweeter than soy I cut the sugar to 1/2 cup but it was still too sweet for us. Remedied by upping all the other ingredients to balance it. So just a note that unless you like really sweet sauce be careful how much sugar you add if using coconut aminos instead of soy. I think this marinade and sauce might work really well for pork tenderloins.