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    Home » Recipes » Main Dish

    Grilled Teriyaki Chicken

    Published: Jul 4, 2017 · Modified: Jan 8, 2022 by Chellie Schmitz

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    Get your grill on with this delicious grilled teriyaki chicken! There's just 5 ingredients in this marinade. Tender, juicy, chicken breast grilled to perfection! Everyone will love this easy chicken dinner! via @artfrommytableGet your grill on with this delicious grilled teriyaki chicken! There's just 5 ingredients in this marinade. Tender, juicy, chicken breast grilled to perfection! Everyone will love this easy chicken dinner! via @artfrommytable

    Juicy Chicken Breasts are marinated in a savory and slightly sweet teriyaki sauce, then grilled to perfection! An easy meal that satisfies everyone. 

    This Easy Grilled Teriyaki Chicken Recipe is one of those amazing dinner ideas you can make in a pinch!

    grilled chicken with teriyaki sauce on a white platter, served with green beans and white rice
    Jump to:
    • Why You'll Love this recipe
    • Ingredients
    • How to grate fresh ginger
    • Instructions
    • Other Cooking Methods
    • Optional Glaze
    • Notes and Tips
    • Variations
    • FAQ'S
    • More tasty grilling recipes
    • Perfect side dishes for pairing
    • 📋 Recipe

    Whether you’re getting ready to make a quick dinner for your family or need a simple recipe to serve to guests, having a few delicious go-to recipes is essential.

    This Chicken Tinga Recipe and These Steak Fajitas are just two of my favorite go-to recipes.

    With just a few simple ingredients 5 minutes of your time, the chicken is prepped and soaking in a delicious homemade Teriyaki marinade. And grilling is no more than 20 minutes, that's a huge win in my book!

    Why You'll Love this recipe

    • Tender & Delicious
    • 5-minute prep time
    • Staple ingredients
    • Short cooking time

    Ingredients

    ingredients for teriyaki chicken- chicken breasts, soy sauce, onion flakes, cornstarch, ginger, honey, garlic

    The secret is in the sauce! The first 5 ingredients make up the Teriyaki marinade. It's all about the right blend of flavors.

    • Soy sauce- the saltiness will help tenderize the chicken, I prefer low sodium.
    • water- Some brands of soy sauce have more intense flavor, the water helps to dilute it so it won't be too salty.
    • Garlic- because yum! and, it's good for you.
    • Fresh ginger- This gives it that familiar Asian flavor and adds some zing. You'll need to grate it, and I'll show you how.
    • Honey- adds the touch of sweetness to balance out the saltiness.
    • Dried minced onions- adds that cooked onion flavor
    • Chicken- boneless, skinless

    How to grate fresh ginger

    Fresh ginger is the secret to this homemade marinade. It really adds a lovely bright flavor with a little zing.

    Eating ginger raw is spicy, it has some bite. When cooked that bite goes away.

    I recommend a ceramic ginger grater, but you can use a microplane too. Mine is straight from Japan, which is why it looks different (I haven't been able to find one exactly like it).

    1. Peel the ginger- I use a vegetable peeler, some people prefer to use the back of a spoon
    2. Grate it- Simply rub it back and forth on the grater or microplane and it will break down the ginger.
    grated fresh ginger on a ceramic ginger grater

    Instructions

    STEP ONE- Marinate the chicken

    The chicken should be marinated for a minimum of 30 minutes. But if you can plan ahead, letting it marinate longer will give you more flavor.

    12 hours is my optimum time, but it can go up to 24 hours.

    • In a small bowl, add the soy sauce, water, honey, grated ginger, garlic, and dried minced onions.
    • Whisk together until well combined.
    • Lightly season the chicken with salt and pepper.
    • Place the chicken in a shallow bowl/dish, or a gallon size zip lock bag.
    • Pour the marinade over the chicken, cover and refrigerate.
    homemade teriyaki sauce in a bowl next to seasoned raw chicken breasts
    raw chicken breasts marinating in homemade teriyaki sauce

    AFMT pro-tip~

    Make a double batch and freeze one for later use. Place all the ingredients in a ziplock bag and freeze flat. When ready to use, thaw in the refrigerator, grill as directed.

    STEP TWO- GRILL

    1. Preheat the grill to between 400 and 500 hundred degrees.
    2. Remove the chicken from the marinade and discard any remaining sauce. 
    3. Place the chicken on the grill, close the lid.
    4. Remove the chicken from the marinade and place on the grill. Put the lid down, and cook for 5 minutes. Turn the chicken over to the other side, cover again and cook another 5 minutes or until cooked through. The internal temperature should be 165°.
    5. Let the chicken rest 5 minutes before serving.

    The best way to know the temperature is to use a meat thermometer.

    Other Cooking Methods

    • Oven- remove chicken from marinade, place it in a 9x13 dish, bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes
    • Slow cooker- place chicken in Crockpot, toss in the sauce, Cook on low for 3 hours or high for 2 hours.
    • Instant Pot- Place chicken and sauce ingredients in the IP, cook on manual mode for 10 minutes, quick release.
    • Sous Vide- head over to my sous vide chicken post for all the details.

    ***cooking times vary by oven and size of chicken breasts***

    juicy grilled chicken breast in teriyaki sauce

    Optional Glaze

    You can reserve half the marinade, before adding the chicken, and cook it for a teriyaki glaze.

    • Place the reserved marinade in a small saucepan over medium meat and bring to a boil. 
    • Make a cornstarch slurry by mixing 2 teaspoons of cornstarch with equal parts water and stir with a fork until blended. Add the mixture to the simmering marinade. It will thicken after a couple of minutes.
    • Remove from heat, and brush on the chicken after cooking. (For a smoother sauce, strain it through a fine-mesh sieve)
    saucepan full of homemade teriyaki sauce

    Notes and Tips

    • Chicken thighs, legs, leg quarters, or bone-in breasts can be substituted, but you will need to adjust the cooking time.
    • Use Bragg’s Liquid Amino Acids in place of soy sauce. If you can’t eat soy.
    • Use natural sweetener instead of honey- (THM and Low Carb Lovers) Swerve measures equal parts. For Truvia, use half the amount. For any other sweetener, check a conversion chart.
    • dried ginger can be used instead of fresh ginger, although if you can use fresh it makes a huge difference. Dried ginger is more intense, use 1 teaspoon.
    • The secret to your meat not sticking to the grill is a high temperature. You'll also get great grill marks!
    • Add a couple of teaspoons of sesame oil to your marinade for extra flavor and healthy fat.
    • Let it rest! After you remove the meat from the grill, tent it with foil and give it 5-10 minutes for the juices to redistribute back into the meat. This makes for the juiciest piece of chicken.
    • Arrowroot powder can be substituted for cornstarch if you are making the teriyaki glaze. Use the same way.
    • This recipe freezes GREAT! Place all the ingredients in a ziplock bag and freeze flat. When ready to use, thaw in the refrigerator, grill as directed. I typically make a double batch and freeze one for later use.
    • If you use a zip lock bag, make sure to turn it over halfway through the marinating time. This ensures even coating.

    Variations

    • Pineapple- Add a slice of grilled pineapple to the top of your chicken.
    • Stir Fry- This teriyaki sauce makes a great addition to stir fry!
    • Teriyaki Chicken Bowl- Build a bowl with rice as the base, slice the chicken, lay it on top, then add veggies like broccoli, edamame, peas, carrots, onions, etc.

    FAQ'S

    How long do you marinate the chicken before grilling?

    At least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours.

    How do you grill chicken without drying it out?

    Giving the meat time to marinate before putting it on the grill helps. Also, cover with the grill lid to keep some moisture in the air, and don't overcook! A meat thermometer is extremely useful to make sure you're not leaving it on too long.

    Is there a difference between teriyaki sauce and marinade?

    While the flavors of teriyaki sauce and teriyaki marinade are the same, the way they are used on the meat is the key to telling the difference between the two.
    While marinade flavors the chicken before you cook it by allowing it to slowly absorb into the meat, sauce is used to top the chicken and provides a flavor enhancement to the meat.

    More tasty grilling recipes

    • Pefect Grilled Burgers
    • Coconut Lime Chicken
    • Greek Yogurt Grilled Chicken
    • Carne Asada
    • Citrus Basil Chicken

    Perfect side dishes for pairing

    • Wild Rice
    • Asparagus
    • Roasted Vegetables
    • Watermelon Salad
    • More side dish ideas

    Please share!

    Your shares are how this site grows and I appreciate each one. Do you know someone who would enjoy this recipe?

    I’d love it if you would share it on your favorite Pinterest board or Facebook! AND…if you like this recipe, please do me a favor and give it a ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ rating! TIA 🥰

    You can also follow along on YouTube and Instagram!

    📋 Recipe

    grilled chicken with teriyaki sauce on a white platter, served with green beans and white rice

    Grilled Teriyaki Chicken

    Tender, juicy grilled chicken bursting with tangy teriyaki sauce.
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Asian
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes
    marinating time: 30 minutes
    Total Time: 50 minutes
    Servings: 6
    Calories: 45kcal
    Author: Chellie Schmitz

    Equipment

    • mixing bowl
    • shallow dish or zip lock bags for marinating
    • a ginger grater is helpful if you're using fresh ginger
    • garlic press
    • tongs
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients

    • 2-2/12 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
    • ⅓ cup soy sauce
    • ⅓ cup water
    • 2 tbsp honey
    • 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
    • 1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
    • 1 teaspoon dried minced onions (onion flakes)

    Instructions

    • Whisk together soy sauce, water, honey, ginger, garlic, and onions.
    • Place chicken in a ziplock bag or shallow dish, pour marinade over top. Marinate for at least 30 minutes or up to overnight
    • Preheat grill to 400-500 degrees.  Remove chicken from marinade and place on the grill until cooked through, about 5 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of your chicken.
    • Remove from the grill, and let rest for 5-10 minutes

    Optional glaze

    • Before adding the chicken, reserve half the marinade.
    • Place it in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil.
    • Make a cornstarch slurry by mixing two teaspoons of cornstarch with two teaspoons of cold water. Stir with a fork until blended.
    • Add the mixture to the simmering marinade, it will thicken after a few minutes.
    • Remove from heat and brush on the chicken after cooking.

    Notes

    • Chicken thighs, legs, leg quarters, or bone-in breasts can be substituted, but you will need to adjust the cooking time.
    • Use Bragg’s Liquid Amino Acids in place of soy sauce. If you can’t eat soy.
    • Use natural sweetener instead of honey- (THM and Low Carb Lovers) Swerve measures equal parts. For Truvia, use half the amount. For any other sweetener, check a conversion chart.
    • dried ginger can be used instead of fresh ginger, although if you can use fresh it makes a huge difference. Dried ginger is more intense, use 1 teaspoon.
    • The secret to your meat not sticking to the grill is a high temperature. You'll also get great grill marks!
    • Add a couple of teaspoons of sesame oil to your marinade for extra flavor and healthy fat.
    • Let it rest! After you remove the meat from the grill, tent it with foil and give it 5-10 minutes for the juices to redistribute back into the meat. This makes for the juiciest piece of chicken.
    • Arrowroot powder can be substituted for cornstarch if you are making the teriyaki glaze. Use the same way.
    • Freezes well, make a double batch and freeze one (in the marinade)

    Nutrition

    Calories: 45kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 735mg | Potassium: 74mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 3mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!I love to see what's on YOUR table! Mention @artfrommytable or tag #artfrommytable on your favorite social.

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    Update Notes: This post was originally published on July 4, 2017, but was updated with some more information, step-by-step instructions, and updated notes, tips, and images in Februrary of 2021.

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    about chellie

    ABOUT CHELLIE

    Chellie is the creator of Art From My Table, where her passion for delicious food and gathering with loved ones comes together. She believes anyone can cook a great meal, it doesn't have to be complicated or stressful. Her recipes and food photography have been featured in many publications including Buzzfeed, Southern Living, Today Food, and Fitness magazine. Read more...

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