Name: Chicken Teriyaki
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: 1kg (1 1/4lbs.) chicken thighs, cut into bite sized pieces; 250ml (1 cup) homemade teriyaki sauce; 30 woodend skewers, soaked for at least 30 minutes.

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Try this chicken teriyaki with my homemade spicy teriyaki sauce. You’ll love it!

Chicken teriyaki is one of the easiest and most popular Japanese barbecue dishes. You could just use shop-bought teriyaki sauce for this recipe but you’ll love it even more if you make your own.

This chicken teriyaki is so good served simply with jasmine or sticky rice with some of the teriyaki sauce served on the side. Oh… and if you like a good Japanese style coleslaw, you will find that here and it’s the perfect accompaniment.

About this recipe

Anyone could make chicken teriyaki with easy. All you need to do is purchase some teriyaki sauce, marinate your chicken and grill it up.

This chicken teriyaki recipe is a bit different thought the cooking instructions are pretty much the same. For this recipe, I would like to encourage you to make your own teriyaki sauce.

Teriyaki sauce is seldom spicy, but in my version, you will get a nice kick. That said, you could leave the chillies out and make this chicken teriyaki mild too.

Why should you make your own teriyaki sauce?

It’s all about flavour! If you simply purchase a bottle of teriyaki sauce, you will get what the manufacturer has produced. You will have little control over the finished flavour.

By making your own, you can achieve the perfect balance of sweet, savoury and spicy flavours. You are in control when you make your own!

Homemade spicy teriyaki sauce.

Do you have to cook this chicken teriyaki on a barbecue?

No. You could pan fry it or place the marinated chicken in an oven, pre-heated to 200c/400f. It will take about 20 minutes to cook through. For extra colour and flavour, you could place the chicken under your grill/broiler for a few minutes to finish it up.

Which skewers should you use?

You can use any skewers you like. Metal skewers make for an easier cook. That said, wooden skewers look great and are excellent for presentation.

If you decide to use wooden skewers, be sure to soak them in water for at least 30 minutes before skewering the meat.

Which cut of chicken works best?

I highly recommend using thigh meat. It is cheaper than chicken breast and also has more flavour.

How do you make the teriyaki sauce?

I have a recipe for that right here. Believe me… you are going to love it!

How long with chicken teriyaki keep in the fridge?

Once cooked, it should keep for at least three days. It’s delicious cold but you can heat it up over a medium high heat in a pan or even place it in your microwave.

Can you freeze chicken teriyaki?

Yes. It freezes really well for up to 6 months. To reheat it, let it defrost completely and then heat it up with a little oil in a pan or in your microwave. Pan frying is the best option.

Pro Tips

Marinate the chicken: Be sure to marinate the chicken in the tandoori marinade sauce for at least 3 hours or overnight.
Cooking the chicken: Cook over a medium high heat if using wooden skewers. If your coals are too hot, the skewers will burn.
Serving: Chicken teriyaki is great on its own but it’s even better when served with rice, salad and of course more teriyaki sauce.

Step by step photographs

Chicken thighs cut into bite sized pieces.

Cut your chicken thighs into bite sized pieces.

Place the chicken pieces in a bowl and pour in the teriyaki sauce. Be sure to rub the sauce/marinade right into the flesh.

Skewer the chicken. I recommend not skewering as many pieces as I did onto each skewer. They are easier to turn.

Place the skewers over the fire. Remember that if you are using wooden skewers, you do not want that fire to be too hot.

The chicken skewers are ready when the meat is cooked through and lightly charred in places.

Finished teriyaki chicken served on skewers on a plate.

Serve hot with more teriyaki sauce.

Yield: 6