Teriyaki Chicken Skewers

Chicken on a stick… They’re such a hit at family gatherings, fun get-togethers, and BBQ parties.

I make these Teriyaki Chicken Skewers and they are the ultimate Umami BOMB, thanks to my simple homemade marinade. Whenever I need a quick, easy, and budget-friendly meal to feed a large crowd and make them happy, these Asian chicken skewers are my top pick.

All I do is marinate the chicken for a few hours and then grill it on skewers for about 10 minutes. Sounds cool, right?

When the temperatures are starting to rise again, there is nothing better than hanging out near your grill with some cold beer and grilling cracking delicious recipes one after another.

I love our Greek Chicken Souvlaki, Mexican Pollo Asado and our Shrimp Foil Packets. It’s always fun when cooking outdoors, and having quality time with your friends and family.

These Teriyaki Chicken Skewers happen when I am looking for some easy grilling recipe with every day pantry ingredients.

What is Teriyaki?

Teriyaki is not just the name of the sauce, but a cooking method. Teri means “to shine or luster ” + Yaki means “to broil or grill”. This Japanese cooking technique is to pan fry or grill meats or fish and then cook them in the sauce, brushing the glaze until it glistens. 

Traditional Teriyaki sauce is a mix of soy sauce, sake and mirin, the latter two being kinds of rice wines with sugar. Mirin has a lower alcohol content and more sugar to give the sauce that lovely glaze. This sauce evolved into many versions as it left Japan. 

Places like Korea and Hawaii started using what they like or found in abundance like garlic, ginger, honey and even crushed pineapple or pineapple juice.

In absence of mirin and sake, rice vinegar or even regular white vinegar works perfectly fine, and still gives you a delicious cracker teriyaki.

What Cut of Chicken is BEST

I highly recommend using boneless skinless chicken thighs for chicken skewers, as they give more tender and juicy morsels.

Saying that, if you prefer white meat, you can use chicken breast or chicken tenders. Simply cut it into 1 inch cubes so they cook evenly in a short amount of cook time.

For the Teriyaki Sauce

• Soy sauce – Umami bomb.
• Rice vinegar – In its absence, use regular white vinegar. If you happen to have sake or mirin in your pantry, you can use them instead.
• Sesame oil – This makes a real difference.
• Brown sugar – To create that glaze.
• Honey
• Aromatics – Ginger + garlic + red chili flakes. Not traditional, but makes for some great tasting sauce.
• Cornstarch – To thicken the sauce.

Teriyaki Chicken Recipe

1. Make teriyaki sauce: I mix all the ingredients for the teriyaki sauce, except for the cornstarch, in a saucepan. I cook it over medium heat and bring it to a simmer, stirring continuously. Once it starts boiling, I lower the heat and let it simmer for 5 minutes. I mix the cornstarch with a little water to make a slurry and slowly add this to the sauce, stirring constantly to thicken it. Then, I remove it from the heat and let it cool.

2. Marinate: I marinate the chicken with a quarter of the sauce, making sure to reserve the rest for basting later. I cover it and let it marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, but longer is even better to really soak up those flavors.

3. Cook the chicken: When I’m ready to cook, I thread the chicken pieces onto skewers. If I’m using wooden skewers, I make sure to soak them for at least 1 hour before grilling to avoid burning them or catching them on fire. Cook according to your preferred method as follows:

Grilling method: I heat the grill to medium heat and once it’s hot, I place the skewers on the lightly oiled grill. I turn the skewers every 3-4 minutes, making sure the chicken cooks evenly and is cooked through, which usually takes about 10-12 minutes. The internal temperature should reach 165°F. As I turn the chicken, I keep basting it with the remaining teriyaki sauce to enhance the flavor and get that beautiful glaze.

Pan seared method: I like to use either a large cast iron skillet or an indoor grill skillet for this recipe. I heat 2 tablespoons of oil in the pan on medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot and the oil is sizzling, I place the chicken skewers in the pan. I cook them for 2-3 minutes, then continue turning every 2-3 minutes, basting each time I turn. The total cooking time is about 12-15 minutes, turning and basting until the chicken is thoroughly cooked.

Serving Suggestions

• They are great as stand alone chicken-on-a-stick meal or appetizer.
• I often serve them with white rice garnished with sesame seeds and scallions for a simple yet satisfying dish.
• In Hawaii, grilled teriyaki chicken skewers are served with Hawaiian Macaroni Salad.
• I also like to add extra veggie sides, such as broccoli or green beans.
• Any type of fried rice or lo mein is equally great with these teriyaki chicken skewers.
• The chicken bites can be wrapped in lettuce wraps.
• Change up the cooking method and try my Teriyaki Chicken Bowls!

Alpana’s Tips

1. Most of the times I make a quick homemade teriyaki sauce for great flavors, but on lazy days, I sometimes use store-bought teriyaki sauce. I look for a thicker sauce rather than a thinner one for the best results.
2. I marinate the chicken longer for more flavor. Ideally, I marinate it for 3-4 hours.
3. Leftovers are great, too. I store them in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days, and they can be served differently for future lunches and meals. It’s a great make-ahead meal prep option!
4. For the skewers, I use any type available. If I’m using wooden skewers and planning to grill, I soak them for 1 hour to avoid catching fire.

Whenever you’re in the mood for teriyaki chicken, make it on a stick for one fun hand held meal for your family. Quick marinade, thread and cook…

Such a simple recipe, yet great Asian flavor bomb. Heat up that grill, and make my version of Teriyaki Chicken Skewers for your loved ones.

Teriyaki Chicken Skewers, on our Gypsy Plate… enjoy!

Looking for more Asian Chicken Recipes? Try our…
Moo Shu Chicken
General Tso’s Chicken
Kung Pao Chicken
Thai Green Chicken Curry
Sticky Asian Wings
Filipino Chicken Asado
Chicken Stir Fry
Chicken Caldereta

Teriyaki Chicken Skewers

Yield: 5-6 skewers

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

My Teriyaki Chicken Skewers are a fun handheld meal perfect for grilling or cooking on stovetop. They're great for cookouts, or just as an easy weeknight dinner.

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Ingredients

Teriyaki Sauce

• ½ cup soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp rice vinegar or white vinegar
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp honey
• 1 Tbsp sesame oil
• 1 Tbsp garlic, finely chopped
• 1 Tbsp ginger, finely chopped
• ½ tsp red chili flakes (optional)
• 2 tsp cornstarch
• ¼ cup water

Chicken Skewers

• 2lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into 1 inch cubes

Garnishing

• sesame seeds
• scallions (green part), sliced

Instructions

1. Make Teriyaki Sauce: Mix all the ingredients for teriyaki sauce except corn starch in a sauce pan. Cook over medium heat and bring it to simmer, stirring continuously. Once it starts boiling, lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Mix the cornstarch with a little water, and slowly add this slurry to the sauce, stirring constantly, to thicken it. Remove from heat and let it cool.
2. Marinate the chicken with a quarter of the sauce (reserve the rest for basting later). Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, or more.
3. When ready to cook, thread chicken pieces on skewers. (If using wooden skewers, soak them at least 1 hour before grilling, to avoid burning them or catching them on fire). Cook according to your preferred method as follows:
   
   - Grilling Method: Heat the grill to medium heat. Once the grill is hot, place skewers on the lightly oiled grill. Turn the skewers every 3-4 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through (internal temperature reaches 165°F), about 10-12 minutes. When you turn the chicken, keep on basting it with the remaining teriyaki sauce.
   
   -Pan Seared Method: We like to use either a large cast iron skillet or indoor grill skillet for this recipe. Heat 2 Tbsp oil in a pan on medium high heat. Once the pan is hot and oil sizzling, place the chicken skewers in the pan and cook 2-3 minutes, then continue turning every 2-3 minutes, basting every time you turn. Cook for about 12-15 minutes, turning and basting until chicken is cooked.
4. Serve immediately with a final brushing of teriyaki sauce. Garnish with sesame seeds and scallions.

Notes

1. If using wooden skewers, soak them at least 1 hour before grilling to avoid burning them catching on fire.

Nutrition Information

Yield 6 Serving Size 1
Amount Per Serving Calories 355Total Fat 16gSaturated Fat 4gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 12gCholesterol 184mgSodium 1439mgCarbohydrates 14gFiber 1gSugar 10gProtein 39g

Nutrition information calculated by Nutritionix.

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Welcome to GypsyPlate! I'm Alpana, former wordwide tour manager and professional caterer, now full time blogger. I love exploring cuisines from around the world, and my recipes have been featured on sites such as MSN, Parade, Brit + Co, CNET and AOL. You can explore my entire collection of sortable recipes in my Recipe Index or learn more about me here.