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My grandma used to make this easy chicken teriyaki recipe 🍗 for me as a child, and I love cooking it for my own family. This sweet-savory sauce with soy sauce, garlic 🧄, ginger 🫚, and pineapple juice 🍍 is delicious. And my grandma’s secret ingredient was a cinnamon stick. It may be surprising, but it really makes the sauce!
❤️ Why You’ll Love This Chicken Teriyaki Recipe
This yummy teriyaki sauce for chicken is a family recipe that I’m happy I get to share with you. With seven ingredients, it’s easy to make and tastes amazing on whatever you put it on. The blend of sweet, savory, and umami flavors creates a perfect balance that will leave you craving more.
🐔 Chicken Teriyaki Ingredients
- Soy Sauce: I used low-sodium soy sauce, but regular is fine, too.
- Sugar: White and brown sugar give this teriyaki sauce recipe its signature sweetness.
- Ginger: Freshly grated ginger has more flavor than dried, so use fresh.
- Pineapple Juice infuses the sauce with a subtle tropical sweetness and complements the savory soy sauce and ginger.
- Garlic provides a robust aroma, enhancing the overall flavor profile.
- Cinnamon Sticks: I’m not sure why my grandma used cinnamon, but it’s not the same family recipe if we leave it out. It just doesn’t taste the same!
- Chicken Thighs marinated in teriyaki sauce are tender and juicy.
- Cornstarch thickens the sauce.
👩🍳 How to Make Chicken Teriyaki
- Make the Chicken Teriyaki Marinade: Combine all the ingredients except the chicken and cornstarch in a saucepan. Bring it to a boil and let it cool.
- Marinate Chicken: Put the chicken into a sealable bag and pour in the marinade. Refrigerate for at least six hours or overnight.
- Grill the chicken on medium-high until the internal temperature reads 165℉.
- Thicken the Sauce: Pour the teriyaki marinade into a saucepan and bring it to a boil. (It must come to a boil to be safe to eat after marinating chicken.) Add the cornstarch, let it cool, and serve it with the chicken.
📹 Watch me make this chicken teriyaki sauce here.
🪄 Tips and Tricks
I marinate my chicken in Stasher bags (reusable silicone bags). When I’m done, I just run them through the dishwasher.
🗒 Variations
- Additions: Add green onions or sesame seeds to the sauce.
- Don’t eat meat? Marinate vegetables in teriyaki sauce and cook them on the grill.
- Baked Chicken Teriyaki: If you’d rather not grill, bake the thighs at 400℉ for 20 to 25 minutes until the internal temperature reads 165℉.
🗒 Substitutions
- Soy Sauce: Use tamari if you’re gluten-free or coconut aminos if you’re allergic to soy.
- Sweetener: Replace sugar with maple syrup or honey. If you prefer a less sweet sauce, you can reduce the sugar.
- Chicken: Swap thighs for chicken breasts. However, they won’t be as tender as thighs. You can also use bone-in thighs if you prefer.
- Other Proteins: Use the teriyaki marinade on pork chops and steaks.
- Cornstarch: Substitute arrowroot.
🍽️ Best served with
My favorite way to eat teriyaki chicken is over white rice 🍚 with pineapple 🍍 and more teriyaki sauce. Below are more ideas:
- Grain Alternatives: Brown rice, quinoa, and couscous would all be good.
- Noodles: Serve chicken teriyaki over rice noodles.
- Add a Vegetable: Make a side of broccoli, cauliflower, or asparagus.
- Grilled Sides: Grill corn on the cob and other vegetables, like bell peppers and zucchini, when cooking the chicken.
👝 How to Store
- Store the chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for four days or in the freezer for three months.
- Thaw the chicken in the refrigerator overnight and reheat it until warm in the microwave or air fryer.
- Freeze Teriyaki Sauce: Sometimes, I double the batch and freeze the sauce to use on chicken later. Let it thaw in the fridge and then use it as desired.
🤔 Common Questions
Teriyaki sauce and marinade are usually the same thing, but the sauce may be thicker than the marinade.
I use it before and after cooking. First, I marinate the chicken in the teriyaki sauce. Then, I boil it to kill any bacteria from the chicken and use it as a sauce on the chicken after cooking it.
Boil the teriyaki sauce and add cornstarch to thicken it.
Chicken Teriyaki
Ingredients
- 1 cup soy sauce, I used low sodium
- 1 cup white sugar
- 2 tablespoons ginger, freshly grated
- 1 tablespoon pure pineapple juice
- 1 teaspoon packed brown sugar
- 4-6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1-2 cinnamon sticks
- 8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
Instructions
- In a saucepan, combine soy sauce, white sugar, grated ginger, brown sugar, minced garlic, cinnamon sticks, and pineapple juice, and bring to a boil.
- Once cooled, pour the sauce into a sealable bag and add the chicken. Marinate for at least 6 hours or overnight.
- Remove the chicken and put the sauce in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and add cornstarch to thicken it. If it’s too thick, add some water.
- Grill the chicken on medium-high, turning it halfway through. Cook until the meat thermometer reads 165℉.
- I serve it with white rice and pineapple. Drizzle the sauce over the cooked chicken and enjoy!