Teriyaki Chicken Skewers are coated in the tastiest sticky, sweet, and savory sauce and grilled until caramelized with golden, slightly crispy char marks galore. Serve with sliced green onions and a sprinkle of sesame seeds over rice or simply eat it off the stick!
Grilled Teriyaki Chicken Skewers
Our easy Grilled Teriyaki Chicken Skewers recipe is made with the most delicious mixture of soy sauce, brown sugar, rice wine vinegar, honey, garlic, and ginger, quickly cooked on the stovetop until thick and full of flavor.
What makes my grilled chicken teriyaki skewers so simple is that there is no time-consuming marinating needed; once the sauce is ready, you simply skewer the chicken pieces, brush it onto both sides, cook the teriyaki chicken kabobs on the BBQ, and slather on more sauce.
Making restaurant-style teriyaki chicken skewers at home is so much better than take out – simply soak your skewers, fire up the grill, and baste your handheld food with teriyaki flavor.
These teriyaki chicken kabobs use chicken thighs to make them extra juicy; they’re perfect for preparing on an outdoor BBQ or indoor grill pan and serving as an entree with rice or noodles or as fun party finger food on a stick.
Why We Love Teriyaki Chicken Kabobs
- Quick and easy to make.
- Uses simple kitchen staple ingredients.
- Tender teriyaki flavored chicken with charred edges is a family favorite food.
- Sweet and savory sauce sticks to the chicken without the need to marinate in advance.
- Perfect party appetizer that doubles as a delicious weeknight dinner.
Teriyaki Chicken Skewers Ingredients
- Low-sodium soy sauce
- Light brown sugar
- Rice wine vinegar
- Honey
- Minced garlic
- Grated ginger
- Pure sesame oil
- Water
- Cornstarch
- Bamboo skewers
- Boneless skinless chicken thighs
- Kosher salt
- Fresh cracked black pepper
- Green onion (optional garnish)
- Toasted sesame seeds (optional garnish)
Substitutions and Additions
- Choose Your Chicken: You can substitute chicken tenders or chicken breasts for the chicken thighs. Remember that chicken breast cooks quicker than chicken thighs, so don’t forget to adjust your cooking times.
- Replace The Rice Wine Vinegar: You can substitute mirin or even white wine vinegar for the rice wine vinegar.
- Grab Some Ginger: You can substitute 1 teaspoon of powdered ginger for the grated ginger.
Recommended Tools
- Heavy bottom saucepan
- Mixing bowl
- Whisk
- Pastry brush
See Full Recipe Card Below
Jump to RecipeHow to Make Teriyaki Chicken Skewers
- Make the Sauce: Whisk together soy sauce, brown sugar, rice wine vinegar, honey, minced garlic, grated ginger, and sesame oil on the stove. In a separate bowl, combine the water and cornstarch and then whisk it into the soy sauce mixture. Cook until the sauce has thickened, remove from heat, and allow it to cool.
- Prepare The Poultry: Slide the pieces of chicken onto the skewers and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Brush sauce onto both sides of the chicken skewers.
- Cook The Chicken: Cook the chicken for 5-7 minutes per side until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
Pro Tip: Be sure to keep an eye on the chicken and turn it before it becomes too crisp (Unless you enjoy a crispier texture) - Serve: Brush teriyaki sauce over the cooked chicken. Sprinkle with sliced green onions and sesame seeds. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Tip for Teriyaki Chicken Skewers
- Soaking your skewers in water will help to prevent burning while grilling. Metal skewers can also be used.
- Just before you are ready to make the skewers, heat your grill. I used charcoal, and it took about 15 minutes to get the coal bed to the right temperature.
- You can marinate the chicken for 30 minutes to a few hours to give it more time to soak up all the flavorful sauce.
- When threading the chicken pieces onto the chicken skewers, make sure to leave room at the bottom of the skewer so you can pick up and turn it over on the grill.
More Easy Chicken Recipes
What To Serve With Chicken Teriyaki Skewers
These Teriyaki Chicken Kabobs pair perfectly with white, brown, or fried rice, some Thai noodles, sticky sesame cauliflower, broccoli slaw, or side salad.
You can also prepare your sticks as more of a party food by presenting the skewers on a platter and letting your guests grab them. They’re both a fun finger food or part of a protein-packed meal.
How to Store Teriyaki Chicken Skewers
- To Store: Remove the chicken from the skewers and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- To Freeze: You can freeze the cooled cooked chicken for up to 3 months in a ziplock bag. Allow the chicken to thaw overnight before reheating and serving.
More Delicious Recipes
- Million Dollar Spaghetti Casserole
- King Ranch Chicken Casserole
- Cauliflower Pizza
- Marry Me Chicken
- Ritz Churro Bites
- Creamy Mushroom Pasta
- Peanut Noodles
- Fireball Chicken
Teriyaki Chicken Skewers
Serves — 10
Teriyaki Chicken Skewers are smothered in the most delicious sauce with even more brushed on after they've been barbecued. Easy to make in minutes, serve hot off the grill with sliced onion and a sprinkle of sesame seeds.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup + 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons light brown sugar packed
- 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon grated ginger
- 1 teaspoon pure sesame oil
- 4 tablespoons cold water
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 8 bamboo skewers
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into 1 to 1½-inch pieces
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
- 2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onion optional garnish
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds optional garnish
Instructions
- Add soy sauce, brown sugar, rice wine vinegar, honey, minced garlic, grated ginger, and sesame oil to a 2 to 3-quart heavy bottom saucepan over medium-high heat. Whisk to combine.
- Add the cold water and cornstarch to a small bowl. Stir to combine and whisk into the soy sauce mixture. Whisk often to ensure the sauce is smooth. Continue cooking for about 4-5 minutes or until the sauce has thickened. Remove from heat and allow the sauce to cool.
- Just before you are ready to make the skewers, heat your grill. (I used charcoal, and it took about 15 minutes to get the coal bed to the right temperature).
- Divide the chicken pieces between 10 skewers. Slide the pieces of chicken onto the skewers.
- Sprinkle the skewers with salt and pepper.
- Divide out ⅓ cup of the teriyaki sauce to brush on after the chicken is cooked.
- Use a pastry brush to spread the remaining sauce onto both sides of the chicken skewers.
- Cook the chicken for 5-7 minutes per side until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Be sure to keep an eye on the chicken and turn it before it becomes too crisp. (Unless you enjoy a crispier texture)
- Once the chicken is cooked, brush the reserved teriyaki sauce over the chicken.
- Sprinkle with the sliced green onions and sesame seeds. Serve immediately.
Jenn’s Notes
Storage:
- To Store: Remove the chicken from the skewers and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- To Freeze: You can freeze the cooled cooked chicken for up to 3 months in a ziplock bag. Allow the chicken to thaw overnight before reheating and serving.
- Soaking your skewers in water will help to prevent burning while grilling. Metal skewers can also be used.
- Just before you are ready to make the skewers, heat your grill. I used charcoal, and it took about 15 minutes to get the coal bed to the right temperature.
- You can marinate the chicken for 30 minutes to a few hours to give it more time to soak up all the flavorful sauce.
- When threading the chicken pieces onto the chicken skewers, make sure to leave room at the bottom of the skewer so you can pick up and turn it over on the grill.
Nutrition Info
Calories: 154kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 86mg | Sodium: 621mg | Potassium: 270mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 35IU | Vitamin C: 0.4mg | Calcium: 21mg | Iron: 1mg
