Teriyaki Chicken Skewers are a quick and easy weeknight dinner option that's bursting with flavor. Marinated chicken pieces are threaded onto skewers and grilled or pan-fried to perfection, then glazed with a sweet and savory teriyaki sauce.
This recipe is perfect for busy weeknights, backyard barbecues, or a casual get-together with friends.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
Bring restaurant-style teriyaki chicken on a stick right to your dinner table with this easy recipe. Teriyaki chicken skewers are juicy and tender with a crispy exterior.
Serve with your favorite dipping sauce for a truly irresistible treat."Perfect for parties, potlucks, or a quick weeknight meal.
- Simple to make. There are only a few simple ingredients, so it's easy to make.
- Delicious. The chicken is juicy and flavorful.
- Economical. This teriyaki chicken sticks recipe is made with chicken thigh meat, and is budget friendly.
Ingredients You'll Need
You only need a few simple ingredients and about 30 minutes to whip up some mouthwatering teriyaki chicken skewers. Our spicy teriyaki sauce recipe can be adjusted to be more or less spicy, also.
For Teriyaki Chicken On A Stick
- Chicken thighs - Skinless and boneless.
- Skewers - Wooden or stainless. If you use wooden, soak in water before using.
For Spicy Teriyaki Sauce
- Rice wine - You can use leftover Sake, some cooking rice wine, or even dry white wine.
- Honey - Or white or brown sugar. You can also use sugar substitute for a sugar free teriyaki sauce.
- Soy Sauce - regular Kikoman or other brand, but NOT a teriyaki sauce.
- Rice vinegar - Any plain or seasoned rice vinegar.
- Chile Pepper Flakes - Red pepper flakes
- Ginger - Fresh, grated.
- Garlic - Fresh, grated.
Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How To Make Teriyaki Chicken Skewers
Not only is this teriyaki chicken skewers recipe surprisingly easy to make, it's also packed with flavor and appealing for oven baking or outdoor grilling.
Cut the Chicken into Chunks
- Rinse off the chicken with cold water. Cut into large chunks and place in a bowl until the teriyaki sauce is made.
- If using wooden skewers, soak in cold water until ready to use.
Make Spicy Teriyaki Sauce
- In a medium size bowl mix the rice wine, honey, soy sauce, rice vinegar, chili pepper flakes, fresh grated ginger and garlic. Mix well. Refrigerate or set aside until chicken is ready to marinate.
- Place the chunks of chicken to a Ziploc bag.
- Pour in the spicy teriyaki sauce and seal. Let marinate for 30 minutes minimum, or up to 24 hours.
Skewer The Teriyaki Chicken On Sticks
- Set your oven rack to 8 inches from the broiler. Spray the broiler pan with non stick cooking spray. Turn the broiler on.
- Thread the chicken chunks onto 8 wooden or stainless skewers.
- Place on a broiler pan and broil for 10 - 12 minutes, turning halfway.
Garnish Chicken Skewers With Sesame Seeds and Serve
- Remove the teriyaki chicken skewers from the oven or grill when juices run clear and serve on a platter with steamed white rice.
- Garnish the teriyaki chicken skewers with a sprinkling of sesame seeds or minced green onions.
Serving Suggestions
Serve teriyaki chicken skewers with steamed rice or noodles for a complete meal. Add a side of grilled vegetables or a simple salad for a well-rounded plate. Enjoy teriyaki chicken skewers on their own as a delicious appetizer or light lunch.
You may also enjoy these chicken teriyaki skewers with our Steamed Mantou Buns, and Air Fryer Frozen Green Beans!
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- Air Fryer Teriyaki Salmon
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- Air Fryer Salmon Bites
- Broiled Chicken Thighs
Substitutions
- If you have a teriyaki sauce, barbecue, or peanut sauce you like, you can use it instead.
- You can also substitute the chicken for pork or beef.
Variations
Teriyaki chicken skewers are referred to by many other names. There are endless variations of these culturally diverse teriyaki skewers, sticks, or kabobs, as they are universally popular.
Grilled, baked, broiled, you name it. Here are a few of my own personal favorites using this teriyaki chicken skewers recipe as a starting point:
- Shrimp & Chicken Skewers - Follow the recipe, except use large shrimps as well as the chunks of chicken when marinating, skewering, and grilling. Alternate the chicken and shrimp on the skewers.
- Jerk Chicken Skewers - Instead of using teriyaki sauce, create a Jerk sauce using pineapple juice, lime juice, soy sauce, brown sugar or molasses, grated garlic and ginger, and ground Allspice, Cloves, and Cinnamon. Alternate the skewers with meat of choice, red bell pepper chunks, and pineapple chunks.
- Oven Shrimp Kabobs - Instead of grilling on a Blackstone grill or other outdoor grill, use a table top electric grill, or bake at 425 F in your oven for 10 - 12 minutes.
Equipment
Equipment can have a big impact on how a recipe turns out. Below are some of my favorite pieces of equipment that I use when making this teriyaki chicken skewers recipe.
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Storage and Reheating
- Store any of the teriyaki sauce that has NOT been used to marinate the chicken in a jar.
- Discard any leftover teriyaki sauce that the chicken marinated in, as it will not be safe to use due to the raw chicken steeping in it.
Tips for Success
- You can baste the teriyaki chicken sticks after threading on skewers instead of marinating, if you prefer milder flavored chicken.
- For full flavored chicken teriyaki, mix the chunked chicken and spicy teriyaki sauce in a Ziploc bag, and refrigerate over night, or up to 24 hours. Discard any leftover teriyaki sauce.
Frequently Asked Questions
Due to the high level of vinegar, sugar, and salt, all natural preservatives, an opened bottle of teriyaki sauce is safe to consume past its expiration date. If you store it in your kitchen cabinet or pantry, it will last for 3 to 6 months before it loses its quality.
Teriyaki sauce uses soy sauce as a base, but includes a number of other ingredients. Teriyaki sauce has a sweeter flavor, while soy sauce is more salty.
More Delish Ideas
Teriyaki Chicken Skewers
Equipment
- skewers, stainless steel
Ingredients
For Korean Spicy Teriyaki sauce
- ¼ cup Rice wine (Sake, or Dry White Wine)
- ½ cup honey or sugar
- ½ cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
- 1 teaspoon ginger freshly grated
- 2 cloves garlic freshly grated
For Teriyaki Chicken Skewers
- 2 lb chicken thighs boneless and skinless
Instructions
Make Spicy Teriyaki Sauce
- In a medium size bowl mix the rice wine, honey, soy sauce, rice vinegar, Chile Pepper Flakes, fresh grated ginger and garlic. Mix well. Refrigerate or set aside until chicken is ready to marinate.¼ cup Rice wine, ½ cup honey, ½ cup soy sauce, 2 tablespoon rice vinegar, 1 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes, 1 teaspoon ginger, 2 cloves garlic
Make Teriyaki Chicken Skewers
- Rinse off the chicken with cold water. Cut into large chunks and place in a bowl until the teriyaki sauce is made. If using wooden skewers, soak in cold water until ready to use.
- Place the chunks of chicken to a ziploc bag. Pour in the spicy teriyaki sauce and seal. Let marinate for 30 minutes minimum, or up to 24 hours.2 lb chicken thighs
- Set your oven rack to 8 inches from the broiler. Spray the broiler pan with non stick cooking spray. Turn the broiler on.
- Thread the chicken chunks onto 8 wooden or stainless skewers. Place on a broiler pan and broil for 10 - 12 minutes, turning halfway. Remove when juices run clear and serve on a platter with steamed white rice.
Notes
- You can baste the chicken skewers after threading on skewers instead of marinating, if you prefer milder flavored chicken.
- For full flavored chicken teriyaki, mix the chunked chicken and spicy teriyaki sauce in a Ziploc bag, and refrigerate over night, or up to 24 hours. Discard any leftover teriyaki sauce.
- Spray your grill, broiler pan, or baking sheet with non stick cooking spray to prevent the chicken teriyaki sticks from sticking.
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