Marinate chicken breasts in a simple teriyaki chicken marinade, grill and serve with your favorite side dish. The marinade takes less than 10 minutes to prep.
Grilled teriyaki chicken is a classic main dish that tastes great with a variety of sides. Kids and adults love this simple recipe. Prep the marinade in advance and save time at dinner.
Ingredients for Teriyaki Chicken Marinade
- Soy sauce – Low sodium is preferred. Use tamari sauce instead, if desired.
- Honey – You can use brown sugar or maple syrup instead.
- Minced Ginger – Use fresh or jarred ginger.
- Rice Vinegar – You can use apple cider vinegar instead.
- Sesame Oil – This adds delicious flavor to the sauce. You can use olive oil but it may alter the flavor.
- Cornstarch – You can use arrowroot instead.
- Chicken Breasts – You can use this marinade for any type of chicken.
- Water
Step 1: Whisk together the soy sauce, honey, ginger, rice vinegar and sesame oil. In a separate small bowl, whisk together water and cornstarch, then whisk into the sauce.
Step 2: Place the chicken in a dish or bowl. Set aside 1/4 cup of the sauce for later. Pour the remaining sauce over the chicken and allow to marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Step 3: Grill the chicken and discard the remaining marinade.
FAQs
Yes, they are similar. Teriyaki marinade is used to marinate chicken, beef, fish and shrimp. Once you marinate the meat, you discard the marinade or cook the marinade. Teriyaki sauce is used to flavor meals.
If the marinade is cooked, then you can use it as a sauce. You can also set some of the sauce aside before marinating with raw chicken to later use as a sauce. However, do not use the marinade as a sauce if it had raw chicken, meat or fish sitting in it.
Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, but you can marinate for up to 2 days.
Cornstarch is used to thicken the marinade. Add one tablespoon of cornstarch for each 1/4 cup of water or liquid. You can also use arrowroot powder instead of cornstarch to thicken.
Grilled chicken tastes great served with a simple side dish or over rice. We also love making Teriyaki chicken bowls with it.
Serving suggestions
- Fried Pineapple
- Grilled Peppers and Onions
- Grilled Asparagus
- Brown Rice
- Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower
- Garlic Green Beans
- Mango Habanero Salsa
Add this versatile recipe to your dinner rotation any day of the week. Try it and let us know what you think!
Grilled Teriyaki Chicken
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce, or tamari sauce
- 1 tablespoon honey, or brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon water
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, honey, ginger, rice vinegar and sesame oil.
- In a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and water until smooth, then whisk into the sauce mixture until combined. Remove one-fourth cup teriyaki sauce and set aside for serving.
- Add the chicken to the bowl with the remaining teriyaki sauce and marinate in the refrigerator for at least thirty minutes.
- Prepare grill for direct grilling over medium-high heat. Brush and oil the grill grate.
- Place the marinated chicken on the grill directly over the fire. Discard the marinade. Cook chicken until the juices run clear and the chicken is cooked through, about five to eight minutes on each side.
- Serve with additional teriyaki sauce, rice and vegetables.
Notes
- Rice Vinegar: You can use apple cider vinegar instead, if needed.
- Sesame Oil: This adds delicious flavor to the sauce. You can use olive oil, but it may alter the flavor.
- Cornstarch: You can use arrowroot instead.
- You can use this marinade for any type of chicken (drumsticks, breasts, wings). However, you may need to adjust the cook time to ensure the chicken is cooked through until an internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.
- You can prep the marinade up to 2 days in advance and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Could I use pre-made teriyaki sauce? How much?
Thanks.
Yes, you can use about 3/4 cup of pre-made teriyaki sauce.
The only question I have is why did I ever buy the ready made sauce? This one is so easy to pull together and needs no ingredients I don’t already have to hand.
The marinade is so delicious and especially loved the addition of the sesame oil. That gave it just the right depth of flavor. Thanks again for a yummy dinner recipe. I always love trying your recipes!
Yum! This recipe is so delicious and tasty! My family loved this! Can’t wait to make this again!
This chicken was delicious! I love the marinade, I had never thickened a marinade with cornstarch before but I was very pleased with the results. My family really enjoyed this!