Teriyaki Chicken on a Stick is tender and juicy, perfect for your next summer barbecue. This sweet and savory grilled chicken recipe is best served with rice, vegetables, or noodles.
SAVE THIS RECIPE!
Enter your email below and we’ll send this recipe straight to your inbox.
Why this Teriyaki Chicken on a Stick Recipe is a Keeper
Teriyaki chicken on a stick is a popular recipe that you can make at home. The chicken strips are perfection. They’re covered in a tangy sauce that adds a rich umami flavor to the chicken. Chicken skewers are the perfect meal or side for grills and barbecues and go great with anything. Here are a few reasons why you’ll want to try this easy recipe for cooked chicken marinated in teriyaki sauce:
- 35 Minute Meal: It only takes 35 minutes to make these tangy grilled chicken skewers.
- Easy Ingredients: All of the ingredients for this delicious recipe are available in your kitchen or local grocery store.
- Family Friendly: Your whole family will enjoy these teriyaki chicken skewers, which can be paired with your favorite sides, such as fried rice.
If you love this recipe and are looking for more delicious teriyaki recipes, try these: Teriyaki Salmon Rice Bowls, Instant Pot Chicken Teriyaki Sandwich, and Teriyaki Sauce Marinade.
What is Teriyaki?
While in Japan, teriyaki refers to a specific grilling style, most Americans associate teriyaki with a brownish-amber sauce used to flavor chicken and other savory meals.
Despite being a Japanese invention, teriyaki can also be found at your local Chinese restaurant or other Asian food establishments. The word “teriyaki” comes from two combined Japanese words: Teri, meaning “luster,” and yaki, meaning “grill or broil.” In addition to chicken, teriyaki sauce can be used on steak, fish, vegetables, and more.
Ingredients Needed for Easy Teriyaki Chicken on a Stick
- Chicken: Make this recipe with boneless, skinless chicken breasts. You can use chicken thighs as well. Skewer chicken after marinating, then place the skewers on the grill.
- Mirin: Mirin is a sweet Japanese wine that is common in cooking. You may be able to find it at Asian markets; however, if you can’t find it, you can also use rice vinegar in this simple recipe.
See the recipe card below for a complete list of the ingredients with measurements.
Variations and Substitutions for Grilled Teriyaki Chicken on a Skewer
- Baked Teriyaki Chicken: If you don’t have a grill, you can make this easy teriyaki chicken recipe in the oven using a grill pan, or in the air fryer. oven to 350°f before baking.
- Spices: Add some spices for extra heat, such as chili powder or cayenne pepper.
- Chicken Tenders: You can leave out the skewers and cut larger strips of chicken to make chicken tenders. Cover them in breading, fry, and dip in your homemade teriyaki sauce.
Special Equipment Needed to Make Grilled Teriyaki Chicken Skewers
- Grill: Easily grill chicken teriyaki sticks with wood, charcoal, or gas.
- Bamboo Skewers: Thread the chicken onto the skewers to grill. You can also use metal skewers; however, if you’re using wooden skewers, make sure to soak them in water first. Soaking bamboo skewers in water will prevent a fire hazard.
Chicken Recipe Pro Tip
Don’t put cold meat on the grill; allow teriyaki chicken sticks to reach room temperature before grilling.
How to Make Chicken Teriyaki on a Stick
Soak the bamboo skewers in water for at least 30 minutes, and you’re ready to grill! These chicken skewers are similar to the ones at your local Chinese buffet. They’re crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside- the perfect addition to your next cookout.
These are the basic steps for making teriyaki grilled chicken. Refer to the full, printable recipe card below for detailed instructions.
1. Soak the Skewers
Soak the wooden skewers in water for about 30 minutes before grilling to prevent them from burning. Afterwards, preheat the grill to medium heat.
2. Prepare Teriyaki Sauce and Marinate Chicken
In a small saucepan, whisk together soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, honey, mirin, and sesame oil; bring to a boil. Then, thicken with the cornstarch slurry, mix the chicken marinade, reduce heat, and allow to simmer for 4 minutes. Remove from heat and allow the sauce to cool for at least 30 minutes. Place chicken in a bag with the sauce, then marinate chicken.
3. Skewer the Chicken
Once your chicken has been marinated in the teriyaki sauce for at least 30 minutes, it’s ready to cook. Thread the chicken onto the wooden skewers.
4. Grill the Chicken
Place the chicken teriyaki sticks on the grill. Cook the chicken for about 3-5 minutes on each side until the chicken is brown and has an internal temperature of 160 degrees. Once grilled to perfection, remove from heat and transfer to a serving dish, brush with the reserved teriyaki glaze. Serve with white rice, vegetables, noodles, or your favorite sides.
Chicken Teriyaki Skewers Recipe FAQs
Store leftover chicken sticks in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in a microwave-safe dish for 1.5 minutes.
You can easily make this recipe with chicken breasts, but chicken thighs are juicier and more tender.
Yes; just marinate the chicken in barbecue sauce instead, or season it with a rub.
Expert Tips to Love This Recipe for Making Teriyaki Chicken Skewers
- Preheat: Before grilling, make sure to preheat your grill to medium high heat.
- Make Ahead: Make the marinade in the saucepan, allow it to cool, and marinate the chicken overnight for better flavor. You can also use store-bought teriyaki sauce for easy grilling.
- More Sauce: Make extra teriyaki marinade sauce to use on rice or vegetables. You can also use your favorite dipping sauce, or top with hoisin sauce or oyster sauce.
- Beef Teriyaki on a Stick: Feel free to substitute beef or steak for chicken in this recipe.
- Grill with Pineapple Slices: Fresh pineapple pairs perfectly with these teriyaki chicken kabobs. Just alternate pineapple chunks and grilled vegetables with pieces of chicken. The pineapple juice will add a tangy flavor to these simple chicken skewers.
- Toppings: Top grilled teriyaki chicken skewers with sliced green onions or toasted sesame seeds.
What to Serve with Grilled Teriyaki Chicken
SAVE THIS RECIPE!
Enter your email below and we’ll send this recipe straight to your inbox.
Teriyaki Chicken on a Stick
SAVE THIS RECIPE!
Enter your email and we’ll send this recipe to your inbox.
Ingredients
- ½ cup Soy Sauce
- ¼ cup Brown Sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons Fresh Ginger , peeled and grated
- 3 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon Honey
- 1 teaspoon Sesame Oil
- 3 tablespoons Mirin or Sesame Vinegar
- ¼ cup Water
- 1 tablespoon Cornstarch
- 2 pounds Chicken, boneless and skinless, cut into chunks
Instructions
- If using bamboo skewers, soak skewers in water for at least 20 minutes. This will prevent the skewers from burning on the grill.
- In a small saucepan, combine the soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger, garlic, honey, sesame oil and mirin. Bring to a boil.
- In a small bowl, combine the water and cornstarch to form a slurry; stir the slurry into the saucepan.
- Reduce heat and simmer for 4 minutes.
- Remove from heat and reserve 1/2 cup of the prepared sauce.
- Allow the sauce to cool for at least 30 minutes.
- Place chicken pieces in a zip top bag; pour remaining teriyaki sauce over the chicken. Seal the bag and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Thread chicken pieces on skewers.
- Place chicken skewers on grill and grill until well browned on one side, about 3-5 minutes.
- Turn chicken and grill another 3-5 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 160 degrees.
- Remove chicken from the grill and baste with reserved sauce.
Christina’s Notes
- Preheat: Before grilling, make sure to preheat your grill to medium high heat.
- Make Ahead: Make the marinade in the sauce pan, allow it to cool, and marinate the chicken overnight for better flavor. You can also use store-bought teriyaki sauce for easy grilling.
- More Sauce: Make extra teriyaki marinade sauce to use on rice or vegetables. You can also use your favorite dipping sauce, or top with hoisin sauce or oyster sauce.
- Beef Teriyaki on a Stick: Feel free to substitute beef or steak for chicken in this recipe.
- Grill with Pineapple Slices: Fresh pineapple pairs perfectly with these teriyaki chicken kabobs. Just alternate pineapple chunks and grilled vegetables with pieces of chicken. The pineapple juice will add a tangy flavor to these simple chicken skewers.
- Toppings: Top grilled teriyaki chicken skewers with sliced green onions or toasted sesame seeds.
- Scale the recipe: Simply adjust the serving size in the recipe card and the ingredients will update automatically.
- Make your own All Purpose Seasoning: When a recipe calls for All Purpose Seasoning, you can use my homemade All Purpose Seasoning recipe or substitute salt and pepper to taste.
- Meat doneness: I always use a meat thermometer to test for doneness when cooking meat.
- Use unsalted butter: I use unsalted butter so I can control the salt level in the recipe.
- Preheat the oven: Unless otherwise noted, always preheat your oven before baking.
For more helpful information about this recipe, such as variations, substitutions and other pro-tips, check out the blog post.
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided are estimates. It is recommended that you verify this information with your own trusted resource.
We love honest feedback, but to keep reviews helpful for everyone, we reserve the right to remove star ratings if it is clear the recipe has not been made, if the comment does not provide meaningful input, or if significant substitutions or alterations were made. Please note that ratings should reflect the original recipe as written to avoid confusing other readers.
This recipe is my personal adaption of an ethnic-inspired recipe. It is not intended to be an authentic recipe. I’ve recreated this recipe because I enjoy the flavors and I want to encourage my readers to expand their tastes and try new flavor combinations. The recipe, ingredients, and processes may have been adapted to make the recipe accessible to the average American. I have provided links to authentic versions of the recipe in the post above. I encourage you to visit these pages and learn more about the traditional version(s) of this recipe.
hello
how many does this recipe make
This recipe is for 4 people as a main course. About 1/2 pound per serving. The amount of skewers it will make depends on the amount of chicken you put on each skewer and the size of your chicken pieces.
Lovely recipe
Thanks