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Grilled Teriyaki Chicken Skewers are incredibly easy to make! This marinated chicken recipe features bold ingredients like soy sauce, brown sugar, red pepper flakes, and so much more. Soak your skewers, fire up the grill, and treat yourself to the delicious teriyaki flavor you’ve been craving.
There are a million recipes out there that are worth firing up your grill for. However, I don’t know how many out of those million are as easy to make, flavor packed, and as downright mouthwatering as these Grilled Teriyaki Chicken Skewers! Are they worth breaking a sweat over? Absolutely.
Summer is the season of grilling, and now that we’re in the thick of it, I’m pretty used to sweating over my grill! With recipes like this, I don’t mind it at all. I love making these easy skewers for parties, since they’re perfect for grabbing. They keep the party going and don’t slow anyone down!
With that being said, this recipe also doubles wonderfully as an easy weeknight dinner. Whether you’re serving dinner to your family or just have a few friends over, they’ll love the simplicity of eating meat off of a stick… Especially when said meat is marinated in the most mouthwatering concoction that’s made with signature teriyaki ingredients.
What You’ll Need:
- Chicken – I use tenders, but you can opt for 3-4 chicken breasts or thighs if preferred.
- Low Sodium Soy Sauce – Use tamari instead for a gluten free option.
- Brown Sugar – If preferred, you can use honey, agave, or coconut sugar instead.
- Garlic – It’s important to use fresh garlic in this recipe, not pre-minced or paste.
- Ginger – Fresh ginger is preferred, but you can swap it out for 1/2 tsp of powdered ginger instead.
- Rice Vinegar – You can swap this for mirin.
- Sesame Oil – You can use toasted sesame oil for a warmer, more nutty flavor.
- Red Pepper Flakes – If you just use a pinch, the flakes will add flavor without very much heat at all.
- Cornstarch – This thickening ingredient can’t be substituted.
- Water
How to Make Grilled Teriyaki Chicken Skewers
For more detailed instructions, scroll to the bottom of this post.
Make the marinade. Whisk together all of the ingredients for the marinade. Reserve 1/2 cup and set aside.
Marinate the chicken. Combine the chicken tenders and marinade in a zip-top baggie. Marinate for at least 1 hour, but preferably overnight.
Prepare. Soak the wooden skewers for 30 minutes. Preheat the grill to 450°F. Thread the chicken onto the skewers.
Grill. Grill the chicken for about 10-15 minutes, turning every 5 minutes or so.
Make the teriyaki sauce. Whisk together the cornstarch and water. Mix it with the marinade and bring it to a boil before reducing the heat to a low simmer until thickened.
Serve. Brush the cooked chicken skewers with the sauce, or serve it in a small bowl on the side. Enjoy!
Common Questions
Can I use metal skewers? Yes, metal skewers would be a great option and you won’t need to soak them prior!
How should I serve Grilled Teriyaki Chicken Skewers? You can serve these handheld skewers in a bowl with white rice and broccoli as I have pictured. You can also make it more of a party food by presenting the skewers by themselves and letting people grab them. They’re a finger food and an entree – the best of both worlds!
How long will Grilled Chicken Teriyaki Skewers stay fresh? These chicken skewers are best served fresh off of the grill. If you do have any leftovers, they’ll stay fresh in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Have any extra skewers?
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Grilled Teriyaki Chicken Skewers
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds (680 g) chicken breast tenders
- ½ cup (118 ml) low sodium soy sauce
- ¼ cup (55 g) brown sugar
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced, or ½ teaspoon powdered ginger
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- ¼ cup (59 ml) water
Instructions
- Whisk together soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, rice vinegar, sesame oil and red pepper flakes in a small bowl. Reserve ½ cup and set aside.
- Add the chicken tenders to a plastic bag and pour the remaining marinade over top. Mix well, seal and marinade for at least 1 hour, or up to overnight.
- Soak wooden skewers in water for 30 minutes.
- Heat outdoor grill to 450 °F (232 °C)
- Thread the chicken tenders lengthwise onto the skewers (1 tender per skewer). Grill for 10-15 minutes, turning over every 5 minutes or so, until the internal temperature reaches 165 °F (74 °C)
- Meanwhile, whisk together the cornstarch and water until no lumps remain.
- Add to a small saucepan over medium heat with the remaining ½ cup of marinade. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for about 5 minutes, until thickened. Remove from heat.
- Brush teriyaki sauce on skewers after grilling, or serve in a bowl as a dipping sauce.
Notes
- You can also use this marinade for 3-4 chicken breasts or thighs.
- Be sure to use low sodium soy sauce in this recipe, otherwise it will be too salty.
- Can sub rice vinegar with mirin.
- Can sub brown sugar with coconut sugar, honey or agave.
- Make it gluten free: use tamari in place of soy sauce.
