Name: Teriyaki Chicken Skewers
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 50 min
Cuisine: Asian
Ingredients: 2 pounds chicken breasts or chicken thighs, cubed; 1/3 cup soy sauce; 2 tablespoons brown sugar; 2 tablespoons honey; 1-inch ginger root, peeled, grated or minced; 2 cloves garlic, grated or minced; 1 tablespoon rice vinegar; 1 teaspoon sesame oil; 2 tablespoons cornstarch; Wooden skewers, or metal skewers

Salty, sweet, and grilled to perfection, these teriyaki chicken skewers are the perfect addition to your next BBQ. Serve them with rice and veggies for a healthy and balanced meal.

Grilled teriyaki chicken skewer on a plate with rice and broccoli.

If you’re looking for a new way to cook chicken, you’ve got to try these grilled teriyaki chicken skewers. Not only are they full flavor, but they are made with pantry staples and are super easy to make. In a few simple steps, you can create a flavor-packed meal that is sure to please a crowd.

Grilled teriyaki chicken skewers on a plate with sesame seeds and green onion on top.

Why You’ll Love These Grilled Teriyaki Chicken Skewers

Flavor – The perfect balance of salty and sweet flavors.
Easy – Made with kitchen staples, this recipe is very easy to make.
Versatile – You can enjoy these teriyaki chicken skewers as a main course or an appetizer.
Meal Prep – These chicken skewers keep well in the fridge making them great for meal prep.

Ingredients for teriyaki chicken skewers: cubed chicken, soy sauce, brown sugar, honey, ginger, garlic, cornstarch, sesame seeds, and green onions.

Ingredients You Need to Make Homemade Teriyaki Chicken Skewers

Here’s what you’ll need to make these teriyaki chicken skewers:

Chicken – You can use boneless chicken breasts or boneless skinless chicken thighs, or a mixture of the two.
Soy Sauce – The base for the teriyaki marinade. You can use regular or low-sodium soy sauce.
Brown Sugar – To sweeten the sauce and ensure a crispy crust on the chicken.
Honey – To sweeten the sauce a little more.
Ginger – To flavor the marinade, you can use fresh ginger or ginger powder.
Garlic – To flavor the marinade, you can use fresh garlic or garlic powder.
Rice Vinegar – To balance the acid in the marinade, white wine vinegar will also work.
Sesame Oil – To enhance the flavor.
Cornstarch – To thicken the marinade.

In addition to the above, I suggest servings these grilled teriyaki chicken skewers with white rice, broccoli, and a sprinkle of sliced green onions and sesame seeds on top.

Dietary Adaptions

To Make them Gluten-Free: Swap the soy sauce for tamari or coconut aminos.

To Make them Dairy-Free: No adaptations are needed, this recipe is dairy-free.

Cubed chicken in a bowl with teriyaki marinade in a glass bowl.

Chicken marinating in teriyaki sauce in a glass bowl.

How to Make Grilled Teriyaki Chicken Skewers

Here’s how you’ll make these teriyaki chicken skewers:

Cube the chicken. Place the chicken on a cutting board and slice it into 1-inch cubes.
Make the marinade. In a large bowl, add the soy sauce, sugar, honey, ginger, garlic, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and cornstarch, and whisk to combine.
Marinade the chicken. Add the chicken to the bowl of teriyaki marinade, cover, and place them in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours.
Make the skewers. Once the chicken has marinated, thread the cubed chicken onto skewers until all the chicken has been used.
Grill the skewers. Place the skewers onto a lightly oiled grill on medium heat and cook until the meat is tender, and the internal temperature reaches 165 f.
Serve. Top with sesame seeds and chopped green onion and enjoy!

You can find the detailed instructions in the recipe card below.

Cubed teriyaki marinated chicken on skewers in white dish.

Grilled teriyaki chicken skewers in a white dish.

Red’s Nutrition Tip

If you’re concerned about the sugar content of these grilled teriyaki chicken skewers, there is no need to be. The 1/4 cup combination of sugar and honey is divided across the 8 servings of chicken skewers, leaving less than 6 grams of sugar per serving – assuming none is left in the bowl. Not to mention, a bit of refined sugar can be included in a healthy and balanced diet.

Tips From the Kitchen

Here are a few tips to ensure you’re cooking up the best grilled teriyaki chicken skewers possible.

Cut the chicken into even pieces. The more evenly you can cube the chicken, the easier it will be to add to the skewers and the more evenly it will cook on the grill.
Marinade the chicken as long as possible. The longer you marinade the chicken, the more flavor the skewers will have. Ensure that you marinade it for at least 30 minutes, but if you allow it to marinade overnight it will taste even better.
Soak the skewers. If using wooden or bamboo skewers, be sure to soak them in cold water for at least 30 minutes before threading the chicken onto them. Soaking the skewers for adequate time allows them to absorb more water, which prevents them from catching fire on the grill and ensures the meat does not fall off the skewers.
Ensure your grill is hot enough. If your grill is not hot enough, your skewers are more likely to stick to the grill and will be more difficult to remove. Ensure that your grill is hot enough, ideally 350°F to 400°F, before adding the teriyaki chicken skewers.
Only turn the skewers once. You’ll know the chicken skewers are ready to be flipped when they easily come off the grill. If the chicken sticks to the grill when you go to turn the skewer, leave it another minute or so until it can easily be removed.

A plate of grilled teriyaki chicken skewers with a serving on a plate with rice, broccoli, sesame seeds, and green onion.

What to Serve with Teriyaki Grilled Chicken Skewers

These teriyaki chicken skewers can be served with steamed rice and vegetables, such as steamed broccoli, grilled zucchini, stir-fried vegetables, or as a topping to a salad or coleslaw. They also work well as appetizers – just make smaller skewers and serve them with additional teriyaki dipping sauce.

Storage + Reheating

To Refrigerate: Allow the teriyaki chicken skewers to cool completely and then store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

To Freeze: Once cooled, place each chicken skewer in a suitably sized sheet of tin foil and wrap tightly. Once wrapped, place the chicken skewers in a freezer-safe bag or an airtight container in the freezer for up to 4 months.

To Reheat: Once thawed, the teriyaki chicken kabobs can be reheated in the oven at 350°F for 5-10 minutes or in the microwave, skewer removed, for 1-2 minutes.

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