Chicken Teriyaki Skewers

Easy Grilled Teriyaki Chicken Skewers

When the weather starts to heat up, one of my favorite things to do is fire up the grill for some tasty food! Whether it's just my family hanging out at home or if we are hosting some friends, too, delicious grilled dishes are always a hit!

These chicken skewers are so simple to make, and I love how I can prepare the marinade and then leave it overnight. When it comes time to eat, all I have to do is toss the chicken onto the grill.

Make sure you check out all of my favorite grill recipes and BBQ grill recipes to try out this summer!

🥘 Ingredients

The marinade for these tasty skewers only uses a handful of common ingredients you may have at home already. You can use fresh ginger and garlic or use dried if that's what you have on hand.

Teriyaki Chicken Marinade

• Soy Sauce - ¼ cup of soy sauce.
• Rice Vinegar - 2 tablespoons of rice vinegar (or use a rice vinegar substitute).
• Brown Sugar - 1 tablespoon of brown sugar (or use a brown sugar substitute).
• Ginger - 1 tablespoon of fresh ginger (peeled and chopped) or ginger paste. If using dried or ground ginger, you'll only need 1 teaspoon.
• Garlic - 1 tablespoon of minced garlic or 1 teaspoon of garlic powder.
• Green Onions (optional) - 2 tablespoons of chopped green onion.

Chicken Teriyaki Skewers

• Chicken Thighs - 2 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken thighs (cut into bite-sized chunks).
• Cornstarch (optional) - 2 tablespoons of cornstarch if you want to thicken up the sauce.
• Teriyaki Sauce (optional) - ½ cup of teriyaki sauce (check out my homemade teriyaki sauce recipe).

🔪 How To Make Chicken Teriyaki Skewers

For the best results, give yourself some time to let the marinade really flavor the meat (like overnight). Of course, it will still be super tasty if you are in a time crunch and can only marinate the chicken for a few hours. All you need is a mixing bowl, some skewers, your measuring utensils, and your grill.

This recipe is for 6 servings. The exact number of skewers depends on how much chicken you load onto each one.

Marinate The Teriyaki Chicken

1. Combine. Whisk ¼ cup (59 milliliters) of soy sauce, 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) of rice vinegar, 2 tablespoons (29 grams) of green onion, 1 tablespoon (15 grams) each of ginger, brown sugar, and garlic together in a small mixing bowl until well combined.
2. Coat the chicken. Add the 2 pounds (907 grams) of chicken thighs and turn the meat until it's well coated.
3. Marinate. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

Grill The Teriyaki Chicken Skewers

1. Prep. Remove the marinated chicken teriyaki from your fridge, uncover, and add the optional 2 tablespoons (16 grams) of cornstarch. Stir to mix until everything is evenly distributed.
2. Make the glaze. Place the chunks of chicken onto skewers. You can then strain the leftover marinade into a saucepan and bring it up to boil to make the glaze or use the optional ½ cup (144 grams) of teriyaki sauce.
3. Grill. Preheat your grill to medium-high heat. Once hot, grill the skewers, brushing them with the glaze or teriyaki sauce, for about 4-5 minutes per side (or until the internal temperature reads 165°F / 74°C).
4. Serve. Remove the skewers from the grill and serve immediately.

🥗 Sides

Since you are already firing up the grill, you can easily make some of my favorite grilled recipes, like grilled acorn squash or grilled corn on the cob to go along with your chicken. Of course, these skewers also taste amazing with some Instant Pot white rice. Enjoy!

💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Notes

• You can always use low-sodium soy sauce if needed.
• If you don't have any rice vinegar, apple cider vinegar will make the best replacement. White wine vinegar is also a great substitution. Check out more rice vinegar substitutions here. 
• You can use ground ginger instead of fresh as long as you reduce the amount. You'll want to use 1 teaspoon of dried (or ground) ginger per tablespoon of ginger paste or fresh ginger. 
• One teaspoon of garlic powder can be used in place of minced garlic. 
• You'll want to let your chicken marinate for at least 2 hours before grilling. The longer you leave the chicken to marinate, to more flavorful it will become!

🥡 Storing & Reheating

Store any leftover skewers in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.

Reheating Skewers

You can reheat your chicken in the microwave or on the stovetop over medium heat.

❓ Recipe FAQs

🐔 More Chicken Recipes

• Grilled BBQ Chicken Breasts - Chicken breasts are coated in a flavorful dry rub and brushed with barbecue sauce.
• Pineapple Chicken - A sweet and savory stir-fry that combines chicken, pineapple, and vegetables.
• Crockpot Chicken Tacos - Hands-off chicken tacos that can be prepped in the morning and ready to enjoy for dinner.
• Baked Panko Chicken - Chicken is coated in Panko and Parmesan before being baked in the oven.
• Chicken Salad With Grapes - A quick and easy chicken salad that is perfect for picnics, potlucks, and barbecues.
• Ritz Chicken - Chicken breasts are coated in buttery Ritz crackers.

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