Description
Delicious and flavorful Teriyaki Chicken Skewers featuring tender chicken thighs marinated and grilled to perfection, basted with a homemade thick teriyaki sauce, and garnished with green onions and toasted sesame seeds. A perfect appetizer or main course for grilling season.
Ingredients
Scale
Teriyaki Sauce
- ⅓ cup + 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons light brown sugar packed
- 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon grated ginger
- 1 teaspoon pure sesame oil
- 4 tablespoons cold water
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
Chicken and Garnish
- 8 bamboo skewers
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into 1 to 1½-inch pieces
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
- 2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onion optional garnish
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds optional garnish
Instructions
- Prepare Teriyaki Sauce: Add soy sauce, brown sugar, rice wine vinegar, honey, minced garlic, grated ginger, and sesame oil to a 2 to 3-quart heavy bottom saucepan over medium-high heat. Whisk to combine thoroughly.
- Thicken Sauce: In a small bowl, mix cold water and cornstarch until smooth. Whisk this mixture into the saucepan and continue whisking often. Cook for about 5 minutes until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat and let cool.
- Preheat Grill: Just before skewering the chicken, heat your grill to medium-high heat. For charcoal, allow around 15 minutes to reach proper temperature.
- Assemble Skewers: Thread chicken pieces onto 10 skewers, leaving space at the bottom for easy handling. Sprinkle skewers evenly with kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper.
- Brush Skewers with Sauce: Reserve ⅓ cup of teriyaki sauce for after cooking. Use a pastry brush to coat both sides of chicken skewers with the remaining sauce before grilling.
- Grill Chicken: Cook skewers on the preheated grill for 7 minutes per side. Turn carefully to prevent burning and ensure chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F for safety and juiciness.
- Glaze and Garnish: Once cooked, brush the reserved teriyaki sauce over the hot chicken skewers. Sprinkle with sliced green onions and toasted sesame seeds for garnish. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Soak bamboo skewers in water for at least 30 minutes prior to grilling to prevent burning. Alternatively, use metal skewers.
- Marinate chicken pieces in the teriyaki sauce for 30 minutes to a few hours ahead for enhanced flavor infusion.
- Leave some space at the bottom of the skewers when threading chicken for easy turning on the grill and safe handling.
- Store cooked chicken off the skewers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Freeze cooled cooked chicken in a ziplock bag for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight before reheating.
- Monitor chicken closely on the grill to prevent over-charring unless a crispier texture is desired.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 skewer
- Calories: 280 kcal
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 580 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 15 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 28 g
- Cholesterol: 80 mg
