Grilled Teriyaki Chicken

Nothing says summer like firing up the bbq and grilling chicken. Not only is this grilled teriyaki chicken so easy to make, it’s absolutely amazing and so simple. The hardest part is waiting for it to marinate so you can actually eat it!

All about the marinade

Sometimes chicken breasts have a reputation of being dry but with this grilled teriyaki chicken marinade, you’ll have the perfect juicy chicken breast. Not only does it taste incredible, but you will be shocked at how simple it is. It’s the perfect mix of sweet and salty and makes the chicken so tender. When it comes to marinating give yourself at least two hours but overnight is best to allow the juices to get into the chicken. Just don’t marinate for longer than 24 hours, it breaks down the chicken and causes it to be mushy. 

Grilling Tips

Grilling does not have to be scary or intimidating and really anyone can do it as long as they know a few simple things. Always start with a clean BBQ. Heat the bbq to high heat and scrape off any excess char from the previous meal. You do not want any leftover food remnants on your bbq, for obvious reasons! To avoid your food sticking, I like to slightly oil my bbq once it’s clean or simply spray the meat with nonstick spray to avoid sticking. Once oiled, make sure bbq heat is on medium high and cook the chicken for about 4 minutes on each side or until reaches 165 degrees F and is no longer pink. You want the outside charred but not burned. These simple steps will result in perfectly grilled teriyaki chicken!

Alternate cooking options

Don’t have a grill or prefer to cook indoors? No problem. Grilled teriyaki chicken can easily turn into air fried, baked, or pan fried teriyaki chicken. 

Air fry: slice the chicken into strips, marinate and air fry at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 20-25 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. 

Pan fry: slice into strips, marinate and cook over the stove until cooked through or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.

Bake: Bake chicken at 375 degrees until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. Cook times will vary depending on thickness of chicken. 

Ingredients and Substitutes:

These are the main ingredients and substitutions. See recipe card below for full ingredients list and instructions for grilled teriyaki chicken.

Chicken: I used boneless skinless chicken breast. This marinade goes great with chicken thighs, tenderloins, cutlets, and wings. 

Coconut Aminos: this recipe calls for coconut aminos. I prefer aminos to soy sauce as it’s less salty to taste. You can also use soy sauce or tamari as a substitute. 

Sesame Oil: toasted gives a great flavor to this marinade so I prefer that to regular sesame oil. 

Honey: maple syrup or lite maple syrup will also work. 

Spices: Garlic powder and ground ginger are all you need.

How to make grilled teriyaki chicken:

Step 1: Prep the Chicken

First, butterfly the chicken breast by cutting horizontally from one side of the chicken almost to the other side while leaving it connected at the edge, like a book.

Step 2: Marinate the chicken

Add the coconut aminos, sesame oil, honey, garlic powder and ginger to a ziplock or sealable bag. Place the chicken in and remove any air in the bag. Place in the fridge laying down so that the chicken lays in the marinade and marinate for 2 hours, overnight is best though and preferred.

Step 3: Prep the BBQ

Remove the chicken from the marinade and heat the barbeque to high heat. Scrape off any excess char on the barbeque and lower the heat to medium high.

Step 4: Prep bok choy

While the grill heats, slice the bok choy horizontally into two halves, spay with cooking spray and season with salt.

Step 5: Grill chicken, bok choy, and pineapple

Place the chicken, bok choy and pineapples on the grill. Grill the bok choy and pineapples for 3 minutes, flip and grill for another 2-3 minutes until charred but not burned. 

Cook the chicken for 4 minutes on each side or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit with a meat thermometer. The time will vary depending on the thickness of your chicken.

Step 6: Serve!

Finally, remove from the grill, sprinkle the chicken with toasted sesame seeds and serve with the grilled bok choy, pineapple and rice if desired.

Serving notes

The discarded marinade has been accounted for in the nutrition facts. For the most accurate serving size, weigh your cooked chicken and divide by 6. One serving size is approximately 4 oz. of cooked chicken, half of a grilled bok choy and 2 pineapple slices. 

How to serve this teriyaki chicken

Serve your grilled teriyaki chicken with the pineapple and bok choy and pair it with Instant Pot Fried Rice for a delicious meal. Or serve with Hawaiian Macaroni Salad, roasted vegetables, garlic turmeric rice or add to a salad and enjoy! 

You can prep this chicken and enjoy it throughout the week with rice, in sandwiches or wraps and on salads. This would be a perfect companion to a Chinese chicken salad recipe. 

If you like this recipe be sure to check out some of our other easy recipes!

• Cast Iron Flank Steak
• Instant Pot Fried Rice
• Air Fryer Blackened Chicken