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Quick to prepare and easy to cook, these grilled teriyaki chicken breasts are a delicious dish. I take boneless, skinless chicken breasts, marinate them in seasoned soy sauce, and grill them to juicy perfection. Perfect for a busy weeknight, I like to prepare the marinade and chicken in the morning, and come dinner time, I throw the chicken on the grill. What I end up with is sweet, savory, and tangy chicken that I like to serve with rice and veggies.
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Pin ItEasy Grilled Teriyaki Chicken Recipe
Teriyaki is one of my favorite takeout flavors, but here’s a secret: it’s easy to make this Japanese sauce at home. I mix soy sauce, garlic, honey, and ginger, and voila, I’ve got a delicious sweet, savory, and tangy sauce. Just a few simple everyday ingredients for an absolutely delicious marinade that renders the chicken moist, juicy, and loaded with flavor. Once it’s done marinating, it takes just about 10 minutes to cook. You can’t beat that for an easy weeknight dinner.
This recipe makes enough for my family of 4, but often I’ll double the amount of marinade and keep it on hand in the fridge so the next grilled teriyaki dinner is that much easier and quicker to prepare.
Tips for Beginners
- If you don’t have fresh ginger. Dried ground ginger also works, use 1 teaspoon.
- Flip the chicken. If you marinate the chicken in a Ziploc bag, make sure to flip it so the chicken gets evenly coated. Often, the marinade sinks to the bottom instead of coating the chicken, so it’s important to flip it a few times.
- Refrigerate the chicken. If you marinate for longer than 30 minutes, make sure the meat is in the refrigerator. It is not safe to leave chicken unrefrigerated.
Grilled Teriyaki Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 ½ lbs. boneless skinless, chicken breasts*
- salt and pepper for seasoning chicken
- ⅓ cup soy sauce
- ⅓ cup water
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger root grated
- 1 clove garlic pressed
- 1 tsp dried minced onions
- 2 tsp cornstarch optional, you’ll only need this if you decide to make the glaze
Instructions
- Whisk together soy sauce, water, honey, ginger, garlic, and onions. You can reserve half the marinade and cook it for a teriyaki glaze, if you wish.⅓ cup soy sauce, 2 tbsp honey, 1 tbsp fresh ginger root, 1 clove garlic, 1 tsp dried minced onions, ⅓ cup water
- Season the chicken with salt and pepper, place it in a shallow dish or Ziplock bag, pour marinade over it. Marinate for at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours.salt and pepper for seasoning chicken, 2 ½ lbs. boneless skinless, chicken breasts*
- Preheat the grill. It should be at least 400℉ and up to 500℉.
- Remove the chicken from the marinade and place it on the grill. Cover the chicken and cook for 5 minutes. Turn the chicken over, cover again, and cook another 5 minutes or until cooked through. The internal temperature should be 165°.
- Let chicken rest for 5 minutes.
OPTIONAL GLAZE:
- Place the reserved marinade in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil.
- Make a cornstarch slurry by mixing 2 tsp of cornstarch with equal parts water and stirring with a fork until blended. Add the mixture to the simmering marinade. It will thicken after a couple of minutes.2 tsp cornstarch
- Remove from heat, and brush on the chicken after cooking.
Becky’s Tips
- If you don’t have fresh ginger, use 1 tsp dried ground ginger.
- If you marinate the chicken in a Ziplock bag, flip the bag every so often to get good coverage.
- If you marinate for longer than 30 minutes, keep the chicken in the refrigerator.
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
- Reheat in the oven until warmed through.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did you make this? Leave a comment!
How to Make Grilled Teriyaki Chicken Breast Step by Step
Make the marinade: Whisk together ⅓ cup soy sauce,⅓ cup water, 2 tbsp honey, 1 tbsp fresh ginger root, 1 clove garlic, and 1 tsp dried minced onions. If making the optional glaze, set aside half of the marinade.
Season the chicken: Season 2 ½ lbs. of chicken with salt and pepper and place in a shallow dish or Ziplock bag. Pour the marinade over the chicken and marinate for at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours.
Get the grill going: Preheat the grill to at least 400℉, up to 500℉.
Grill the chicken: Place the chicken on the grill, cover, and cook for 5 minutes. Flip the chicken over, cover, and cook for another 5 minutes or until cooked through and the internal temperature is 165°. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes to redistribute the juices. This helps keep the chicken moist and juicy.
Make the optional glaze: Place the reserved marinade in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Combine 2 tsp of cornstarch with 2 tsp of water and mix to combine. Add to the marinade and let it simmer until it thickens.
Brush on the marinade: Use a pastry brush to apply the marinade after cooking.
Serve: Serve the chicken with your favorite sides and enjoy.
How to Store
I store leftover grilled chicken breasts in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. To reheat, I’ll warm them in the oven or pop them in the microwave.
When I find the time to meal prep, I’ll freeze the chicken breasts in the marinade and then pull them out of the freezer the morning of the day I want to prepare them. Come dinner time, they should be thawed and ready to cook. If not fully thawed, cook from frozen, adding a few minutes until cooked through. If freezing with the marinade, freeze for up to 3 months.
Cooked teriyaki chicken can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
Serving Suggestions
I like to sprinkle the breasts with sesame seeds and sliced green onions before serving them. On the side, I’ll prepare simple white rice or this flavorful garlic rice. To add some green to my plate, I’ll prepare kid-friendly air fried broccoli or this quick and easy baked asparagus.
This chicken breast recipe makes just enough for my family of 4, so if I’m hosting a weekend dinner with friends and family, I’ll double the recipe.
More Grilled Recipes To Try
- This Grilled Marinated Chicken recipe is the easiest way to get juicy chicken with a perfect smoky char.
- In this California Grilled Chicken, I take honey balsamic marinated chicken breasts and top them with mozzarella, avocado, tomatoes, and basil.
- Grilled Salmon With Avocado Salsa features spice-rubbed grilled salmon served with a creamy avocado salsa.
