Chicken Teriyaki Skewers

Name: Chicken Teriyaki Skewers
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: 600g boneless chicken thighs, with skin (1.3lbs); salt + pepper to taste; bamboo sticks soaked for 30 minutes *see note; ¼ cup Kikkoman soy sauce; ¼ cup Kikkoman mirin; ¼ cup sake; ¼ cup sugar; garnish: scallions & sesame seeds

November 7, 2021

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These chicken teriyaki skewers make for the perfect weeknight meal. It only requires a few ingredients and is ready in no time at all!

chicken teriyaki skewers on wooden plate

I’m sure you’ve ordered chicken teriyaki when out, but did you know how easy it is to make at home? All you need is 4 ingredients for the sauce. I love to make extra and store it in the fridge to use for other dishes throughout the week.

The SECRET to perfectly cooked chicken

There are a few simple tricks to ensure juicy, crispy and delicious chicken every time.

My first tip is to use chicken thighs, which has a higher fat content and is much more forgiving if overcooked. Chicken breast tastes great too, but much it’s easier to overcook and is not nearly as juicy.
Always buy skin-on chicken. This tip goes for any type of chicken you buy, whether it’s thigh or breast meat. Even if you don’t want to eat the skin, it is essential that you leave it on when cooking. The skin acts as a barrier that prevents the meat from drying out.
Cook chicken skin-side down the majority of the way, then flip and quickly finish cooking on the other side. You also don’t even need oil because the chicken releases natural oils as the fat from the skin renders.
Pat dry the chicken until completely dry, or let it sit in the fridge uncovered for about 30 minutes. This step ensures crispy chicken. If you skip this step, then you might end up with soggy chicken.
Don’t crowd the pan when cooking. If you crowd the pan, then the chicken will steam rather than get crispy. So, use a large pan or cook in batches.

Homemade Teriyaki Sauce

Trust me on this – homemade teriyaki sauce is SO much better than store bought. You know exactly what’s going into the sauce and there is a huge flavor difference. It’s so easy to make, too!

This recipe reflects the Japanese version of making teriyaki sauce. You might be more familiar with American teriyaki sauce which is thick, but this one is different. It’s much thinner because traditional Japanese teriyaki sauce does not use added thickeners.

Here’s all you need:

soy sauce
mirin
sake
sugar

Do I need to add sake in the teriyaki sauce?

The sake is completely safe for kids to consume because the alcohol burns off as it cooks. If you have dietary restrictions or can’t find it, then don’t worry because you can just leave it out!

How to enjoy leftovers

Chicken teriyaki is my absolute favorite to have as leftovers and works great for meal prep. I can enjoy a filling meal in just 5 minutes with a few extra add ins.

Here’s how to make a super filling chicken teriyaki rice bowl:

Simply heat up your chicken on low heat and place on top of steamed white rice. Then add a runny egg and top with chili sauce (Lao Gan Ma is one of my favorites), Kewpie mayo, furikake and scallions. Try it and I’m sure you’ll love it just as much as I do!

Side dishes you’ll love!