Grilled Teriyaki Chicken

I don’t think I’ve made grilled teriyaki chicken this many times in one month but here we are. The marinade does most of the work and the grill adds that char you can’t fake in a pan.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Marinade takes 5 minutes to throw together
• That sesame oil and ginger combo smells insane when it hits the heat
• You can marinate it up to 24 hours so it’s ready when you are
• Grill marks show up fast on medium-high heat
• 165°F is your only rule and then you’re done
• The honey caramelizes on the grates in a way that’s borderline addictive

The Story Behind This Recipe

I tested this last Tuesday after work because I had chicken thawed and nothing planned. I’d been using store-bought teriyaki for years but never paid attention to marinating time until I left it in the fridge overnight once by accident. Turns out that’s when the garlic and ginger actually do something instead of just sitting on the surface.

Now I mix the marinade Monday night for Tuesday dinner. The chicken recipe works with thighs too but I used breasts this time because that’s what was on sale.

What I didn’t expect was how much the lemon juice would cut through the sweetness without making it taste citrusy. You don’t taste lemon exactly but something feels balanced that wasn’t before.

What You Need

You’ll need teriyaki sauce to build the base. I used about a cup but didn’t measure it down to the tablespoon because the marinade’s pretty forgiving. Lemon juice goes in next, maybe 2 tablespoons, and it does something weird where it doesn’t make things sour but stops the sauce from coating your mouth.

Minced garlic is non-negotiable. 3 cloves minimum. I buy the pre-minced stuff in the jar when I’m lazy and it works fine here.

Sesame oil is where the smell comes from when the teriyaki chicken hits the grill. You only need a tablespoon but don’t skip it or you lose that toasted sesame thing that makes people ask what you’re cooking. Fresh minced ginger matters more than I thought it would, maybe a tablespoon’s worth. The bottled ginger paste tastes like absolutely nothing in comparison.

Honey adds about 2 tablespoons of sticky sweetness that caramelizes on the grates. Regular honey works, I’m not buying the fancy stuff for marinade.

Then there’s the chicken. I used 4 boneless skinless breasts this time, probably around 1.5 pounds total. Thighs work too but they take an extra minute or two on the grill and I didn’t have any.

How to Make Grilled Teriyaki Chicken

Mix your teriyaki sauce, lemon juice, minced garlic, sesame oil, ginger and honey in a big Tupperware container or a ziplock bag. I use the container because I hate how ziplock bags leak in the fridge when you stack things on them. Drop the chicken in and make sure it’s coated on all sides, then stick it in the fridge for 8 to 24 hours.

Don’t try to cut that time shorter. I’ve done 4 hours before and the garlic just sits on the surface doing nothing.

When you’re ready to cook, heat your grill to medium-high. I wait until I can hold my hand over the grates for about 3 seconds before it gets too hot. Pull the chicken out of the marinade and let the excess drip off but don’t wipe it dry.

Place the chicken on the grill and you should hear it sizzle immediately. That’s your cue that the temperature’s right. Cook it 5 to 7 minutes per side without moving it around too much or you won’t get those grill marks.

The honey in the marinade starts to caramelize and you’ll see it darken on the edges. That’s when I usually flip. On the second side I start checking for clear juices and use a thermometer to hit 165°F in the thickest part.

One thing I noticed is the marinade makes the outside cook faster than plain grilled chicken so the center can still be underdone even when it looks finished. Thermometer’s the only way to know.

Pull it off the grill and let it rest for 3 minutes on a plate. The smell lifts off the chicken while it sits there and the juices settle back in instead of running all over your cutting board. I used to skip this and wondered why everything was dry.

What I Did Wrong the First Time

I flipped the chicken three times because I got nervous about burning and every time I lifted it some of the caramelized coating stuck to the grates. The chicken ended up looking pale and the flavor was all on the grill instead of the meat. Now I flip once, leave it alone and accept that some char is the point.

Grilled Teriyaki Chicken

By Emma

Prep:

5 min

Cook:

20 min

Total:

25 min

Servings:

4 servings

Ingredients

• teriyaki sauce
• lemon juice
• minced garlic
• sesame oil
• fresh minced ginger
• honey
• chicken

Method

1. 1 Mix teriyaki sauce, lemon juice, minced garlic, sesame oil, fresh minced ginger, and honey in a large Tupperware or ziplock bag. Add chicken and refrigerate for 8 to 24 hours to fully absorb flavors.
2. 2 Heat grill to medium-high. Place chicken on the grill and listen for the sizzle as it hits the grates. Cook chicken 5 to 7 minutes per side. Look for golden grill marks and watch juices run clear. Use a thermometer to check for 165°F internal temperature.
3. 3 Pull the chicken off the grill. Let it rest for 3 minutes to settle the juices before slicing or serving. You’ll notice the aroma lifting as it rests, a sure sign it’s ready.

Nutritional information

Calories

250

Protein

22g

Carbs

17g

Fat

9g

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Tips for the Best Grilled Teriyaki Chicken

Oil your grill grates before the chicken goes on. I fold a paper towel, dip it in vegetable oil and use tongs to rub it across the grates right before cooking starts. The marinade has honey and it’ll stick without that oil layer.

If your chicken breasts are uneven thickness, pound the thick parts down with a mallet or your fist wrapped in plastic wrap. Mine were all different sizes last Tuesday and the thin ends dried out while the thick parts were still climbing to temperature.

Reserve some of the marinade before the raw chicken touches it if you want to brush extra on during grilling. I didn’t do this and wished I had when the chicken looked a little dry on the second flip. Boiling the used marinade doesn’t make it safe and it’s not worth the risk.

The chicken will stick to the grates for the first 2 minutes then release on its own when it’s ready to flip. If you try to lift it early the whole caramelized layer tears off and stays behind. I learned this by ruining the first breast and leaving the rest alone.

Serving Ideas

I sliced the grilled chicken and piled it over white rice with some of the pan drippings from the resting plate drizzled on top. Steamed broccoli on the side soaks up that teriyaki flavor if you toss it in the drippings too.

Chop it up for grain bowls with edamame, shredded carrots and that crunchy stuff from the Asian aisle. The chicken recipe works cold the next day in those bowls which I didn’t expect.

Or skip the knife entirely and serve the whole breast with grilled pineapple slices. The pineapple picks up char in about 3 minutes per side and the sweet with the teriyaki thing actually works.

Variations

Swap the chicken breasts for thighs and add 2 minutes to each side on the grill. Thighs don’t dry out as fast and they handle the higher sugar content in the marinade without burning as easily. I prefer breasts for meal prep but thighs for when people are coming over.

Add a tablespoon of sriracha to the marinade if you want heat that builds in the back of your throat. It doesn’t make it spicy exactly but it wakes everything up. My husband likes this version, I don’t.

Use the same marinade on salmon and grill it skin-side down for 4 minutes then flip for 2. The fish falls apart easier than chicken but the flavors work and it’s faster. Just watch it closer because there’s no margin for error at 145°F.

Pineapple juice instead of lemon juice makes it sweeter and more Hawaiian-style. I tried this once and it was fine but I missed that sharpness the lemon brings so I went back.

FAQ

Can I use bottled lemon juice instead of fresh? Yeah it works fine in the marinade. I’ve used both and didn’t notice a difference once everything’s mixed with the teriyaki and ginger. Fresh is better if you have it but I’m not buying a lemon just for 2 tablespoons.

How long does the marinated chicken last in the fridge before grilling? Up to 24 hours is what I tested. Past that the texture starts getting mushy from the acid in the lemon juice breaking down the protein. I wouldn’t push it past a day.

Can I use this marinade on frozen chicken? Thaw it completely first. Frozen chicken won’t absorb anything and you’ll just have teriyaki sauce sitting on ice in your fridge. I thaw mine in the fridge overnight then start the marinade the next morning.

What if I don’t have a grill? Broiler works on high heat about 6 inches from the element. You’ll get some char on top but not the smoky flavor or the grill marks underneath. I’ve done it when it’s raining and the chicken still tastes like teriyaki chicken just without the outdoor grill thing happening.

Do I need to bring the chicken to room temperature before grilling? I don’t. Straight from the fridge to the grill works and actually helps the inside stay juicy while the outside gets those char marks. Room temperature chicken cooks faster but I’ve never timed it to see if it matters.

Can I marinate it for just 4 hours? You can but the garlic and ginger won’t penetrate past the surface. I mentioned this before but it’s worth repeating because 4 hours looks like it should be enough and it’s really not. The flavor stays shallow.

What kind of teriyaki sauce should I buy? The regular Kikkoman bottle works. I’m not hunting down specialty brands for a weeknight marinade. Some of the thicker teriyaki sauces have more sugar and they’ll burn faster on the grill so watch for that.

Can I use garlic powder instead of fresh minced garlic? I wouldn’t. Garlic powder doesn’t have the punch that fresh or jarred minced garlic does when it sits in the marinade for hours. It’ll taste flat. The jarred stuff is fine if you’re lazy like me sometimes.

How do I know when the chicken is done without a thermometer? Cut into the thickest part and check if the juices run clear and the meat’s white all the way through. But honestly a thermometer is $10 and saves you from guessing. I used to go by look and overcooked everything.

Why does the outside look done but the inside is still raw? The honey caramelizes fast and makes the surface look more cooked than it is. This happened to me the first time and I pulled it off too early. Thermometer solves this completely, 165°F is the only number that matters.

Can I use lime juice instead of lemon juice? Sure, lime works the same way to cut the sweetness. It’ll taste slightly different, maybe a little more tropical, but the function in the marinade is identical. I had limes once and used those because that’s what was in the fridge.

What do I do with leftover marinade? Toss it if raw chicken touched it. I know it seems wasteful but you can’t boil it enough to make it safe and it’s not worth getting sick over. Next time reserve some before the chicken goes in if you want extra for brushing.

How thick should the chicken breasts be? Around 1 inch thick is what cooks evenly in the 5 to 7 minutes per side timeframe. Thicker than that and the outside burns before the inside hits temperature. Thinner and they dry out fast. Pound them even if they’re not.

Can I make this on a gas grill or does it need charcoal? I used gas last Tuesday and it worked fine. Charcoal adds a smoky flavor that’s nice but gas is faster to heat and easier to control the temperature. Both work, gas is just less annoying on a weeknight.

Why did my chicken stick to the grill grates? Grates weren’t oiled or you flipped it too early before the proteins released. It’ll stick at first no matter what but if you wait about 2 minutes it lets go on its own. Trying to unstick it early just tears the coating off.

Can I use dried ginger instead of fresh? I tried dried ginger once and it tasted like nothing. Fresh ginger has moisture and oils that dried ginger doesn’t and those matter in a marinade that sits for hours. The jarred ginger paste is better than dried but still not as good as fresh.

How do I reheat leftovers without drying them out? Microwave on 50% power for 1 minute intervals with a damp paper towel over the plate. Or slice it thin and toss it in a hot pan for 30 seconds just to warm through. Don’t reheat it to 165°F again or it’ll turn into rubber.

Can I freeze the marinated chicken? Yeah freeze it in the marinade in a ziplock bag flat so it thaws faster. Thaw it in the fridge overnight and it’ll keep marinating as it defrosts. I’ve done this for meal prep and it works fine, the texture’s the same after grilling.

What if I only have one really thick chicken breast? Butterfly it by cutting it in half horizontally so you have two thinner pieces. They’ll cook faster and more evenly than one thick piece that’s impossible to get right on the grill. I should do this every time but I get lazy.