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Easy Chicken Teriyaki with Marinade

Easy teriyaki chicken with marinade delivers glossy sweet soy glaze and caramelized grill edges in a weeknight-friendly bowl. Marinate for 30 minutes to 2 hours, then grill and drizzle with a thickened glaze for a shiny finish.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
marinating 30 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Japanese-American
Calories: 620
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken
  • 1.5 lb chicken thighs or breasts
Teriyaki marinade
  • 0.5 cup soy sauce
  • 0.25 cup mirin or rice wine
  • 0.25 cup brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 2 garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch (optional, for thicker glaze) Optional.
Garnish
  • sesame seeds and green onions for garnish

Method
 

Make the teriyaki marinade
  1. In a bowl, combine soy sauce, mirin, brown sugar, honey, garlic, and ginger. Stir until the sugar dissolves and the mixture looks glossy.
  2. Reserve 1/4 cup of the marinade in a separate container. This will be used for basting and, if desired, thickening the glaze.
Marinate the chicken
  1. Add the chicken to the remaining marinade and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 2 hours.
Grill and baste
  1. Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Remove chicken from marinade and grill for 6-7 minutes per side, basting frequently with the reserved marinade.
Thicken glaze (optional) and serve
  1. If using cornstarch, simmer the reserved marinade in a small pan over medium heat until thickened, stirring as it turns glossy. Keep it warm for drizzling.
  2. Serve the grilled teriyaki chicken drizzled with glaze and garnished with sesame seeds and green onions. Let the caramelized edges set for a minute so the sauce clings.

Notes

For the best shine, baste often during grilling so the glaze coats and caramelizes without burning. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container for up to 3 days; freeze glazed chicken for up to 2 months (reheat gently to avoid sauce graininess). For a gluten-free option, use gluten-free soy sauce and confirm mirin/rice wine is gluten-free.