Description
Juicy grilled chicken thighs lacquered in a quick homemade teriyaki that beats any bottle—sweet, savory, perfectly sticky, and ready in about 30 minutes.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Teriyaki Sauce
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 cup cold water
- 1/2 cup brown sugar (packed)
- 1/3 cup soy sauce or tamari (use tamari for gluten-free)
- 2 tsp honey
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
Chicken
- 3 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs (or use chicken breasts)
- 2 tsp kosher salt
Instructions
- Prepare the Teriyaki Sauce: In a small saucepan, whisk the cornstarch with the cold water until completely dissolved. Whisk in the brown sugar, soy sauce (or tamari), honey, ground ginger, and garlic powder.
- Thicken: Set over medium heat and bring to a simmer, stirring often, until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and immediately reserve about 1/3 cup in a clean bowl for serving.
- Season & Coat Chicken: Pat chicken thighs dry and season all over with kosher salt. Place in a large bowl and pour the remaining (unreserved) teriyaki sauce over top; toss to coat.
- Preheat Grill: Preheat grill to high heat. Clean grates well; just before cooking, lightly oil the grates if desired.
- Grill First Side: Lift chicken from the bowl, letting excess drip off. Place on hot grill, reduce heat to medium-high, cover, and grill about 5 minutes until char marks form.
- Flip & Finish: Flip chicken. Baste the cooked side with some of the sauce from the bowl. Continue cooking, turning and basting occasionally, 7 to 8 minutes more, until cooked through and an instant-read thermometer registers 165°F (74°C).
- Rest & Serve: Transfer to a platter, drizzle the clean reserved 1/3 cup sauce over the top, and rest 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
Food safety: Do not use the reserved clean sauce for marinating or basting raw chicken. Discard any leftover marinade that touched raw chicken, or bring it to a rolling boil for 1 minute before using as a glaze.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: BBQ & Grill, Dinner
- Cuisine: Japanese
Nutrition
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 20
- Fat: 18
- Carbohydrates: 25
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 45
