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Grilled Teriyaki Chicken

Grilled teriyaki chicken with a glossy caramelized glaze made by simmering the reserved marinade into a thick sauce. Juicy chicken thighs hit 165°F while getting grill-mark char from brushing during the final minutes.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 18 minutes
marinating 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 33 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Japanese-American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken and marinade
  • 5 boneless skinless chicken thighs
  • 0.3333333333 cup soy sauce
  • 3 tbsp honey
  • 2 tbsp mirin or rice vinegar
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp sesame oil
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp ginger, grated
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch
  • 2 tbsp water
  • 0.5 sesame seeds
  • 0.5 sliced green onions

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Make the teriyaki sauce
  1. Whisk soy sauce, honey, mirin (or rice vinegar), brown sugar, sesame oil, garlic, and ginger together, then reserve 1/3 of the mixture for glazing.
Marinate the chicken
  1. Marinate the chicken thighs in the remaining sauce for at least 2 hours or overnight, turning once if possible, until coated.
Thicken the glaze
  1. Simmer the reserved teriyaki sauce with the cornstarch slurry (cornstarch mixed with water) in a small saucepan over medium heat for 3-4 minutes until thickened to a glaze, stirring to prevent lumps.
Grill and caramelize
  1. Preheat the grill to medium-high heat and oil the grates well so the chicken releases cleanly.
  2. Grill the chicken thighs for 6-7 minutes per side, brushing with the teriyaki glaze in the last 4 minutes for deep color.
  3. Continue grilling until the internal temperature reaches 165°F and the glaze looks deeply caramelized around the grill marks.
Serve
  1. Garnish with sesame seeds and sliced green onions, then serve hot with steamed rice.

Notes

Pro tip: keep the glaze and marinade separate—only simmer the reserved portion with the cornstarch slurry, so it becomes safe to brush while still sticky and glossy. Refrigerate marinated chicken (up to 2 days); cooked chicken keeps 3-4 days. Freeze cooked chicken for up to 2 months; reheat gently to preserve glaze. For a lower-sugar option, use reduced-sugar brown sugar or a sugar substitute in the glaze.