Chicken skewers are the best when it comes to summer grilling! These grilled teriyaki chicken skewers have the most incredible flavor thanks to my tried and true homemade teriyaki sauce! Serve them over rice, add them to a salad, or serve them as an appetizer at your next barbecue.
If you haven’t made my homemade teriyaki sauce, you absolutely must try it! It’s so easy to make!
Why You’ll Love Teriyaki Chicken Skewers
Teriyaki marinade – My homemade teriyaki sauce also makes an excellent marinade. It only takes about 10 minutes to make and the flavor is so much better than store bought marinades. It also only uses a handful of ingredients, many of which you may already have on hand.
Tender and Juicy – The teriyaki marinade not only gives the chicken skewers amazing flavor, but helps to keep them juicy and tender as they cook.
Great for entertaining – Skewers are great for entertaining! People love food on a stick and these teriyaki chicken skewers won’t disappoint. They’re savory, sweet, sticky, and can be served as a main dish protein or appetizer.
Ingredient Notes
Teriyaki sauce – My homemade teriyaki sauce only uses a handful of ingredients and is naturally sweetened with maple syrup. Be sure to use low sodium soy sauce or tamari (gluten-free) when making it. It keeps for 2 weeks so save time and make it in advance!
Chicken – Boneless skinless chicken breasts are lean and great for marinating. You can also use boneless skinless chicken thighs.
Sesame seeds, green onions, cilantro – Garnishes for adding to the grilled teriyaki chicken skewers. I like to brush the chicken with extra teriyaki sauce after it’s finished cooking and then sprinkle on the garnishes. This way the garnishes all stick to the chicken instead of falling off onto the plate.
Tips for Making the Best Teriyaki Chicken Skewers
- Make a double batch of my teriyaki sauce. Use half of it for the marinade and the rest for glazing the chicken skewers after they’ve finished cooking. You can also use it as a dipping sauce.
- Cut the chicken into equal sized chunks so that it cooks evenly.
- Marinate the chicken for at least an hour. With this marinade you can also marinate the chicken overnight.
- Use flat metal skewers instead of round ones so that the chicken isn’t spinning around when you flip it on the grill.
- Don’t crowd the chicken on the skewers. Having a little space between the pieces of chicken instead of mashed together will allow them to cook evenly.
- Use a meat thermometer. The chicken should be cooked to 165° F. Let the chicken rest for a few minutes before serving.
- Garnish with sesame seeds, green onions, and cilantro for the best flavor!
Tips for Perfectly Grilled Chicken Skewers
- You can use metal skewers or wooden skewers. If you use wooden skewers, be sure to soak them in water for at least 30 minutes before threading the chicken onto them. If you don’t the wooden skewers will burn up on the grill.
- Let the chicken skewers sit out at room temperature for 30 minutes before grilling. This will help to keep the chicken from being overcooked on the outside and undercooked on the inside.
- Preheat your grill to 400-425° F. and make sure the grill grates are clean and that they’ve been sprayed with cooking oil. You can also use paper towels coated in oil. Use tongs when rubbing it onto the grates.
- Use a meat thermometer. It’s the easiest way to make sure you don’t overcook or undercook meat.
- Grill the skewers for 3-4 minutes before flipping them over. The chicken should release easily and have grill marks on it when it’s ready to flip. Pull the chicken skewers off the grill when the internal temperature of the chicken is 165° F.
Substitutions and Variations
Make them sweeter or spicier – Depending on how sweet or spicy you like your food, you may want to add extra maple syrup to the teriyaki marinade, omit the sriracha, or add more of it.
Add vegetables – If you want to add grilled vegetables to the skewers, try using peppers, zucchini, onion, or pineapple for something sweet. I suggest cooking the veggies or pineapple on separate skewers from the chicken. The cooking times may not be the same.
Serving Suggestions
If you’re serving teriyaki chicken skewers as an appetizer, I suggest making extra teriyaki sauce and serving it on the side for dipping.
A few of my favorite side dishes to serve with the chicken skewers are cilantro lime rice, cucumber avocado salad, and miso roasted brussels sprouts. Adding the rice paired with one of the vegetable side dishes turns them into a complete and balanced meal.
If you make these Teriyaki Chicken Skewers, please leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! I love hearing from you and do my best to respond to your comments. And if you’re on Instagram tag @reciperunner so I can see your beautiful creations!
Make the teriyaki sauce and let it cool to room temperature.
Add the chunks of chicken to a gallon size freezer bag. Season with a little salt and pepper and pour in the teriyaki sauce. Seal the bag pressing out the air as you do. Massage the marinade into the chicken and then refrigerate for at least an hour or overnight.
Once the chicken has marinated, remove it from the fridge and thread it onto skewers.
Preheat grill to 400° F. Oil the grates then place the skewers onto them. Grill for 3-4 minutes and then flip them over and grill another 4-5 minutes or until the internal temperature is 165° F.
Remove the chicken skewers from the grill and brush with extra teriyaki sauce. Sprinkle all over with sesame seeds, sliced scallions, and chopped cilantro. Serve with rice or your favorite side dishes.
The teriyaki sauce keeps for 2 weeks. I recommend making it ahead of time so you don’t have to wait for it to cool before adding it in with the chicken.
Calories: 181kcalCarbohydrates: 4gProtein: 31gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 87mgSodium: 1261mgPotassium: 568mgFiber: 0.03gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 41IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 14mgIron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Storage
Grilled teriyaki chicken skewers will keep for 4-5 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. You can also store them in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost the chicken overnight in the refrigerator before reheating it.
More Chicken Skewers Recipes
Chicken skewers are one of my favorite summer dinners and I’ve got plenty for you to try out!
