These Teriyaki Chicken Skewers use juicy chicken thighs that are marinated and grilled to perfection, then glazed with a sweet & flavorful teriyaki sauce.
»Looking for a couple more great appetizer recipes? You might like these Bacon-Wrapped Chicken Legs or Crispy Air Fryer Sweet Potato Chips.
One of the best appetizers to serve at a party is a grilled chicken skewer. It’s easy to eat while moving around, because you can bite it right off the stick and it’s perfectly juicy and seasoned without the need for any sauce on the side.
Really, these teriyaki chicken skewers are super versatile because they can be served as a main dish or an appetizer. If you’re bringing something to a barbecue party or potluck, these skewers will pair well with whatever else is being served.
What Chicken to Use
The juiciest part of the chicken is the thigh and that’s what we use in this recipe. Chicken thigh meat doesn’t dry out the way breast meat does, and it soaks up a lot of great flavor from the marinade that helps keep it juicy and flavorful once grilled. So the best chicken to use is boneless skinless chicken thighs.
If you only have boneless skinless chicken breast, that’s okay too, but you’ll want to be very careful not to overcook the meat, or it will become dry.
What Teriyaki Sauce to Use
For this recipe, I use store-bought teriyaki sauce. It’s not that the sauce is difficult to make from scratch, but that you can purchase really good teriyaki sauce that’s all ready to go, so why not make it easy on yourself! This is Easy Teriyaki Chicken Skewers, after all.
The brand I like best is Soy Vay Veri Veri Teriyaki Marinade & Sauce. It has a well balanced flavor – sweet and robust, with some ginger, garlic and soy flavors. It’s not too thin or thick, which is great because it’s difficult to find the right balance. I highly recommend this sauce, if you can find it. The less sodium version is the best.
You can purchase it on Amazon (that’s our affiliate link). Or you can find it at most grocery stores in the U.S.. I also like the La Choy Teriyaki Marinade and the Blue Dragon Teriyaki. I wouldn’t recommend the Kikkoman Teriyaki Marinade. It’s too thin and tastes more like soy sauce than teriyaki.
Marinating the Chicken
I use a large zip lock back to marinate the chicken. Put all the cubed chicken into the bag and pour in half the sauce. Then massage the bag so all the chicken piece get coated and set it in the fridge to marinate for at least 30 minutes.
You can also put the chicken in a bowl to marinate it. Whatever method is easiest for you, is what you should do.
Skewering the Chicken
I use long bamboo skewers for these, unless they’re for a finger food party or get together, where you’re serving multiple things at once. Then I use smaller wooden skewers, to make half-sized skewers that are better as finger food.
If you’re using wooden skewers, be sure to soak them in water for at least 20 minutes before threading them with chicken, to keep them from burning and falling apart on the grill.
When you thread on the chicken, don’t pack it on too tightly. Leaving a little space between the chicken will help it all get cooked through without burning.
Have leftover skewers? Try these Prosciutto and Melon Appetizer Skewers.
Grilling the Chicken Skewers
When the grill is hot, lay the skewers on the grill, spaced a few inches apart. Cook on each side for 3-5 minutes, until cooked through. Near the end of cooking, glaze both sides with the remaining sauce.
Sprinkle on the sesame seeds and serve with hot mustard on the side, if desired.
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Teriyaki Chicken Skewers
Ingredients
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts cut into 1″ cubes
- 3/4 cup teriyaki sauce divided (preferably Soy Yay Veri Very Teriyaki)
- 1/4 cup hot mustard for dipping (optional)
- 2 tsp sesame seeds
Instructions
- Presoak wooden skewers for 20 minutes.
- Put the cubed chicken in a large ziplock bag and pour half of the sauce over the chicken. Close the bag and massage the bag to coat the chicken.
- Marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. Set aside remaining sauce to use as a glaze.
- Preheat the grill to medium heat, around 375 degrees.
- Thread the chicken onto the skewers; don’t pack them too tightly.
- When the grill is hot, lay the skewers on the grill, spaced a few inches apart. Cook on each side for 3-5 minutes. Near the end of cooking, glaze both sides with the remaining sauce.
- Sprinkle on the sesame seeds and serve with hot mustard on the side, if desired.
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Laura is the founder and editor of the travel blogs Savored Sips and Savored Journeys. She is dedicated to sharing the best information about drinks found around the world.
It may not be a good for you as white meat, but I love cooking with chicken thighs. They are so tender and juicy and I bet they are great in this recipe.
We don’t use chicken thighs often, but this is the perfect recipe for them. I love that it’s only a handful of ingredients. I’m looking forward to trying these.
I love teriyaki chicken and this recipe is perfection. Easy to make and my kids gobbled them up. YUM!
Enjoyed these for dinner last night and it did not disappoint! Quick and easy and packed with flavor; my whole family loved it!