Grilled Teriyaki Chicken Thighs

Name: Grilled Teriyaki Boneless Chicken Thighs
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 145 min
Ingredients: 8 chicken thighs (boneless, skinless); 1/2 cup soy sauce; 2 tbsp mirin (rice wine); 2 tbsp honey; 1/4 cup brown sugar; 2 cloves garlic (minced); 1 tsp grated ginger; 1/2 cup water

Modified: Feb 4, 2026 by Morgan Peaceman · This post may contain affiliate links · 2 Comments

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Sick of making your standard breaded chicken cutlet or oven roasted chicken on the bone? You've gotta make a large batch of these boneless teriyaki chicken thighs, with a super simple homemade teriyaki marinade, for dinner, lunches, or as a meal prep menu option the whole family will simply devour.

grilled teriyaki chicken thighs on a plate.

Chicken is a staple protein in my home and on my site, with various recipes like tuscan chicken, a classic chicken Francese, or thrown into a pasta like a classic rigatoni fiorentina.

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TL;DR Summary - Teriyaki Chicken Thighs
Trusted Tips and Key Reminders
The Main Ingredients
Swaps and Substitutions
What is teriyaki sauce?
How to make grilled teriyaki chicken thighs
Mistakes I've Made (to avoid!)
Teriyaki Boneless Chicken Thighs
Planning your dinner menu? Here are some other drool-worthy dinner options:
Grilled Teriyaki Boneless Chicken Thighs

TL;DR Summary - Teriyaki Chicken Thighs

👩🏼‍🍳 Cook Level: Easy/Beginner
⏱️ Cook Time: ~20 minutes.
📖 Dietary Info: Honey, soy, poultry
😋 Taste: These chicken thighs are umami, savory, slightly sweet, a touch salty, and juicy.
💖 Why You'll Love: Teriyaki sauce paired with juicy and tender grilled chicken is a classic pairing that makes you think you're at hibachi. Great for meal prep, excellent for dinner or any time.
🍽️Best Paired With: A simple mixed greens salad, some delicious garlic herb red bliss mashed potatoes, or keep it low carb with a side of roasted veggies, sautéed green beans, or oven roasted squash.

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Trusted Tips and Key Reminders

Use a Thermometer - It's annoying to keep checking the temp of the meat, but it really does help and keeps you from overcooking the chicken.
Marinade Overnight - For maximum flavor, you really do want to marinade the chicken overnight so that the teriyaki sauce has enough time to penetrate the chicken and keep it flavorful.
Boneless vs Bone-In - I prefer to use boneless chicken as it's a little easier (in my opinion) to throw on the grill and cooks within minutes. If you DO want to use bone-in meat, your timing will increase by just about double.

The Main Ingredients

Ingredients to make grilled boneless teriyaki chicken thighs.

Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs - when cooked right, they're super tender and taste fantastic! I love using chicken thighs in my kitchen just like my bone in oven baked chicken thighs.
Soy Sauce - a classic Japanese ingredient for marinades and sauces.
Mirin - this is known as rice cooking wine and can be found in most grocery stores.
Brown Sugar - a little added molasses and sweetness to give the teriyaki sauce its tang.
Honey - added sugar and sweetness to add to the brown sugar.
Garlic - a balance to the sugary flavor!
Ginger - not entirely classic but a great flavor profile to give these chicken thighs.
Water - helps balance out the marinade and the ingredients used to create it.

Be sure to check out the recipe card at the end of this post for more information about quantities, measurements, and specific cooking instructions.

Swaps and Substitutions

Brown Sugar - in one of my tests of this recipe I used coconut sugar, and it worked great! Feel free to swap the brown sugar for coconut sugar. It may not get the exact same consistency, but it works really well.
Chicken - you can easily use chicken breasts (boneless or bone-in), chicken legs or drumsticks, even chicken wings for this recipe instead of thighs.
Soy Sauce - swap the soy sauce for coconut aminos. I've done this before and it works just as well.
Mirin - you can use cider vinegar instead of rice wine.
Ginger - I did not have ginger on hand in one of my tests, but I did have ginger juice and it was fantastic. If you don't have ginger juice, just use a teaspoon of grated ginger.

What is teriyaki sauce?

Teriyaki sauce is a blend of classic Japanese ingredients such as soy sauce, mirin (rice wine), and sugar.

Traditionally, it incorporates sake, but we omit sake in this recipe and add in some honey, brown sugar, and ginger. Other recipes may call for cornstarch to thicken it up, but I went with a very easy, no frills marinade that doesn't require a stove or a pot to thicken.

How to make grilled teriyaki chicken thighs

soy sauce, mirin, brown sugar, honey and ginger whisked into a bowl.

Step 1: Whisk together the soy sauce, mirin, honey, brown sugar, and ginger.

garlic and water added to teriyaki sauce.

Step 2: Add in the water and minced garlic, then whisk again to combine.

Step 3: Pat dry the chicken thighs and add to a large bowl.

teriyaki sauce poured over chicken thighs.

Step 4: Pour the marinade all over the chicken thighs, ensuring that all of the pieces of chicken are coated. Cover the bowl and let marinade in the fridge for 3 hours, or overnight.

Step 5: Once ready to cook, turn the grill on to a medium high heat. Place the chicken on the grill and cook for 4-5 minutes.

Step 6: Cover the grill, then reopen and flip the chicken, cooking for an additional 4-5 minutes. The chicken is done when the internal temperature reaches 160º

Mistakes I've Made (to avoid!)

Make sure you SAVE some of the teriyaki sauce so that you can baste the chicken as it grills.
Don't overdo the marinade before adding the chicken to the grill, otherwise it will result in a very charred piece of chicken, and end up dry.
Do not keep flipping the chicken back and forth the entire time. Let the chicken thighs sit on one side for 5-6 minutes before flipping. You should also figure out where your hot spots are when you grill so that you can rotate the chicken through those areas.

Teriyaki Boneless Chicken Thighs

Can I use store-bought teriyaki sauce?

You sure can! If you're really in a pinch of time, you could use store bought, and then follow the directions after marinading the chicken.

How do I store any leftovers chicken thighs? What about adding it to the freezer?

Place any uneaten teriyaki chicken thighs into an airtight container and store for up to 4 days. You can freeze this for up to two months, whether precooked or not! Just label the date you either cooked or marinaded the chicken. A simple microwave works here, or you can warm the chicken in an oven on low heat (300º) for 10-15 minutes.

Could I bake this on a sheet pan instead of grilling?

Yes, you can bake the teriyaki chicken thighs on a sheet pan for 15-20 minutes at 375º. You could also throw some vegetables on there with olive oil for a complete one pan meal.