Teriyaki chicken thighs are a beautifully sweet and succulent way to enjoy chicken, that is easy to prepare in an air fryer. Really quick to make, making these one of my go to recipes for a tasty weekday meal.
Teriyaki Chicken Thighs
Teriyaki chicken is a very popular dish and I think chicken thighs are the best part of the chicken to go with the teriyaki. Chicken thighs are juicy and absorb lots of the teriyaki flavoring. Teriyaki chicken is a very versatile food that can be served in a variety of ways or with a variety of other foods.
Teriyaki chicken thighs can be served on their own, ideally with rice, or can be served with any number of sides. Lots of things go great with the chicken and the teriyaki sauce on the chicken can add extra flavor to the sides as well. Stir fried vegetables, broccoli and green beans are all great options to serve with the teriyaki chicken
Another serving suggestion is to cut up the chicken and add it to a salad. You can even cut up the chicken in to long strips and use it as part of the filling for some homemade sushi rolls.
Teriyaki Sauce
Teriyaki sauce is a sauce that originates from Japan. It has a beautiful balance of sweet and salty and combines perfectly with a wide range of proteins and vegetables. Chicken is a very popular pairing with teriyaki, but it also goes well with salmon, beef, tofu and more.
There are a few variations for the ingredients in making teriyaki sauce. Some versions will use cooking sake and/or mirin. These are ingredients that I don’t always have in my pantry. The teriyaki sauce used in this recipe makes use of common ingredients that I always have in my pantry. This is so I can make this recipe anytime.
Making The Teriyaki Sauce
The teriyaki sauce in this recipe is made using:
- Light soy sauce
- Brown sugar
- Honey
- Rice wine vinegar
- Minced garlic
- Cornstarch
- Water
To make the sauce, add all of the ingredients (besides the cornstarch and water) together in a small saucepan, on medium heat. Whisk to combine. Bring the mixture to a simmer and then reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for 3-5 minutes until all of the sugar has dissolved and the sauce has thickened slightly.
At this point remove about 1/2 a cup of the sauce and set aside to cool to room temperature. This will be the marinade for the chicken thighs.
Mix together the cornstarch and water in a small bowl and add it to the remaining sauce that is still in the saucepan. Continue to simmer the sauce for about another 2 minutes or until the sauce has thickened and is nice and glossy.
Air Frying Chicken Thighs
Cooking teriyaki chicken thighs in the air fryer can get a little messy. If you are worried about the mess, then you may want to consider lining the air fryer basket with some foil. If using foil, make sure to allow enough room around the edges for air to flow.
Start by marinating the chicken thighs in the 1/2 cup of teriyaki sauce that we reserved when making the sauce. Marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, ideally the chicken would marinate overnight for even more flavor.
When ready to start cooking, preheat the air fryer to 400°F/200°C. Once preheated, spread the chicken out in a single layer in the air fryer basket and cook for 5 minutes. After the 5 minutes are up, flip the chicken and brush on some teriyaki sauce, brushing enough to form a thin layer of sauce on top of the chicken. Cook for another 5 minutes before flipping, brushing again and cooking for 3 more minutes.
When finished, the chicken should have a beautiful brown color and potentially some slight charring (not too much) around the edges. Let the chicken rest for a few minutes. Garnish with sesame seeds (if desired) and drizzle over some more of the teriyaki sauce. The chicken can be served whole or cut up and goes great with rice.
Storage
You can keep teriyaki chicken thighs, in an air tight container, in the fridge for up to 4 days. Alternatively store them in the freezer for up to 6 months.
You can also make the teriyaki sauce ahead (or you may have some leftover). For best storage, keep the sauce in an air tight container in the fridge, where it should last up to a week.
For more great air fryer chicken recipes, check out:
Air Fryer Teriyaki Chicken Thighs
Equipment
- Air Fryer (affiliate link)
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb / 700 g skinless boneless chicken thighs (5 to 6 chicken thighs)
- sesame seeds for garnish (optional)
Teriyaki Sauce
- 2/3 cup light soy sauce
- 1/2 cup brown sugar packed
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 tbsp water
Instructions
Teriyaki Sauce
- Combine light soy sauce, brown sugar, honey, rice wine vinegar and minced garlic together in a small saucepan on medium heat. Whisk to combine.
- Bring to a simmer and let simmer for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until all sugar dissolved and the sauce has slightly thickened.
- Remove about 1/2 a cup of the sauce and set aside to cool to room temperature. This will be used for the marinade.
- Mix the cornstarch and water together in a small bowl and then add it to the remaining sauce in the saucepan.
- Simmer the sauce for another 1-2 minutes, or until thickened and glossy. Let cool to room temperature.
Teriyaki Chicken
- Combine the reserved 1/2 cup of teriyaki sauce with the chicken thighs in a bowl and marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
- Preheat the air fryer to 400°F/200°C.
- Spread the chicken thighs out in the air fryer basket. Cook the chicken for 5 minutes before flipping and brushing the top with some of the teriyaki sauce.
- Cook the chicken for another 5 minutes, before flipping and brushing with more teriyaki sauce. Cook for 3 more minutes, or until chicken is a beautiful brown color and cooked through.
- Let chicken rest for a few minutes. Serve the chicken warm, with rice, and garnished with sesame seeds.
