Teriyaki Chicken in Air fryer is an absolutely delicious dinner made in under 30 minutes. Made with an easy homemade teriyaki sauce, it so much better than takeout!
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Kick starting new year with a brand new air fryer recipe!
Chicken dishes are one of our go-to for weeknight dinner - some of our favorites include Chicken Parm Pasta, Baked Chicken Cutlets, Burrito Bowls or Baked Chicken Burger and cooking them in air fryer is the best way since it cooks it fast and clean up is a breeze.
This is hands down a flavorful chicken and it is made without any bottled sauces and yet it tastes just as good! Plus, it’s such a flavorful sauce and it tastes almost like the one from Panda Express. Check out this vegetarian recipe - Tofu Teriyaki.
Marinade or Sauce?
Sauce is usually served along with the main course, as a condiment to be drizzled, if needed. Whereas marinade is much thicker and is used to marinade the chicken, pork, fish or shrimp. This recipe is used as both marinade and sauce to be finished later.
My favorite part of the sauce is that, this teriyaki sauce recipe does not use mirin and made with common pantry ingredients.
Air Fryer Chicken Thighs
- Ready in about 30 minutes
- Easy pantry ingredients
- Kid friendly
- Delicious with rice
- Easy recipe
- Homemade teriyaki sauce
- Better than take out
Ingredients
Sauce ingredients - White sugar, Soy sauce, fresh Ginger & Garlic, Cornstarch and Black Pepper.
Chicken - Boneless skinless thighs
Method
Make sauce - Stir together sugar, soy sauce, grated ginger, garlic and ground black pepper, until sugar is almost dissolved.
Marinate chicken - Toss chicken thighs with half the teriyaki sauce and let marinade for about 30 minutes, if possible.
Thicken sauce - Mix cornstarch along with remaining sauce and bring to a boil over low heat. Cook for about 30 seconds and then remove from heat (it will thicken as it cools).
Air fry - Place chicken thighs (smooth side down) in a pre heated 400 degree air fryer. Cook for 7 minutes, brush with sauce, turn over, brush with more sauce and continue cooking for an additional 6 to 7 minutes. Finish with another coating of sauce.
Expert tips
Soy sauce - Use regular soy and not light/dark.
Can I use chicken breasts instead? Yes! Only the cooking time and temperature varies -> Cook them at 380 degrees for 6 minutes, flip over and cook for an additional 6 minutes, or until completely cooked.
Be careful not to over cook the chicken or it will start to dry out.
Does it taste sweet? No! The sugar is balanced with salty soy sauce and spices, so it does not taste sweet.
Is this a healthy recipe? One serving of chicken has an estimated 392 calories which is a smarter choice than take out or the deep fried food you usually get from your favorite Chinese take-out.
How to garnish? Sprinkle toasted white sesame seeds and chopped scallions on cooked chicken.
How to serve?
Serve for dinner with just white or brown rice along with steamed broccoli / green beans or any of the following accompaniments:
- Egg fried rice
- Egg Drop Soup with Tomato
- Chicken fried rice
- Air fryer Fried Rice
- Vegetable fried rice
- Mushroom fried rice
- Spicy Noodles
- Garlic Noodles
How to store leftovers?
Leftover teriyaki glazed chicken can be refrigerated in a sealed container for up to 4 days.
Meal prep - Place cooked white rice in meal prep containers along with chopped teriyaki chicken and cooked vegetables. Re heat in microwave before eating.
Can it be frozen? Absolutely! It can be frozen for up to a month, thaw completely at room temperature (or overnight in the refrigerator) and re heat in microwave, until hot.
Re heat in air fryer - Place room temperature cooked chicken in a pre heated 375 degree air fryer and cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until heated through.
More take out recipes:
- Smashed Cucumber Salad
- Hunan Chicken
- Thai Curry Chicken Soup
- Shrimp Broccoli Stir Fry
- Thai Carrot Soup
- Chickpea Curry
- Sriracha Chicken
- Thai Fried Rice
Frequently asked questions
It takes about 14 minutes at 400 degrees for boneless chicken thighs to cook in an air fryer.
More Chicken Recipes in Air Fryer
- Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings
- Air Fryer Meatballs
- Air Fryer Chicken Tacos
- Air Fried Chicken Wings with Buffalo Sauce
- Cheesy Nachos
- Crispy Chicken Parmesan with Panko
- Garlic Parmesan Wings
- Air fryer Burger
- Crispy Chicken Nuggets
Air fryer Teriyaki Chicken Thighs
Teriyaki Chicken in Air fryer is an absolutely delicious dinner made in under 30 minutes. Made with an easy homemade teriyaki sauce, it so much better than takeout!
Ingredients
Teriyaki sauce
- ½ cup sugar (white granulated)
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 2 garlic cloves, grated
- 1 teaspoon grated ginger
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
Additional ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
Equipment used
Instructions
1. Stir all teriyaki sauce ingredients together in a bowl or measuring cup, for 1 to 2 minutes, or until most of the sugar is dissolved.
2. Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels and place in a medium bowl. Add about half the teriyaki sauce and toss to coat thoroughly. Let it marinade for about 30 minutes, if possible or cook after 5 minutes.
3. In the mean time, add remaining sauce into a small sauce pan along with cornstarch (stir to dissolve) and bring to a boil over low heat. Let cook for 30 to 40 seconds and remove from heat. The sauce will continue to thicken as it cools.
4. Preheat air fryer to 400°F for 7 minutes. When hot, place chicken thighs (smooth side down) into the air fryer basket and cook.
5. When cooking time is done, open air fryer, brush some teriyaki sauce all over the chicken, turn them over (using tongs) and brush the other side with sauce.
6. Continue cooking for an additional 6 to 7 minutes, in the same temperature.
7. When cooking time is done. brush additional sauce on the top side again and serve with white rice / brown rice / fried rice and steamed broccoli or green beans.
Notes
Soy sauce – Use regular soy and not light/dark.
Does it taste sweet? No! The sugar is balanced with salty soy sauce and spices, so it does not taste sweet.
Can I use chicken breasts instead? Yes! Only the cooking time and temperature varies -> Cook them at 380 degrees for 6 minutes, flip over and cook for an additional 6 minutes, or until completely cooked.
Be careful not to over cook the chicken or it will start to dry out.
How to garnish? Sprinkle toasted white sesame seeds and chopped scallions on cooked chicken.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 3 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 392Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 182mgSodium: 1432mgCarbohydrates: 36gFiber: 0gSugar: 33gProtein: 38g
I am not a certified dietician or nutritionist. You are ultimately responsible for all decisions pertaining to your health. This information is provided as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. This information is a product of online calculator such as Nutrifox.com.. Although Kitchen at Hoskins attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their fact sources and algorithms. Under no circumstances will Kitchen at Hoskins be responsible for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on the nutritional information. To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.
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