Teriyaki Grilled Chicken Thighs

Juicy grilled teriyaki chicken thighs coated in a sweet and savory homemade sauce — perfect for summer BBQs, camping, and easy dinners!

5 from 1 vote

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 12

Additional Time: 1

Total Time: 1 27

Servings: 8

In a large mixing bowl, combine water, soy sauce, brown sugar, honey, ginger, and garlic. Whisk together.
In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and water. Mix well.
Pour the first mixture into a medium saucepan and cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes.
When the sauce begins to boil, add the cornstarch mixture and whisk continuously.
When the teriyaki marinade begins to thicken (about 2 minutes), remove from heat. Allow to cool to room temperature.
In a dish or freezer bag, coat the chicken in 3/4 of the teriyaki marinade and place in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
Place the chicken thighs on the grill, discard marinade, and baste with reserved teriyaki sauce.
Cook for 5 minutes, flip, and baste with more sauce.
Grill chicken thighs for an additional 5 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 170°F when measured with a meat thermometer.
Top with a sprinkle of sesame seeds and serve.

You can also use your favorite store-bought sauce, but we love this easy homemade teriyaki sauce. It combines simple ingredients like brown sugar, ginger, and soy sauce in a way that our whole family loves.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
Add a little bit of onion powder, chili powder, garlic powder, black pepper, or cayenne pepper to the coated chicken before grilling to take them up a notch.
You could coat the boneless skinless thighs with a spice rub before basting with BBQ sauce. We make our own dry rub spice blend for all of our smoked recipes.
Test out a variety of different teriyaki sauces to find the ones that suit your family's tastes.
Cook time for bone-in thighs will vary, so be sure to check the internal temperature with an instant-read thermometer.