Air fryer teriyaki chicken is flavorful, easy to make and the perfect weeknight meal! The teriyaki chicken thighs cook in 10 minutes and the homemade teriyaki sauce is so simple to make! This is a great beginner recipe and will quickly become a family favorite!
Why you will love this recipe
- Easy to make – this recipe is great for beginners, since all you have to do is measure the ingredients, stir and add the chicken to marinade. The chicken doesn’t even have to be flipped in the air fryer when cooking. Be sure to check the internal temperature though to ensure the chicken is fully cooked.
- Simple, easy to find ingredients – you can find all the ingredients you need to make teriyaki chicken in the air fryer in your local grocery store. Check the substitutions area for simple swaps as well! The homemade teriyaki sauce is gluten free, dairy free, paleo and can be made Whole30 friendly. I have not tested this recipe with low carb sweeteners but it could be made low carb if you use a low carb friendly sweetener.
- Perfect for weeknight meals – air fryer teriyaki chicken thighs cook in just 10 minutes and only need about 15 minutes to marinate before cooking (but can easily marinate for up to 3 hours if needed). Serve them with instant pot jasmine rice and steamed broccoli for a meal the whole family will enjoy!
Ingredients
- Chicken thighs or chicken breast cut into 1-2 inch cubes – this recipe uses boneless, skinless chicken thighs because they are more flavorful and more forgiving and won’t dry out like chicken breast sometimes can. Also boneless, skinless chicken thighs cook faster since they are not as thick. If you only have chicken breast on hand, be sure to cut it into 1-2 inch cubes. This helps the chicken to cook faster and will allow the marinade to soak into more of the chicken. You can also butterfly cut the chicken so that it’s thinner if you don’t want to cut it into cubes.
Teriyaki marinade
- Coconut aminos (or tamari or soy sauce) – this provides that savory umami flavor. Coconut aminos are made from coconut blossoms and are a soy free and gluten free alternative to soy sauce.
- Rice wine vinegar – this helps to provide balance to the sauce so that it taste sweet and salty but not overly sweet. The vinegar also helps to start breaking down the protein, making the chicken more tender.
- Fresh or dried ginger – ginger provides flavor to the teriyaki sauce. I use fresh ginger whenever I have it on hand, but dried ground ginger can also be used if you don’t have fresh on hand. When using fresh ginger, be sure to peel the skin before grating the ginger with a microplane.
- Maple syrup – you can also use honey, date syrup or 2 dates, soaked and pitted for a Whole30 friendly version of this teriyaki sauce recipe. If you are using dates, you will want to blend this sauce in a high speed blender until the dates have been broken down.
- Spices: Salt, dried chives (or garlic powder) – coconut aminos are not as salty as soy sauce, so if you are using tamari or soy sauce, you will want to reduce the salt in the recipe. The dried chives are used to provide a unique onion flavor, but you can also use garlic powder or fresh grated garlic in place of the dried chives.
How to make air fryer teriyaki chicken
See the step by step story on how to make air fryer chicken teriyaki.
Start by combining all the teriyaki sauce ingredients in a bowl large enough to marinade the chicken in (or add all the ingredients to a blender if using dates).
Once the marinade is in the bowl and well combined, add the chicken thighs, working to ensure they are fully submerged (or submerged as much as possible).
Cover the bowl and move the chicken/marinade to the fridge. Refrigerate at least 15 minutes, up to 3 hours.
After marinating the chicken, transfer the chicken (with tongs or a fork) to the air fryer basket.
Turn on the air fryer at 375F for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes, check the internal temperature of the chicken using an instant thermometer. The thickest part of the chicken should read 165F. If it doesn’t cook for 1-2 more minutes until the chicken is up to temperature.
Top tips
- Let marinate at least 15 minutes, but if you have the time 30 – 60 minutes is best (but can marinate for up to 3 hours).
- If using chicken breast, cut it in half (butterfly) so the chicken is not so thick or it will take much longer to cook in the air fryer. Alternatively, you can cut the chicken breast up into 1-2 inch thick cubes which will also cook in similar time.
- Be sure to check the internal temperature of the thickest part of the largest piece of chicken. Chicken should reach at least 165F. Note that each air fryer is a bit different so cooking times will differ based on your air fryer.
- If you don’t want to make your own teriyaki sauce, you can buy a store bought teriyaki sauce. Primal Kitchen sells one with good quality ingredients.
What to serve with air fryer teriyaki chicken thighs
Jasmine rice and Asian Broccoli
Quinoa and steamed broccoli and carrots (fresh or frozen)
Cauliflower rice (low carb option)
Spicy Asian Slaw (Whole30 friendly)
Spicy Peanut Spiralized Sweet Potato Pasta
Other additions to air fryer teriyaki chicken
- Sesame seeds – sprinkle on top after cooking, sesame seeds can add crunch and texture.
- Crushed red pepper flakes – if you love a little spice with your meal, you can add crushed red pepper flake to the marinade or sprinkle on top after cooking.
- Green onion – slice up the green and white part of a green onion to sprinkle on top after cooking for a pop of color and freshness.
- Sesame oil – sesame oil is packed with flavor and can add so much flavor to the marinade. You can add 1/2 -1 teaspoon of sesame oil to the marinade to add an intense flavor to the marinade.
Common Questions
Can you put raw chicken in an air fryer?
Yes! You can put raw chicken in the air fryer, just like in the oven. The air fryer circulates the air around the chicken so it actually cooks faster than in a typical oven. You can cook boneless, skinless chicken thighs in the air fryer in about 10 minutes.
Is teriyaki chicken good for you?
This air fryer teriyaki chicken recipe is healthy and full of good for you ingredients! The homemade teriyaki sauce is made with simple, healthy ingredients. This healthy teriyaki chicken made in the air fryer is much better for you than anything you might get when eating takeout or at a restaurant.
What are coconut aminos?
Coconut aminos are a gluten free and soy free alternative to soy sauce. Coconut aminos are made from coconut blossoms and are slightly sweeter than normal soy sauce but work perfectly in place of the soy sauce.
How to make this with boneless, skinless chicken breast?
Typically boneless, skinless chicken breast is thicker than chicken thighs so takes longer to cook. The best way to cook chicken breast in the air fryer is to either cut it in half (butterfly it) to thin it out or to cut the chicken into 1-2 inch cubes so it will cook quickly in the air fryer.
How to store leftovers
Fridge: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Freezer: Let the chicken cool completely in the fridge in a freezer safe bag/container. Once cold, transfer to the freezer and freeze for up to 3 months. Be sure to label the bag with the name of the dish, date and use by date.
Reheating teriyaki chicken in the air fryer: Use the air fryer to reheat the chicken at 350F for 4-5 minutes until hot. You can also use the microwave to reheat the chicken 1-2 minutes. If the chicken was frozen, you will want to defrost in the fridge before reheating.
Substitutions
Boneless, skinless chicken thighs – you can also use boneless, skinless chicken breast or turkey breast in place of the chicken thighs. Be sure to butterfly the chicken breast (so it’s not so thick) or cut the chicken into 1-2 inch pieces before marinating so that the chicken is fully cooked in the prescribed time.
Coconut aminos – these are a gluten free and soy free alternative to soy sauce. You can use tamari (gluten free soy sauce) if you can tolerate soy or regular soy sauce if you can tolerate it well.
Rice wine vinegar – this provides acid and helps to balance out the sweet and savory notes. You can also use the juice of 1-2 limes or apple cider vinegar (the flavor will be slightly different though).
Fresh or dried ginger – you can simply omit the ginger if you don’t have it on hand. If you want to use dried ginger, you will need ½ teaspoon.
Maple syrup – you can also use honey, date syrup or dates (be sure to remove the pits and soak the dates in hot water at least 10 minutes. If you use dates, you will want to blend this sauce in a high speed blender to break up the dates).
Spices: Dried chives – you can use 1 teaspoon garlic powder or 2 fresh garlic cloves, finely minced in place of dried chives. You can also use 2-3 tablespoons fresh green onion in place of the chives.
If you love this recipe, you should try
Air Fryer Buffalo Chicken Thighs
10 Minute Asian Skillet Chicken
Sweet and Sour Chicken Meatballs (Oven or Air Fryer)
Asian Ground Chicken Rice Bowls
Air Fryer Teriyaki Chicken Thighs
$9.58 Recipe/$2.39 ServingIngredients
- 1.25 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs - $7.25
Teriyaki Sauce
- 1/3 cup coconut aminos - $0.94
- 3 tbsp. rice wine vinegar - $0.24
- 2 tbsp. maple syrup (or 2 dates, pitted and soaked) - $0.62
- 1 tbsp. fresh grated ginger (1/2 tsp. dried ground ginger) - $0.18
- 1 tbsp dried chives - $0.30
- 1 tsp salt (use less if you use soy sauce) - $0.05
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients for the teriyaki sauce in a large bowl. If you are using dates for sweetness, remove the pit and soak them in hot water at least 10 minutes, then blend the sauce in a high speed blender.
- Add the boneless, skinless chicken thighs to a large bowl with the marinade. Cover the bowl and move to the fridge at least 15 minutes to marinate (you can also do this in an extra large stasher bag).
- After at least 15 minutes, use tongs or a fork to remove the chicken from the marinade and place the chicken in the air fryer basket (try not to overlap the chicken).
- Turn the air fryer on 375F for 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes, check the internal temperature at the thickest part of the largest chicken thigh. It should read at least 165F. If it doesn't turn the air fryer on 375F for 1-2 more minutes depending on how close it is to that temperature.
- Serve hot with your favorite sides (we love jasmine rice and steamed broccoli).
Equipment
Notes
- Let marinate at least 15 minutes, but if you have the time 30 – 60 minutes is best (but can marinate for up to 3 hours).
- If using chicken breast, cut it in half (butterfly) so the chicken is not so thick or it will take much longer to cook in the air fryer. Alternatively, you can cut the chicken breast up into 1-2 inch thick cubes which will also cook in similar time.
- Be sure to check the internal temperature of the thickest part of the largest piece of chicken. Chicken should reach at least 165F.
- If you don’t want to make your own teriyaki sauce, Primal Kitchen sells one with good quality ingredients.
- Fridge: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: Let the chicken cool completely in the fridge in a freezer safe bag/container. Once cold, transfer to the freezer and freeze for up to 3 months. Be sure to label the bag with the name of the dish, date and use by date.
- Reheating teriyaki chicken in the air fryer: Use the air fryer to reheat the chicken at 350F for 4-5 minutes until hot. You can also use the microwave to reheat the chicken 1-2 minutes. If the chicken was frozen, you will want to defrost in the fridge before reheating.
