Grilled Chicken Teriyaki
Combining the classic flavors of chicken teriyaki with the smoky flavors from the grill, this Grilled Chicken Teriyaki is a fun way to mix up the summer grilling menu!
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I recently stumbled across my grilling basket. It had somehow migrated to the back of a kitchen cabinet – probably during last summer’s move down to the NC mountains. When I noticed that basket stuck behind some bowls, I thought, “I should use that!” And that’s what led to this Grilled Chicken Teriyaki.
This Grilled Chicken Teriyaki recipe is a fun twist on the classic chicken teriyaki. Instead of cooking the chicken on the stovetop, we turn to the grill and that grilling basket. All of the delicious flavors of chicken teriyaki combined with the smoky flavors from the grill. Yum!
Grilled Chicken Teriyaki
This recipe is pretty simple, too – well, assuming you use a grill pan. I’m thinking grilling individual snap peas would be a real pain! You’d end up with snap peas falling into the grill grates. No thanks!
Just slice up several chicken breasts and whisk up an easy marinade of ½ teriyaki sauce and ½ pineapple juice concentrate. (You can also use orange juice concentrate if pineapple isn’t available!) The citrusy flavors in the juice concentrate play well with the tangy, sweet flavors in the teriyaki sauce. I also stirred in a bit of minced garlic to the marinade portion of this sauce for added flavor.
Bonus! That marinade doubles as a grilling sauce, too. Just pour out some of the marinade in a separate container before marinating the chicken. (You want to make sure that the reserved sauce doesn’t touch the raw chicken.) Set that sauce in the fridge and then once the chicken and veggies are done, just toss in that remaining sauce. So much flavor!
I served this Grilled Teriyaki Chicken recipe over a bowl of white rice, but other grains would be perfectly good options here, too. Brown rice, bulgur or quinoa would all be a good base for the grilled chicken and veggies.
This recipe is one where you can definitely get creative with the ingredients. The marinated chicken is a good base, and then you can add your favorite veggies. I opted for snap peas, mushrooms, squash and a red bell pepper. Asparagus, snow peas, baby corn or broccoli florets would all be good options here, too – just go with what you have on hand (or what’s on sale this week)!
I went with boneless skinless chicken breasts, but you could easily go with chicken thighs here, too. I do recommend boneless skinless chicken thighs, though – that just makes it a lot easier to serve once you put the chicken + veggies over rice!
As noted above, I used a grilling basket to simplify the cooking process here. If you don’t own a grilling basket, I suggest getting one. You won’t use it every day – there’s no need for a basket when hot dogs and hamburgers are on the menu! However, that basket does come in handy when grilling smaller veggies like the ones used in this Grilled Chicken Teriyaki recipe.
The prep time on this recipe is pretty minimal, too – that’s a bonus since no one wants to be stuck in the kitchen on a beautiful day! (I’m guessing that since we’re talking about grilling here that we aren’t making this recipe on a cold, winter day.)
All together, this dish features tender, grilled chicken tossed with grilled veggies. Add in that sauce and serve over rice, and you’ve got a fantastic meal! I hope you enjoyed this one as much as we do. Happy grilling!
Did you make this Grilled Chicken Teriyaki at home? Leave a comment, or snap a photo and tag me on Instagram (@Spicedblog) – I’d love to see your version!
Grilled Chicken Teriyaki
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup teriyaki sauce
- ⅓ cup frozen pineapple juice concentrate orange juice concentrate can also be used
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into ½” strips
- 3 cups cooked white rice
- 1½ cups snap peas
- 8 oz. sliced button mushrooms
- 1 medium zucchini cut into ½” slices
- 1 medium yellow squash cut into ½” slices
- 1 red bell pepper seeded and cut into ½” slices
Instructions
- Using a large bowl, whisk together the teriyaki sauce and orange juice concentrate. Set ¼ cup of this mixture aside.
- Add the sliced chicken to the bowl and stir until well coated; cover and refrigerate for 1-4 hours.
- Note: I recommend cooking the rice at this stage so that it is ready once the chicken + veggies are hot off the grill.
- Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Place grill basket on grill while grill is preheating.
- Remove chicken from marinade; discard leftover marinade.
- Place chicken in the grill basket. Cover grill and cook 6-8 minutes, shaking the basket occasionally.
- Add remaining ingredients except for rice to grill basket (snap peas, mushrooms, zucchini, squash and red bell pepper). Cover grill and cook 6-8 more minutes, shaking the basket occasionally.
- Confirm chicken is fully cooked. If needed, continue cooking for 2-3 more minutes, or until chicken is fully cooked.
- Add reserved marinade (from above) to grill basket and toss until well coated. Continue grilling for 1-2 more minutes, or until marinade is heated through.
- Serve chicken and veggies over cooked white rice.
Notes
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Cant wait to make this soon for me can i use tofu i love mushrooms and zucchini soooooooo much i never had grilled chicken teriyaki before perfect for my after office meals love your recipes as always brightens up my day everyday after work
Hey Ramya! Yes, I do think tofu would work well in this recipe as it would take the teriyaki marinade quite well. Give it a try and let me know how it turns out!
Maybe about 40 years ago I bought some teriyaki sauce and it was disgustingly sweet. So I’ve made my own since then. Is there a brand you like?
Hey Mimi! I agree with you 100% that many store-bought teriyaki sauces are too sweet. We’ve used a brand called Annie Chun’s in the past, and we liked it. With that said, homemade will always be better than store-bought!
Ooooh, I love the idea of grilling the chicken to add an extra element of flavour! Plus, how perfect for the warmer/grilling months ahead! And all those colourful, crunchy veg in there? Awesome! Such a delicious meal, my friend! 🙂
The extra grilled flavor really takes this chicken to a new level, Dawn! It’s a great meal, and really quite easy to make, too.
I really enjoy the teriyaki flavours and combining teriyaki sauce with pineapple juice sounds delicious. This is a healthy, colourful meal David, perfect for your Summer.
I do like the burst of flavor from the pineapple juice. I know you are heading out of the warmer months down there, but hang on to this recipe for next year – it’s a good one!
I don’t think we have pineapple juice concentrate here but some juice would be okay I reckon. We have a grill pan that Mr P. uses when grilling halloumi etc. So useful! This dish looks the bomb David!
Hmmm – another ingredient that is different between the States and Australia! Those frozen juice concentrates are sold in the frozen section (of course) and they can be mixed with water to make the juice. I think just using the juice itself would be totally fine for the purposes of this recipe. Grab some and get out that grill pan!! 🙂
David, your Grilled Chicken Teriyaki recipe sounds like the perfect way to elevate summer grilling with a burst of flavor! Combining the classic teriyaki taste with the smokiness from the grill is a brilliant idea that promises a delightful meal experience.
This really is a fun (and easy) recipe for summer grilling season! I mean we always love a good cheeseburger around here, but sometimes it’s fun to play with different flavors. Happy grilling, my friend!
David this sounds like a healthy and delicious meal and I like your idea of the pineapple juice concentrate for use in the marinade.
The pineapple juice concentrate really adds an easy boost of flavor here, Karen – combine that with the smokey grilled flavor, and you’ve got a heck of tasty meal! Thanks!