Oven Baked Teriyaki Chicken Thighs
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These Oven Baked Chicken Thighs are sticky, savory, and have just the right amount of sweetness. While store-bought teriyaki sauce works in a pinch, once you try this quick and simple homemade version, you’ll never go back.
Not only are these teriyaki chicken thighs incredibly delicious, but they’re also so easy to make, which is exactly what busy weeknights call for. No grilling, no fuss! Just a handful of ingredients that deliver big flavor.
I love to serve these chicken thighs with my Spicy Udon Noodles, but you can also serve them over rice, alongside roasted veggies, or tucked into a bowl for a quick, satisfying meal everyone will love.
For more of my favorite Asian-inspired recipes, try my Weeknight Cashew Chicken Stir Fry, Thai Chicken Salad with Peanut Dressing, Honey Garlic Chicken Rice Bowls, Easy Beef and Broccoli, Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps, Beef and Vegetable Stir Fry, or Copycat Panda Express Orange Chicken.
Table Talk with Tawnie
One of the struggles of being an adult is figuring out what to make with chicken over and over again, right?! 😆 This is one of my favorite go to chicken recipes on my meal rotation because I can let it marinate all day (8 hours) and then pop it in the oven or air fryer when it comes dinner time. Just making the sides and thickening the sauce is all I have to worry about and it makes meal time so much more approachable! I know you’ll love it too!
- Chicken thighs: I love using boneless skinless chicken thighs. They are juicy and cook quickly. I haven’t tested this recipe with boneless skinless chicken breasts, but if you do, I would recommend cutting any thick chicken breasts in half.
- Soy sauce: Low-sodium or regular. Use whichever you prefer! Coconut aminos are a great substitution as well.
- Pineapple juice: I just use regular canned pineapple juice to give this sauce its classic sweet taste.
- Rice vinegar: The acid from the vinegar brings the homemade teriyaki sauce to life!
- Ginger + garlic: Be sure to use fresh ginger and garlic. It takes the sauce to a whole new level!
Step by Step Directions
(For the full recipe, scroll down to the recipe card below)
Make the sauce
Whisk together all sauce ingredients. Reserve half the sauce in the fridge for later thickening and serving.
Marinate the chicken
Pour the sauce over the chicken and marinate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 8 hours.
Bake
Arrange the chicken on a baking sheet. I like to spoon a couple of tablespoons of the reserved marinade on the chicken, then bake for 15 minutes.
Thicken sauce & broil
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, make the cornstarch slurry. Then heat the reserved sauce in a small saucepan over medium heat and stir in the slurry. Cook until it’s thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Switch the oven to broil and cook for about 5-8 minutes, or until the chicken thighs are nice and caramelized on top. I normally brush some of the thickened sauce on top of the chicken during the final broil minutes for extra flavor!
Serve & enjoy!
Let the chicken rest, then garnish with scallions, sesame seeds, and chili flakes. Serve over your favorite rice, noodles, or veggies and ENJOY!
Expert Tips
- Sauce on the side: Keep the sauce on the side if making for meal prep and pour it over when reheating so the chicken stays juicy. Speaking of sauce…doubling the sauce recipe is always a good move!
- Pat chicken dry: I like to pat the chicken thighs dry before marinating to sauce soak in better!
- Keep an eye on the broil: Just make sure to keep a close eye on the chicken when broiling it for the last few minutes! I love to broil it to get a nice and crispy caramelized crust, but as we all know, things can turn quickly with the broil, and we don’t want to scorch them🔥
- Use a meat thermometer: The chicken is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. This keeps it juicy and prevents it from overcooking.
- Let it rest: Letting the chicken thighs rest for a few minutes (tented with foil) helps the juices to redistribute and lock in before slicing.
- Air fryer: If you want to make these in the air fryer, you can! Cook at 375°F for about 14–18 minutes (depending on size), flipping halfway through. Brush with the teriyaki sauce during the last few minutes so it thickens without burning.
Variations / Substitutions
- Chicken breasts: You can swap in boneless, skinless chicken breasts, just reduce the cook time so they don’t dry out and make sure to slice them in half if they’re large.
- Gluten-free: Use a gluten-free soy sauce or coconut aminos.
- Spicy: If you like things spicy, you can add a touch of sriracha, chili garlic sauce, or red pepper flakes to the teriyaki sauce.
Serving Suggestions
The great thing about these chicken thighs is how versatile they are! They’re great for an easy dinner or your weekly meal prep. Here are some of my favorite recipes to pair them with:
- 🥗Salads: Slice these chicken thighs and serve them on top of my Crispy Rice Salad or Cold Noodle Salad with Peanut Dressing
- 🍚Rice: Serve this chicken over white rice, brown rice, or cauliflower rice.
- 🍜Noodles: Try it with my Spicy Sesame Noodles or Spicy Sesame Udon Noodles.
- 🥦Veggies: For a lower-carb option, enjoy with your favorite stir-fry veggies like broccoli, bell pepper, snap peas, carrots, etc.
Storage / Freezing
- Store: Store any leftover chicken thighs in a covered, airtight container in the fridge for up to 3–4 days.
- Reheat: To reheat, warm in the air fryer or in a skillet over medium heat until heated through, adding sauce as need to help keep the thighs moist.
- Freeze: To freeze, let the chicken cool completely, then store it in a freezer-safe container for up to 2–3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
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Oven Baked Teriyaki Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
For the Sauce & Marinade
- 3/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/2 cup pineapple juice
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 Tbsp. rice vinegar
- 1 Tbsp. fresh ginger (minced)
- 1 Tbsp. sesame oil
- 1 tsp. fish sauce (optional)
For Thickening
- 2 tsp. cornstarch (or a little more as needed to thicken)
- 2 tsp. water
Optional Garnishes
- Sliced scallions
- Sesame seeds
- Chili flakes
Last step! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
- Make the sauce: In a bowl, whisk together all sauce ingredients. It should make 2 cups of sauce. Reserve one cup of the sauce in the fridge for later thickening and serving.3/4 cup soy sauce, 1/2 cup pineapple juice, 1/3 cup granulated sugar, 1/4 cup water, 4 cloves garlic, 2 Tbsp. rice vinegar, 1 Tbsp. fresh ginger, 1 tsp. fish sauce, 1 Tbsp. sesame oil
- Marinate the chicken: Place chicken thighs in a bowl or zip-top bag and pour the remaining 1 cup of sauce over the top. Marinate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 8 hours. Start Timer2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
- Bake: Preheat oven to 400°F. Remove the chicken from the marinade and arrange it on a baking sheet or in a baking dish sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Discard marinade. You can spoon a couple of Tbsp. of the reserved marinade from the fridge onto the chicken if you’d like. Bake for 15 minutes, or until mostly cooked through. Start Timer
- Thicken the sauce: Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and water to make a slurry. Heat the reserved sauce in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the slurry and cook until thickened and coats the back of a spoon, about 2–3 minutes. Start Timer2 tsp. cornstarch, 2 tsp. water
- Broil: The rack should be about 8-10 inches away from the heat source. Switch oven to broil and cook for about 5-8 minutes Start Timer, or until lightly charred and caramelized on top. Keep an eye on it so it doesn’t burn. I like to brush some of the thickened sauce on top of the chicken during the final broil minutes. Chicken should reach an internal temperature of 165°F in the thickest part of the chicken. Remove and loosely cover with foil for 5 minutes to rest. Start Timer
- Serve: Slice or serve the chicken whole and spoon the thickened sauce over the top. Garnish with scallions, sesame seeds, and chili flakes if desired and serve over rice, udon noodles, veggies, etc.Sliced scallions, Sesame seeds, Chili flakes
Notes
- Air fryer: If you want to make these in the air fryer, you can! Cook at 375°F for about 14–18 minutes (depending on size), flipping halfway through. Brush with the teriyaki sauce during the last few minutes so it thickens without burning.
- Grill: Preheat the grill on high. Transfer the marinated chicken to the grill, allowing any excess to drip off. Reduce the heat to medium-high, cover the grill, and cook for 5 minutes, or until char marks appear. Flip and cook, turning and basting occasionally with thickened sauce, until the internal temperature reaches 165°F on an instant-read thermometer, ~7 to 8 minutes more.
- Gluten-free Use gluten-free soy sauce or coconut aminos.
- Store: Store any leftover chicken thighs in a covered, airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
- Reheat: To reheat, warm in the air fryer or in a skillet over medium heat until heated through, adding sauce if needed to help keep them moist.
- Freeze: To freeze, let the chicken cool completely, then store it in a freezer-safe container for up to 2-3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Nutrition Information
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is automatically calculated. It should only be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Kroll’s Korner can’t make any guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
📸 Photography by Creating Kaitlin
