This Oven Baked Teriyaki Chicken Thighs recipe is made with tender chicken thighs and a delicious homemade teriyaki sauce and then baked to crisp and juicy perfection.
Jump to:
Check out my Crispy Chicken Parmesan and my Broiled Chicken Kabobs for more great oven baked chicken recipes.
When you're craving irresistibly sweet and salty teriyaki, put down the store-bought bottle and make my homemade teriyaki sauce, but why stop there? Grab a couple of pounds of chicken thighs, and treat yourself to a healthy oven-baked teriyaki chicken dinner that rivals any Japanese steakhouse.
The teriyaki sauce is a thick glaze that brushes like butter over the chicken. It tastes great served on top of a bed of fluffy Instant Pot vegetable fried rice with a side of tender crisp veggies. The chicken takes about an hour to bake, leaving you plenty of time to prepare a couple of healthy side dishes. Ready to make oven-baked teriyaki chicken? Crank up the oven, and let's do it.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- The homemade teriyaki sauce is next level delicious.
- Kid friendly. Baked teriyaki chicken makes a great family meal.
- The ingredients are keto friendly and can be adapted for gluten free diets.
- It can be prepped in advance and baked before serving.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Skinless Chicken Thighs: This recipe makes enough teriyaki sauce for 2-½ pounds of chicken thighs (about 12 pieces).
For the Teriyaki Sauce, you'll need:
- Granulated Sweetener: To sweeten your sauce, you can use granulated white sugar. For low-carb teriyaki sauce, use monk fruit. I use the Lakanto brand for the monk fruit sweetener.
- Soy Sauce: Soy sauce is the main ingredient in teriyaki sauce. It gives the sauce its signature tangy and salty flavor. To make this recipe gluten-free, be sure to use gluten-free soy sauce or coconut aminos.
- Apple Cider Vinegar: For flavor. You can also use rice vinegar.
- Cornstarch: Cornstarch helps thicken the sauce as it simmers.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic for aromatic, umami flavor.
- Water: Just a splash to loosen up the cornstarch.
- Spices: Ginger & Black Pepper: Enriches the sauce with warmth and kick.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1: Make teriyaki. Preheat the oven to 425 °F. Combine the cornstarch, water, monk fruit sweetener, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, garlic clove, ground ginger, and pepper in a small saucepan. Simmer over low heat, frequently stirring, until the sauce thickens.
Step 2: Coat chicken thighs. Add the chicken thighs to a greased 9x13-inch baking pan in a single layer, brush with teriyaki sauce, and then flip the pieces over and brush the other side.
Step 3: Bake chicken thighs. Transfer to your 425 °F preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes. Flip the pieces over, brush with sauce again, and return to the oven until the juices run clear and the internal temperature reaches 165 °F (about 30 more minutes).
NOTE: You can print the FULL recipe with all ingredients & detailed instructions below!
Expert Tips
- Double up on the sauce: Prepare extra sauce to serve your chicken with and to have on hand for grilled meats and vegetables. If you prefer a thinner marinade, leave out the cornstarch. You can also make Instant Pot salmon teriyaki and teriyaki chicken and vegetables.
- Marinate thighs: Another benefit of doubling the sauce recipe is to marinate the chicken. Place the thighs in a glass container with a tight-fitting lid and toss with the teriyaki sauce. Marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes to overnight.
- Serving size: Chicken thighs are measured at 3 ounces each, for a total of 36 ounces. This recipe makes about twelve 3 ounce servings.
- Cook to temperature: The internal temperature of the chicken should be at least 165 °F. Measure this at the thickest part. Continue cooking until the chicken reaches temperature.
- Spicy teriyaki chicken: Kick your sauce up a notch with a tablespoon or two of sriracha or chili garlic sauce.
Variations
Check out the list below for details on how to adapt this recipe for a different chicken cut:
- Breasts: Lower the oven temperature to 400 °F and bake teriyaki chicken breasts for 20 to 25 minutes.
- Tenders: Lower the oven temperature to 350 °F and bake teriyaki chicken breasts for 18 to 22 minutes.
- Bite-Size Chunks: Lower the temperature to 350 °F and bake chunks of chicken coated in teriyaki sauce for 25 to 30 minutes.
- Drumsticks: Lower the temperature to 400 °F and bake teriyaki chicken drumsticks for 35 to 40 minutes.
What Goes with Teriyaki Chicken
- I love serving baked teriyaki chicken with a side of fluffy white rice and steamed balsamic vinegar broccoli.
- To keep your meal low carb and keto friendly, serve with copycat Chipotle cauliflower rice.
- You can also cut the chicken into slices to fan over a healthy green salad.
Storing & Making Ahead
Storing: Place cooled chicken in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days.
Freezing: To freeze cooked chicken, let it cool and then place it in a freezer-safe airtight container and freeze for 2 to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
Make Ahead: Another option is freezing the chicken raw with the teriyaki sauce. Thaw the chicken and sauce in the fridge before baking.
Recipe FAQ‘s
Yes! Baking chicken smothered in sweet and salty teriyaki sauce is a great way to infuse flavor into the meat, especially when you don't have the time to marinate.
Oven-baked teriyaki chicken is a good source of protein and has fewer calories, fat, and sugar than traditional preparation methods.
Bake thighs at 425 °F for 45 minutes to an hour, flipping halfway through.
Baked Chicken Recipes You’ll Love
Oven Baked Teriyaki Chicken Thighs
Special Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon water
- ½ cup monk fruit sweetener or granulated sugar
- ½ cup reduced sodium soy sauce
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 clove garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 36 ounces boneless, skinless chicken thighs approximately 12 chicken thighs
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Combine the cornstarch, water, monk fruit sweetener, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, garlic clove, ground ginger, and pepper in a small saucepan. Simmer over low heat, frequently stirring, until the sauce thickens.
- Add the chicken thighs to a greased 9x13-inch baking pan in a single layer, brush with teriyaki sauce, and then flip the pieces over and brush the other side.
- Transfer to your 425°F preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes. Flip the pieces over, brush with sauce again, and return to the oven until the juices run clear and the internal temperature reaches 165°F (about 30 more minutes).
Notes
- Chicken thighs are measured at 3 ounces each, for a total of 36 ounces. This recipe makes about twelve 3 ounce servings.
- The internal temperature of the chicken should be at least 165 °F. Measure this at the thickest part. Continue cooking until the chicken reaches temperature.
- Kick your sauce up a notch with a tablespoon or two of sriracha or chili garlic sauce.
- Storing: Place cooled chicken in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days.
- Freezing: To freeze cooked chicken, let it cool and then place it in a freezer-safe airtight container and freeze for 2 to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
- Make Ahead: Another option is freezing the chicken raw with the teriyaki sauce. Thaw the chicken and sauce in the fridge before baking.
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
Ramona
I love chicken teriyaki any time and I love your baked version - I need to make this super fast. I so fancy it right now! Thanks for sharing 😉
Valerie
I love teriyaki chicken, it's so flavorful. I never thought about making my own teriyaki sauce, you make it sound pretty easy!
Lauren Vavala | Delicious Little Bites
Homemade sauces really are the best. I love that the recipe uses monk fruit sweetener to keep it low in sugar and carbs - great recipe!
Emmeline
Your teriyaki chicken sounds delicious!! I can’t wait to try your teriyaki sauce.
Haley D. Williams
So tender and delicious!
Alison
Love teriyaki chicken, and it's so easy to just throw in the oven - thanks for sharing this delish recipe!