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This is the best Air Fryer Teriyaki Chicken that cooks in under 15 minutes for an easy weeknight meal everyone will love! Juicy, succulent chicken tossed and perfectly cooked in a sticky, flavorful teriyaki sauce. Low-carb and gluten-free.
Our family loves any air fryer chicken recipe like air fryer chicken thighs and crispy air fryer chicken breast. But this air fryer teriyaki chicken is a new favorite in our house! Serve it with some steamed rice and veggies and it is one healthy, easy dinner you can get on the table quickly for busy weeknights.
This air fryer chicken teriyaki recipe was inspired by this air fryer teriyaki salmon bites recipe that you all have enjoyed so much! In this recipe, we take delicious boneless chicken thighs and marinate them for about 30 minutes in a homemade teriyaki sauce (you can also use store-bought teriyaki sauce), then air fry the chicken until juicy and wonderfully golden and crispy. It is so good, plus clean-up is a breeze!
You may also love this easy pineapple teriyaki chicken or air fryer chicken bites.
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Why you’ll love this recipe
- Quick and easy weeknight dinner!
- Perfectly cooked, flavorful, juicy chicken in a delicious sticky teriyaki sauce! What’s not to love?
- Healthy – packed with protein, low-carb, and gluten-free.
- So much better than take-out! Plus you know all of the ingredients.
Ingredients and substitutions
Making this chicken teriyaki in the air fryer is so quick and easy. Here is what you will need to make it.
- Chicken thighs or chicken breast – raw, boneless, skinless chicken thighs or chicken breasts. Chicken thighs were juicier and more succulent than chicken breast but both worked well. See recipe tips below.
- Teriyaki sauce – you can use this homemade teriyaki sauce that is gluten-free or use any store-bought brand you like. Primal Kitchen brand and P.F. Changs Brands were my favorites.
- Scallions and sesame seeds – optional garnishes for serving the chicken teriyaki.
*Get the complete list of recipe ingredients, instructions, and nutrition in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How to make teriyaki chicken in the air fryer
Here are the step-by-step instructions with photos to show you how to make this air fryer teriyaki chicken for a quick and healthy meal your whole family will love!
Step one – Dry the chicken with a clean paper towel, cut it into 1-1.5 inch pieces, and place it into a medium bowl.
Step two – Add the teriyaki sauce to the chicken and toss to coat it all. Cover it and let it marinate for 30 minutes. If you are marinating it longer than 30 minutes then place it into the refrigerator.
Step three – Once the chicken is ready, preheat the air fryer to 400°F, this will take about 5 minutes for most air fryers. Spray the air fryer basket with non-aerosol cooking spray and place the marinated chicken into the basket in a single layer. Some overlapping is okay.
Step four – Cook the chicken for 12-15 minutes until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F, checked by using a meat thermometer. Flip the chicken halfway through cooking to ensure it gets nice and crispy on all sides.
Serve garnished with sliced scallions and sesame seeds and enjoy!
Recipe variations
This air fryer teriyaki chicken is so flavorful and delicious as is but here are a few variations you may also want to try!
- Use chicken tenders – switch it up and make teriyaki chicken tenders in the air fryer, by using raw chicken tenders instead of chicken thighs, which the kids will love!
- Add some hot sauce to the teriyaki sauce for a spicier chicken teriyaki.
- Switch up the garnishes and use chopped chives or red pepper flakes.
- Crispy teriyaki chicken – Coat the chicken in egg, then flour, cook it as directed then toss it in the teriyaki sauce for a crispy chicken teriyaki. Use gluten-free all-purpose flour if you need to keep this recipe gluten-free.
Expert Tips
- Chicken breasts – if you use chicken breasts, they will take less time to cook, so check the chicken at around 8 minutes and continue cooking as needed.
- Teriyaki sauce – Add a good amount of sauce to coat the chicken but not too much, You can always serve extra sauce on the side.
- Don’t overcook the chicken – chicken can overcook quickly so check it at around 10 minutes and continue cooking as needed until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F. Note: air fryers vary so cooking times may also vary.
Ways to serve air fryer teriyaki chicken
Here are some delicious ways to serve this chicken teriyaki recipe.
- Stir fry style mixed with rice and sauteed veggies, like broccoli.
- Chicken and rice bowl – serve the teriyaki chicken over cooked rice and top with scallions and sesame seeds. As shown.
- As an appetizer – we love to serve this dish as a flavorful appetizer with some toothpicks and extra sauce on the side for dipping.
Equipment
Here are some recommended tools for making air fryer chicken teriyaki.
- Knife + cutting board
- Mixing bowls
- Air fryer
- Tongs
How to store and reheat
Storing – let the cooked chicken teriyaki cool completely, transfer it to an airtight container, and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Reheating – reheat portions in the air fryer or the microwave until warmed.
FAQs
Yes, you can. Most homemade teriyaki sauce can be made in advance and stored in an airtight container for up to one week before you use it.
Yes, chicken wings would be great although they may need to cook a bit longer so check them at around 12 minutes and continue cooking as needed.
Although I believe this recipe will work quite well in the oven, I have not tested it out. If you do bake it in the oven, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below.
Yes, this recipe is fully gluten-free if you use gluten-free teriyaki sauce.
More delicious air fryer chicken recipes
- Air Fryer Chicken and Vegetables
- Healthy Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets
- Juicy Air Fryer Chicken Breast
- Air Fryer Popcorn Chicken
Did you try this air fryer chicken teriyaki recipe? If you did then please leave a rating and comment below. I would love to hear how yours turned out!
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Air Fryer Teriyaki Chicken
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
This is the best Air Fryer Teriyaki Chicken that cooks in under 15 minutes for an easy weeknight meal everyone will love! Juicy succulent chicken tossed and perfectly cooked in a sticky, flavorful teriyaki sauce. Low-carb and Gluten-free!
Ingredients
- 1–1.25 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs or chicken breast
- ⅔ cup teriyaki sauce
- Chopped scallions – optional for garnish
- Sesame seeds – optional for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare the chicken – pat the chicken dry with a clean paper towel, cut the chicken into 1-1.5 inch cubes, and add it to a medium bowl.
- Coat the chicken – Pour the teriyaki sauce over the chicken and toss to coat it all. Cover the chicken and let it marinate for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 hour. Note: if marinating for longer than 30 minutes then place the chicken into the refrigerator.
- Cook – preheat the air fryer to 400°F and spray the air fryer basket with non-aerosol cooking spray. Add the chicken to the air fryer basket in a single layer and cook it for 12-15 minutes, until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F.
- Serve – Once the chicken is done cooking, remove it from the air fryer and serve immediately garnished with scallions and sesame seeds, if desired.
Notes
- You can use chicken thighs or chicken breast. The chicken breast will cook slightly faster than chicken thighs so check it at around 8-10 minutes and continue cooking as needed.
- You can use homemade or store-bought teriyaki sauce
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in the air fryer or microwave until warmed through.
- Prep Time: 35 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Air Fryer Recipes
- Method: Air Fryer
- Cuisine: Asian
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