If you're looking for an easy Teriyaki Chicken Kabobs Recipe that's loaded with flavor, you've found it! Juicy chicken is marinated in a quick homemade teriyaki sauce, threaded onto skewers with colorful vegetables, then grilled until lightly charred and caramelized. They're easy enough for busy weeknights and always a favorite for backyard cookouts.
Love teriyaki? Then be sure to try teriyaki steak marinade next!
Why you'll love this teriyaki chicken kabobs recipe
Homemade teriyaki sauce comes together in about five minutes using pantry staples, and the flavor is so much fresher than bottled versions. After a quick 30-minute marinade, the chicken grills up juicy and flavorful with beautifully caramelized edges. It's an easy dinner that's just as good for weekend cookouts as it is for a weeknight meal.
If bottled teriyaki sauce helps get dinner on the table faster, go for it. I'm all about making dinner easier!
Grilled Teriyaki Chicken Skewers
Ingredients
- 3 chicken breasts or boneless chicken thighs diced into 1 ½ inch pieces
- 1 green bell pepper diced into 1 ½ inch pieces
- ½ red onion diced into 1 ½ inch pieces
- 2 cups teriyaki sauce
- 2 tablespoon sesame seeds toasted, optional garnish
Instructions
- If you're using wooden skewers, be sure and soak them for at least 30 minutes prior to grilling.
- Combine the ingredients for the homemade teriyaki sauce and place in a large Ziploc bag or large bowl.
- Dice the chicken into bite size pieces. Add the chicken to the marinade and soak for 30 minutes.
- While the chicken is marinating, dice the vegetables into 1 ½ inch pieces.
- Next, assemble the kabobs alternating meat and vegetables until you've used up all of the ingredients. Discard marinade, you cannot reuse it.
- Grill for about 6 minutes each side or until the internal temperature is 160 degrees F. Avoid overcooking, so the chicken doesn't dry out.
Nutrition
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Ingredients/variations
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs both work well.
- Bell peppers. Use green, red, yellow, or orange.
- Red onion adds sweetness as it grills.
- Homemade or bottled teriyaki sauce.
- Garnish with sesame seeds and sliced green onions.
- Try pineapple, zucchini, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, or steamed baby potatoes for even more variety.
Homemade sauce uses pantry staples like soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger, sesame oil, and green onions. It comes together in minutes and is worth the extra effort.
How to grill chicken kabobs
After soaking the skewers and marinating the chicken, thread the chicken and vegetables onto the skewers, alternating ingredients so they cook evenly. Grill over medium-high heat, turning every few minutes, until the chicken reaches 165 degrees F. The vegetables should be lightly charred while still slightly crisp.
Recipe FAQ's
Yes! These kabobs are easy to prep ahead for busy days. Marinate the chicken up to 24 hours in advance and chop the vegetables a day before serving. Store them separately in the refrigerator, then thread everything onto skewers just before grilling. It's a simple way to get dinner on the table fast without sacrificing fresh flavor.
Wooden skewers should be soaked at least 30 minutes to lessen burning. They may still char a bit, but shouldn't burn through. Also you can wrap the tips of wood in aluminum foil to prevent burning.
Absolutely. Bake at 425 degrees for about 18-22 minutes, turning once halfway through.
Absolutely! I love making a double batch and freezing half for another day. Simply add the diced chicken and marinade to a freezer-safe bag and freeze for up to 3 months. When you're ready to cook, thaw it overnight in the refrigerator, thread it onto skewers with fresh vegetables, and grill. It's one of my favorite meal prep tricks because most of the work is already done.
Poultry is done when the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.
Top Tip
Cut the chicken and vegetables into similar-sized pieces so everything cooks evenly. Large chunks of chicken paired with tiny vegetables almost always leads to one ingredient finishing before the other.
Kitchen testing notes
After making these kabobs several times, I've found a couple of tricks that make them even better. If you're making homemade teriyaki sauce, set aside about 1 cup before adding the raw chicken. Brush the reserved sauce over the cooked kabobs just before serving and pass the rest at the table for dipping.
This recipe is also fantastic for meal prep. I often double the batch and intentionally make extra. Leftover chicken is delicious tossed into a salad, piled into wraps or pita bread with spinach and a drizzle of ranch dressing, or served over rice for another quick dinner later in the week.
Serving suggestions
Here are some suggested to serve alongside your Teriyaki Chicken Kabobs - pick your favorite!
Serving over white or brown rice is simple and delicious!
- Teriyaki Noodles Recipe - setting aside some of the marinade to flavor the noodles makes this an easy side dish!
- Greek Salad - because on day two, leftover kabobs can be combined with leftover salad and stuffed into pita bread for lunch the next day!
- Deviled Egg Potato Salad - because potato salad is the BEST side dish in the summertime! I'm glad we all agree on that!!
- Bow Tie Pasta Salad - dynamite salad, this is a family favorite!!
More skewer recipes to try
If you're looking for more great kabob recipes, then here you go!
- Korean BBQ Chicken Kabobs - you'll love the flavor in this easy marinade!
- Beef Shish Kabobs Recipe - these are the BEST beef kabobs.
- Asian Pork Kabobs - tender pork with chunks of pineapple.
- For a quick and easy weeknight meal how about some shrimp skewers?!! Easy to make, this simple meal comes together in less than 15 minutes!
- Grilled Teriyaki Steak Kabobs - packed with flavor, you'll be fighting over seconds!
Fire up the grill
The Teriyaki Chicken Kabobs Recipe is one of those dinners that never gets old. The homemade marinade adds big flavor with very little effort, and you can easily customize the vegetables with whatever you have on hand. Whether you're feeding the family on a busy weeknight or hosting a backyard barbecue, this recipe is always a crowd-pleaser.
When you give it a try, I'd love to hear how you customized your kabobs. Leave a comment and a star rating below!
Lois says
We love this meal. The chicken is always tender and just so tasty.
Debra Clark says
Love some tasty kabobs, that's for sure. Glad you enjoy the recipe Lois!
Cheryl says
These are delicious just like all your recipes. I love that you suggest sides as well as leftover meal ideas!
Bowl Me Over says
You're too kind Cheryl! Thank you so much, it's great to hear from you. I'm so happy you enjoyed this recipe!!
Angela says
Such a delicious recipe! I just love this recipe!!
Pinned 🙂
Bowl Me Over says
Thankyou Angela!!!
Jennifer Stewart says
We love to grille and these kabobs are perfect for my family. Can't wait to try them.