Teriyaki Style Grilled Chicken
Yield: 4 servings / Level: Easy
Prep Time: 10 mins / Marinade Time: 2 hrs / Cook Time: 25 mins
Total Time: 2 hr 35 mins
I used coconut sugar and a little bit of honey as the sweetener for a sweet and savory marinade and sauce. The sauce creates a flavorful teriyaki style glaze that is sticky when applied to the chicken still on the grill. Serve with some rice and vegetables as a delicious dinner or make teriyaki chicken skewers and serve as an appetizer at your next event. Adult and kid approved!
Ingredients:
1/4 cup tamari sauce (or soy sauce). Use tamari if you want this to be gluten free.
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup coconut sugar
2 Tbsp honey
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce. The Lea and Perrin brand of Worcestershire is gluten free.
3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
3 Tbsp walnut oil (sesame oil is a great substitute).
2 tsp onion powder
2 tsp grated fresh ginger
2 tsp minced fresh garlic
4 chicken breasts
2 tsp of cornstarch + 2 tsp water (this will be used to create a cornstarch slurry).
Optional Garnish: chopped green onion.
Method:
If your chicken breasts are incredible thick, you will want either butterfly them or pound them down with a meat mallet to ensure even and fast cooking on the grill.
Set chicken aside while we made the marinade.
To a small saucepan, add soy sauce, 1/2 cup water, coconut sugar, honey, worcestershire sauce, apple cider vinegar, oil, onion powder, ginger and garlic.
Cook over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved.
Pour half of the mixture into a bowl and place the bowl into the freezer to cool down quickly, this will be used as the marinade. .
After about 10 minutes, the marinade should be cooled down enough to pour over the chicken.
Place the chicken breasts and marinade together in a large ziplock bag, or in a bowl/container where the chicken can be completly coated.
Let chicken marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
While chicken is marinating we can make the teriyaki glaze.
Place the pan with remaining teriyaki sauce back on medium heat until it starts to simmer.
Make a cornstarch slurry by mixing together 2 tsp of cornstarch and 2 tsp of water.
Whisk the slurry into the simmering sauce until thick.
Pour sauce into a bowl and refrigerate until ready to use.
When you are ready to grill the chicken (after 2-8 hours of marinating), preheat your grill to medium-high heat.
Grab your teriyaki glaze from the refrigerator and a basting brush.
I like to pour some of the glaze/sauce into a small bowl for dipping. Once you touch raw chicken with the basting brush and place it back into the glaze, you have contaminated it. If you want to have some extra sauce to use after the chicken is cooked, set some aside.
Grill chicken for about 5 minutes on one side (with grill cover closed) or until you get beautiful sear marks.
Flip chicken over and cook another 5 minutes with grill cover closed.
Reduce grill heat to low and bast chicken with teriyaki glaze, flipping chicken over to get both sides. The more basting with glaze, the better.
Let glazed chicken cook on low with grill cover closed for about 5
minutes or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F.
I served mine with brown rice and grilled broccoli.
Enjoy!
