Baked teriyaki chicken with homemade sauce is sweet and savory with the option of making it spicy. Baked in the oven or faster using our air fryer teriyaki chicken timing you are going to love this family friendly meal.
Ok so I am kindaโ obsessed with these Asian flavors. I use it all the time but when I had teriyaki chicken Cheesecake Factory one night I had to figure out the flavors in that. Now it is one of our favorite chicken recipes we make often with rice and veggies for dinner. (affiliate links present)
Teriyaki Chicken Recipe
I know, I share a variety of recipes with our homemade teriyaki sauce. A tweak here and there can make it sweeter or a bit more spicy, depending on your preference. We like it just like the restaurant which would be considered mild to medium heat level. If you have sensitive eaters at home you could choose to omit the Sriracha all together.
That is what makes homemade dinners so great, you can customize them for your family. If you want it exactly like you had when you were eating out youโd choose chicken legs and thighs. If those arenโt your favorite you could choose to make breasts or just baked teriyaki chicken thighs by themselves.
I will say that dark meat will be a lot more moist than others, and tend to be cheaper as well. Take note that bone in chicken is what the cook time is based on below. If you chose boneless skinless you would want to decrease the timing by about 5 minutes. Thicker of course will take longer as well.
How to Cook Teriyaki Chicken
As always when baking poultry in the oven you want to ensure the thickest part reaches a safe internal meat temperature of 165 degrees F. Best way to do this is to remove the dish from the oven, test, and then once it reaches 165 let it sit to rest for 10 minutes in the dish. Remember it will rise 5-10 degrees as it sits.
If you need a low carb choice for sauce you can make or choose a bottle from the store to fit your dietary needs. I have done this in the past with our Teriyaki Chicken Recipe Using Bottled Sauce recipe when I am in a pinch for time. There are gluten free sauces available out there too.
You can find nutritional information below with the recipe. That will be accurate if you use the same cuts as listed exactly. Different pieces of chicken will vary depending on whether they have skin on, and organic will be lower in fat.
You could use the same sauce and cook using other methods as well. Grilled chicken breasts are great marinaded in it the night before. Make another batch and reduce on the stovetop so you can pour over the meat once itโs done. Serve with some mixed green salad or Instant Pot collard greens side dishes for a healthy meal that just feels good.
Itโs typically served with a small side salad with goat cheese crumbles on top. You can also choose a baked potato with butter and/or sour cream so choose either. To make this main dish youโre going to need to bring out;
Ingredient Tips
- I like to use bone in, skin on thighs and drumsticks but you could just use one or the other. Cook time is for these pieces. If you wanted to cook chicken breasts at 400 use this timing.
- Soy sauce is the base of the sauce to make it a deep umami flavor. For a gluten free alternative use aminos instead.
- Brown sugar brings in that sweetness. I have not used a sugar-free alternative but I imagine it would be 1:1 same ratio.
- Minced ginger and chopped garlic, using air fryer garlic gives you those strong Asian flavors you want
- Chicken broth will thin it out to your liking, use low sodium if you donโt want it to be too salty when done
- Sriracha or red pepper flakes will give you the bit of heat you recognize, adjust as you wish
- Sesame seeds, diced green onions, and / or fresh basil diced are used as a garnish
Now if you want to really feel like youโre eating out youโd need a slice of red velvet cake cheesecake, pumpkin cheesecake or a slice of chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream at the end. You can usually find at least original cheesecake in the freezer section of your store. You just defrost a few hours before eating.
How to save leftovers
You will want to make sure that all of the juices are saved. Personally I like the flavors really strong so to keep it moist I dice up what is left once it is cooled. Pour the pieces and sauce into a container and stir so itโs all coated. Store in the fridge to eat for lunch the next day. I make a batch of Instant Pot rice with it.
Fresh side dishes are always best vs. trying to store those but the meat is almost more wonderful the next day because it has time to marinate some more. Thatโs two days of YUM for all of yโall to enjoy!
There are printable instructions below on How long to bake chicken drumsticks at 400 but in the recipe card below you can cook in the sauce itself to add the flavors you want.
Donโt seek nutritional advice or look at the calories on this one. Especially if youโre going to enjoy a slice of peanut butter caramel pecan turtle cheesecake at the end you wonโt want to. If you love these flavors, try our air fryer teriyaki salmon recipe too!
Baked Teriyaki Chicken
Equipment
Ingredients
- 8 pieces chicken, legs and thighs, skin on
- 1 lemon, sliced
Homemade Teriyaki Sauce
- 1/2 c soy sauce
- 1/2 tbsp minced ginger
- 1/2 c chicken broth
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 3 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp Sriracha
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Layer lemon slices on the bottom of a 9ร13 baking dish. In a bowl, whisk together the soy sauce ingredients.
- Divide the mixture into two separate bowls. Place the chicken with skin side up on top of the lemon slices in the baking dish, and pour 1/2 the sauce mixture over the meat.
- Bake for 40 minutes (or until thickest part reaches 165 F). Drain the drippings from the baking dish into a saucepan over medium high heat on the stove.
- Add in the other half of the sauce, and simmer down until the sauce is thick. Pour the sauce over the chicken, and place the chicken until the broiler for several minutes until golden brown on top before serving.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
