Skillet Teriyaki Chicken Thighs is the easiest chicken recipe ever! And, the whole family loves it. Chicken thighs are marinated in teriyaki sauce and sautéed in a skillet.
Boneless skinless chicken thighs are one of my favorite things to cook with through the busy work week. They cook up so quickly and they are dark meat chicken, so they stay flavorful and juicy.
You might also like my Baked Teriyaki Salmon.
How To Make Teriyaki Chicken Thighs
Note: The full printable recipe card is at the bottom of this post.
- Add soy sauce, brown sugar, rice wine vinegar, garlic, and pepper to a bowl.
- Stir to combine.
- Add boneless chicken thighs to a sealable food storage bag.
- Pour the teriyaki marinade into the bag.
- Seal the bag and roll the chicken around to cover it in marinade.
- Marinade the chicken in teriyaki sauce for 30 minutes to two hours.
- Place the marinated chicken thighs in a skillet.
- Cover and cook.
- Flip the chicken over and cook.
- Push the cooked chicken around in the teriyaki glaze that has formed in the bottom of the skillet.
Leftovers
Store leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
This chicken can easily be reheated since there is no skin to get soggy. But, I actually like to eat this leftover chicken cold, on top of a big salad.
Making Ahead
It only takes a couple of minutes to make this easy teriyaki marinade. But, it could be made ahead of time. Just keep the prepared marinade in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. However, do not marinate the chicken in the teriyaki for more than 2 hours.
More Easy Chicken Recipes
- Rotisserie Buffalo Chicken Dip
- Pistachio Crusted Chicken
- Baked Ranch Chicken Thighs By Sweet C’s Designs
Skillet Teriyaki Chicken Thigh Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons packed light brown sugar
- 2 Tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar (red wine vinegar also works)
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 20 oz. boneless skinless chicken thighs
Instructions
- In a small bowl, add the brown sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, and pepper. Whisk to combine.
- Place the chicken in a large sealable plastic food storage bag. Pour the sauce into the bag with the chicken. Seal the bag. Gently massage and roll the chicken around in the bag to get it evenly coated in sauce.
- Place the bag on a plate in the refrigerator for a minimum of 30 minutes or up to two hours to marinate.
- Use tongs to transfer the chicken from the bag to a large nonstick skillet. Discard the remaining marinade.
- Cover the skillet and place it over medium heat. Cook for eight minutes.
- Remove the cover. Flip the chicken over. Cook for an additional five minutes, until it reaches an internal temperature of 165˚ Farhenheit.
- The excess teriyaki sauce will form a thick glaze in the bottom of the skillet. Push the chicken around in the pan so that it gets evenly coated in the glaze, flipping the chicken over as necessary.
Nutrition
Check out all my other great chicken recipes.
Doug M says
Boy this looks good–I just bought a pound of boneless skinless chicken thighs 2 days ago to try and make paprika chicken, but this sounds a lot more up my alley–thank you!
mary templet says
My husband does not like dark meat. Do you have a recommendation for breast meat?
Amanda Finks says
Yes. You could use breast. I would try using chicken breast fillets because they are thin and would work better for cooking in a skillet. Cook them the exact same way as in this recipe. They may need just a couple extra minutes to cook through to 165 degrees F.
Sandi says
This marinade was so good. The whole family loved it.
wilhelmina says
The teriyaki sauce on this chicken is incredible! This was a total winner in my house!
Carole Martineau says
This was wonderful and quick. My sister loved it. Can use this with pork too.
Lynn says
This was sooo good! I love teriyaki chicken and most recipes take much longer. I really didn’t think I could make it this fast with minimal marinating time, but this recipe proved me wrong. I followed it exactly and it was perfect – moist chicken with a flavorful teriyaki glaze. I served with rice sprinkled with green onions and veggies. This is going in my personal recipe file (the really good ones that I will use again and again)! Thanks so much!
Tracey says
delicious
Leara says
I really like this resepe so much
Jean says
Thankyou for posting teriyaki thighghs..
Made last nite absolutely delicious an
And simple. (Keep eye on so doesn’t
Burn)
Carole Martineau says
Can you make this with boneless pork chops?
Mike C. says
Cooked tonight and it was awesome! I make seriously complicated teriyaki sauces, but this simple one is restaurant quality for the simple amount of ingredients. Made rice, broccoli/Cauliflower mix and garlic soy bok choy. After I hit send, I have to take a nap I ate so much, THANKS 👍 👍 👍
Stephanie @ Long Distance Baking says
Fantastic week night recipe. Quick but loads of flavor.
Ed Tuskenis says
Can you double the sauce..
Gary Rackner says
Hi Amanda,
You hit the nail on the head completely with this recipe.. I have seen many but this works! Just waiting for this small restaurant to close…I’m old and retired but can still see myself selling Teriyaki (your way) rice and basic salad to stay or to go for $7.00 at Pike Place Market in Seattle. Wish me health and luck…thanks, Gary
Jason says
Don’t discard the marinade. Heat to a simmer and reduce. Add a teaspoon or two of baking powder to thicken. Combine baking powder with equal amount of water to make a paste before adding to the sauce. Add sugar to
When I make this I use 1/4 cup soy sauce, 1/4 cup brown sugar.