The star of this air fryer teriyaki chicken thighs recipe is a delicious marinade that's easy to make with a handful of Asian cooking staples! Simple ingredients like soy, sugar, ginger and garlic combine to create a teriyaki sauce that has big umami flavors and just the right amount of sweetness. Pair marinated and air fried bone-in and skin-on thighs with rice and veggies for a delicious weeknight meal that's ready in under an hour!
Gochujang chicken thighs is the air fryer recipe you will enjoy if you like a little spice kick in your food.
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Teriyaki chicken is one of my favorite tasty options from Asian takeout restaurants. Just thinking about the rich, sweet and savory flavor of thighs marinated in a bold sauce makes my mouth water. This quick and convenient air fryer recipe makes it easy to enjoy the most amazing chicken teriyaki right at home!
The flavorful teriyaki marinade is a tried-and-true recipe made with just a few Japanese pantry staples including soy sauce, rice wine and vinegar, sugar, and ginger. (But hey - you can totally use store bought bottled sauce!) Together these simple ingredients become a bold sauce that tenderizes the bone-in thighs in as little as 30 minutes.
Marinated chicken thighs air fry for just 20 minutes (about half the time needed to oven bake!) until the skin is brown and crispy. The moist and meaty thighs are perfect to serve with any number of side dishes in less than 1 hour total, from start to finish!
Recipe ingredients
- Chicken Thighs: Bone-in and skin-on thighs are moist and delicious pieces of dark meat that cook perfectly in the air fryer. The skin gets nice and crispy, and the meat is melt-in-your-mouth tender. Cilantro lime chicken thighs air fryer recipe in another great way to cook chicken thighs!
- Soy sauce: A staple ingredient in Japanese cooking. Soy sauce has deep umami flavor that's both savory and salty. It's also a bit acidic, which helps to tenderize the meat.
- Mirin: Also known as rice wine. Mirin tastes similar to sake, but is more sweet and light. In a pinch you can skip mirin and use more rice vinegar.
- Rice Vinegar: This mild vinegar gives teriyaki sauce a tart flavor that isn't overwhelming. The acidity makes the thighs super tender, but be sure to not over-marinate the chicken (more on this below in the FAQ section).
- Sugar: Use your choice of granulated white and light brown sugar. White cane sugar is more of an intense straight-up sweet taste. Whereas brown sugar is a bit more mellow with a deep flavor similar to molasses. Either option is delicious!
- Freshly Grated Ginger: Use fresh grated ginger for the most intense flavor. Ginger is deliciously spicy (not hot!), warm and sharp - and great to balance the sweet and savory flavors of the marinade.
- Minced Garlic: Like ginger, garlic has a pungent "spicy" taste that isn't actually hot. This root herb is earthy and savory. Finely mincing garlic releases all of that yummy flavor into the marinade.
How to make air fryer teriyaki chicken thighs
Grab a large bowl and throw in the soy sauce, water, Mirin, and vinegar (if you're using it). Sprinkle in the sugar, then add your grated ginger and minced garlic. Stir everything around until the sugar is completely dissolved and everything's well mixed. This is your teriyaki sauce, and it's going to make the chicken taste amazing
Place your chicken thighs in the sauce, making sure each piece gets a good coating. This step is key because it lets the chicken soak up all those delicious flavors. Cover your bowl with some plastic wrap (or a lid if your bowl has one) and stick it in the fridge. Letting it sit for at least 30 minutes is good, but if you plan ahead and leave it overnight, it'll be even better.
When you're ready to cook, place your marinated chicken in the basket. Make sure they're not all squished together; they need some space around them so the hot air can circulate and cook them evenly. Close the air fryer and let it do its thing for about 17-20 minutes. Halfway through, open it up and flip the chicken over so it gets crispy on both sides.
Chicken needs to be cooked to an internal temperature of 165°F to be safe to eat. If you have a meat thermometer, now's the time to use it. No thermometer? Just cut into a piece to make sure it's not pink inside and the juices run clear.
Once your chicken is done, take it out of the air fryer and let it rest for a few minutes. This is a good time to get your sides ready. This teriyaki chicken goes great with rice, veggies, or whatever you like. Then, plate up your chicken and enjoy!
Leftovers and reheating
Place teriyaki chicken thighs leftovers in the airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can also freeze leftovers. For that use freezer safe plastic nag or container. Freezer for up to 6 months.
Reheat in the air fryer or microwave until heated through. To make the skin crispy again you can add couple minutes in the air fryer at 400 degrees or broil in the oven, Do not forget to wipe extra moister from the skin before reheating.
Expert tips
- For the best flavor, marinate your chicken pieces in teriyaki sauce for at least 30 minutes before cooking. Or even marinate overnight!
- Arrange the chicken pieces in a single layer in the air fryer basket and don't overcrowd it.
- Flip chicken thighs halfway though cooking and brush more sauce on top if you want.
- Make sure the internal temperature of cooked chicken is at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit. You can easily check it using instant meat thermometer.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, it makes a delicious thin sauce. But you need to reserve some of the marinade before adding the chicken.
Use homemade teriyaki sauce for dipping or drizzling onto the chicken and any side dishes.
Yes, it is perfectly safe to air fry raw meat. To cut down on mess, I suggest lining the air fryer basket with a square of parchment paper or liner. Be sure to add the parchment after preheating the fryer, right as you are ready to place the food in the basket.
No, it is not necessary to flip chicken thighs in the air fryer. It can help to get the chicken skin very crisp, but the meat will still cook evenly all the way around without flipping. If using air fryer liners its recommended to flip the chicken. I did!
This Japanese-style teriyaki marinade is sweet and salty, with lots of deep umami flavor. It is not at all spicy!
For the best flavor I recommend marinating the bone-in thighs in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. Leave them in the marinade for up to a maximum of 24 hours. Any longer than that and the meat can get over-tenderized and mushy.
More chicken thighs recipes: air fryer chicken yakitori is a great quick recipe of chicken skewers. Garlic Parmesan chicken thighs air fryer recipe is one of my favorites! Crispy skin and rich Parmesan flavor!
Hope you will like this air fryer teriyaki chicken thighs recipe as much as we do. Rate this recipe if you made it and leave a comment below if you have any questions ior suggestions.
Recipe
Air fryer teriyaki chicken thighs
Ingredients
- 4 chicken thighs
- ½ cup Soy Sauce
- ¼ cup Water
- 2 tablespoons Mirin* Japanese sweet rice wine
- 1 tablespoon Rice Vinegar optional for a slight tang
- ¼ cup White Sugar or Brown Sugar adjust based on your preference for sweetness
- 1 teaspoon Freshly Grated Ginger
- 1-2 cloves Garlic minced
Instructions
- Add all ingredients in to the bowl.
- Marinate thighs for at least 30 minutes.
- Cook at 380 degrees for 17-20 minutes
Notes
- Place teriyaki chicken thighs leftovers in the airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can also freeze leftovers. For that use freezer safe plastic nag or container. Freezer for up to 6 months.
- Reheat in the air fryer or microwave until heated through. To make the skin crispy again you can add couple minutes in the air fryer at 400 degrees or broil in the oven, Do not forget to wipe extra moister from the skin before reheating.
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