Air Fryer Teriyaki Chicken

A bowl of teriyaki chicken over rice with green salad, a pair of chopsticks and a cup of tea.

5 from 1 vote

This air fryer teriyaki chicken is super quick and easy to make, with only 5 minutes prep time and less than 20 minutes of cooking time. Try it and this recipe just may become your go-to quick and delicious no-hassle weeknight recipe!

Prep Time5

Cook Time17

Total Time22

Course: Main dish

Cuisine: Asian

Servings: servings

Calories: 222kcal

Author: Edwina

Equipment

Air fryer

Ingredients

1 lb boneless skinless chicken thigh
½ teaspoon sea salt
black pepper to taste

Teriyaki Sauce

4 tablespoons regular soy sauce
4 tablespoons mirin
2 tablespoons rice cooking wine (michiu) or Japanese sake
2½ tablespoons honey
1 clove garlic smashed

Optional Topping

toasted sesame seeds
lemon wedge

Instructions

Prepare Chicken Thigh

Place the chicken thigh bottom side up, make a few cuts on the thicker parts to allow the chicken to cook faster while preventing it from shrinking.
Sprinkle both sides with salt and black pepper and set it aside for 10 minutes. You can also do this a few hours or the day before and store in the fridge until ready to use.

Make Teriyaki Sauce

Add all the teriyaki sauce ingredients in a small sauce pan, bring it to a boil and maintain a medium boil for about 3 minutes or until the sauce is thickened (you will see lots of small bubbles on the surface). Save half of the sauce for serving and use the rest for brushing the chicken.

Cook Chicken Thigh in Air Fryer

Place chicken thigh bottom side up on the air fryer rack. Brush teriyaki sauce all over the surface and cook at 350°F (180°C) for 8 minutes.
Flip it over, brush with more sauce and adjust the cooking temperature to 400°F (200°C). Cook for another 6 minutes or until cooked through, brushing sauce on one last time half way through.

Finish Up and Serve

Sprinkle teriyaki chicken with sesame seeds, cut in strips, drizzle with more sauce and serve with warm rice. You can also squeeze a bit of lemon juice on your teriyaki chicken for more flavor.

Notes

Use good quality chicken, like organic, free range or pasture raised, as this makes a big difference in the taste and texture of the dish.
You can make teriyaki sauce ahead of time and store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
The air fryer I use for this recipe is Cuisinart digital air fryer, the actual cooking time and temperature may vary depending on your air fryer and the thickness of the chicken you use.
If you marinate your chicken with salt and pepper ahead of time and store it in the fridge (which I prefer to do), let it sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before cooking.

Nutrition