This gluten-free teriyaki chicken is the perfect combination of spicy and juicy! Plus it comes together super fast for weeknight dinner! If your family enjoys Asian-inspired recipes like mine, they’ll love it!

Teriyaki chicken is a favorite with my kids as they love Asian-inspired recipes like Khao Suey, General Tso’s, and Orange Chicken. But before we dig in, let’s look at what exactly Teriyaki sauce is.
Table of Contents
- What is teriyaki sauce?
- Why you’ll love this teriyaki chicken recipe
- Ingredients for gluten-free chicken teriyaki
- What can I use instead of soy sauce for teriyaki chicken?
- How to make teriyaki chicken
- FAQ’s
- Tips
- Storage
- Sides for chicken teriyaki
- How to serve gluten free teriyaki chicken
What is teriyaki sauce?
Teriyaki sauce has become popular as a savory sweet sauce to cook chicken, salmon, and even vegetables.
However, Teriyaki is a cooking technique that originated in Japan which means broiled or grilled. “Teri” means luster and “yaki” means broiled, grilled, or pan-fried. The authentic recipe includes sake and mirin both of which are rice wines. To keep things halal and paleo, we’ll skip them altogether for this recipe. Unlike my Homemade Teriyaki Sauce recipe in which I swapped them out for rice vinegar.
Why you’ll love this teriyaki chicken recipe
Quick When you use chicken thighs cut up in bite-sized pieces, the cooking time is much shorter than whole breast pieces.
juicy Using thigh pieces will make for a much juicier finished product.
Meal prep/freezer friendly Marinade the chicken on meal prep day and cut your time in the kitchen on weeknights. You can even marinate or fully cook and then freeze this recipe for a later meal.
Ingredients for gluten-free chicken teriyaki
Chicken thighs I prefer thighs but you can use tenders as well. This is how the recipe stays juicy. Breast meat tends to be drier.
Salt and pepper Marinading in these seasonings gives the chicken an added depth of flavor.
Sweetener I use honey and sometimes maple syrup as well.
Coconut aminos/tamari both are a great substitute for soy sauce which tends to contain gluten.
Ginger and garlic Both can be minced or in paste form.
Red chili flakes Adds spice to the dish.
Arrowroot powder This is what will thicken the sauce. You won’t find a thickener in authentic chicken teriyaki but I have found that my family enjoys a more saucier dish and so I add it. You can leave it out if you wish!
Water This will thin out the sauce for a better consistency.
What can I use instead of soy sauce for teriyaki chicken?
Because regular soy sauce contains gluten which is a trigger for those with autoimmune conditions, good substitutes are:
coconut aminos and tamari (which is soy based so look for an organic brand). Most tamari sauces also contain alcohol (as a preservative) so if you want to avoid it, try finding one that has vinegar instead. I use the Simple Truth brand.
Both coconut aminos and tamari sauce are gluten free.
If you have a soy allergy, avoid tamari sauce.
How to make teriyaki chicken
It is best to prepare all the sauces and marinate the protein before-hand when cooking this teriyaki chicken or most Asian recipes as the process goes by very fast once cooking starts and marinating the meat makes for a juicier and more flavorful dish. And so that’s what we are going to do:
Marinade the chicken. Marinade the chicken pieces in the salt and pepper and set aside. You can even marinate the chicken for up to 24 hours if you want to prep ahead.
Prepare the sauce. In a bowl add all the sauce ingredients as noted in the recipe card below and set aside.
Heat a pan and add oil. Once the oil shimmers, add the chicken. Pan fry on medium-high till browned on both sides. About 3 minutes on each side. Once done, take the chicken out of the pan and set aside.
Saute ginger and garlic. In the same pan, add the ginger and garlic and saute for about 30 seconds. Add the white of the green onions. Saute for 30 seconds.
Add the sauce and chicken. Now add the prepared sauce. Stir and watch it thicken. Add a tablespoon or two of water to reach the consistency of choice. Let it bubble and thicken back up. Add the chicken nuggets and stir to coat evenly.
Finish it off by adding a teaspoon of sesame oil and stir once more. Garnish with green onions and sesame seeds. Enjoy!
FAQ’s
Well yes and no. If you eat it from a Chinese or Japanese restaurant, it is likely to have sugar and soy sauce. Both are considered unhealthy, especially for those of us with autoimmune conditions.
Make it at home and make it healthy! I have given two options above to swap with.
Yes, the kind that is available at restaurants and stores usually does contain soy because of the soy sauce.
Tips
If you have some homemade teriyaki sauce lying around, you don’t have to pre-make the sauce. Just use 1/2 cup for this recipe. You can add it after you put the chicken back in the pan and proceed as mentioned in the recipe card below.
Storage
You can store this chicken teriyaki in an airtight container in the fridge and use it up within 2-3 days or freeze it in a freezer-friendly container for up to 4 months. Make sure to thaw it properly in the fridge overnight or in the microwave before consuming.
Sides for chicken teriyaki
A great accompaniment for this gluten free chicken teriyaki is my Cauliflower Fried Rice, plain cauliflower rice, riced broccoli, or even air-fried or just plain steamed broccoli. The options are endless!
How to serve gluten free teriyaki chicken
- Serve this recipe with some white or brown rice and add some broccoli or other vegetables as mentioned above.
- Make a chicken teriyaki rice bowl! Simply put the chicken and rice in a bowl and add some avocado, cucumbers, and steamed or air-fried broccoli, and finish off with a drizzle of spicy mayo and garnish with green onions and sesame seeds.
Gluten free Teriyaki Chicken
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds chicken thighs cut into bite sized pieces
Marinade
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Sauce
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 4 tablespoons coconut aminos or tamari
- 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon minced ginger
- 1 tablespoon arrowroot powder
- 2 tablespoons water or as needed*
Garnish
- 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
- green parts of a green onion thinly sliced
- sesame seeds
Instructions
- Marinade the chicken with all the "marinate" ingredients and set aside.
- Next, chop the green onions and set aside.
- Heat a medium non stick pan and pan fry the chicken pieces on medium high heat about 3 minutes on each side till browned on both sides. You may have to work in batches so as to not over crowd the pan in which case you will get steamed chicken and browning will be difficult.
- Once done, take out the chicken pieces and keep aside. In the same pan, add the ginger and garlic and saute for about 30 seconds. Add the white of the green onions. Saute for 30 seconds.
- Now add the prepared sauce. Stir and watch as it thickens. You can add an additional tablespoon or two of water to reach consistency of choice. Let it bubble and thicken back up. Add the chicken pieces and stir to coat evenly. Take the pan off the heat, add a teaspoon of sesame oil and stir once more. Garnish with the green parts of the spring onions and sesame seeds. Enjoy with some white rice, broccoli rice or cauliflower rice.
Notes
- Adjust the amount of water to your desired consistency.
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