Air Fryer Chicken Teriyaki Skewers
These Air Fryer Teriyaki Chicken Skewers are quick to make in less than 30 minutes and so flavorful. They’re the perfect easy weeknight meal or appetizer for entertaining family and friends.
When it comes to dinner in our house, we need something easy, delicious…and most importantly, enjoyed by all. These Air Fryer Teriyaki Chicken Skewers check all the boxes. Not only do my husband and kids love the sweet and savory glaze, but they’re beyond simple to prep in about 15 minutes, making them ideal for weeknight dinner or entertaining. Plus, these actually cook faster in than air fryer than on the grill, making them ideal any time of the year!
When I developed this recipe, I wanted to also make a simple teriyaki sauce from scratch. I marinate the chicken in the glaze made with soy, garlic, ginger, and sweet brown sugar, and then air fry them until the edges get caramelized and charred to perfection. These air fryer chicken skewers are customizable too, so have fun adding your favorite veggies, like bell pepper and onion. I can state it enough, I was shocked how the air fryer cooks them perfectly each and every time for a foolproof and delicious meal.
If you like this chicken dinner idea, try a few of our other favorites. This Slow Cooker Marry Me Chicken is always a winner, and these Garlic Parmesan Ranch Skewers are on rotation all the time, too.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Ready in Under 30 Minutes: This recipe is quick and easy with a simple process, so you can get dinner on the table fast. The air fryer does all the work for you, which makes dinner a breeze any night of the week.
- Minimal Clean-Up: With just a few ingredients and little equipment, clean-up is so quick!
- Great for the Whole Family: These skewers are super kid-friendly and easy to customize. Use a combination of everyone’s favorite proteins and veggies, so there’s something for everyone to enjoy.
Ingredients
For The Chicken Marinade:
- Chicken Thighs: We like boneless skinless thighs here because they’re super juicy and almost impossible to over cook. You can certainly use boneless skinless breasts, too. Either way, cut into 1-inch cubes.
- Olive Oil: The base for the marinade.
- Salt and Pepper: Be generous with the seasoning.
- Garlic Powder and Paprika: Adds nice, well-rounded flavor.
- Brown Sugar: Adds a touch of subtle sweetness to the marinade.
For The Teriyaki Sauce:
- Olive Oil: Use a good quality extra virgin olive oil.
- Soy Sauce: We like low-sodium, so you can control the salt content. Use your preferred brand or variety.
- Rice Vinegar: Tangy and acidic, adds a sweet umami flavor to the sauce. Find this in the international aisle at the grocery store.
- Sesame Oil: Nutty and fragrant, pairs well with the soy and rice vinegar.
- Brown Sugar: Adds sweetness and helps the chicken to caramelize when cooked.
- Water: To mellow everything out.
- Garlic and Ginger: Essential ingredients to add aromatic flavor and heat. We like ginger paste for a quick shortcut, but you can use finely minced fresh ginger root, too.
To Serve:
- Green Onions: Mild onion flavor and a nice pop of color to garnish.
- Sesame Seeds: Lightly toast these for a nutty finishing touch.
How To Make Air Fryer Teriyaki Chicken Skewers
1. Marinate The Chicken: In a large bowl, combine the chicken with olive oil, salt, garlic powder, brown sugar, paprika, and black pepper. Toss until evenly coated. Thread onto skewers (about 6 skewers).
2. Make The Teriyaki Sauce:
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, add olive oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, brown sugar, garlic, and ginger.
- Whisk the water and cornstarch together, then add to the saucepan. Simmer for 3–4 minutes, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened. Remove from heat.
3. Air Fry: Preheat air fryer to 400°F. Then, place skewers in a single layer and air fry for 10 minutes, flipping halfway through.
4. Glaze and Finish: Brush teriyaki sauce over both sides of the chicken.
5. Return to the air fryer and cook for 4 more minutes, until caramelized and cooked through.
6. Garnish and Serve: Top with sliced green onions and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve immediately.
Expert Tips
- Cut Chicken in Uniform Pieces: To ensure everything cooks evenly, it’s important to cut the chicken pieces a similar size. Aim for 1-inch pieces or cubes. And keep in mind, the larger the pieces of chicken, the longer the cook time.
- Soak the Skewers in Advance: If using wooden skewers, it’s super important to soak them in water for at least 30 minutes before cooking. Otherwise, they could burn, and no one wants that mess. Bonus tip: to fit in the air fryer easily, cut the skewers in half before threading on the chicken!
- Sauce to Finish: Brush on the sweet and savory teriyaki sauce towards the end, once the chicken is mostly cooked through and golden on the outside. This way it’ll glaze the chicken nicely, versus drying out and losing flavor.
- Get Crispy Edges: Once the chicken is cooked through, do a final glaze with the sauce to finish. The sugars in the sauce will help the edges get nice and caramelized.
Watch How to Make Air Fryer Teriyaki Skewers
Variations
There are so many ways to make these air fryer skewers with different proteins and vegetables. Here are some of our favorite options:
- Bell peppers
- Mushrooms
- Onions
- Zucchini
- Steak bites
- Shrimp
Storage
If you’ve got leftovers, store them an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. I like to remove the meat and veggies from the skewers before storing for ease later, but you can certainly store them right on the skewer for convenience.
You can even freeze extra cooked skewers. Just be sure to remove the chicken and vegetables from the skewers in this case, and store in an airtight container for up to 2 months.
To reheat from the fridge, you can pop them back in the air fryer (400°F for 5-7 minutes). You can also reheat in the oven at 350°F until warmed through (about 10 minutes). If you’re reheating from frozen, thaw in the fridge overnight, and rewarm as instructed above.
FAQs
Definitely. Cooking the skewers in an air fryer is a fast, mess-free option that gets the chicken nice and crispy on the outside, and juicy on the inside.
Yes! Just be sure to soak the skewers as you usually would to prevent burning.
Cook the skewers in an air fryer at 375°F for 12–14 minutes, flipping halfway.
Yes, we strongly suggest not skipping this step, as the skewers could burn and become brittle if they aren’t soaked.
More Air Fryer Recipes
Air Fryer Chicken Teriyaki Skewers
Ingredients
Chicken Marinade
- 1½ pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1½-inch pieces
- ½ teaspoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Teriyaki Sauce
- ½ teaspoon olive oil
- ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- ½ cup water
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons ginger paste
For Serving
- Green onions thinly sliced
- Sesame seeds
Instructions
Marinate the chicken
- In a large bowl, combine the chicken with olive oil, salt, garlic powder, brown sugar, paprika, and black pepper. Toss until evenly coated. Thread onto skewers (about 6 skewers).
Make the teriyaki sauce
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, add olive oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, brown sugar, garlic, and ginger.
- Whisk the water and cornstarch together, then add to the saucepan. Simmer for 3–4 minutes, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened. Remove from heat.
Air fry
- Preheat air fryer to 400°F.
- Place skewers in a single layer and air fry for 10 minutes, flipping halfway through.
Glaze & finish
- Brush teriyaki sauce over both sides of the chicken.
- Return to the air fryer and cook for 4 more minutes, until caramelized and cooked through.
Garnish & serve
- Top with sliced green onions and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
If you’ve got leftovers, store them an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can even freeze extra cooked skewers. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 months. To reheat from the fridge, you can pop them back in the air fryer (400°F for 5-7 minutes should do the trick). You can also reheat in the oven at 350°F until warmed through (about 10 minutes). If you’re reheating from frozen, thaw in the fridge overnight, and rewarm as instructed above.
