Hawaiian Grilled Teriyaki Chicken

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This Hawaiian Grilled Teriyaki Chicken recipe is the real deal. The teriyaki sauce is the perfect combination of sweet and tangy and is and SO easy to make.

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This Hawaiian Grilled Teriyaki Chicken reminds me of the authentic teriyaki chicken that I ate all the time when I lived on Oahu. It is tender, flavorful, and goes great with any Hawaiian dish. Much like fresh pineapple, you almost can’t have a luau or Hawaiian party without having teriyaki chicken (and maybe even a little cooked spam). This delicious Hawaiian chicken is tender, juicy, and pairs perfectly with grilled pineapple spears or an authentic Hawaiian plate lunch.

Ingredients in Hawaiian Grilled Teriyaki Chicken

You’ll love this simple, yet succulent chicken dish and how easy it is to prepare! Here’s what you need:

Chicken thighs – boneless, skinless thighs, NOT chicken breast. The dark thigh meat stays juicy, even through the grilling process.
Soy sauce – one cup, dark soy sauce. You can use low-sodium or your favorite brand, whatever you have on hand.
Brown sugar – balance the soy sauce with sweet dark brown sugar. It gives the perfect blend of sweet and tangy.
Pineapple juice – one cup of canned juice.
Garlic – start with four cloves, chopped
Fresh Ginger – find fresh ginger root in the produce section of the grocery store. It’ll stay fresh in the freezer for months!

The Secret to Perfect Teriyaki Chicken

Some people can’t quite seem to get grilled Hawaiian Teriyaki Chicken right, and that’s because they aren’t using the right cut of chicken. For perfect teriyaki chicken, chicken thighs are the only choice. I promise, if you want AUTHENTIC teriyaki chicken, chicken breasts just won’t cut it. No matter how you cook the chicken breasts, it will not be the same.

Homemade Hawaiian Teriyaki Sauce

It is SUPER EASY to make your own teriyaki sauce at home. This sauce recipe is so simple and it can be used as both the marinade AND to drizzle over the chicken as a sauce. You can actually use the same batch for BOTH. I learned this method while living in Hawaii and thought it was genius. Don’t discard your marinade! So many people discard the marinade and it is totally unnecessary and wasting a perfectly good sauce! Instead, put the marinade in a sauce pan and bring it to a boil, then reduce to a simmer until it thickens slightly. This will make it safe to use as a glaze or sauce after the chicken is fully cooked.

Make it a Plate Lunch

You can easily make this teriyaki chicken into a complete plate lunch by adding a scoop or two of cooked calrose rice and some authentic Hawaiian Mac Salad. If you are really hungry, you can even make it a 2 or 3 combination plate by adding any of these recipes:

Hawaiian Beef Teriyaki: Hawaiian Beef Teriyaki is a favorite of mine from when I lived in Hawaii. The teriyaki sauce is out of this world good. It’s the perfect plate lunch addition.
Kalua Pork with Cabbage: Kalua Pork with Cabbage is a Hawaiian dish often served at Luaus. This version is made in the slow cooker and tastes just like authentic shredded Kalua Pig.
Spam Musubi: This is more of a side than a part of a combination plate but it is one of my VERY favorite additions!

Grilled Hawaiian teriyaki chicken with white rice, macaroni salad, and pork on the side all on a white plate.

Tips and Suggestions

Cook evenly – Place some plastic wrap over the chicken and pound it flat with a meat mallet or rolling pin before marinating or grilling. This will help achieve even cooking and give you more surface space for the delicious sauce.

Slather on the teriyaki sauce – Brush on more teriyaki sauce after the chicken has cooked enough that it isn’t raw on the outside anymore, really slather it on! Then add even more once the chicken is fully cooked through and also right before serving.

Let it rest – For perfectly tender chicken, wrap the chicken in foil after grilling and allow it to rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing.