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This air fryer teriyaki chicken is all about texture first. Instead of marinating the chicken in sauce, the chicken is air fried on its own until lightly crisp, then finished with a glossy Japanese-style teriyaki sauce at the end.
The result is tender, juicy chicken with clean browning — not sticky or overly glazed. It’s fast, weeknight-friendly, and one of those air fryer dinners that’s worth making on repeat.
Why this teriyaki chicken recipe stays crispy in an air fryer
I wanted a teriyaki chicken that actually crisps up in an air fryer. After testing different ways to get crispy chicken without drying it out, this version is the one that worked best.
The chicken is browned first, then coated with sauce at the end. That simple change keeps the texture crisp and the teriyaki flavor clean instead of sticky or burnt.
Main Ingredient Notes
- Chicken: Use boneless, skinless chicken thighs. They stay juicy at high heat and brown well in the air fryer. Chicken breast is not recommended for this recipe because it dries out easily and doesn’t stay as tender.
- Starch: A light coating of tapioca starch or potato starch helps the chicken brown evenly. Tapioca starch gives a slightly chewier finish, while potato starch creates a drier, crisper surface.
- Teriyaki sauce (gluten-free) : This recipe uses a homemade Japanese-style teriyaki sauce with mirin, sake, brown sugar, and soy sauce. It’s not too thick or gloopy, just the way it’s traditionally used in Japan—glossy, lightly viscous, and meant to coat rather than smother the chicken.
Common Air Fryer Teriyaki Chicken Questions
After testing this recipe multiple times, these are the questions that come up most often. The answers below focus on getting reliable results with minimal prep — perfect for busy weeknights.
- How do you make chicken crispy in an air fryer?
Crisp chicken starts with a dry surface. In this recipe, the chicken is lightly coated with starch and cooked without sauce so it can crisp up properly before any sauce is added. Make sure the oil is sprayed evenly over the chicken—if you still see white starch spots, add a light mist so the coating crisps up evenly instead of staying powdery. - Why don’t we marinate the chicken first?
We skip the marinade on purpose. Marinating adds extra moisture and sugar to the surface of the chicken, which makes browning harder in an air fryer. Since the chicken is cut into bite-size pieces, it cooks quickly and grabs sauce easily at the end without needing time to marinate. - How do you prevent teriyaki sauce from tasting burnt in an air fryer?
Teriyaki sauce contains sugar, which burns easily at high heat. Instead of cooking the sauce in the air fryer, this recipe adds it after the chicken is fully cooked. That keeps the flavor clean, glossy, and balanced instead of bitter. - Why doesn’t this air fryer teriyaki chicken turn out dry?
It often comes down to the cut of chicken. Air fryers cook fast at high heat, and lean cuts dry out quickly. This recipe uses boneless chicken thighs, which hold moisture better and stay juicy even with shorter cooking times.
Air fryer teriyaki chicken recipe
Ingredients
Teriyaki chicken:
- 1.25 lb chicken thighs skinless and boneless
- 0.5 tsp coarse sea salt
- 0.5 tsp garlic powder
- 6-8 tbsp tapioca starch or potato starch
- Avocado oil spray
- 2 spring onions diced
- Sprinkle toasted white sesame seeds
Instructions
Make the teriyaki sauce
- Add the mirin, sake, soy sauce, and brown sugar to a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a gentle boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar, about 4–5 minutes. Keep the pan uncovered.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the sauce thickens slightly, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and let cool. The sauce should be glossy and lightly viscous, not thick or syrupy. Measure out about ⅔ cup for the chicken.
Prepare the chicken
- Preheat the air fryer to 400°F (204°C) for 5 minutes.
- Dice the chicken into 1 to 1½-inch pieces. Add the chicken, salt, garlic powder, and starch to a large zip-top bag. Seal and shake until the chicken is evenly coated.
Air fry
- Lightly spray the air fryer basket with oil. Arrange the chicken in a single layer with space between the pieces. Spray the tops lightly with oil.
- Air fry for 8 minutes, then open the basket, shake or flip the chicken, spray lightly with oil again, and continue cooking for 2–4 minutes, until cooked through and lightly crisp on the outside.
Finish and serve
- Transfer the hot chicken to a serving bowl. Pour the teriyaki sauce over the chicken and toss to coat evenly. Garnish with spring onions and sesame seeds. Serve right away.
Notes
- Teriyaki sauce consistency: This sauce is meant to be glossy and lightly viscous, not thick or syrupy. If you prefer it thicker, simmer 2–3 minutes longer, or stir in a slurry of 2 teaspoons starch + 2 tablespoons water while simmering.
- Salt level: Because the teriyaki sauce is already salty-sweet, the chicken is lightly seasoned on purpose. Don’t increase the salt — the sauce will finish the seasoning.
- Batch cooking: For a 6-quart air fryer, cook the chicken in two batches. Spread the pieces in a single layer with a little space between them so they crisp instead of steaming.
- Low-carb coating option: You can use unflavored whey protein isolate instead of starch. The chicken will turn a deeper golden color, but it may stick more to the basket compared to starch.
- Make-ahead & storage:
- Sauce: Let cool completely, then store in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to 3 weeks. It will thicken slightly as it chills.
- Chicken prep: You can slice and season the chicken (without starch) 2–3 days ahead. Coat with starch right before air frying.
- Leftovers: Store chicken and sauce separately. Reheat chicken in the air fryer at 370°F (188°C) for 5 minutes. The sauce does not need reheating.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
What to serve with air fryer chicken teriyaki
This dish is easy to turn into a complete meal bowl without extra prep.
Serve it over rice using How to cook rice in a rice cooker or Air fryer rice, then add one simple vegetable for balance.
Fresh sides like Chinese smashed cucumber salad or Napa cabbage slaw add crunch, while Chinese garlic broccoli works well if you want something warm and comforting.
Related Teriyaki Recipes to Try Next
If you enjoy this air fryer teriyaki chicken, here are a few closely related dishes that use teriyaki in different ways:
- Teriyaki salmon bites – Bite-size salmon pieces served over rice, great for quick bowls and meal prep.
- Air fryer teriyaki salmon – A whole salmon fillet that’s marinated first, then air fried for a more glazed finish.
- Sugar free teriyaki sauce – A lighter sauce option that works well with chicken, seafood, or vegetables.
Made a dish and loved it? Please rate the recipe and leave a comment in the section below! It helps my blog grow organically, allowing me to continue sharing free and awesome content with you. Thank you!
Been wanting to try this recipe forever and it was my first time using my new air fryer! Crisped perfectly and I was SO impressed with the texture. So fun being able to have crispy chicken. Paired with the garlic broccoli and it was great. So easy my husband was able to do it and he doesn’t even cook! Ha
Love the combo and thank you for making the dish!
How can I make this without an air fryer?
Hey Amy, this recipe is for air fryer. For stovetop, https://iheartumami.com/crispy-teriyaki-chicken/.
I’ve made many recipes from this site and all of them have been excellent. I made the teriyaki chicken for the first time tonight and I think it is my new favorite recipe. I used her paleo teriyaki sauce recipe to coat the chicken when it finished cooking. So delicious! This one is a 10 star recipe!
This was so good! I’ve made it with thighs and tenders. Served over cauliflower rice makes for a great dish. Also the crunchiness of the spring onion is fantastic
We made it yesterday for my husband and me and we both absolutely loved it! It came together quickly and the chicken chunks are juicy flavorful inside and crisp outside. We used a store bought teriyaki sauce. Next time, I’ll be making it from scratch. I can see using these chicken “nuggets” for various sauces to make various meals. Thanks so much for sharing. This is great!