Japanese BBQ Chicken is the dinner that Maria made for the first time after finding a bottle of Japanese BBQ sauce at a specialty store and reading the ingredient list with a sense of genuine excitement about what it might do to a piece of chicken thigh that had been cut into bite-sized pieces and left to marinate for a few hours.
The garlic and ginger minced into the marinade alongside the soy sauce and sesame oil and a generous spoonful of sriracha produced a fragrance when the chicken hit the grill that made everyone in the kitchen stop what they were doing and come to look. The sticky caramelized glaze from the final basting was one of the most beautiful things any of us had ever seen on a chicken piece at home.
Japanese BBQ Chicken is the twenty-five-minute grilled dinner that delivers bold and deeply satisfying sweet-savory-spicy flavors with the most beautiful sticky caramelized glaze from a handful of pantry staples and one bottle of Japanese BBQ sauce. Boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into bite-sized pieces marinated in Japanese BBQ sauce, soy sauce, sriracha, fresh garlic, ginger, and toasted sesame oil, grilled over medium heat, and basted with additional sauce in the final minutes for the most extraordinary caramelized finish. Come follow us on Pinterest where we share beautiful and bold dinner recipes and easy weeknight favorites from our kitchen every single week.
Table of Contents
Why You Will Love This Japanese BBQ Chicken Recipe
This Japanese BBQ Chicken recipe is the weeknight dinner that makes everyone at the table feel like they are eating something genuinely special and restaurant-quality from a process that requires less than 15 minutes of active preparation and 25 minutes total from start to finished plate. Cutting the chicken thighs into bite-sized pieces before marinating and grilling is the technique decision that makes this recipe so efficient and so consistently successful. Smaller pieces marinate more thoroughly, cook more evenly and quickly, and provide significantly more surface area for the caramelized glaze to cling to in the final minutes of grilling.
The Bachan’s Japanese BBQ sauce or any good quality Japanese-style BBQ sauce is the ingredient that does the most flavor work in this recipe before any other additions are made. Its combination of soy, mirin, garlic, and ginger flavors creates a complex and deeply savory base that is enhanced and amplified by the additional fresh garlic, fresh ginger, sriracha, and toasted sesame oil in the marinade. Our Honey Garlic Chicken Bites bring that same bold and sticky glazed chicken spirit to a slightly different direction for a beautiful companion recipe in any weeknight dinner rotation.
Ingredients Needed for This Japanese BBQ Chicken Recipe
For the Marinade and Chicken:
- 2 lb Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs, cut into 1-inch bite-sized pieces
- 4 tbsp Japanese BBQ Sauce, divided
- 1½ tbsp Low-Sodium Soy Sauce
- 1 tbsp Sriracha
- 6 cloves Garlic, freshly minced
- ½ tbsp Fresh Ginger, grated
- ½ tsp Toasted Sesame Oil
- ¼ tsp Red Chili Flakes
- Salt and Pepper to taste
For Serving:
- Toasted Sesame Seeds
- Sliced Green Onions
- Extra Japanese BBQ Sauce
- Yum Yum Sauce (optional)
- Steamed White Rice
How to Make This Japanese BBQ Chicken Recipe
In a large bowl or resealable bag, combine the soy sauce, sriracha, freshly minced garlic, grated ginger, toasted sesame oil, red chili flakes, salt, and pepper. Whisk or squish together until fully combined. Add the cut chicken thigh pieces and toss to coat every piece completely and evenly in the marinade. Allow to marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 to 3 hours for the best penetration of flavor. Up to 8 hours of marinating produces an even deeper and more complex flavor. If time does not permit a full marinade, even 30 minutes of marinating at room temperature produces a noticeably more flavorful result than chicken added to the grill directly without marinating.
While the chicken marinates, toast the sesame seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally, until the seeds are fragrant and golden. Remove immediately from the heat and set aside as they can burn quickly once toasted. Prepare the green onion garnish and have the Japanese BBQ sauce and optional yum yum sauce ready for serving.
Preheat the grill to medium heat, approximately 375 to 400°F. Remove the marinated chicken from the refrigerator and allow to sit at room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes before grilling. Cold chicken placed directly on a hot grill cooks unevenly with the exterior overcooking before the interior reaches temperature.
Place the chicken pieces on the preheated grill and cook for 10 to 12 minutes total, flipping every 2 to 3 minutes to ensure even cooking on all sides and to prevent any single side from burning. In the final 2 minutes of cooking, brush the reserved 4 tablespoons of Japanese BBQ sauce over the chicken pieces on both sides. This final basting creates the most beautiful and deeply caramelized sticky glaze on each piece, cara mia.
The sugar in the sauce caramelizes against the hot grill surface in these final minutes and produces the gorgeous sticky coating that makes this chicken so irresistible. The chicken is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F in the center of the largest piece.
Transfer to a serving platter and sprinkle generously with toasted sesame seeds and sliced green onions. Serve over steamed rice with Japanese BBQ sauce and yum yum sauce on the side.
How to Serve This Japanese BBQ Chicken Recipe
Serve these sticky glazed chicken pieces over a bowl of steamed white rice that absorbs all the caramelized BBQ juices from the chicken. The combination of the sweet-savory sticky chicken against the clean neutral rice is one of the most deeply satisfying dinner bowl combinations imaginable.
A quick cucumber salad with rice vinegar and sesame seeds alongside adds a cool and crisp freshness that provides the perfect contrast to the rich and sticky chicken. Our Mediterranean Chicken Tacos make a wonderfully vibrant and equally bold companion for a complete and exciting weeknight dinner rotation.
How to Store This Japanese BBQ Chicken Recipe
Store leftover cooked chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The flavors of the marinade actually deepen and become more cohesive after a day of refrigeration making this an outstanding meal prep protein that tastes genuinely better reheated the next day than freshly made.
To reheat, warm in a skillet over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes until heated through for the best result. The microwave works adequately but the skillet method restores some of the surface caramelization that the microwave cannot. To freeze, cool completely, wrap in portions, and freeze in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
Tips to Make This Japanese BBQ Chicken Recipe
Add the Japanese BBQ basting sauce only in the final 2 minutes of grilling and not before. The sauce contains sugar which caramelizes and burns quickly if applied too early in the cooking process. Early basting produces a charred and bitter coating rather than the beautiful caramelized and sticky glaze that makes this chicken so completely extraordinary. The final 2-minute basting at the correct temperature produces a glaze that caramelizes without burning.
Flip the bite-sized pieces every 2 to 3 minutes rather than leaving them on one side for the entire first half of cooking. Frequent flipping produces even cooking on all sides, prevents any single side from burning against the hot grill, and ensures that the caramelized glaze coats all surfaces of each piece equally in the final basting stage.
Helpful Notes for This Japanese BBQ Chicken Recipe
Boneless skinless chicken thighs are significantly more forgiving on the grill than chicken breasts because their higher fat content keeps them moist and tender even if they spend a few extra minutes on the heat. They also have more surface area and more flavor than breast meat which makes them the ideal choice for a high-heat grilling recipe with a caramelizing glaze. If you prefer to use chicken breasts, reduce the total cooking time by 3 to 5 minutes and monitor the internal temperature closely as breasts become dry and tough very quickly when overcooked.
Toasted sesame oil is different from regular sesame oil and the distinction is important. Regular untoasted sesame oil has a neutral and mild flavor. Toasted sesame oil has a deeply nutty and fragrant character that is one of the most distinctive and beloved flavors in Asian cooking. It is added in a small quantity because it is very potent and should never be used as a cooking oil. Always use it as a finishing flavoring added to the marinade or dish at the end.
Variation of This Japanese BBQ Chicken Recipe
Maria made a version using the same marinade on large shrimp for a Japanese BBQ shrimp that cooked in under 5 minutes on the grill and tasted completely extraordinary with the caramelized sesame-soy glaze against the sweet shrimp. Teresa tried adding a tablespoon of rice vinegar to the marinade alongside the soy sauce for an additional tangy and bright note that she found made the overall flavor more complex and balanced.
For an indoor version without a grill, heat a cast iron skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat and cook the marinated chicken pieces in batches without crowding for 4 to 5 minutes per side until cooked through and deeply caramelized. The cast iron produces excellent caramelization and mimics the grill result very closely. Our Honey Lime Chicken makes a wonderfully fresh and citrus-forward companion for a complete and varied Asian-inspired weeknight dinner rotation.
FAQs About This Japanese BBQ Chicken Recipe
What is Japanese BBQ sauce and where can I find it?
Japanese BBQ sauce, also known as Bachan’s or yakitori-style sauce, is a sweet and savory sauce made from soy sauce, mirin, sake, garlic, and ginger that has a thick and richly flavored character. It is available at most specialty grocery stores, Asian supermarkets, and online. If you cannot find a dedicated Japanese BBQ sauce, a substitute can be made by mixing two tablespoons of regular BBQ sauce with one tablespoon of teriyaki sauce, or by using teriyaki sauce alone for a similar sweet-savory flavor.
How long should I marinate the chicken?
The minimum recommended marinating time is 2 to 3 hours in the refrigerator. This allows the flavors to penetrate meaningfully into the chicken and produces a noticeably more flavorful result than a shorter marinate. Up to 8 hours produces the deepest and most complex flavor. Do not marinate beyond 12 hours as the salt and soy sauce in the marinade will begin to cure the outer layer of the chicken and change the texture.
Can I make this recipe without a grill?
Yes. Heat a large skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat and cook the marinated chicken pieces in a single layer without crowding for 4 to 5 minutes per side until cooked through to 165°F and deeply caramelized on all sides. Add the basting sauce in the final 2 minutes of cooking on the stovetop in exactly the same way as on the grill for the same caramelized glaze effect.
Conclusion
This Japanese BBQ Chicken is the weeknight dinner that fills the kitchen with the most irresistible sweet-savory-garlicky fragrance from the very first moment the chicken hits the grill and delivers a bold and completely extraordinary sticky glazed result that makes every dinner feel like a genuine celebration. We hope it brings the same enthusiastic reaction and the same completely satisfied table to your kitchen that it has always brought to ours. Make it, share it, and come back to tell us all about it. With all our love, Maria, Lucia, and Teresa.
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Japanese BBQ Chicken The Most Bold and Sticky Glazed Dinner You Will Ever Make
- Total Time: 25 minutes plus marinating
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
The most bold and sticky Japanese BBQ Chicken made with bite-sized chicken thighs marinated in Japanese BBQ sauce soy sauce sriracha fresh garlic ginger and sesame oil grilled over medium heat and basted with caramelizing sauce in the final minutes for a stunning sticky glaze. A completely easy and extraordinary 25-minute dinner.
Ingredients
2 lb Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs cut into 1-inch pieces
4 tbsp Japanese BBQ Sauce divided
1 1/2 tbsp Low-Sodium Soy Sauce
1 tbsp Sriracha
6 cloves Garlic freshly minced
1/2 tbsp Fresh Ginger grated
1/2 tsp Toasted Sesame Oil
1/4 tsp Red Chili Flakes
Salt and Pepper to taste
Toasted Sesame Seeds for serving
Sliced Green Onions for serving
Extra Japanese BBQ Sauce for serving
Yum Yum Sauce optional
Steamed White Rice for serving
Instructions
1. Combine soy sauce, sriracha, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, chili flakes, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.
2. Add cut chicken pieces and toss to coat completely.
3. Marinate in refrigerator 2 to 3 hours minimum up to 8 hours.
4. Toast sesame seeds in a dry skillet 2 to 3 minutes until golden and fragrant. Set aside.
5. Preheat grill to medium heat 375 to 400°F.
6. Remove chicken from refrigerator 15 to 20 minutes before grilling.
7. Grill chicken pieces 10 to 12 minutes total flipping every 2 to 3 minutes.
8. In the last 2 minutes brush reserved 4 tbsp Japanese BBQ sauce over pieces on both sides.
9. Chicken is done at 165°F internal temperature.
10. Transfer to serving platter.
11. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and green onions.
12. Serve over steamed rice with extra sauce on the side.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Main Course, Dinner
- Method: Grilling
- Cuisine: Japanese, American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 310
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 680mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 5g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 30g
- Cholesterol: 120mg
Keywords: japanese bbq chicken, japanese bbq chicken thighs, sticky grilled chicken thighs, easy japanese chicken recipe
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