Smoked Teriyaki Chicken

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Are you bored of making the same teriyaki chicken? Then you have to try this smoked teriyaki chicken! It always comes out juicy, succulent and perfectly smoky. 

Make sure you follow the steps below so you get the juicy chicken every single time.

Why You’ll Love This Smoked Teriyaki Chicken Recipe

This juicy smoked chicken recipe is packed with flavor and the best part? You can have it done in made in less than an three hours.

Furthermore, the recipe is fairly easy to follow and uses ingredients that may already be in your pantry or fridge.

What You’ll Need to Cook Smoked Teriyaki Chicken

Chicken Breasts

Teriyaki Sauce

Salt 

Pepper 

How to Make Smoked Teriyaki Chicken

Step 1:  Season The Chicken

Season both sides of chicken breasts with salt and pepper, this will help to tenderize the chicken

Step 2: Smoke The Chicken 

Smoke at 250F then remove once the chicken’s internal temperature hits 165F for basting (this took about 2-3 hrs, it depends on how large your chicken breasts are)

Step 3: Coat The Chicken in Teriyaki Sauce

Remove from the smoker and place into an aluminum tray. Baste breasts with teriyaki sauce on both sides. Return to the smoker and continue smoking until internal temp hits 185F, insert the temperature probe into the thickest part of the chicken.

Step 4: Serve 

Let the tender, cooked chicken rest outside for 15 minutes before serving. 

Lastly, garnish the finished smoked teriyaki chicken with green onion, drizzle with extra teriyaki sauce, and serve on top of steamed rice!

Want to Make Your Own Teriyaki Sauce?

This is a fairly simple marinade to make. All you need to do is whisk together the soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, minced garlic powdered ginger, and brown sugar in a bowl until the sugar is dissolved. I have included measurements below.

How to Prepare The Chicken

Season both sides of chicken breasts with salt and pepper.

What Temperature to Smoke Teriyaki Chicken At?

You will need to preheat your smoker or grill to 250°F

Remove the chicken breasts from the smoker when their internal temperature reaches 165°F and baste the chicken with the teriyaki sauce, then return to the smoker and continue cooking until the internal temperature reaches 185°F

The time taken to cook will vary depending on your grill and your meat, so always cook to the correct internal temperature. 

You should be using an instant-read meat thermometer and always double-checking the temperature to see if it’s done. 

How Long to Cook Smoked Teriyaki Chicken?

It takes three hours to cook smoked teriyaki chicken. You want to ensure the chicken reaches 185°F

Keep a lookout for the internal meat temperature with your instant-read meat thermometer throughout the smoking process.

What to Serve With Smoked Teriyaki Chicken?

Smoked teriyaki chicken is served best when it is garnished with green onion and served on top of steamed rice however you serve them how you like, I have included some more ideas below

Here are some more idea of how to serve your teriyaki chicken.

 Miso Glazed Eggplant

Smoked Broccoli and Cauliflower

Brussel Sprouts

Bacon Mac and Cheese

Where Does Teriyaki Come From?

The word, “Teri” comes from the Japanese word for shiny, and “yaki” means to grill. So together you get the word- “shiny grill”, which describes this dish perfectly.

The glazing from the marinade gives the chicken a special sheen. The grill marks bring in the smoky notes that taste so wonderful with the teriyaki sauce. The dish represents the Asian concept of yin and yang, giving you just the right balance of sweet and salty. 

How to Store Leftover Teriyaki Sauce?

When you make your own teriyaki sauce,  it makes sense to make extra.

The soy sauce allows your homemade teriyaki to keep really well as it acts as a natural preservative due to the high quantity of salt in it. When stored in a bottle with a tight lid and kept in the fridge, it will keep for up to three months.

This may also come in handy as teriyaki sauce is a versatile ingredient that can be used in a lot of dishes. 

How to Store Leftover Smoked Chicken?

You can store any leftover chicken for 2 days in the fridgerator. Make sure you put it in a sealable bag or container and placing it in the fridge.

Looking for More Chicken Recipes?

Pit Boss Chicken Quarters

Smoked Chicken Breast

Feta and Spinach Stuffed and Smoked Chicken Breast 

Pit Boss 0 400 Wings

Smoked Drumsticks on a Traeger

0-400 Chicken Wings

Grilled Chicken Kabobs With a Sweet Chilli Glaze

What Can I Do With Leftover Teriyaki Chicken?

There are an endless number of possibilities for what you can do with any leftover teriyaki chicken! 

You can use it as a stir fry with veggies or add it to the top of your favorite salad. Or, if you like leftovers, just heat it up and eat it as is.

Tips for the Best Smoked Teriyaki Chicken

Great chicken teriyaki follows a few simple rules:

1. Although marinating the chicken is an amazing idea, but isn’t required. If you do marinate it overnight, make sure to discard all the marinade you used. You’ll need a separate teriyaki sauce for drizzling afterward.

2. Make sure to always cut the meat in half lengthwise. This helps make the strips of chicken not too thick and helps everything cook quickly at high heat. Even better, it makes the portioning much easier too.

3. Make sure the grill is preheated. The searing heat helps give those char marks which adds so much flavor and it also helps to make sure the chicken doesn’t stick to the grill.

Smoke On!

Charlie

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