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    Clean Plate Mama » Recipes

    Air Fryer Teriyaki Chicken (gluten free)

    Published: Oct 14, 2021 · Modified: Feb 15, 2022 by Sara · This post may contain affiliate links

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    Pinterest pin for teriyaki chicken air fryer.
    Pinterest pin for air fryer teriyaki chicken.
    Pinterest pin for air fryer chicken with teriyaki.

    These air fryer teriyaki chicken bites are coated in flavorful homemade teriyaki sauce. It's a delicious and healthy air fryer recipe that is easy and ready in 30 minutes.

    Chicken pieces sprinkled with sesame seeds and green onions.

    This air fryer teriyaki chicken is so much healthier than any store-bought or takeout teriyaki chicken! This will for sure become one of you new favorite chicken recipes!

    Best part?? No breading or marinating is needed for this teriyaki chicken. It's an easy air fryer recipe with minimal prep and takes less than 15 minutes in the air fryer.

    Serve it alongside some brown rice and steam up some broccoli, or any of your favorite veggies. You can also throw in some toothpicks and it's a delicious appetizer!

    Looking for more recipes for the air fryer? You might like these turkey burgers in the air fryer, air fryer sweet potatoes, air fried apples, air fryer carrots, or air fryer salmon.

    Homemade Teriyaki Sauce

    I love homemade teriyaki sauce, which is what I use for this recipe. The thick, flavorful teriyaki sauce nicely coats the chicken pieces so they become juicy and perfectly fried in the air fryer! And I highly recommend brushing the cooked chicken with additional teriyaki sauce before serving.

    The teriyaki sauce is on the healthier side as it's made with coconut aminos and honey, but you can use regular soy sauce and brown sugar as well. See below for easy substitutions.

    Ingredients

    Labeled ingredients used for teriyaki chicken.

    Substitutions

    CHICKEN BREAST – I use skinless chicken breasts, but you can use boneless/skinless skinless chicken thighs. 

    COCONUT AMINOS – To keep this both gluten free and soy free, I use coconut aminos. If not gluten/soy free, regular soy sauce or tamari can be used.  

    HONEY – You can omit to keep sugar free. You can also use pure maple syrup, coconut sugar (to make it vegan), or brown sugar. 

    GINGER AND GARLIC – The recipe calls for fresh ginger and fresh garlic, but if in a pinch, you can use ground ginger and garlic powder. See recipe card below for specific amounts. 

    TAPICOA STARCH – This is used to get the teriyaki sauce nice and thick. Arrowroot starch or corn starch can be used in its place.

    How to Make

    STEP 1: Make the teriyaki sauce. Add water, coconut aminos, honey, rice vinegar, garlic and ginger to a small saucepan and whisk to combine. Cook over medium heat until it starts to simmer.

    Meanwhile, whisk cold water and starch in a small dish. Once sauce starts to simmer, turn heat to low and whisk in starch mixture. Sauce should thicken right away. Continue to stir and cook on low for about one minute and remove from heat.

    Teriyaki sauce ingredients being whisked in sauce pan.
    Teriyaki sauce in a small saucepan.

    STEP 2: Place cut up chicken in a medium bowl and pour teriyaki sauce over chicken pieces. Mix chicken with teriyaki sauce to ensure all pieces are evenly coated.

    Cut up chicken pieces in a bowl with teriyaki sauce.

    STEP 3: Place chicken pieces in your air fryer basket. Ensure air fryer has been pre-heated to 380 degrees (if your air fryer requires pre-heating). Don’t overlap chicken, but its okay if all the pieces are touching.

    Air fry for 13-15 minutes, shaking basket half way through.

    Raw chicken coated with teriyaki sauce in air fryer basket.
    Cooked teriyaki chicken pieces in air fryer basket.

    Check your biggest piece of chicken and if it’s cooked through you know they are all done. They will remain juicy and flavorful even if slightly over cooked. If you want extra crispy, you can cook for a couple additional minutes. 

    Brush with additional teriyaki sauce if desired and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Now enjoy your air fryer teriyaki chicken!

    Close up of air fried teriyaki chicken pieces.

    FAQs

    Can I use store bought teriyaki sauce instead?

    Yes you can, but the thicker the sauce you use the better. You really want the sauce to adhere to the chicken that is why I like my homemade teriyaki as it’s nice and thick. 

    If you use store bought, I recommend brushing the chicken with the marinade when you mix the chicken half way through the cooking time.

    Can I store leftovers in the fridge?

    Yes, any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

    Does air fryer teriyaki chicken freeze well?

    Yep! Can be stored in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months.

    What air fryer to you use?

    I bought a pretty inexpensive air fryer last year by Instant Vortex and I think it works great! I've seen really good reviews for Philips air fryers, too.

    Teriyaki chicken pieces with brown rice on a white plate.

    Tips for Success

    Use tongs for adding the chicken pieces and taking the chicken out of the air fryer. 

    Lay chicken pieces out evenly in your air fryer basket – this ensures even distribution of heat. It’s okay if they are touching/squished when the first go in the air fryer – they will shrink as they cook.

    Reserve some teriyaki sauce. Before pouring sauce on chicken, set aside about ¼ cup to brush on top of chicken after it is done cooking for some extra flavor.

    For extra crispy chicken, you can continue to cook for a few additional minutes even after the chicken is cooked through.

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    I Love Hearing From You!

    If you make this recipe, please let me know what you think! I would so appreciate you leaving a star rating and/or comment below. And don't forget to share a photo on Instagram or Facebook and mention @CleanPlateMama!

    Eat Clean.Be Well!
    -Sara

    Pieces of air fried teriyaki chicken on a white plate.

    Air Fryer Teriyaki Chicken

    These air fryer teriyaki chicken bites are coated in flavorful homemade teriyaki sauce that is both gluten free and soy free. It's a healthy air fryer recipe that is easy and ready in 30 minutes.
    5 from 17 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Appetizer, dinner, Main Course
    Cuisine: American
    Diet: Gluten Free
    Prep Time: 12 minutes minutes
    Air Fry: 13 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 25 minutes minutes
    Servings: 4
    Author: Sara

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    Equipment

    • Air Fryer

    Ingredients

    • ½ cup + 2 tbsp. water, divided
    • ½ cup coconut aminos
    • 1 tbsp. honey (can omit if you want sugar free)
    • 1 tbsp. rice vinegar
    • 1 tsp. freshly grated ginger (or ¼ tsp. ground ginger)
    • 3 garlic cloves, pressed or minced (or ½ tsp. garlic powder)
    • 2 tbsp. tapioca starch
    • 2 lbs. chicken breasts, cut into roughly 1" cubes

    Instructions

    • In a small saucepan, whisk together ½ cup water, coconut aminos, honey, rice vinegar, ginger, and garlic. Bring to a low simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
    • Meanwhile, whisk together the remaining water (2 tablespoons) with the tapioca starch. This is your slurry which will thicken your sauce. Set aside.
    • After the sauce begins to simmer, turn heat to low and add in the slurry. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce is thick enough that it coats a spoon (this should only take 30 seconds to a minute).
    • If desired, reserve ¼ cup of sauce to brush on the chicken after frying. Then, place chicken pieces in a large mixing bowl and pour remaining sauce over chicken. Stir chicken and teriyaki so that all pieces are fully coated.
    • Using a tongs, place chicken pieces in bottom of your air fryer basket. It's okay if pieces are touching, but try not to overlap pieces.
    • Set timer for 13 minutes and cook at 380 degrees F (if your air fryer requires pre-heating, make sure it was preheated). Stir chicken, or shake basket half way through cooking time.
    • Cut one of your largest pieces of chicken in half to ensure it's cooked through. If needed, continue cooking in 1-2 minute intervals.
    • If you saved some teriyaki, brush chicken pieces with additional sauce before serving. Enjoy!

    Notes

    • The thicker the sauce the better - don't remove teriyaki sauce from heat before it's nice and thick. It should coat a spoon and resemble more of a caramel sauce type thickness. 
    • Try to make sure chicken pieces are about the same size for uniform cooking. 
    • For extra crispy chicken, you can continue to cook for a few additional minutes even after the chicken is cooked through.
    • I find it best to use a tongs for getting chicken in and out of air fryer basket. 
    Substitutions: Soy sauce can be used in place of coconut aminos. Brown sugar or coconut sugar can be used in place of the honey. And to thicken the sauce, corn starch can be used instead of tapioca starch/flour. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 300kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 48g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 145mg | Sodium: 268mg | Potassium: 857mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 68IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 17mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @CleanPlateMama or tag #CleanPlateMama!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Ana F.

      March 14, 2022 at 2:36 pm

      5 stars
      This teriyaki chicken cooked perfectly in the air fryer! I never thought about making it here before and I'm so glad I found your recipe. The flavors are so delicious too. Can't wait to make it again!

      Reply
      • Sara

        March 14, 2022 at 4:19 pm

        Thanks so much for letting me know. Glad you enjoyed it!

        Reply
    2. Heather

      March 14, 2022 at 2:43 pm

      5 stars
      This came together so quickly and loved that it was made in my air fryer! Served it with some rice and broccoli. Delicious!

      Reply
      • Sara

        March 14, 2022 at 4:19 pm

        Sounds amazing, thanks for sharing!

        Reply
    3. Andrea

      March 14, 2022 at 3:03 pm

      5 stars
      We love teriyaki chicken but not all the salt and sugar that's usually in it. Your homemade sauce sounds magnificent. I cant wait to make this.

      Reply
    4. Carrie Robinson

      March 14, 2022 at 3:34 pm

      5 stars
      I definitely don't use my air fryer enough! 🙂 I need to add this recipe to my weekly dinner plan soon.

      Reply
      • Sara

        March 14, 2022 at 4:18 pm

        Completely agree with you on that 🙂

        Reply
    5. MJ

      March 14, 2022 at 3:58 pm

      5 stars
      LOVE this teriyaki chicken! We had all of the ingredients on hand already, and it was so easy to make. Another yummy air fryer recipe!

      Reply
    5 from 17 votes (12 ratings without comment)

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    Hello and welcome! I'm so glad you stopped by. My name is Sara and I'm a clean foodie! I love cooking and baking family friendly foods using real/whole ingredients. I believe the food we eat plays a vital role in our overall health and that the best form of nutrition comes from high quality/whole foods, which is where my inspiration comes from. I hope you stay awhile and find some new favorite recipes.

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