Hawaiian Teriyaki Chicken (Air Fryer Recipe) - So Juicy!

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Of the many ways to make Hawaiian Teriyaki Chicken, using an air fryer has to be one of the easiest and most tasty methods.  The results are juicy and succulent chicken with perfectly glazed skin.  I’m not exaggerating when I say "So Juicy!" Just look at the pic!

Which Cut of Chicken Works Best for the Air Fryer?

For this Hawaiian Teriyaki Chicken recipe, I use skin-on, boneless chicken thighs. You can use drumsticks, wings, or even breast meat.

Anything with the skin on will work. The skin holds in a lot of moisture when air frying. Plus, it provides a great texture and gives the Hawaiian Teriyaki Sauce something to hold on to.

Keep in mind that your cook time will vary depending on which cut of chicken you use.  The cook time in this recipe is based on medium-sized, boneless chicken thighs.

How to Make Hawaiian Teriyaki Sauce

You can make the Hawaiian Teriyaki Sauce ahead of time. In a small saucepan, whisk together all the sauce ingredients and simmer until it reduces by about half.

The sauce will thicken into a glaze and resemble teriyaki sauce. This will take roughly 5-10 minutes. This Hawaiian Teriyaki Sauce recipe is one you'll want to double up on to have extra on hand.

I love to air fry chicken wings, salmon, or tofu. Slather on some of this Hawaiian Teriyaki Sauce and dinner is ready in less than 20 minutes! It makes weeknight dinners a cinch and it's way tastier and healthier than store-bought sauce.

Once the teriyaki sauce has cooled to room temperature, you can store it in the refrigerator for up to one week. It can also be stored in the freezer for several months. Freeze individual portions in ice cube trays to make thawing a breeze.

How to Air Fry Hawaiian Teriyaki Chicken

Combine the chicken thighs, soy sauce and mirin in a bowl or a large food storage bag. Massage the marinade into the chicken and let it marinate overnight.

When you're ready to air fry, remove the chicken thighs from the marinade and place them in the air fryer. Arrange them in a single layer, skin side up. Set the temperature to 350°F and air fry for 10 minutes.

Turn the chicken thighs skin side down and air fry for another 5 minutes or so until the internal temperature of the thickest portion reaches 165°F. Brush a generous coating of the Hawaiian Teriyaki Sauce you previously made on both sides of the chicken thighs.

With the skin side up, air fry for another 3-5 minutes at 325°F until the sauce begins to thicken and caramelize. During the final air fry, keep a very close eye on the chicken.

The teriyaki sauce contains a lot of sugars and will go from perfectly caramelized to burnt in an instant. Remove the chicken from the air fryer as soon as the sauce is thick and sticky.

Let the chicken rest for 5-10 minutes. Slice and serve with steamed rice and a side of Hawaiian Teriyaki Sauce.

If you like our Air Fryer Hawaiian Teriyaki Chicken, you might like our Chicken Teriyaki Don recipe that features super crispy skin and a lighter teriyaki sauce.

Common Problems When Air Frying Hawaiian Teriyaki Chicken

One of the most common ways this simple dish can become a disaster is by marinating the chicken with Hawaiian Teriyaki Sauce.  There's too much sugar in the teriyaki sauce, which would burn before the chicken is cooked through. 

A light marinade in soy sauce and mirin will keep the chicken from charring. The mirin does have some sugar in it but not enough to cause it to burn.

Another tip for making the perfect Hawaiian Teriyaki Chicken in an air fryer is to use a moderate temperature.  I know the first thought when using an air fryer is to set the temperature as high as possible.

I've done that before! The idea being to speed up the cooking process and to brown the skin. 

Since we're using chicken thighs, the cook time will be around 15-20 minutes.  That's plenty of time to brown the skin while ensuring the chicken is cooked through to a safe internal temperature.