This easy teriyaki marinade recipe adds the perfect blend of sweet and savory flavors to chicken, pork, or beef. It's really easy to make in 5 minutes with pantry staples. You can even turn it into a luscious glaze for baked teriyaki chicken, stir fry sauce, or dipping sauce.
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Homemade teriyaki marinade adds TONS of flavor to baked or grilled chicken, beef, or pork.
And it's really easy to make with very little prep time and simple pantry staple ingredients.
It makes a great chicken teriyaki marinade for our favorite air fryer teriyaki boneless chicken thighs and oven baked teriyaki chicken thighs. It's also the perfect marinade for teriyaki steak, pork tenderloin, and vegetables.
BONUS! Turn this marinade into an easy homemade teriyaki sauce recipe with just 2 ingredients (one of them is water!).
This luscious sauce has such rich, delicious flavor, you may never buy store-bought teriyaki sauce again. And you'll want to put it on everything!
Baked boneless skinless chicken breasts, pork chops, salmon, chicken wings, stir fries -- everything.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
Easy recipe with great flavor and simple ingredients
Flavorful, easy marinade to add teriyaki flavor all your favorite meats, poultry, and vegetables
Versatile recipe you can use as a marinade, or turn into a glaze and dipping sauce
About Teriyaki Sauce
Did you know the word "teriyaki" refers to a Japanese method of cooking that's been around since the 17th century -- and not a sauce? It comes from the words "teri" meaning luster and "yaki" meaning grill or broil. Traditional Japanese recipes prepared in the "teriyaki" style are grilled or broiled with a glossy glaze made from soy sauce, sake, mirin, and sugar.
Teriyaki-inspired sauces, like the one in this recipe, are thought to have been created in Hawaii around the 1920s or 30s, where sugar was used instead of mirin and other ingredients like ginger, green onions, and garlic were added. Other versions of teriyaki-like sauces can be found with ingredients such as pineapple juice, rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar, sesame oil, and red pepper flakes.
Ingredients
Please refer to the recipe card for the complete list and quantities of marinade ingredients.
Low-sodium soy sauce. I use low sodium soy sauce, which is still plenty salty and flavorful. You can also use regular soy sauce.
Honey. Adjust the flavor of your teriyaki marinade with different types of honey. For milder flavor, choose lighter colored honey. For bolder flavor, go with a darker colored honey. Read this article to learn more about different types of honey and their flavors.
Rice vinegar. Rice vinegar, aka rice wine vinegar, is made from fermented rice wine, has a mild flavor, and is less acidic than most other types of vinegar.
Variations & Substitutions
Sweetness. Adjust the level of sweetness of your teriyaki marinade by using more or less honey or brown sugar. You can also use white sugar.
Spiciness. Add a pinch of red pepper flakes for a spicy kick.
Rice vinegar. You can use apple cider vinegar as a substitute for rice vinegar.
Fresh ginger. To substitute fresh grated ginger for ground ginger, use 1-2 tablespoons, to taste.
Fresh garlic. One clove of garlic adds a little pungency. It isn't a traditional ingredient, and you can skip it if you don't have it. I didn't care for garlic powder as a substitute, but if you think you might like it, use ⅛ teaspoon.
How to Make the Perfect Teriyaki Marinade
- Combine soy sauce, brown sugar, honey, water, rice vinegar, ginger, and garlic together in a small bowl. Stir until the sugar and honey have completely dissolved.
- To use the marinade, place ½ cup of marinade per 1-2 pounds of chicken, beef, pork, or vegetables in a ziptop bag or covered bowl in the refrigerator.
- Marinate meats and poultry for at least 15-30 minutes, up to 24 hours.
- Marinate soft vegetables for 10-15 minutes and heartier vegetables up to an hour.
- Use enough marinade to cover the cover the food or occasionally turn it over in the marinade.
- Discard marinade after it has been used.
- Store the rest of the unused marinade in a sealed jar in the refrigerator for later use.
To turn marinade into homemade teriyaki sauce, click this link or keep reading!
To Make Delicious Teriyaki Sauce
- Bring the mixture to a boil in a small saucepan over medium to medium-high heat.
- Make a cornstarch slurry by stirring together cornstarch and cold water in a small bowl. Use 1 teaspoon each per ½-3/4 cup of marinade or 2 teaspoons each for the full recipe.
- When the soy sauce mixture comes to a boil, add the slurry to the saucepan, stir, and reduce the heat to low.
- Simmer and stir for 10-12 minutes or until the thickened sauce has reduced by about ⅓.
Click here to get the full list of directions and tips!
Use as a glaze for grilled or roasted meats -- sprinkle with sesame seeds to add a little crunch and nutty flavor.
It's also a delicious sauce for stir fries, rice bowls, or roasted vegetables, or a dipping sauce for chicken wings, egg rolls, and other appetizers.
This recipe yields about 1 ¼ cup marinade or ¾ cup teriyaki sauce.
Storage
Store teriyaki marinade and honey teriyaki sauce in an air-tight container or mason jar in the refrigerator for up to one week.
How to Use Teriyaki Marinade
You can use teriyaki marinade for chicken, beef, pork, vegetables, and more before grilling, broiling, or roasting.
- Boneless chicken breasts or boneless skinless chicken thighs
- Bone-in skin-on chicken thighs or chicken breasts
- Pork tenderloin
- Pork chops
- Steaks
- Vegetables
- Meat substitutes
Marinate chicken, beef, pork, or lamb for at least 15-30 minutes, up to 24 hours.
Marinate soft vegetables for 10-15 minutes and harder vegetables for 30-60 minutes.
Success Tips
24 hours is the maximum amount of time for marinating meat or poultry. Any longer and the meat can become mushy.
Adjust the level of sweetness by adjusting the amount of honey or brown sugar up or down.
To avoid cross contamination, do not use the same sauce, marinade, bowl, or utensils for uncooked and cooked poultry or meat.
FAQs
To make homemade teriyaki marinade, simply mix together soy sauce, brown sugar, honey, water, rice vinegar, ground ginger, and minced garlic in a bowl. Place your desired meat or vegetables and marinade in a ziptop bag or airtight container and marinate in the refrigerator.
Yes, you can use honey in homemade teriyaki marinade. For mild flavor, choose light colored honey. Use darker colored honey for bolder flavor.
For best results, marinate meat in homemade teriyaki marinade for at least 15 minutes and no longer than overnight.
Marinate soft vegetables for 10-15 minutes and harder vegetables for 30-60 minutes.
Stuff I Use
One 16 oz. mason jar is the perfect size to store one batch of homemade teriyaki marinade.
When I can't be bothered to chop garlic, I use my OXO garlic press.
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The BEST Teriyaki Marinade
Ingredients
- ½ cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup honey
- ¼ cup water
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 clove minced garlic
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Stir until the sugar and honey have completely dissolved.
- Use ½ cup of marinade per 1-2 pounds of meat or vegetables. Use enough marinade to cover the cover the food or occasionally turn it over in the marinade. Place marinade and food to be marinated in a ziptop bag or covered dish in the refrigerator. Marinate chicken, beef, pork, or lamb for at least 15-30 minutes, up to 24 hours. Marinate soft vegetables for 10-15 minutes and harder vegetables for 30-60 minutes. Discard marinade after use.
- Store unused marinade in a covered jar or airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.
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