Make an easy homemade teriyaki marinade in five minutes. This Asian-inspired sauce adds flavor and helps tenderize chicken, steak, pork, or seafood before cooking.
There’s no need to buy bottled teriyaki when it’s so simple to make at home. With just a few pantry staples you can whisk up a bright, balanced marinade that works for many proteins—perfect for saving a trip to the store.
Why Marinate?
Marinating is an easy way to infuse meat with flavor and help tenderize it. A good marinade coats and penetrates the surface so the taste carries through during cooking. This recipe is a longtime favorite and is especially delicious on chicken, but it also shines on steak, pork, or seafood.
Scroll down for the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.
Quick Ingredients and Prep
You’ll need a medium mixing bowl, a whisk, and seven ingredients (including water). Combine all ingredients in the bowl and whisk until the honey dissolves and everything is well blended. The simple ingredient list keeps the flavor bright and clean.
Ingredients: low-sodium soy sauce, honey, brown sugar, garlic, fresh ginger, apple cider vinegar, and water.
Marinating Chicken
This batch makes enough to coat four large chicken breasts. You can easily double or halve the recipe depending on how much meat you’re preparing.
Put the mixed marinade into a resealable bag or a lidded container. Add fresh or thawed chicken (or other meat), seal, and press the bag or turn the pieces in the container so each piece is well coated.
Marinating Time
Refrigerate the sealed bag or container while the meat marinates. Follow your main recipe for specific marinating times; as a guideline, allow at least 30 minutes for good flavor penetration. When ready to cook, remove the meat, let excess liquid drain, and discard any marinade that contacted raw meat.
Tip: If grilling, reserve a few tablespoons of the marinade before adding the raw meat. Use the reserved portion to brush on the chicken or steak while grilling to keep it moist and build a glaze.
Cooking the Marinated Meat
Marinated meat can be cooked a variety of ways: grilled over hot coals, cooked on a cast-iron grill indoors, seared on an electric grill, baked, or broiled. The teriyaki flavor will come through regardless of method—choose the cooking style that suits your equipment and weather.
This marinade enhances the natural flavors of your chosen protein and is flexible enough to adapt to your preferences. I hope you enjoy making and using it as much as I do.
Thank you for reading. I invite you to return for more family-friendly recipes.
Printable Recipe Card
Make easy homemade teriyaki marinade in 5 minutes. This Asian-inspired sauce flavors and tenderizes chicken, steak, pork, and seafood before cooking.
- ⅓ cup soy sauce (low sodium, preferably)
- 2 Tablespoons water
- 2 Tablespoons honey
- 1 Tablespoon brown sugar (light or dark)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, finely grated
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- Measure the soy sauce, honey, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, apple cider vinegar, and water into a medium mixing bowl. Whisk until the honey dissolves and the mixture is smooth.
- If grilling, reserve a few tablespoons of marinade before adding raw meat. Use the reserved portion to brush the meat while cooking.
- Pour the remaining marinade into a resealable bag or lidded container. Add fresh or thawed meat, seal, and turn or press to coat thoroughly. Refrigerate and marinate according to your recipe; at minimum, marinate 30 minutes for best flavor. Discard any marinade that has contacted raw meat.
- Cook the marinated meat as desired—grill, broil, bake, or pan-sear—and enjoy.
The calorie calculation covers the entire batch, which is enough to coat four chicken breasts.
