When I’m in the mood for a Japanese-inspired meal, I always make a batch of this teriyaki chicken marinade. Made with pantry like staples soy sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar, and a few other key ingredients, this teriyaki marinade for chicken has a wonderfully sweet and savory flavor. It’s simple to throw together and leads to the most delicious dish!
Chicken Teriyaki Marinade Recipe
I love ordering chicken teriyaki takeout, but this easy teriyaki chicken marinade has changed the game for me. I slathered a bit of this on some juicy chicken breasts and chucked them on the grill, and oh my goodness, was it good! I cooked down the leftover marinade into a sauce that I’ll be slathering on everything for the foreseeable future.
It just takes 8 ingredients to make this marinade from scratch. Soy sauce, brown sugar, sweet chili sauce, sesame oil, honey, apple cider vinegar, garlic powder, and ginger combine to create that classic takeout flavor I crave. It’s sweet, savory, and perfectly-balanced. Just grab some cornstarch if you want to thicken this teriyaki marinade into a sauce!
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How to Store and Reheat
I recommend discarding any leftover teriyaki chicken marinade immediately if you’re not planning to turn it into a serving sauce, since it will have been contaminated with raw chicken juices.
Any leftover cooked sauce will keep for up to 5 days in the refrigerator, though, and the cooked chicken will keep for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave or oven.
Notes and Tips
- Let your chicken marinate for more than 1 hour if you have the extra time. You can even let it marinate overnight to really soak in that flavor.
- Add 1 tablespoon of sriracha to the marinade to spice things up!
- Cook your teriyaki marinated chicken on the grill if you want to get that smokey flavor with each bite.
Top Reader Review
“This recipe is the best teriyaki chicken I have ever eaten!!” -Aaron B Cayton
Chicken Teriyaki Marinade Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- ½ cup soy sauce
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar
- ¼ cup sweet chili sauce
- ¼ cup toasted sesame seed oil
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
To thicken the sauce:
- ¼ cup water
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
Also needed:
- Oil for the grill
Instructions
- Place chicken in a Ziploc bag or container.4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- In a medium bowl, whisk together all ingredients (except for the water and cornstarch).½ cup soy sauce, ⅓ cup light brown sugar, ¼ cup sweet chili sauce, ¼ cup toasted sesame seed oil, ¼ cup apple cider vinegar, 2 tablespoons honey, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- Reserve ½ cup of the marinade mixture and set aside.
- Pour remaining marinade over prepared chicken breasts.
- Seal bag or cover container and refrigerate for 1 hour to marinate.
- Preheat grill to 375℉ then brush grill grates.Oil for the grill
- Grill marinated chicken breasts 7 minutes on each side, or until internal temperature reaches 165℉.
- While chicken is grilling, combine water and cornstarch in a sauce pan over medium low heat, then add the reserved marinade. Simmer until it begins to thicken.¼ cup water, 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- Brush thickened sauce over chicken as it finishes grilling.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- To make this on the stovetop: In a large pan, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. Place marinated chicken breasts in the hot pan then cook for 3 minutes. Turn the chicken breasts, reduce the temperature to medium, and cover. Cook an additional 5 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 165°F. Add reserved marinade and cook until it begins to thicken.
How to Make Marinated Teriyaki Chicken Step by Step
Combine Ingredients: To a medium bowl, add ½ cup of soy sauce, ⅓ cup of light brown sugar, ¼ cup of sweet chili sauce, ¼ cup of toasted sesame seed oil, ¼ cup of apple cider vinegar, 2 tablespoons of honey, 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, and ½ teaspoon of ground ginger.
Whisk: Whisk ingredients together until fully combined. (If you’d like to make a teriyaki sauce in addition to the marinade, reserve about ½ cup cup to cook down with ¼ cup of water and 2 teaspoons of cornstarch.)
Marinate: Place chicken in a large baking dish or resealable bag. Pour the teriyaki marinade over the chicken, cover or seal, and refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
Cook: To grill the marinated chicken, follow the instructions in the recipe card. You can also use this marinade for chicken and bake it in the oven, or use your preferred cooking method.
Why does this say teriyaki marinade and it has no teriyaki in it?
You’re making it!
This recipe is the best teriyaki chicken I have ever eaten!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks so much for stopping by, Aaron!