This teriyaki marinade recipe is both sweet and savory, perfect for marinating boneless chicken breasts, pork tenderloin, shrimp, tofu or my favorite - beef tenderloin! Tenderizing the meat with brown sugar, soy sauce, garlic and ginger it glazes the meat adding great flavor.
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❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
What is your favorite cut of steak? When my folks visit often times I will go to Costco and get a whole beef tenderloin. It takes a bit of time to properly trim off the fat and silver skin, but what you're left with are several amazing filet mignon steaks!
A teriyaki marinade recipe is the perfect flavoring for that steak! This one is easy to make and delicious. In fact, I promise after making this you'll never buy store-bought sauce again!
🗒️ Ingredients
Teriyaki marinade recipe has only a handful of ingredients👇
- low sodium soy sauce - I prefer low sodium, but you can certainly use regular.
- brown sugar - light or dark, both are delicious!
- fresh ginger root and garlic - both grated.
- sesame seed oil - for its nutty toasted seasoning.
- green onions - for light oniony flavor.
You probably even have these marinade ingredients in your pantry!
🔪 Instructions
Making this marinade is so simple and it's hard to believe it could be so delicious!
- Add the soy sauce.
- Next is the brown sugar.
- Now add the ginger.
- Pour in the sesame oil.
- Add the green onion.
- Finish with the ginger. Mix to combine.
- The finished teriyaki marinade recipe.
- Add your protein.
- Grill and enjoy!
See, super simple huh? This is the best - the easiest too! No matter what you are grilling. Take the 5 minutes and make this recipe. You'll never buy store-bought again!
🙋♀️ FAQ's
The difference is the thickness of the sauce. A marinade is meant to slowly absorb into the protein and a sauce is used on the finished meal.
If you want a thick sauce, make a slurry with cornstarch - about 1 tablespoon cold water with 1 tablespoon cornstarch. Stir until smooth add to the sauce and bring to a boil. It thickens quickly!
Teriyaki is full of ingredients and flavor, the result is a saucy sheen - hibachi uses just soy sauce for flavoring.
This is a great sauce for beef, pork, chicken or shrimp - even tofu!
Beef, pork and chicken should marinade for at least an hour or two. What's even better is overnight.
Shrimp or tofu need only 20-30 minutes!
No, I don't recommend reusing the marinade. I know you're going to hate doing that, but it's just not recommend to reuse it.
👍 Tips
This is going to sound silly, but my best tip for tasty teriyaki marinade is to make your own! This recipe is so simple - five minutes prep and you're done.
Variations
- Spice it up by adding Sriracha.
- Lemon or lime adds a nice citrus flavor
- Sesame seeds with drive that toasted sesame oil flavor home!
- No soy sauce? Use mirin, it's a little sweeter but it's a great substitution.
We usually have an audience when we grill and last night was no different!
Max carefully supervised to make sure Dan got it just right! All joking aside, my hubby is an amazing grill master - he prefers old fashioned charcoal grill for that smokey flavor!
Serving suggestions
This homemade teriyaki marinade is terrific on beef - steak, flank steak and pork chops. It is a great chicken marinade! I've yet to try it on scallops, but I bet it would be fantastic!
When I use marinade this on steak, I always serve a loaded baked potato, I just love that combination! A macaroni pasta salad would be super amazing as well!
Pan roasted vegetables or roasted carrots are great options for tasty side dishes!
Related recipes
- Teriyaki Noodle Recipe - these are super tasty! Easy to make and great as a meal or perfect for a side salad. YUMMY! If you haven't tried this recipe yet, today's the day!
- Teriyaki Chicken Kabobs - MAN these are good! Easy and delicious - another favorite I think you're going to love!
- or be sure to try this Teriyaki Chicken Bowl - the seasoning is AMAZING! It's one of my most popular recipes!
Love this recipe? Please leave a comment with a five-star rating below, or pop me a note.
I love hearing from you! If you make this, be sure to tag me on Instagram @bowl_me_over or just hashtag me! #bowlmeover - I can't wait to see your photos!!!
Teriyaki Marinade
Ingredients
- 2 cups low sodium soy sauce
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- 2 inch ginger root grated
- 2 cloves garlic grated or minced
- ¼ cup sesame seed oil
- 1 bunch green onions chopped (green and white parts)
Instructions
- Add the soy sauce and brown sugar to a plastic bag or bowl.
- Grate the fresh ginger. Pour in the sesame oil and grated ginger.
- Thinly slice the onions, add them next with the minced garlic.
- Mix to combine and add your protein. Marinade 2-3 pounds of steak or chicken about 2 hours, turning occasionally. If using shrimp or tofu, reduce marinade time to 20-30 minutes. Grill & enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Spice it up by adding Sriracha, red chilis or crush red pepper flakes.
- Lemon or lime adds a nice citrus flavor
- Sesame seeds will add even more toasty goodness!
- No soy sauce? Use mirin, it's a little sweeter but it's a great substitution.
Nutrition
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Don't worry, we'll never share your email.First published: May14, 2019 - Last updated May 27, 2021
