Description
Making chicken, steak, pork chops, or salmon at home has never been easier with this 5-minute Hawaiian-style teriayki marinade recipe made from scratch! A treasured family recipe, my Mom’s teriyaki marinade is simple to make and boast bold flavor. For best results, pour the teriyaki sauce over your meat or veggies of choice, and let marinate for at least 6 hours or overnight.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 pounds meat or veggies of choice
- ¾ cup soy sauce (or tamari for gluten-free)
- ¼ cup water
- ⅓ cup packed dark brown sugar
- 3 cloves garlic, smashed
- 2 green onions, finely sliced
- 1 1-inch piece fresh ginger, sliced
Instructions
- Mix the teriyaki marinade: Add the soy sauce, water, and brown sugar to a bowl or jar. Whisk or shake to combine. Add the garlic, green onion, and ginger and stir to combine.
- Marinate: Pour the teriyaki sauce over your meat or veggies of choice. Marinate for at least 6 hours or up to overnight.
- Grill as desired. Enjoy!
Notes
- Teriyaki Marinade vs Teriyaki Sauce: As written, this recipe yields a loose teriyaki marinade. If you’d like to make teriyaki sauce for glazing or for dipping, all you have to do is thicken it up some. Combine the ingredients in a small saucepan. Whisking occasionally, bring it to a boil and let it simmer until it reduces slightly. Finish it by whisking in cornstarch slurry (1 tablespoon cornstarch whisked into water), which will tighten the teriyaki into a beautiful, thick and glossy sauce.
- Suggested marinade time: Marinating time will vary based on the type of protein you’d like to use. Having tested this teriyaki marinade on a variety of different proteins with a variety of different marinating times, here’s what we suggest:
- Seafood – At least 20 minutes and no more than 1 hour.
- Chicken and pork – At least 6 hours and up to 3 days for maximum flavor.
- Beef and lamb – At least 12 hours and up to 3 days for maximum flavor.
- Veggies – At least 20 minutes or up to 5 days.
- 10-Minute Meal Prep: If you’d like to marinate something beyond the suggested marinade times above but would like to do some meal prep, I suggest prepping the marinade in advance. Store it in a jar or an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days – the flavors meld together even more as the marinade sits. When you’re ready to start marinating (refer to the suggested marinating times above), simply give it the marinade a shake and pour it over whatever meat or veggies you’re using it on – easy!