Try our fantastic Easy Teriyaki Marinade for all your cooking needs! This marinade is the perfect way to infuse teriyaki flavor into your favorite foods. This mixture works perfectly on all types of proteins, and vegetables. We’ve used this marinade for years and we’ve even used it on beef jerky! The plus side is that you can double the recipe and make a serving sauce too! Simmer it in a saucepan and drizzle on top of grilled or baked foods.
Why Use a Teriyaki Marinade?
This is a great marinade to use if you’re looking for a sweet, umami flavor for your grilled or baked proteins. You will need to have a few key ingredients to make this marinade. First, is soy sauce. This is an excellent source of savory, umami flavor. Next up, is sugar, Unlike other teriyaki recipes, we use dark brown sugar instead of white sugar. Dark brown sugar contains molasses which adds a caramel flavor to the marinade. You will also need Worcestershire sauce and white vinegar. Both are easily found at most grocery stores! See below for the full list of ingredients.
Easy Teriyaki Marinade Ingredients:
- Soy sauce
- Dark brown sugar
- Distilled white vinegar
- Vegetable oil
- Worcestershire sauce
- Fresh ginger
- Onion powder
- Garlic powder (or 2 cloves minced garlic)
- Green onions (optional)
How to Make an Easy Teriyaki Marinade:
- Combine all marinade ingredients into a medium bowl.
- Gently whisk the ingredients.
- Allow the mixture to sit for 5-10 minutes, until sugar has dissolved. Whisk through once more before using.
- Use immediately or store in an airtight container in the fridge for 5 days.
- This recipe makes 1 1/4 cups of marinade, or enough for 2 1/2 pound of meat.
Marinating Times:
- Beef, Pork, and Lamb: 4-12 hours.
- Chicken and Poultry: 4-8 hours.
- Fish, Seafood, Vegetables, and Meat Substitutes: 1-2 hours.
- Bake or grill meats, fish and vegetables as directed.
Making Teriyaki Sauce:
- Did you know you can turn this marinade into a teriyaki sauce? It’s easy and requires a little cornstarch and a saucepan! Follow the steps below to convert this easy teriyaki marinade into a delicious silky teriyaki sauce!
- Place marinade ingredients into a small saucepan.
- Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat as needed.
- Simmer for 5 minutes. If the sauce is not thick enough, thicken with cornstarch.
- Dissolve 2 teaspoons of cornstarch in 1 tablespoon of water.
- Increase your stovetop heat to medium-high and whisk in the cornstarch slurry.
- Let the teriyaki sauce simmer for 30 seconds to activate the cornstarch.
- The mixture will be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
- Remove saucepan from heat, cover, and keep warm until ready to use.
- Store sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 5 days.
Easy Teriyaki Marinade
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1/2 cup water
- 6 tablespoons dark brown sugar, packed (1/4 cup, plus 2 tablespoons)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (or 2 cloves minced garlic)
Instructions
- Combine all marinade ingredients into a medium bowl. Gently whisk ingredients. Allow the mixture sit for 10 minutes until sugar is completely dissolved. Whisk through once more before using.Use marinade immediately or store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days.Recipe makes 1 1/4 cups of marinade.
- Marinating times: Beef, pork, and lamb for 4-12 hours. Chicken and other poultry for 4-8 hours. Fish, seafood, vegetables and meat substitutes for 1-2 hours.
- How to make the sauce: Place marinade ingredients into a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Stir occasionally and watch for burning. Reduce the heat as needed. Let the mixture simmer for 5 minutes. If the mixture is too runny, thicken with a cornstarch solution.Dissolve 2 teaspoons of cornstarch in 1 tablespoon of water.Turn the heat up on your stove to medium-high and whisk in the cornstarch slurry.Let the teriyaki sauce simmer for 30 seconds to activate the cornstarch.The mixture will be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.Remove saucepan from heat, cover, and keep warm until ready to use.
