Honey Soy Marinade (for Chicken)
Developed and tested by Robyn Conley Downs
on Sep 11, 2023 (last updated Apr 9, 2026) 
This simple honey soy marinade comes together in just 5-minutes with 4-ingredients and works for chicken breasts or thighs. The combination of honey, soy sauce, garlic, and lime creates a sweet, savory glaze that caramelizes beautifully on the grill or in the oven.
A Simple Honey Soy Chicken Marinade with Garlic
As a habits expert, I’m a huge fan of simple chicken marinades that can take a simple protein from bland and borning to something delicious and interesting with minimal time and effort. Without a lot of work and in just a few minutes, you can whip up this soy sauce honey marinade that tenderizes and infuses meat (especially chicken) or vegetables with flavor, or use it as a sauce on already cooked meat, vegetables, or bowls to give them a boost.
This honey soy garlic marinade is a the perfect marinade and sauce to have on hand for any meal, because it uses only 4 ingredients, and can take anything from rotisserie chicken to some vegetables from a boring, basic dinner to something really tasty without a lot of effort. The ingredients may look simple but don’t let that fool you! We may be using just 4 ingredients, but these pantry ingredients make a delicious marinade that’s bursting with sweet, salty, and umami flavors. Trust me, the soy sauce honey flavor combo is hard to beat.
And if I’m not using it as a marinade I’m leaning on it in this go-so slow cooker honey soy chicken. On that note, my teriyaki chicken marinade is another quick option when you want a similar Asian-inspired flavor with a slightly different profile. I hope you’ll add this easy soy sauce marinade to your arsenal of super simple and minimal ingredient marinades along for easy and delicious meals in no time!
Welcome to My Kitchen, Let’s Make 4-Ingredient Honey Soy Marinade
Testing Notes for Honey Soy Chicken Marinade
- This recipe requires no chopping (yay), so all you just need a garlic press.
- Since there are only 4 ingredients, I highly recommend using fresh garlic. I tried garlic powder and found that the flavor just didn’t have the impact I was looking for.
- Instead of soy sauce, you can use gluten free tamari. If you can’t do soy, you can substitute coconut aminos, but know that it will be sweeter, since coconut aminos are sweeter than soy sauce. You might also need to adjust the salt up, since coconut aminos are less salty than soy sauce.
- This is a marinade or sauce that’s great to have on hand in the fridge for any meal! You can make it in advance and store it in the fridge for up to 5 days. Allow to come to room temperature before using.
- This is such a versatile marinade! It’s an easy soy sauce marinade for steak, quick marinade or drizzle sauce for shrimp and salmon, or for a hearty vegetarian main dish, try it with portobello mushrooms.
Honey Soy Marinade (for Chicken)
Ingredients
For the Honey Soy Marinade
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup honey
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
For Honey Soy Chicken
- 2 pounds boneless chicken breasts or thighs
Equipment
- Grill pan optional
- Baking Sheet optional
Instructions
Make the Marinade
- Whisk the soy sauce, honey, garlic, and lime juice together in a medium bowl until well combined.
- Use immediately or store, covered, refrigerated for up to 5 days.
For Honey Soy Chicken
- Set aside ¼ cup (half) of the marinade.
- Add the remaining ¼ cup of marinade to a large baking dish or 1-gallon zip-top bag. Toss the chicken in the marinade to coat, then press as much air out of the bag (if using) as possible, or cover (if using a baking dish).
- Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 4 hours, flipping halfway through.
Grilling Instructions
- When ready to grill, heat a gas grill to high. Allow to preheat, then remove the chicken from the marinade, shake off any excess, and discard any remaining marinade from the bag or dish.
- Chicken Breasts: Grill with the cover down for 6-8 minutes, then flip and grill uncovered until the internal temperature reaches 165F, about 3-5 additional minutes.
- Chicken Thighs: Grill with the cover down for 5-7 minutes, then flip and grill uncovered until the internal temperature reaches 165F, about 4-6 additional minutes.
- Remove to a cutting board and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Drizzle with the reserved ¼ cup of marinade. Slice against the grain into ½ inch slices and serve.
Oven Baking Instructions
- Chicken Breasts: Preheat the oven to 425F. Remove the chicken from the marinade and discard any remaining marinade. Add the chicken breasts to a foil or parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165F.
- Chicken Thighs: Preheat the oven to 425F. Remove the chicken from the marinade and discard any remaining marinade. Add the chicken thighs to a foil or parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165F.
- Remove to a cutting board and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Drizzle with the reserved ¼ cup of marinade. Slice against the grain into ½ inch slices and serve.
Notes
- Gluten-Free: Use tamari in place of soy sauce.
How do you mince honey?
Thanks for the catch, that “minced” goes with the garlic, not the honey. I’ve updated the instructions.