This teriyaki chicken marinade comes together with just 4 ingredients and takes about 5 minutes to whisk together. Soy sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar, and garlic create a sticky glaze that caramelizes beautifully on the grill or in the oven. It works with chicken breasts or thighs and can be frozen in the marinade for an easy, make-ahead dinner.

Side angle close up shot of spooning brown sauce on top of sliced, grilled chicken topped with sliced green onions on top of white rice in a large white bowl.

5 star review

“I’m ashamed to admit that I had NO CLUE how easy and quick it is to make teriyaki sauce, but I’m so glad Robyn tackled this simple, staple recipe for us here! Easily whipped up with just a few accessible ingredients that I always have on hand, I’ll honestly never choose those vaguely synthetic tasting store-bought teriyaki sauces again. I often skip over sauce and marinade recipes that I can purchase bottled- but I won’t keep making this same mistake! Try this one, you’ll be so glad you did.”

– Jenny
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A Homemade Teriyaki Marinade That’s Perfect for Chicken

My secret to saving time in the kitchen and having delicious meals on hand is to throw chicken into a zip top bag with marinade and stow away in the freezer for another day. This strategy has significantly simplified my life as a healthy habits expert, and I find it especially helpful as part of my weekly protein meal prep! Packed with umami flavor, teriyaki chicken marinade is a new favorite to add to my marinade arsenal for effortless dinners especially because there’s no chopping and so few ingredients!

Featuring 4 easy-to-find and flavor-packed ingredients – soy sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar, and garlic – the marinade creates a sticky glaze when cooked that is irresistible. And side note, ginger would be a great addition here too! I just left it out for simplicity’s sake. The key to getting that delicious glaze is the brown sugar which also helps tenderize the meat and gives the chicken beautiful browning when it’s cooked

And if you’re baking in the oven, be mindful of pouring the extra marinade in the pan as it has a tendency burn around the edges. To make this easy main dish, simply whisk up all the marinade ingredients, add chicken to half of the marinade and either marinate for 30 minutes and grill or bake or throw it in the freezer right away for another time. And for a hands-off version of teriyaki chicken, my slow cooker teriyaki chicken uses similar flavors with almost no active cooking time.

Welcome to My Kitchen! Let’s Make an Easy Chicken Marinade

Jump to Recipe Instructions
Overhead shot of the following ingredients: raw chicken thighs, water, soy sauce, garlic cloves, brown sugar.
Gather ingredients.
Overhead shot of whisking a brown sauce in a glass bowl.
Whisk marinade ingredients.
Overhead shot of a glass bowl with brown sauce and a hand pouring water into a glass measuring cup of brown sauce.
Add water to half of marinade.
Overhead shot of pouring a brown sauce into a white baking dish filled with raw chicken thighs.
Pour marinade with water over chicken.
Overhead shot of a white baking dish with raw chicken thighs on top of a brown sauce.
Toss to coat & marinate.
Overhead shot of a wooden cutting board with grilled chicken thighs. Cutting board is surrounded by bowls of sliced green onion and sesame seeds.
Grill the chicken and allow to rest.
Overhead shot of a wooden cutting board with sliced, grilled chicken thighs and a jar with brown sauce. Cutting board is surrounded by bowls of sliced green onion and sesame seeds and a striped towel.
Slice chicken & serve with remaining sauce.
Close up overhead shot of a large white bowl with sliced, grilled chicken topped with sliced green onions on top of white rice. Bowl is surrounded by bowls of sesame seeds and sliced green onion, and a striped towel.
Add desired toppings.
Overhead shot of a wooden cutting board with sliced, grilled chicken thighs. Cutting board is surrounded by bowls of sliced green onion and sesame seeds.

Testing Notes for Easy Teriyaki Chicken

  • Rice vinegar stands in for mirin here. However, if you can find mirin, use the same amount in its place for a more traditional teriyaki sauce.
  • In testing I preferred reduced sodium soy sauce. The marinade uses a generous amount and regular soy sauce can make the final dish too salty.
  • Don’t reduce the brown sugar! It’s what creates the sticky glaze and helps the chicken caramelize, and cutting it will change both the texture and the color. However, my honey soy marinade is a great alternative when you want a similar sweet and savory profile with a little less sugar.
  • Chicken thighs hold up especially well to this marinade, as the higher fat content handles the strong flavors better than breasts and stays juicier on the grill.
Overhead shot of a large white bowl with sliced, grilled chicken topped with sliced green onions on top of white rice. Bowl is surrounded by bowls of sesame seeds, sliced green onion, and brown sauce, and a striped towel.
Side angle close up shot of spooning brown sauce on top of sliced, grilled chicken topped with sliced green onions on top of white rice in a large white bowl.
4.80 stars (5 ratings)

Easy Teriyaki Chicken Marinade (for Grilling and Oven)

Developed and tested by A woman with long blonde hair, smiling, holds and pours a bottle of oil in a modern kitchen setting.Robyn Conley Downs
Servings: 8 servings
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Marinade Time: 30 minutes
Total: 45 minutes
An easy teriyaki chicken marinade made with just 4 ingredients. Ready in 5 minutes, perfect for grilling or baking, and can be frozen ahead for future meals.
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Ingredients

  • ⅓ cup reduced sodium soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • ⅓ cup packed brown sugar
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs (or breasts)

Equipment

Instructions 

Prepare the Marinade

  • Whisk the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, and garlic in a small bowl until the sugar is completely dissolved.

Grilling Instructions

  • Pour half of the marinade along with 2 tablespoons of water and the chicken into a 1-gallon zip-top bag or baking dish. Set the remaining half of the marinade aside.
  • Toss the chicken to coat, then press as much air out of the bag (if using) as possible, or cover with plastic wrap (if using a baking dish). Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 60 minutes, flipping every 15 minutes.
  • When ready to grill, heat a grill to medium high. Allow to preheat for 15 minutes. Remove the chicken from the marinade, shake off any excess, and discard any remaining marinade from the bag or dish.
  • Grill, with the cover down, until chicken thighs register 170F or chicken breasts register 165F.
  • Remove to a cutting board and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Slice against the grain into ½ inch slices, and serve drizzled with reserved marinade.

Oven Baked Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 425°F. Set aside half of the marinade, then add the chicken and the remaining marinade into a small baking dish. If you have a large baking dish or rimmed sheet pan, omit the marinade as it will spread and possibly burn.
  • Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until or until chicken thighs register 170F or chicken breasts register 165F.
  • Optional: If you want a dark, caramelized color you can run the chicken under the broiler for 2-3 minutes at the end of the baking time.
    • You'll need to use a broiler safe pan and watch the chicken carefully, as it will burn exceptionally easily.
  • Remove to a cutting board and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Slice against the grain into ½ inch slices and serve, drizzled with reserved marinade.

Notes

  • If oven baking, note that the color and caramelization will not match the photos, which show the chicken grilled. For a closer match to the photos, use the optional broiling step included in the instructions.
  • Freeze the chicken and marinade together in a zip-top bag for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight and cook right away for one of the easiest make-ahead dinner shortcuts.
  • Marinade makes a little more than ½ cup.
  • Use tamari in place of soy sauce for gluten-free.
Course: dinner, Main Course, Marinade
Cuisine: American, Asian, Japanese

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 1 (of 8), Calories: 172kcal, Carbohydrates: 10g, Protein: 25g, Fat: 3g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 73mg, Sodium: 417mg, Potassium: 472mg, Sugar: 9g, Vitamin A: 34IU, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 18mg, Iron: 1mg
Nutrition disclaimer
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