Asian Chicken Marinade for Grilling and Baking

This Asian Chicken Marinade is an easy way to add bold, sweet and savory flavor to your chicken using simple pantry ingredients. It’s perfect for grilling, baking, or meal prep and works with chicken breasts, thighs, or drumsticks.

We use this marinade often because it’s quick to mix together and makes even basic chicken taste amazing.

Grilled Chicken marinated in Asian Chicken Marinade stacked on a plate topped with chopped green onions and sesame seeds.

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I love using marinades on my easy grilled chicken recipes. My family loves the Asian flavors that is combined with the simple spices and sauces to make this marinade.

If you are looking to change up your chicken recipe, use this marinade. You may even love this Grilled Sticky Chicken Breasts Recipe or Pineapple Steak Marinade.

Quick Glance at this Recipe

Easy Asian chicken marinade with pantry ingredients
Sweet and savory flavor Works for grilling, baking, or stir fry
Marinate in as little as 1 hour
Great for meal prep and freezer-friendly

Ingredients

Low Sodium Soy Sauce – This gives the marinade its salty, savory flavor without making the chicken too salty. You can also use tamari or coconut aminos if needed.
Dark Brown Sugar – Adds sweetness and helps balance the soy sauce and vinegar. It also helps the chicken caramelize as it cooks.
Vegetable Oil – Helps coat the chicken and keeps it moist while grilling or baking. Any neutral oil will work.
Minced Garlic – Adds bold flavor to the marinade. Fresh minced garlic gives the best flavor, but garlic powder can be used in a pinch.
Ground Ginger – Gives the marinade warm, slightly sweet flavor. You can use fresh ginger if you prefer a stronger flavor.
Rice Vinegar – Adds tang and helps tenderize the chicken. It keeps the marinade balanced and prevents it from tasting too sweet.
Sesame Oil – A little goes a long way, but it adds a rich, nutty flavor that makes this marinade taste amazing.

Scroll to the bottom of the post for the full recipe and ingredients.

How to Make Asian Chicken Marinade

Marinade ingredients added to a large bowl with a small bowl of red pepper flakes and sesame oil on the side.

Step 1 – Combine Marinade Ingredients – In a bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, dark brown sugar, vegetable oil, minced garlic, ground ginger, rice vinegar, and sesame oil. Add crushed red pepper flakes if using.

Pouring the marinade mixture into the ziplock bag with the raw chicken.

Step 2 – Add Chicken – Place the chicken pieces in a Ziploc Freezer bag or shallow dish. Pour the marinade over the chicken, ensuring all pieces are well coated.

Step 3 – Marinate Chicken – Seal the bag or cover the dish and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to 8 hours for more flavor.

Step 4 – Cook Chicken – When ready to cook, remove the chicken from the marinade and discard the remaining liquid. Cook the chicken as desired.

Close up image of Asian Chicken on a plate with white rice.

Recipe Tips

Marinate for at least 1 hour – This gives the chicken time to soak up the sweet and savory flavors. For even more flavor, marinate up to 8 hours.
Do not marinate too long – Since this marinade has soy sauce and vinegar, avoid marinating longer than 8 hours so the chicken stays tender.
Use a freezer bag – A zip-top bag makes it easy to coat all sides of the chicken and helps with easy cleanup.
Reserve sauce before adding chicken – If you want extra marinade for brushing or serving, set some aside before adding the raw chicken.
Discard used marinade – Any marinade that touches raw chicken should be thrown away unless it is boiled first.
Pat chicken dry before cooking – This helps the chicken brown better whether you grill, bake, or cook it in a skillet.
Use a meat thermometer – Chicken is fully cooked when it reaches 165°F.

Variations Ideas

Spices – Making marinade at home you can easily control the ingredients that you add. Feel free to add in ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes. You can also substitute the minced garlic with fresh garlic or garlic powder. Use fresh ginger instead of ground ginger.
Chicken – This marinade can be used 1 ½ to 2 pounds chicken which includes boneless skinless chicken breast, boneless skinless chicken thighs, or drumsticks.
Soy Sauce – For a gluten-free option, you can substitute the soy sauce with tamari or coconut aminos.
Additions – This marinade can be made with simple additions that add amazing flavor. We recommend a tablespoon of honey, lime juice or maple syrup.

Serving Suggestions

This Asian Chicken Marinade Recipe is delicious served with your favorite easy side dish recipes. When serving this Asian Chicken Marinade garnish it with green onion and sesame seeds.

Try these family favorite side dish to serve with this delicious chicken recipe.

Asian Chicken breast on a plate topped with chopped green onions and sesame seeds.

Storage & Freezer Instructions

Store uncooked marinade: up to 3 days
Store cooked chicken: 3–4 days
Freeze chicken in marinade: up to 2 months
Thaw overnight in fridge

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you Freeze Chicken in Marinade

If you would like to make this marinade chicken ahead of time, we recommend freezing it. Place the chicken in zip top bag with the marinade. Remove any excess air and label the bag. This chicken in the marinade will stay fresh for up to 2 months.

How Long to Marinate Chicken

For the best flavor, make sure to marinate the chicken for at least an hour. But you can also marinade up to 8 hours. Place in the fridge while the chicken is marinating.

Can you reuse marinade?

No, unless you boil it first to make it safe.

Can you bake instead of grill?

Yes—bake at 400°F until fully cooked.