This Asian chicken marinade recipe is packed full of mouthwatering flavors like honey, ginger, and Sriracha. It’s the perfect easy dinner and is great on the grill or in a skillet.
Looking for more marinades? Try this yogurt marinated chicken, Greek chicken marinade, Mediterranean chicken marinade, shrimp marinade, or this salmon marinade
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Ingredients + Variations
- Sesame oil
- Soy sauce – for this soy sauce chicken marinade, I always use regular soy sauce. If using low sodium, you may need to adjust the level of salt after cooking.
- Honey – if eating low carb, feel free to substitute this with confectioners erythritol. You can also adjust the sweetness by adding more/less.
- Grated ginger – Pro tip: fresh ginger is great, but I always buy frozen grated ginger from Trader Joe’s.
- Minced garlic
- Sriracha – add more/less depending on how spicy you want this basic Chinese chicken marinade recipe to taste. You can also up the spice level with diced dried chilis or red pepper flakes.
- Rice vinegar
- Chicken breast – You can use chicken breast or thighs — with thighs, your cook time will typically increase.
Tips + Tricks
This Asian chicken marinade is super straightforward. Here are a few tips for the best results:
- The longer you marinate, the more flavor. How long to marinate chicken depends on you — If you’re in a pinch, a minimum of 30 minutes. But ideally, you’d marinate for a few hours, or even overnight.
- Remove excess marinade before grilling to prevent flare-ups and burnt marinade.
- We like to slightly flatten the chicken before marinating, for more marinade flavor in every bite.
- Use a meat thermometer! This is the best way to prevent dry, overcooked chicken. You’ll know it’s done when the internal temperature reaches 165 F.
- Rest your cooked chicken before slicing for 10 minutes. This will keep it nice and juicy.
Can you freeze chicken in marinade?
Yes! Toss your Asian marinade for chicken in a freezer bag, and swirl everything around to coat. Then place it in the freezer. To thaw it, place your chicken in the refrigerator overnight — this will infuse your chicken will all the marinade flavors.
How to Cook it:
Use this Asian chicken marinade for the grill, stovetop, or oven depending on your preference.
- On the grill: Heat grill to medium-high and brush grates with oil. Add chicken and cover the grill with the lid. Cook for 7 minutes. Flip and cook for another 5-7 minutes. You’ll know your chicken is done once it reaches an internal temp of 165 F.
- In the oven: Preheat the oven to 450 F. Place chicken on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake in the oven for 13-15 minutes.
How to Serve it:
Serve this Asian chicken marinade over a bed of rice or cauliflower rice (my fave is this cauliflower fried rice), and with a side of roasted or stir fry veggies, like my pan fried green beans recipe. Don’t forget a garnish of sliced green onions!
Do I need to make a sauce for this chicken?
Nope! The Asian marinade is so flavor packed, we never serve it with sauce.
More Asian Chicken Recipes
Asian Chicken Marinade
Print Recipe Pin RecipeIngredients
- 1 Tablespoon Sesame Oil
- 1/4 Cup Soy Sauce
- 1 Tablespoon Honey or confectioners erythritol (note 1)
- 1 Tablespoon Ginger grated
- 2 cloves Garlic minced
- 1 Teaspoon Sriracha (note 2)
- 1 Tablespoon Rice Vinegar
- 4 Pound Chicken Breast boneless + skinless (note 3)
Instructions
- Add sesame oil (1 tablespoon), soy sauce (1/4 cup), honey or erythritol (1 tablespoon), ginger (1 tablespoon), minced garlic (2), sriracha (1 teaspoon), and rice vinegar (1 tablespoon) to a large resealable bag. Seal the bag, and swirl ingredients around to combine. Add chicken, seal bag, and toss ingredients so the chicken is coated.
- Place in the fridge for 30 minutes - overnight (the longer you marinate, the more flavorful your chicken will be).
- Heat grill/pan to medium-high heat and brush with oil. Add chicken to pan/grill and cover with lid. Cook on this side for 7 minutes. Flip the breasts, then cover and cook on the second side for another 5-7. You'll know the chicken is done once the internal temp has reached 165 F.
- Remove chicken to a plate and loosely tent with foil. Rest chicken for 10 minutes before slicing. Garnish with green onions, and enjoy!
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Lindsey's Tips
- Sweetener: confectioners erythritol is a great low carb/keto sub here!
- Spice: Add more, or skip depending on how much spice you like.
- Chicken: I usually slightly flatten the chicken with the smooth side of a meat mallet before resting it in the marinade to infuse even more flavor.
- For oven baking: Preheat the oven to 450 F. Place chicken on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake in the oven for 13-15 minutes.
- The best way to not overcook your chicken is to use a meat thermometer!
