Asian Chicken Marinade
With just a few common Asian-inspired ingredients, you can create this easy Asian Chicken Marinade for your favorite cut of chicken. After cooking the chicken, serve it in wraps, on salads, or with rice.
“So good and so easy. The whole family loved the sesame flavor.”
– Anna ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Ingredients Needed
This complex-tasting chicken marinade recipe requires mostly pantry staples to turn that lackluster cut into something that makes your tastebuds sing.
How to Make Asian Chicken Marinade
Prepare Marinade
Place the marinade ingredients straight into a large Ziploc bag and give it a good shake. This saves you an extra dish. You could also mix the ingredients in a small mixing bowl and pour it over the chicken. Options galore!
Marinate Chicken
Add the chicken to the ziplock bag with the marinade. Close securely and gently massage it into the meat. Marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours.
Ways to Cook Marinated Chicken
Bake in the Oven
Preheat oven to 400°F. Place chicken in a casserole dish or on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake uncovered for about 20-25 minutes, depending on the thickness of the chicken, until done.
Slow Cook in the Crockpot
Place chicken and marinade in slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours. Really! That’s all it takes to get it done, otherwise, you’ll overcook and dry it out.
Here is a whole post about how long to cook chicken in the Crockpot if you’re interested!
Pressure Cook in the Instant Pot
Place chicken, marinade, and 1/3 cup chicken broth in a 6-quart Instant Pot. (Note: If using an 8 quart, add an additional 1/2 cup of broth.)
Lock and seal the lid. Cook at high pressure for 7 minutes and use a quick release of the pressure when the cook time is up.
Air Fry
If you want to make this in the air fryer, be sure to pound out the chicken before marinating it to make it an even thickness. Drain off marinade, place in air fryer basket, and air fry at 375°F for about 10-12 minutes, flipping once, until at least 160°F internally.
Grill the Chicken
Pound out the chicken to about 3/4 inch thick (or cut it in half lengthwise) to help with fast and even cooking.
Preheat grill to medium-high heat (400-450°F) and clean the grates well. Grill for 4-6 minutes per side, closing the lid in between flipping. The cook time may take a little longer, depending on the thickness of the chicken.
Freezing Instructions
A great use of your time is prep a few freezer meals using this marinade. Like most of our chicken freezer meals, simply combine the ingredients (the marinade & the chicken) and freeze for later. No need to let the chicken marinate before freezing either. When you want to use it, let the chicken thaw one of these safe ways.
Ideas for Serving Asian Chicken
Once you cook your marinated Asian Chicken, try serving it in one of these ways.
- Idea #1: Make a simple Asian Chicken dinner with Brown Rice. Just serve the cooked chicken with rice and slaw or stir-fried veggies.
- Idea #2: Asian Chicken Wrap
- Idea #3: Asian Slaw Salad with Chicken
- Idea #4: Serve with Stir Fry Veggies and Coconut Rice: Our instructions for frozen stir fry vegetables pulls it all together for a quick, filling meal!
FAQs
The ideal marinating time for chicken is anywhere between 2-24 hours. The specific time can depend on the type and cut of chicken, as well as the acidity level of the marinade.
Yes, over-marinating chicken can actually have a negative effect on the texture and taste of the meat. Acidic marinades, in particular, can break down the proteins in the chicken too much and leave it with a mushy texture.
Absolutely! As freezer cookbook authors, we especially love how easy it is to prep these chicken breast marinades ahead of time and freeze them to have on hand for another night. Every recipe includes freezing instructions, so you can double and freeze a batch anytime.
You shouldn’t reuse marinade but you can boil it to use safely as a sauce over your finished dish using these directions. I actually do this all the time.
To kill all the raw chicken germs, be sure to bring the marinade to a rolling boil in a pot on the stove for at least 1 minute, according to the CDC‘s directions for making water safe to drink.
The World Health Organization (WHO) notes that bacteria are rapidly killed at temperatures above 149°F (65°C), which is below that of boiling water or even a simmer. So rest assured you’ll be safe if you boil it well for 1 minute. We’d suggest straining it after boiling to remove any chicken pieces.
In our tests, we found that it’s best to marinate your chicken in the refrigerator for at least 1-2 hours and up to 24 hours. Less than 1 hour didn’t seem to infuse enough flavor into the chicken breasts and more than 24 hours (unless the chicken was frozen for part of that time) can cause them to become a bit mealy and mushy, especially if the marinade has a high acid content.
Yes, you can marinate frozen chicken. Go ahead and throw frozen boneless chicken breasts or thighs in a freezer bag with the marinade and stick the bag in the freezer until you’re ready. Or, place the bag of chicken and marinade in the refrigerator for 24-48 hours, until thawed completely.
Absolutely! All cuts of chicken can benefit from a dip in a marinade. So, these marinades work just as well for chicken thighs and bone-in chicken. Cooking time will vary from our recipes, however, since we direct you how to cook chicken breasts.
More Chicken Marinades
Try some of our other favorite healthy chicken marinades to mix things up:
How to Video
Asian Chicken Marinade
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup avocado oil (sub: peanut oil)
- 1/3 cup rice vinegar (make sure it’s “unseasoned” rice vinegar)
- 1/4 cup soy sauce (Gluten-Free option: coconut aminos or gluten-free Tamari Soy Sauce)
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts (sub: chicken tenders or thighs)
Instructions
- Mix Up Marinade: Add the oil, vinegar, soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, pepper, and chicken to a gallon-sized freezer bag. Seal and squish around to make sure the chicken is covered in marinade and everything is combined.
- Marinate Chicken: Place the bag in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours.
- Cook Chicken: Cook the chicken using one of these methods. The chicken is done when it reaches 165°F internally and/or is no longer pink inside. – Bake in Oven: Preheat oven to 400°F. Place chicken in a casserole dish or on a rimmed baking sheet. (Tip: Spray the dish/sheet pan with cooking spray to prevent sticking.) Bake uncovered for about 20-25 minutes, until done. May take longer depending on the thickness of the chicken. – Slow Cooker: Place chicken (with or without the marinade) in slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours. Really! That’s all it takes to get it done, otherwise, you’ll overcook and dry it out. – Instant Pot: Place chicken, marinade, and 1/3 cup chicken broth in a 6-quart Instant Pot. (Note: If using an 8-quart, add an additional 1/2 cup of broth.) Lock and seal the lid. Cook at high pressure for 7 minutes and use a quick release of the pressure when the cook time is up. Drain off liquid. – Grill: (Pound out the chicken to about 3/4 inch thick (or cut it in half lengthwise) to help with fast and even cooking. To do this, place one breast at a time inside a freezer bag and pound with the flat side of a meat mallet.) Preheat grill to medium-high heat (400-450°F) and clean the grates well. Grill for about 4-6 minutes per side, closing the lid in between flipping, until done. The cook time may be longer depending on the thickness.– Air Fry: If you want to make this in the air fryer, be sure to pound out the chicken before marinating it to make it an even thickness. Drain off marinade, place in air fryer basket, and air fry at 375°F for about 10-12 minutes, flipping once, until at least 160°F internally.
- Make Extra Sauce (optional): Instead of discarding the leftover marinade, place it in a small pot and bring it to a rolling boil on the stovetop for at least 1 minute. Watch closely so it doesn’t overflow. Strain it, if desired, and use as extra sauce over the cooked chicken.*
Freezer Instructions
Notes/Tips
Nutrition
I grew up in Tokyo and this recipe brought me back to eating “yakitori” there. So delicious! My son asked me to make this again.
Love to hear this Sara. Thanks for taking the time to leave a review. We’re so glad your son loves it too!
I have made this several times and everyone loves it! I also have been asked to share the recipe, which I have done. This is my go to recipe when we want Asian stir fry. Thanks so much!
Love to hear this Jenny! I enjoy it with stir-fry veggies as well. Thanks for taking the time to leave a review.
I made this recipe for my family last night…Delicious! I will definitely make it again. Chicken breasts were also very tender. Served with green salad filled with veggies, and cauliflower mac & cheese.
Thank you so much for the feedback, Irene. Yum, sounds like a healthy and delicious dinner.
This is one of my favorite easy freezer meals. I paired it with the fried rice and it was a hit.
Thanks Amber!
Such a flavorful, easy recipe. My go-to for chicken!
Yay glad you found a winner for your family.
Is a must for busy people. So ready to make and cook after a long day at work.
Thanks Tony!
All I have is seasoned rice vinegar. Can I still use this?
Hi Rozele. Seasoned Rice Vinegar generally has added salt and sugar (check your specific bottle to see if anything else is added). Because of that, you would want to cut back on the salt and honey in our recipe. It’s hard to say how much since we have not tested it. Good luck and let us know how it turns out if you use it so other readers know what worked for you!
So good and so easy. The whole family loved the sesame flavour
Hi Anna! So glad your whole family loved this one! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review.
Made this yesterday and let the chicken marinate for about 3 hours. It had a nice subtle flavor that we all enjoyed. Going to work on making more of these and letting them marinate or freeze because I think the flavor will only get better! But for an easy quick dinner, this was spot on!
So glad you liked it Erin. Yes, I have found that the longer chicken in particular marinates, the more flavorful it becomes. Thank you for leaving a review!
awesome!
Glad you like it Stacy!
Made this recipe last night and let marade overnight it came out really good. I followed the recipe exactly expect I added lots of garlic cloves.
I’m with you on lots of garlic. Thanks for the review!