Making homemade teriyaki marinade is so simple and so delicious especially when it has maple syrup in it! You’ll never have to buy bottled again. Bonus: this recipe is made with wheat-free tamari so it is gluten-free.

Maple Teriyaki Marinade in a jar

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Why You’ll Love This Teriyaki Marinade Without Refined Sugar

Teriyaki marinade will never get old. We just love it! I love the sweetness and saltiness and the garlic and ginger. All of the simple ingredients play off each other so well.

It is great for marinating meats, poultry, fish and veggies adding tons of delicious low-calorie flavor.

Recipe Highlights

  • So Easy: The hardest part is grating the ginger, and that’s not hard at all.
  • Made with Maple Syrup instead of brown sugar or white refined sugar. Maple goes really well with the ginger and soy and adds a woodsy caramel flavor to the healthy teriyaki marinade. Maple pairs well with the flavor of soy sauce and tamari. The maple really makes the whole teriyaki marinade more rich and caramely than brown sugar would.
  • Healthier: lower glycemic than brown sugar and it has trace micronutrients and minerals. And I used reduced-sodium tamari instead of traditional soy sauce. So it is lower in sodium and gluten-free.
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Maple Teriyaki Marinade in a mason jar

Ingredients For Homemade Teriyaki Marinade

  • Pineapple juice: This is the base of the marinade and helps to tenderize the meat or chicken
  • Reduced-sodium tamari sauce: You can use regular soy sauce or reduced-sodium soy sauce. I do not recommend coconut aminos for this marinade because it is too sweet and you’ll have to adjust the other ingredients to compensate for the fact.
  • Pure maple syrup: For the best flavor look for dark or amber
  • Seasoning: Garlic, Ginger root and Crushed red pepper flake

Instructions

Place juice, tamari, maple, garlic, ginger and red pepper in a 2-cup jar.

Cover and shake to combine.

How to Use This Teriyaki Marinade 

  • This teriyaki marinade recipe makes two cups of marinade, which is enough for three pounds of chicken, pork or beef. You’ll want to use 2/3 cup marinade per pound of meat.
  • For Chicken, Pork and Beef: let the meat marinate for a good 4 to 12 hours before cooking it. This will give the meat time to soak up all that delicious teriyaki flavor, and it’ll tenderize slightly as well.
  • For vegetables and seafood: marinate for 30 to 45 minutes.  
Maple Teriyaki chicken on a plate

Expert Tips and FAQs

Storage

Keep in the jar, sealed shut and refrigerate up to 1 week. Freeze for longer storage.

Freezing Instructions

You can freeze marinades for long term storage. If you freeze this marinade, I recommend freezing it in an ice cube tray, using souper cubes or transfer to small resealable containers instead of freezing it all in one large container. This will make it easier to thaw out the exact amount of marinade you need (I don’t recommend re-freezing this marinade once you’ve thawed it out).

How much marinade do I need for 1 pound of meat?

For this recipe use 2/3 cup teriyaki marinade per pound of meat. Each marinade is unique so there is not steadfast rule how much you should use. You want enough marinade so that the chicken, meat, fish etc is coated. Some highly acidic marinades or those that are very salty can be used in smaller amounts (1/2 cup per pound of meat) whereas many store-bought multi-purpose marinades are not as strong and can be used in larger quantities (1 cup per pound of meat.)

What if I left my meat in the marinade for too long?

The acid, salt and fruit juices in marinades can denature the proteins on the exterior of your chicken or meat if they are left in too long. While it will still be edible and safe to eat, it will have an unpleasant rubbery texture.

Can I reuse marinade?

No. Do not reuse marinade. Once it has come in contact with the raw meat, poultry or seafood it likely will contain harmful pathogens and should be discarded.

Can I marinate vegetables and meat together?

You can marinade vegetables and meat together, however, it is essential that they both reach a safe temperature before eating. Using a reliable digital thermometer will ensure that any harmful bacteria or pathogens have been destroyed in the cooking process.

More Marinade Recipes You’ll Love: 

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Happy Cooking! ~Katie

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Home-made Maple Teriyaki Marinade on Healthy Seasonal Recipes. gluten-free

Maple Teriyaki Marinade

★★★★★

5 from 11 reviews
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Description

Making homemade teriyaki marinade is so simple and so delicious, especially when it has maple syrup in it! You’ll never want to buy bottled again.

Ingredients

Scale
  • ¾ cup pineapple juice
  • ½ cup reduced-sodium tamari sauce
  • ¼ cup pure maple syrup, dark or amber
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh garlic
  • 2 tablespoons grated peeled ginger root
  • ¾ teaspoon crushed red pepper flake (optional)

Instructions

  1. Place juice, tamari, maple, garlic, ginger and red pepper in a 2 cup jar. Cover and shake to combine. Refrigerate until ready to use up to 1 week. Use 2/3 cup per pound of meat or poultry. Marinate chicken or meat 4 to 12 hours, marinate fish or seafood 30 to 45 minutes.
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 0 minutes
  • Category: Dressing
  • Method: Mixed
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 2 1/2 tablespoons
  • Calories: 28
  • Sugar: 6 g
  • Sodium: 28 mg
  • Fat: 0 g
  • Saturated Fat: 0 g
  • Carbohydrates: 7 g
  • Fiber: 0 g
  • Protein: 0 g

Keywords: teriyaki marinade, healthy teriyaki, maple teriyaki

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