Japanese Steakhouse Chicken Marinade

This easy Japanese Steakhouse Chicken Marinade combines the well-loved flavors of soy sauce, mirin, ginger, and onion in a hibachi ginger sauce flavored marinade! The marinade combines in just minutes to get your chicken well on its way to a flavorful, tender, and moist version that's perfect for stir-fry, grilling, kabobs, and more!

Japanese Steakhouse (Hibachi Style) Chicken Marinade

This easy hibachi-inspired marinade is a great way to infuse some of your favorite Japanese steakhouse flavors into your chicken! Since I love everything hibachi and Japanese steakhouse style I thought I'd infuse those great flavors into a tasty marinade!

So far I've stir-fried and hibachi grilled these chicken breasts after cutting them into strips or chunks. I love the results! If you aren't a fan of strong onion flavor, be sure to use chunks rather than the pureed version.

I finished my stir-fry with a ginger teriyaki sauce for a great contrast to the marinade. The family loved it and looks forward to more!

Marinade Ingredients You'll Need

Most of these ingredients are pantry staples if you already love any Asian cooking! Any substitutions that can be made are noted here and I have to add that if you don't have mirin in your pantry it is indeed an item that you NEED to try 🙂

• Soy Sauce - is the base of so many Asian-inspired sauces and marinades! Soy sauce and adds a slightly sweet but mostly salty, savory flavor.
• Onion - roughly chopped white onion or yellow onion can be used. The onion can be left in larger chunks to add a bit of flavor, or blended into the marinade for ALOT of flavor. If you opt for blending it into the marinade, start with less and add more until you find your favorite amount.
• Ginger - makes a wonderful flavor addition with its sweet and spicy components! Use fresh ginger in the normal amount, the tube or paste ginger has a more mild flavor so you may need to use a generous tablespoon instead. To use ground ginger for cooking, substitute the 1 tablespoon of fresh ginger with a ½ teaspoon of dried ground ginger.
• Mirin - is a Japanese condiment used in cooking that is similar to sake. The sweetened flavor helps to offset the usual onion-soy flavor of the very popular hibachi ginger dipping sauce. If you don't have mirin, use white wine, or rice vinegar + 1 teaspoon sugar as a substitute.
• Coconut Oil - will help your marinade coat the chicken and keep the chicken nice and moist while cooking!

Do you love hibachi cooking? Check out all of my recipes here. Be sure to bookmark the hibachi recipes page and keep up with my latest additions!

How To Make Japanese Steakhouse Chicken Marinade

In addition to the simple 5 ingredients above, I recommend using ziploc or zip-top style plastic storage bags for marinating your chicken! This helps the marinade 'cling' to the chicken best which means your chicken dinner will be even more flavorful!

1. If you want to use chunked onion: combine the soy sauce, mirin, coconut oil, and ginger in a small bowl. Whisk to combine then add the onion. To use a blender or food processor: combine all of the ingredients in the bowl or cup of your food processor and pulse to combine.
2. Place the chicken and marinade in your ziploc plastic storage bag and press out any excess air. Seal securely to prevent spilling!
3. Massage the marinade into the chicken by squishing it throughout the bag. Continue until the chicken is well coated.
4. Refrigerate and marinate for 4 - 24 hours. Freeze for up to 3 months.

*The balance of onion is delicate, so do make sure to sweeten to taste or use with sweeter sauces when cooking!

Pro Tip:

If you will be grilling whole chicken breasts, it is best to flatten each of the chicken breasts for quick and even cooking. Place your chicken between two sheets of plastic cling film and pound with a meat mallet or tenderizer ( using the flat side ).

Start at the center of the chicken breast and work your way toward the edges. Continue until the chicken is even in thickness.

Marinating the Chicken

Your chicken needs to marinate for at least 15 - 20 minutes before cooking. The longer you can let the chicken marinate, the more flavorful it will be!

I would usually recommend at least 4 hours, or overnight ( 8 - 24 hours ) for optimal marinating. The flavor of this soy sauce-based marinade is best used with a maximum of one day of marinating.

While frozen chicken can usually be stored in the freezer for 6 months or more, I recommend a maximum of three months. Allow the frozen marinated chicken to thaw in your refrigerator overnight.

The Japanese steakhouse chicken marinade will slowly seep into your chicken while it thaws, making it wonderfully delicious!

Check out all of my wonderfully tasty and super easy chicken marinades in one place! The marinades are absolutely perfect for grilled, pan-fried, or oven-baked chicken breasts, thighs, wings, skewers, and more!