Do you love Japanese Steakhouse Ginger Dressing? Us too, but we only just tried it as an Asian Ginger Marinade for Grilled Chicken and it’s the best chicken marinade yet!!
When Carrian and I were first married we loved heading to a favorite Japanese Steakhouse with our friends and there was this really yummy Ginger Dressing served over a very simple, crisp ice burg lettuce salad and all of us loved starting our meal with it. Sometimes simple really is best. The other day we were chatting about how long ago that all seems and we decided to recreate the dressing. As we tasted it I couldn’t help but think how great it would be for a main dish and this Asian Ginger Marinade for Grilled Chicken recipe was born.
Marinating always sounds like one extra step, but it’s Carrian’s favorite thing to do because she can start dinner whenever she has an extra five minutes and then tomorrow’s meal is all prepped and ready to go the next day. No slaving in the kitchen or last minute realizing dinner is in 30 minutes and you have nothing prepared.
Carrian and I love marinade because it also flavors meat, especially chicken so well and all you have to do it let it sit in the fridge. When we were finishing up college it was a great way for us to concentrate on school and our jobs, but still come home and have a healthy meal together. Now that we have children to care for it also allows us to be less stressed before meal time as half of the work is already done.
The Asian Ginger Marinade for Chicken has a lot of flavor, but it’s still a simple enough flavor combination that kids will eat it and enjoy it too. And you know how picky our two year old is, so that says a lot.
We just keep doing the same thing, make dinner, put it in front of him, don’t make it a fuss but help him at least try a bite and if that’s all he takes we consider it a win still. No separate meals or you have to eat the whole thing before you leave. All of that eventually seems to backfire, so instead we make meal time about the people until their little palates change and it becomes about the food too.
Of course we still get frustrated too. Toddlers are the best and the worst. We just tag team it. If I get annoyed, Carrian takes over and vice versa. It’s all about little steps and being on the same side as parents.
Japanese Ginger Dressing is a simple combination of ingredients, but each one has an important role, so this is one of the few recipes that we don’t recommend making substitutions for or skipping ingredients. Let’s break our Asian Ginger Marinade for Grilled Chicken down.
How to Make a Japanese Steakhouse Ginger Dressing
Japanese ginger dressing is made by whisking together a vinegar, oil and fresh garlic and ginger along with a few other ingredients. Let’s break down the most important ones first.
- Ginger
Obviously you can’t make a ginger dressing or marinade without ginger, but you’re going to want to use fresh ginger as it packs the best flavor, especially for a dressing that you want to taste clean and not dull.
- Fresh Ginger vs Ground Ginger
Is ground ginger the same as fresh ginger? Yes and no. Ground ginger does come from actual ginger, but you can’t think of them as exactly the same as fresh packs a bigger punch and flavor with it.
- Substituting Ground Ginger for Fresh Ginger
If you absolutely must substitute ground ginger in place of fresh ginger you can use 1/8-1/4 teaspoon of ground ginger in place of 1 tablespoon fresh ginger and vice versa.
- How Can I Substitute Ground Ginger?
There isn’t a substitute for ground ginger, especially in a ginger dressing.
- Peanut Oil
Peanut Oil is much like ginger in that it has a distinct flavor compared to other oils. While you can substitute for other oils like canola or olive oil, the flavor won’t be exactly the same so we don’t recommend it.
Side note- peanut oil is the best oil for frying foods. It maintains a higher heat without burning. 🙂
- Shredded Carrot
Shredded carrot may seem an unlikely ingredient but it adds a little sweetness to cut through the vinegar and adds a little more color to the marinade.
- Rice Vinegar
Rice vinegar is another unique flavor that should be kept in the recipe unless you’re absolutely desperate. It has a more mild flavor so a balsamic or red wine vinegar won’t be a great substitute. However, if you do need a rice vinegar substitute try cider vinegar.
- Garlic
Garlic and ginger go so well together it would be a shame to not add garlic to this dish. If you must substitute out the fresh garlic, dried or ground garlic powder would be fine.
- How Much Garlic Powder Equals One Clove of Garlic
Let’s say you can’t get to the store for a head of garlic, how much garlic powder equals one clove of garlic? 1/8 teaspoon is about 1 clove of garlic according to google, but I usually go for 1/2 teaspoon.
When to Marinate Chicken
There’s always the question of when should you marinate your chicken. We believe the best answer is 12-24 hours before cooking it as the flavors really develop and have time to sink into the meat.
However, that’s not always possible, so aim for at least two hours before dinner.
Will Marinade Preserve Chicken?
Marinade doesn’t really preserve chicken, but it can certainly toughen it. Any marinade with acid like lemon juice or lime juice can toughen meat. We like to use zest and some juice as the zest packs extra flavor without the acid to help with this. This Asian Ginger Marinade for Grilled Chicken won’t have that issue.
How Long Will Marinated Chicken Last in the Fridge?
Marinated chicken can sit in the fridge for up to 2 days according to the USDA and we totally agree. After that you’re pushing it. If we won’t be using it after 24 hours we throw it in the freezer for up to 2 weeks, or longer if we used a Food Saver.
Can You Cook Marinade from Chicken?
Whatever is on the chicken can be cooked, but don’t reserve the liquid for basting or to turn into a sauce as it has come into contact with raw meat and should be disposed of. This is why we often make a marinade and instruct in the recipe to set some aside in another container.
Can Marinade be Frozen?
Most marinades can easily be frozen in ziploc bags, laid flat in the freezer. If your freezer has metal bars and not a flat shelf, freeze it first on a cookie sheet so it doesn’t slip between the bars and freeze. Been there. Done that. Not worth the hassle.
Can Marinade be Reused?
It seems like a waste to chuck all of that yummy marinade down the sink, so can marinade be reused?
No.
Please, no.
Marinade has been with raw meat and should be disposed of properly even if it’s raw meat going back in. Cross contamination is just asking to be incredibly sick. Always, always start over.
Can Marinade be Made Ahead of Time?
Marinade can be made days in advance, stored in the refrigerator until ready to be used.
Easy Substitute for Marinade
Don’t have time to make a marinade or are you missing ingredients? That happens to us all the time, so we like to keep a few handy dressings in our fridge that work fantastic as a marinade. Here are our favorite dressings to use for marinades.
More Marinated Chicken Dishes You’re Sure to Love:
- Greek Marinade Chicken Souvlaki
- Marinated Grilled Chicken Breasts
- Mexican Grilled Chicken with Mango Salsa
- Marinated Smoked Chicken Thighs
- Huli Huli Grilled Chicken
- Honey Lemon Basil Grilled Chicken
- Grilled Hawaiian Chicken
- Balsamic Caprese Chicken
- Chicken Fajitas
- Grilled Chicken with Oregano
- All our grilled recipes here!
Asian Ginger Marinade for Grilled Chicken
Description
Ingredients
- 1/4 Cup Onion, Minced
- 1/2 Cup Peanut Oil
- 1/4 Cup Rice Vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons Water
- 2 Tablespoons Ginger, Minced Fresh
- 1 Tablespoon Carrot, Finely Shredded
- 2 Tablespoons Ketchup
- 4 Teaspoons Light Soy Sauce
- 1 Teaspoon Sugar
- 1 Teaspoon Brown Sugar
- 1 1/2 Teaspoon Lemon Juice
- 1 Clove Garlic, Minced
- 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
- 1/4 Teaspoon Pepper
- 4 Chicken Breasts, boneless, skinless
Instructions
- In a large measuring cup, or jar, whisk together all of the dressing ingredients until well combined.
- Pour 2/3 of the marinade into a zip top bag along with the chicken breasts. Seal and place in the fridge for 2- 24 hours. We prefer a longer marinade time.
- Place the remaining marinade in a bowl in the fridge.
- Heat the grill to high heat.
- Remove the chicken from the fridge to rest on the counter for 5 minutes.
- Drain the marinade and place the chicken, top side down on the grill. Turn the heat to medium.
- Cook the chicken for 5-7 minutes, flip over and cook for an additional 5-7 minutes or until cooked through. The last few minutes brush some of the reserved marinade over each chicken breast.
- Remove from the grill and let rest for 3-5 minutes before slicing.
Notes
Nutrition
Recommended Products
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Madison
Seconding the need for a clearer link to the recipe. I’m on mobile, scrolled all the way up and down, and still can’t find the recipe?? Going to try to recreate based on the name because it sounds good…I just can’t figure out where it is among all of the text.
Sweet Basil
Hi Madison! Here is a link to the printable recipe: https://ohsweetbasil.com/wprm_print/recipe/50513
Laura Adams
Gah! This was excellent, but when trying to go back and find the recipe again, on my phone, it takes forever to actually GET to the recipe. Would you kindly consider putting a “Jump to the Recipe” link at the top of your posts? I, for one, would greatly appreciate it.
Sweet Basil
Hi Laura! That is always on our radar but it has pros and cons that we are weighing. If you go to the recipe card and click the print recipe button, it will take you to just the recipe that you can refer to. Sorry for the inconvenience! Thank you for the feedback though! We truly appreciate it!
lothian
My greatest dilemma when marinating chicken the tough meat that results. I mitigate the problem somewhat by avoiding thick or cubed cuts and slicing the meat into ~5mm thick strips. There’s gotta be some ingredient that ameliorates this effect of acid on meat. Where is Alton Brown when you need him?
Sweet Basil
Oh man I love Alton! The longer it marinates, the tougher it will get. I definitely wouldn’t go over 24 hours, but if you marinate for 2 or 3 hours, it shouldn’t toughen the meat at all.
Laura Adams
An Asian friend gave me this tip: Her family keeps their fresh ginger root in the freezer. When they need some, they use a microplane to grate it, unpeeled and still frozen, with the “bowl” of the microplane facing up to catch all the ginger. It magically peels the ginger as it grates, so you don’t get the peel in the grated ginger, and is easy to grate right out of the freezer. This has saved me a lot of ginger, which seems to go moldy so quickly in the fridge. Hope this is a tip you and your readers can use. Thanks for this great looking recipe. Using it tonight!
Sweet Basil
Holy moly! I love this tip! Thank you for sharing! Genius! How did you like the recipe?
Teresa Carroll
Trying the Asian ginger marinade for first time, decided to add sirachae and sweet chilli sauce. Omitted adding salt -soya sauce has salt. The marinades I’ve made….many over the years….understood salt toughens meat, acid in lemon juice and vinegar helps tenderize meat. Am I wrong? PS to the writer of this blog who seemed to suggest young children should be encouraged to eat what they as foodies like….without pushing. However children in wanting to please loving parents will eat it, but children generally can’t like flavours with depth. Children’s digestive systems and taste buds are still developing and simple tasting foods are absolutely appreciated more….that is just fine until they mature. Let them be 👶
Sweet Basil
Hi Teresa! I love your additions to this recipe! I’m totally weak sauce when it comes to heat, so I usually keep ours pretty mild. Salt in a marinade actually breaks down protein in the chicken which helps it retain more water and therefore stay juicy and tender when it cooks. And thank you for the tip on the whole eating thing!
Elizabeth
Can the children and marine be placed together and then frozen as a freezer meal?
Sweet Basil
Yes absolutely!!
Jos
You can put any marinade left from marinating rawmeat into a saucepan and cook it. Bring it to a boil and turn it down to simmer to the desired consistency. Use this sauce on the cooked meat.
Sweet Basil
We strongly suggest disposing of all marinade that has come in contact with raw meat. If you want to use the marinade for basting or for a dipping sauce, please reserve some before marinading the chicken in it. The risk for cross-contamination is just too high.