Ground Chicken Teriyaki Ginger Marinade
A quick Japanese-inspired marinade with bright ginger, sweet honey, and umami-rich soy sauce. The marinade takes just 5 minutes to prepare, then your ground chicken absorbs the flavors in as little as 30 minutes. Perfect for ground chicken that will be grilled, pan-fried, baked into burgers, or tossed into bowls and stir-fries.
- Prep
- 6 min
- Cook
- 6 min
- Wait
- 30 min
- Total
- 42 min
- Makes
- About 3/4 cup marinade (enough for 1 lb/450g ground chicken)
Steps
Before you start
- Measure all ingredients before you begin
- Use fresh ginger for the best flavor
- Have a shallow dish or zip-top bag ready for marinating
- Prep your ground chicken if you haven't already
Combine marinade ingredients
- In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, finely grated ginger, honey, sesame oil, rice vinegar, and minced garlic.
- Whisk or stir until the honey is fully dissolved and all ingredients are evenly combined.
- The marinade should be smooth and glossy with no lumps.
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Ready when: Honey is fully dissolved and all ingredients are combined smoothly
Tip: If honey is difficult to dissolve, microwave the mixture for 15 seconds to loosen it, then stir again
Add chicken to marinade
- Place the 1 lb ground chicken in a shallow dish or zip-top bag.
- Pour the marinade over the chicken and mix gently with a fork or spoon, breaking up any large clumps as you stir, until the chicken is evenly coated and the marinade is distributed throughout.
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Ready when: Chicken is evenly coated with marinade and no large clumps remain
Marinate for flavor development
- If marinating in a shallow dish, cover tightly with plastic wrap.
- If using a zip-top bag, seal and shake gently once or twice to coat everything evenly.
- For a quick result, marinate at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.
- For deeper flavor development, refrigerate for 1–2 hours or up to overnight.
- If refrigerated, remove the chicken from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before cooking.
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Ready when: Chicken is evenly colored from the marinade and has absorbed the liquid
Tip: Room-temperature marinating works quickly but keeps flavors subtle; refrigerating overnight develops deeper teriyaki flavor
Pan-fry until cooked throughOven 165°F / 75°C
- Heat a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat (use medium if your skillet is non-stick).
- Once hot, add the marinated chicken directly from the marinade—no need to drain.
- Using a spoon or wooden spatula, break the chicken into small, even pieces and cook for 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through with no pink remaining and is starting to brown.
- The internal temperature should reach 165°F (74°C) when measured with an instant-read thermometer in the thickest part.
- Some of the marinade will cook into the chicken, creating a glaze.
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Ready when: Chicken is fully cooked through (no pink), temperature reaches 165°F (74°C), and edges are starting to brown
Tip: If the pan looks dry during cooking, add a splash of water to prevent sticking. The marinade is thin, so the chicken cooks very quickly in its own liquid
Good to know
Tips
- For the fastest results, use room-temperature marinating—the thin, flavorful marinade penetrates ground chicken quickly in just 30 minutes.
- Don't skip the ginger; it's what gives this marinade its teriyaki character and prevents it from being just soy sauce and honey.
- If you prefer the chicken without heavy browning (for a softer, more tender texture), cook over medium instead of medium-high heat.
- Serve the marinated cooked chicken over steamed rice, in lettuce wraps, tossed into a stir-fry with vegetables, or in slider buns. Any remaining marinade liquid in the pan can be drizzled over the dish as a sauce.
Make ahead
The marinade can be made up to 1 week ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Ground chicken can be marinated in advance for up to 2 days in the refrigerator to develop deeper flavor.
Storage & reheating
Store marinated raw chicken in the refrigerator for up to 2 days before cooking. After cooking, store leftover cooked chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Cooked chicken can be frozen for up to 3 months; thaw in the refrigerator before reheating. Reheat gently in a skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, or in the microwave until warmed through.
Substitutions
- sesame oil → Toasted sesame oil (use half the amount). Toasted sesame oil is much more potent, so use only 1½ teaspoons (7.5 ml) for the same flavor impact
- honey → Brown sugar or mirin. Use the same amount; brown sugar won't dissolve as smoothly, and mirin adds deeper umami
- rice vinegar → Lime juice or rice wine vinegar. Lime juice adds brightness, while rice wine vinegar is slightly sweeter; use 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of either
- fresh ginger → Ground ginger. Ground ginger is much more potent; use only ¼ teaspoon (0.5 g) instead of 1 tablespoon
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- Meal
- Dinner
- Cuisine
- Japanese
- Main ingredient
- Ground Chicken
- Diet
- Dairy-FreeHalal
- Method
- Stovetop