By Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff | Published on June 14, 2026
Serves 2
32 cal · 5 min
Japanese Marinade
Recipe GLPRf5781f27c941ff
A classic Japanese marinade made with soy sauce, mirin, and sake, infused with garlic and fresh ginger. This versatile glaze is perfect for brushing onto grilled or pan-seared vegetables, poultry, fish, or lean meats to add authentic umami-rich flavor and a beautiful caramelized finish.
Save recipes you love
Create a free Grocery List Plus account to save recipes, rate them, and add every ingredient to your grocery list in one tap.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon evaporated cane sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons mirin
2 tablespoons sake
1 clove garlic clove, crushed
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
Directions
In a small bowl, combine the evaporated cane sugar, soy sauce, mirin, sake, crushed garlic, and grated ginger.
Whisk all ingredients together until the sugar is fully dissolved and the marinade is well blended.
Use the marinade immediately to brush onto vegetables, poultry, fish, or lean meats before grilling, pan-searing, or baking for authentic Japanese flavor.
Comments
Mirin and sake are the real friction here—neither Harris Teeter, Food Lion, Publix, Walmart, nor ALDI carry them reliably in Charlotte, so budget a trip to an Asian grocery (H Mart or similar) to source both bottles. The five-minute claim is honest for mixing, but assumes you already have the spirits on hand; soy sauce and fresh ginger are easy at any major chain. At roughly $3 to $5 for the specialty bottles, plus $2 for soy and produce, the cost per marinade batch is modest, but this is a one-time-use sauce that doesn't keep as a cooked dish—you're marinating protein that you'll cook the same night or next day. It's a strong marinade for chicken, pork, or beef, but only if you can clear that ingredient gap first.
Sign in or create a free account to add your review.
