All you need is 2 minutes to make this garlic honey soy marinade! It adds a savory and slightly sweet flavor to chicken, pork, and other meats in just one hour of marinating time. With only four ingredients – gluten-free soy sauce or tamari, avocado oil, garlic, and honey – you’ll have a simple yet delicious marinade that works as well on the grill as it does in the oven.
Do you love an easy marinade?
I sure do. Between this 30 minute dijon chicken marinade, a 4 ingredient chicken marinade, this super easy gluten free teriyaki marinade, I’ve developed a ton of marinades and have them down pat.
That’s the mindset of this honey and soy marinade. It’s quick to make, easy to use, and tastes super delicious – for kids and adults.
The key is to use some of the marinade to make a glaze – it really imparts a lot of flavor on your cooked protein. Plus you can even drizzle it over any grains or veggies you’re eating with your meat.
Grab these 4 ingredients
(Note: the full ingredients list, including measurements, is provided in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.)
- Soy sauce (or tamari) – you can use regular soy sauce, or if you’re gluten free you can use tamari sauce or gluten free soy sauce. While the two are slightly different you can use them interchangeably in this recipe.
- Honey – don’t use your fancy honey here, just whatever comes from the grocery store will work. If your honey is particularly stiff you may want to warm it slightly in a microwave-safe dish before putting it in with the other marinade ingredients.
- Garlic – use fresh garlic for this marinade as it will make a difference in the flavor.
- Oil – you want a mild oil for the marinade that won’t impact the flavor. My preference is avocado oil as it’s both mild and has a fairly high smoke point.
Making a honey soy garlic marinade
Making a marinade is really straightforward. You just put all the components in a container and stir them together until they’re combined. Easy peasy!
I like to start by pouring the soy or tamari sauce into a measuring cup, then adding all the other ingredients into that same measuring cup and stirring them with a small whisk. This way I’m not dirtying an additional bowl or jar.
Use the marinade immediately, or store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
This recipe makes about 6 ounces of marinade, which is enough for 1.5 pounds of meat with roughly half of the marinade being reserved for a glaze.
How to turn this marinade into a glaze
I absolutely recommend reserving roughly half (or just under half) of this marinade to turn into a glaze. It will help impart a lot of flavor onto the cooked meat.
To do this, pour the reserved sauce into a small saucepan. Place it over medium-high heat and cook it for 4 to 5 minutes until it starts to reduce and thicken, stirring frequently with a whisk. Set it aside to cool when done.
What makes a good marinade?
All marinades should have the following 4 elements:
- fat to coat the meat,
- acid to help break down the protein fibers,
- salt to season the meat, and
- spices, herbs, or other flavors.
In this marinade, the oil is the fat, the honey acts as an acid (and if you use soy sauce it acts as an acid too), the soy or tamari is the salt, and the garlic is the additional flavor.
Storing this marinade
After making the marinade, it can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for at least one week.
You can also freeze the marinade. Place it in a freezer-safe container and it will keep for several months. When you’re ready to cook with it, completely thaw the marinade before putting it with any raw meat. You will likely need to stir it up again as the contents may separate.
Pin this soy honey marinade for later!
YOU CAN ALSO FOLLOW ME ON FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, AND PINTEREST TO SEE MORE GOOD TO EAT, GLUTEN FREE FOOD ON AND OFF THE GRILL.
If you make this gluten free honey soy marinade, then don’t forget to leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below!
Garlic Honey Soy Marinade
Equipment
- A garlic press
- A small whisk (or other utensil)
Ingredients
- 3 oz gluten free soy sauce or tamari sauce
- 1 tbsp avocado oil
- ⅓ cup honey
- 2 cloves garlic large cloves
Instructions
- Measure out the soy sauce or tamari in a small measuring cup.
- Measure out the honey and oil and add that into the cup as well.
- Mince or press the garlic and add it to the cup, then stir with a whisk or other utensil to combine everything together.
Notes
- The marinade can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for at least one week.
- This recipe makes about 6 ounces of marinade, which is enough for 1.5 pounds of meat with between 2.5 and 3 ounces of the marinade being reserved for a glaze.
Leave a comment