Name: Miso Soy Marinade
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 1 1/2 Cups
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon lemon juice; 2 tablespoons white miso; 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar; 1 teaspoon sesame oil; 1 teaspoon soy sauce; ½ teaspoon fish sauce; ½ teaspoon gochugaru; ¼ teaspoon salt

Condiments

Miso Soy Marinade

Author: Mary DiSomma

I’m always looking for recipes that deliver big flavor without a lot of fuss—and this soy sauce marinade does exactly that. It’s one of those simple, go-to recipes you can throw together in a few minutes, but it tastes like you’ve been planning it all day.

It’s sweet, savory, a little tangy, and very satisfying thanks to the combination of miso, soy sauce, and brown sugar. I originally used it in my salmon bites recipe, and it completely transformed those little nuggets into an irresistible appetizer. The best thing about this soy marinade is how versatile it is. You can use it on salmon, chicken, shrimp, tofu, vegetables, and more. It’s the kind of recipe you’ll come back to again and again.

Sesame Salmon Bites with Pickled Citrus Garnish➝

Miso Soy Marinade

This easy soy sauce marinade recipe combines miso, brown sugar, sesame oil, and citrus for a sweet, savory flavor that’s perfect for salmon, chicken, tofu, vegetables, and more.

Yield: 1 1/2 Cups
Prep Time: 5 minutes min
Cook Time: 15 minutes min
Total Time: 20 minutes min

Ingredients

Instructions

In a medium bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, white miso, brown sugar, sesame oil, soy sauce, fish sauce, gochugaru, and salt until smooth and fully combined.
To use, add your protein, tofu, or vegetables to the marinade and toss gently so everything gets coated evenly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes for seafood or vegetables, or 1 to 2 hours for chicken, pork, or beef, depending on the cut and thickness.
When you’re ready to cook, remove the food from the marinade and let any excess drip off before searing, roasting, or grilling. Discard any remaining marinade that has come into contact with raw protein, or simmer it for a few minutes if you’d like to use it as a sauce. Enjoy that perfect balance of sweet, savory, and just a little kick!

View Mary's Tips

Ingredient Tips

You have a few options, and each one brings something slightly different to your soy-based marinade. Regular soy sauce is a classic—balanced in flavor and widely available. Tamari marinade can be made by choosing tamari instead of regular soy sauce. Tamari is slightly richer and typically gluten-free. Low-sodium soy sauce is great if you’re watching your salt intake or if you want more control over saltiness.

For this soy sauce marinade, I like a standard soy sauce or tamari—it gives you that deep, savory backbone without overpowering the other flavors in your dish.

Preparation + Preservation Tips

Not recommended—once a marinade has touched raw protein, it should NEVER be reused without cooking it first.

However, here’s a little tip for you: set aside a small portion of the marinade before adding your protein (or make a little extra and set that aside). That reserved portion makes a perfect dipping sauce or drizzle.

If you forget to do that, you can simmer the used marinade in a saucepan for a few minutes. Cooking it down for a few minutes will thicken it into a delicious glaze (especially for salmon, soy, or chicken dishes) and make it safe to enjoy as a dipping sauce. If you know you like to dip, you could also make a double batch and just save half for dipping!

Between the miso and soy sauce, this soy sauce marinade recipe has a naturally salty flavor—but that’s what makes it so yummy. If you find it a bit too strong, don’t worry! You can easily adjust! Here are a few easy adjustments you can make to fine-tune the end result:

Add a touch more brown sugar to balance out the sodium
Squeeze in a little extra lemon juice for brightness
Or even dilute the mixture with a splash of water

The ultimate goal here is balance—sweet, salty, and just a little tangy. Once you taste it, you’ll know exactly how you like your brown sugar soy sauce marinade.

One of the reasons I love this easy soy sauce marinade is that it doesn’t take long to work its magic. The length of time you need to marinate does depend on the ingredients though. Here’s a little guide to help:

Seafood (like salmon or shrimp): 20 to 30 minutes

Chicken or pork: 1 to 2 hours

Beef (flank steak marinade with soy sauce is so good!): 2 to 4 hours

Tofu or vegetables: at least 30 minutes

Because this is a soy sauce-based marinade, a little time goes a long way. You don’t need to leave it overnight unless you want a deep, intense flavor.

Extra Tips

After you make this once, you’ll start finding excuses to use it on everything. It’s perfect as a chicken marinade, a soy sauce base for grilling, a quick pork marinade for weeknight dinners, a soy marinade for tofu or another vegetarian option, and even as a glaze for roasted vegetables. It might become a staple in your kitchen! Sub it into some of the recipes below and see how you like it.

Easy Brown Sugar Glazed Salmon in the Oven➝

Easy Grilled Steak➝

Grilled Vegetable Platter➝

Pesto Grilled Chicken with Grilled Peaches or Nectarines➝

I want to encourage people to feel confident to try new things in the kitchen and to be inspired to share more meals with friends and family.

It’s easy to collect recipes and save them for “some day.” I believe recipes are for making. Let's do it together. Join me in exploring the world through food!