Lemon and Soy Ginger Marinade

This Lemon and Soy Ginger Marinade is one of my go-to marinades! It's easy to make with pantry staples and great for pork, beef, chicken, lamb, or salmon! It's also oil-free, so it's lighter and healthier than a typical soy ginger marinade.

I love easy recipes that are quick to throw together and so versatile. You can use this oil free marinade any time of the year, but it's ideal for grilling. However, it can also be used in the air fryer or on the stovetop.

🥘Ingredient Notes

You only need 5 marinade ingredients for this oil-free soy ginger lemon marinade recipe, and oil is not one of them!

• Lemon juice (freshly squeezed). Citrus tenderizes the meat, and fresh is best because it doesn't have any preservatives and tastes better!
• Fresh ginger and garlic. Fresh ginger and garlic elevate the flavor and add complexity. Fresh ginger also has an enzyme that breaks down tough proteins, which makes it ideal for marinating meats.
• Soy sauce. Light soy sauce is best for marinades. It has a thinner body and a golden brown color. Using natural fermentation methods, light soy sauce has a strong aromatic umami and savory flavor. Don't use dark soy sauce, as it's overpowering. You can use a multi-purpose soy sauce if you don't have light.
• Ketchup. Ketchup is a simple way to add sweetness and flavor complexity.

*See recipe card for full list of ingredients and quantities.

📖Variations & Substitutions

• Raw Meats - you can use chicken breast, pork chops, boneless pork, beef, lamb, tuna steaks, or salmon
• Garlic - you can use minced garlic from a jar, if you don't have fresh garlic
• Spicy - add ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes or ½ teaspoon sriracha sauce to the marinade
• Lemon juice- if you don't have fresh lemon juice, use concentrated, but only use HALF the amount. If you don't have either, you can use another citrus juice, like fresh lime juice.

🔪How to Make Lemon and Soy Ginger Marinade

Because there is no oil in this ginger soy marinade recipe (and oil helps the marinade absorb into the meat), it's important that you marinate the meat for at least 8 hours or overnight to get the maximum depth of flavor from this marinade recipe.

If you marinate it for less time, you won't get as much flavor.

Combine all ingredients and whisk together (or shake together in a tightly sealed jar or Tupperware shaker - see equipment).

When ready to use, place the meat in a shallow dish or a resealable plastic bag. Pour about half the marinade over the meat.

Turn to coat, pour the remainder (setting aside about ¼ cup if you want to baste the meat after it's cooked), and cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight, to get full flavor.

Turn the meat over at least once during the marinating process.

🥗 Side Dishes

No matter what type of meat you are marinating and grilling, these flavors pair perfectly with my Corn Stuffed Grilled Bell Peppers! (shown below).

It also goes well with sides like my Onion Baked Potatoes in Foil, my Easy Bean Salad (Vegan and Gluten-free) or Slow Cooker New England Baked Beans!

If you are looking for something even lighter, try my Healthy Artichoke and Red Pepper Coleslaw!

🍽Equipment

You'll need a whisk and a bowl or a salad dressing shaker , as well as a microplane (affiliate links) to make this meat marinade.

🌡️Storage

Store this marinade in the fridge in a sealed jar or an airtight container for up to 3 days. You can also freeze in a Ziplock freezer bag for up to 3 months.

👪 Serving Size

This recipe makes enough marinade for 4 servings. However, you can half, double, or triple the recipe by clicking on the serving number and selecting the number of servings you'd like. The ingredient quantities will automatically adjust. I multiplied the recipe by 1.5X for the 6 pieces of pork.

🔢WW Points

This recipe is Weight Watchers friendly @ 2 WW pts, but because not all of the marinade is absorbed, I only count it as 1 point. This soy ginger marinade has fewer points than similar sauces with oil. If you added olive oil to this marinade, it would be 6 WW points instead of 2.

❔ Recipe FAQs