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    Home » Recipes » Dish Type » Sauces, Spreads and Condiments

    Soy Ginger and Lemon Marinade

    Published: Jul 10, 2022 by Terri Gilson · Modified: Sep 10, 2023 · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This post may contain affiliate links · 12 Comments

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    Jump to Recipe
    marinade in glass bowl with marinade ingredients behind it, on faux wooden surface

    This Soy Ginger Lemon 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.

    soy ginger lemon marinade in a glass bowl with ingredients in background

    I love easy recipes that are quick to throw together and so versatile. My maple lemon marinade is another easy meat marinade. You can use them any time of the year, but they are ideal for grilling. However, they can also be used in the air fryer or on the stovetop as well.

    Jump to:
    • 🥘Ingredients
    • 🔪Instructions
    • 📖Variations & Substitutions
    • 🥗 Side Dishes
    • 🍽Equipment
    • 🌡️Storage
    • 👪 Serving Size
    • 🔢WW Points
    • 💭Top tip
    • 🦺Food safety
    • ❔ FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
    • 📋 Soy Ginger and Lemon Marinade Recipe (oil free)
    • 📋More Grilling Recipes

    🥘Ingredients

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

    ingredients in soy ginger marinade, in glass bowls and labelled
    • lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
    • soy sauce
    • fresh ginger
    • ketchup
    • fresh garlic

    *See recipe card for quantities.

    🔪Instructions

    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.

    ingredients for soy ginger lemon marinade whisked together in a bowl

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

    soy ginger lemon marinade poured over porik

    When ready to use, place 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 meat over at least once during the marinating process.

    📖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 in a jar, if you don't have fresh
    • 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.
    • 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.

    🥗 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:

    • Onion Baked Potatoes in Foil (3 Ingredients)
    • Easy Bean Salad (Vegan and Gluten-free)
    • Healthy Mexican Street Corn (Elote)
    • Easy Greek Pasta Salad Recipe
    • Healthy Potato Salad
    • Healthy Artichoke and Red Pepper Coleslaw
    • Slow Cooker New England Baked Beans
    2 stuffed grilled peppers on a black plate with a piece of grilled pork and lemon wedge


    🍽Equipment

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

    🌡️Storage

    Store this marinade in the fridge in a sealed jar or 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 blue 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.

    5 pieces of marinated pork on a black platter with lemon wedges and a dish of soy sauce in the middle

    🔢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.

    💭Top tip

    Store your fresh ginger in a ziplock freezer bag in the freezer! It lasts so much longer and then when you need it, you simply take it out, peel the rough part (only what you need) with a vegetable peeler, then use a zester to finely grate what you need for the recipe. Then you simply put the remainder back in the freezer, where it will last 3-6 months.

    ginger on a white plate with small grater

    🦺Food safety

    • Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
    • Wash hands after touching raw meat
    • Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
    • Never leave cooking food unattended
    • Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
    • Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove

    See more guidelines at USDA.gov.

    ❔ FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

    How long can you marinate chicken in soy?

    You can marinate chicken in a soy marinade for up to 2 days.

    What does marinating in soy sauce do?

    Marinating in soy sauce adds flavor and tenderizes the meat.

    Can you marinate meat without oil?

    You can marinate meat with oil if you use citrus juice (lemon, preferably) wine or vinegar. These ingredients help break it down and tenderize meats.

    So, if you're looking for healthy recipes for marinade, you'll love this oil free version of soy ginger marinade!

    soy ginger lemon marinade in a glass bowl with ingredients in background
    Food Meandering Logo

    📋 Soy Ginger and Lemon Marinade Recipe (oil free)

    This Soy Ginger Lemon Marinade is oil-free marinade that's quick and easy to make with pantry staples and great for pork, beef, chicken, lamb or salmon!
    5 from 7 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: dinner
    Cuisine: American, Canadian
    Keyword: ginger, lemon, marinade, soy
    Special Diet: Dairy-free, Weight Watchers
    Servings: 4 servings
    Calories: 39kcal
    Author: Terri Gilson
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    marinating time: 8 hours hours
    Total Time: 8 hours hours 10 minutes minutes
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Equipment

    zester
    whisk
    Salad shaker

    Ingredients

    • ½ cup lemon juice
    • ½ cup soy sauce
    • 2 tablespoon gingerroot grated
    • 2 tbsp ketchup
    • 4 cloves of garlic
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    • Combine all ingredients and whisk together or shake together in tightly sealed jar.
      ingredients for soy ginger lemon marinade whisked together in a bowl
    • When ready to use, place meat in a shallow dish or plastic Ziplock bag. Pour about half marinade over meat. Turn to coat, and add remaining (but reserve about ¼ cup for basting on after cooking, if desired)
      soy ginger lemon marinade poured over porik
    • Refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight to get maximum flavor. Turn meat over at least once during process.
    • Cook meat as per directions in your recipe (it will depend on type of meat you are making and cooking process you are using) and brush on a little marinade if desired (you can quickly warm it on the stovetop over medium-high heat or in the microwave).

    Garnish

    • Garnish with fresh chives, green onions or sesame seeds (optional)
      5 pieces of marinated pork on a black platter with lemon wedges and a dish of soy sauce in the middle

    Notes

    *Please see post contents for important recipe information and tips!
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    Nutrition Facts
    📋 Soy Ginger and Lemon Marinade Recipe (oil free)
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 39 Calories from Fat 2
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 0.2g0%
    Saturated Fat 0.02g0%
    Polyunsaturated Fat 0.04g
    Monounsaturated Fat 0.01g
    Sodium 1689mg73%
    Potassium 141mg4%
    Carbohydrates 7g2%
    Fiber 0.5g2%
    Sugar 3g3%
    Protein 3g6%
    Vitamin A 41IU1%
    Vitamin C 13mg16%
    Calcium 15mg2%
    Iron 1mg6%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 39kcal (2%) | Carbohydrates: 7g (2%) | Protein: 3g (6%) | Fat: 0.2g | Saturated Fat: 0.02g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.04g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 1689mg (73%) | Potassium: 141mg (4%) | Fiber: 0.5g (2%) | Sugar: 3g (3%) | Vitamin A: 41IU (1%) | Vitamin C: 13mg (16%) | Calcium: 15mg (2%) | Iron: 1mg (6%)
    Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating and review below!
    Rate this Recipe

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Colleen

      July 20, 2022 at 12:11 pm

      This is such a simple but flavorful marinade. The lemon is a perfect touch. And thanks for the great tip about freezing ginger!

      Reply
      • Terri Gilson

        July 21, 2022 at 10:40 am

        Glad you enjoyed it, Colleen!

        Reply
    2. Cindy Mom the Lunch Lady

      July 20, 2022 at 12:29 pm

      This marinade is so simple, but it made out pork chops so tender and flavorful.

      Reply
      • Terri Gilson

        July 21, 2022 at 10:40 am

        Thanks, Cindy! Yes, it does really tenderize the meat!

        Reply
    3. Shelby

      July 20, 2022 at 12:38 pm

      Used this lemon marinade on kabobs the other night and it was amazing, so refreshing and light!

      Reply
      • Terri Gilson

        July 21, 2022 at 10:40 am

        Great idea to use it on kabobs!

        Reply
    4. nancy

      July 20, 2022 at 2:40 pm

      adding lemon totally brightens the whole marinade profile. i love it!

      Reply
      • Terri Gilson

        July 21, 2022 at 10:41 am

        I agree, Nancy! 🙂

        Reply
    5. Vanessa

      July 20, 2022 at 2:48 pm

      I love trying new marinades and this was fantastic. I used it to marinade pork tenderloin before grilling. Delicious!

      Reply
      • Terri Gilson

        July 21, 2022 at 10:41 am

        Hi Vanessa,
        So glad to hear you loved it!
        Terri

        Reply
    6. Bernice

      July 22, 2022 at 11:33 am

      I love marinating with soy sauce. I usually just use one acid but the ketchup really added extra umami. Can confirm...great on pork!

      Reply
    7. Asha

      July 26, 2022 at 7:40 pm

      I used this marinade on some salmon and it was simply delicious. Loved how easy it was to make as well since I already had all of the ingredients. Would make this again.

      Reply

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    I'm Terri, a passionate home cook and baker, an award-winning recipe developer, and a busy working mom who is trying to eat healthy and fit everything into not enough hours in a day! My mission is to share not only my recipes, cooking hacks, and tips with you, but also my secrets to successful weight maintenance.

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