Spicy Sesame Asian Marinade
on Jun 06, 2018, Updated Aug 26, 2024
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Six ingredients and the possibilities are pretty unlimited with this versatile teriyaki-style marinade recipe.
This spicy Asian marinade recipe packs a lot of flavor thanks to the chili paste, garlic, and sesame oil. Everyone in my family (including the kids from a very young age) gravitates towards classic Asian flavors, so dunking almost anything in this sesame-soy marinade gets me to a dinner that everyone will be cheery about.
It’s great on beef or chicken kebabs and also wonderful with tofu. Grill, broil, or sauté whatever you are cooking. If you’re going for a full-on Asian meal, serve up some Pad Thai or Spicy Asian Greens on the side of whatever you are marinating in this slightly spicy teriyaki-like marinade.
Table of Contents
This Spicy Sesame Asian Marinade packs a lot of flavor, thanks to the chili paste, garlic, and sesame oil. Great on everything from meat kebabs to tofu.
Spicy Sesame Asian Marinade Ingredients
- Vegetable or canola oil
- Soy sauce – There’s no salt necessary in this recipe because of the natural saltiness of the soy sauce.
- Sesame oil – I love its toasty, smooth, nutty flavor.
- Garlic cloves – Mince the garlic finely.
- Rice wine – You can use mirin, sake, or dry sherry. They all bring acidity and balance to the marinade.
- Chili paste – Anything spicy will do. You could even use chili flakes or chili oil.
How to Make Asian Sesame Marinade
- Assemble: Place the oil, soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, rice wine, and chili paste into a bowl or jar.
- Combine: Whisk, mix, or shake to combine. Now you’re ready to get marinating.
Kitchen Smarts
Learn all about the optimal marinating times for different meats and proteins.
Tips and Variations
- A tablespoon or so of minced fresh ginger would be a great addition to this marinade.
- Bump up the amount of garlic if you like a very garlicky marinade.
- If you are planning to marinate tofu, press out the excess water in the tofu first so it is better able to absorb the marinade.
Storage
This marinade will keep for up to 5 days in the fridge.
What to Serve With Asian Marinated Dishes
More Marinade Recipes
- Indian Curry Yogurt Marinade
- Jamaican Jerk-Style Marinade
- Ginger, Mint, and Lime Marinade
- Dijon, Garlic, and Lemon Marinade
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Spicy Sesame Asian Marinade
Ingredients
- ¼ cup vegetable or canola oil
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 3 garlic cloves (finely minced)
- 2 tablespoons rice wine (mirin, sake, or dry sherry)
- 1 teaspoon spicy chili paste (or 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes)
Instructions
- Put the vegetable oil, soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, rice wine, and chili paste in a bowl of a jar with a lid.
- Whisk or shake to combine well.
Notes
- A tablespoon or so of minced fresh ginger would be a great addition to this marinade.
- Bump up the amount of garlic if you like a very garlicky marinade.
- If you are planning to marinate tofu, press out the excess water in the tofu first so it is better able to absorb the marinade.
- This marinade will keep for up to 5 days in the fridge.
This this was excellent! I hit a home run finding you for the first time here. I absolutely loved this recipe. I marinated chicken in it and cooked it a few minutes ago. It taste so good and my house smells wonderful. I’m putting together some stir fry bowls for the freezer. I’ll leave one in the fridge so I can have for dinner tomorrow. Thank you so much for this 5 ⭐️ recipe! I will definitely return for more fabulous recipes.
so glad to hear!
We’ve enjoyed this on steak, chicken, pork and shrimp. You’ve done it again!
Great flavor combination! Used this for chicken kabobs. The spicy part wasn’t too big of a kick, I would probably add more next time. Thanks for sharing.
This sounds great and easy! But how long will it last in the fridge?
5 days (maybe even up to a week, if you ask me how long I’d use it!)