This easy soy sauce grilled chicken is quickly flavored with a brown sugar and orange juice marinade for a touch of zesty sweetness that pairs perfectly with the soy sauce flavor.
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Pinches of smoky paprika and garlic powder plus dash of olive oil add savory flavor and season the chicken the rest of the way.
This simple marinade infuses the chicken with a light sweet and salty flavor. The splash of orange juice adds a zesty brightness and complements the sweetness of the brown sugar.
I originally used this marinade on these zesty citrus and soy sauce grilled salmon fillets and it works equally as well on grilled chicken!
To flavor this easy soy sauce grilled chicken with all these wonderful flavors, we’ll combine just a handful of simple ingredients and whisk together in bowl.
We’ll transfer the chicken and marinade to a large bag and let sit to help the chicken take on all of those delicious flavors!
Ingredients for Brown Sugar Soy Sauce Grilled Chicken Marinade
- 1 pack of chicken breasts ( 3 to 4 pieces)
- Brown Sugar
- Soy Sauce – less sodium soy sauce, if possible
- Orange Juice
- Orange Zest
- Olive Oil
- Paprika
- Garlic Powder
- Cracked Pepper
How To Make Easy Soy Sauce Grilled Chicken
To make the marinade, grab a small separate bowl and whisk together brown sugar, soy sauce, orange juice, orange zest, olive oil, paprika, garlic powder, and cracked pepper. Whisk together to combine.
Make The Grilled Chicken Breasts:
The ease of the marinade and this simple grilled chicken recipe comes from the basic ingredients. You’ll most likely already have them sitting in your pantry.
The dry spices, brown sugar, olive oil, and soy sauce are everyday ingredients that don’t really go bad.
If you haven’t already, make it a point to keep these ingredients handy. You can make this easy grilled chicken dinner recipe for your family all summer long at a moment’s notice!
There’s just a few key pointers to help this easy grilled chicken soy sauce recipe come out juicy and delicious!
Tips for Juicy and Delicious Soy Sauce Grilled Chicken
- Be sure to grease the grill grate with a generous layer of non-stick cooking spray. You can use olive oil cooking spray, original pam cooking spray, or your favorite non-stick oil spray. The sugars in the marinade tend to make the chicken stickier on the grill, so grease the grill very well prior to the start of cooking.
- Let the chicken marinade for at least 30 minutes to an hour for optimal flavor. If desired, you can make this marinade in advance the night before, and let sit refridgerated overnight.
- If marinading and cooking the same day, I like to let the chicken sit sealed at room temperature for at least 30 minutes to help it along and grab the best possible flavor in the shortest amount of time.
- After grilling, don’t skip the resting step! Covering the chicken breasts loosely with a bit of foil to help them settle and keep their juices in before slicing and serving.
- Try not to overcook the meat as chicken breasts (unlike chicken thighs) are lean of a low fat content and tend to dry out easily if left too long on the grill.
- I like to cook my grilled chicken breasts for about 5 minutes on each side over medium heat (give or take a few minutes depending on how large or small the pieces are).
- Larger pieces will take longer and smaller pieces will cook sooner, they won’t all necessarily finish cooking at the same time. Remove pieces at the appropirate time, individually, as they reach their own cook time, and set aside on a platter. Cover loosely with foil as you wait for the others to reach cook time.
- When in doubt, keep an instant read thermometer handy and when an internal temperature of 165 degrees F is just reached, remove the breasts immediately and cover loosely with foil.
I hope some of these quick tips help you cook up quick and juicy grilled chicken dinners for the table all summer long.
When you run out of chicken, you can still keep the grill hot for these easy Hawaiian bun sliders, these teriyaki chicken skewers, and these colorful shrimp kabobs for more quick and easy grilled dinners.
Soy Sauce Grilled Chicken Breasts with Brown Sugar Marinade
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 to 4 pack Chicken Breast
- ¼ cup Brown sugar - packed
- ¼ cup Less Sodium Soy Sauce
- ¼ cup Orange Juice
- 1 to 2 tsp Orange Zest
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 tsp Paprika
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1 tsp Cracked Black Pepper
Instructions
- To make the marinade, grab a small separate bowl and whisk together brown sugar, soy sauce, orange juice, orange zest, olive oil, paprika, garlic powder, and cracked pepper. Whisk together to combine.
- Place chicken breasts in a large ziplock bag and set the bag inside a mixing bowl to sit upright. Pour the marinade over the chicken. Seal and give a gentle squeeze or two to coat the chicken all over with the marinade in the bag.
- Marinade chicken breasts in the large ziplock bag for 30 minutes to an hour, or overnight in the refrigerator, turning and re-coating the meat occasionally.
- If marinating and cooking the same day, marinade at room temperature for optimal flavor, then cook.
- Turn the grill on, pre-heat, and grease your grill grate with a generous layer of non-stick cooking spray, so the marinated chicken does not stick.
- Grill marinated chicken breasts over medium heat for 5 (to 7 ) minutes per side depending on the size and thickness of the chicken breasts. You can also cook through until an internal temperature of 165 degrees F is reached.
- When cook time is up, remove chicken breast from grill and transfer to a serving platter. Cover loosely with a bit of foil and let the chicken breasts rest for another 5 minutes. Slice and serve.
