This $3.99 Trader Joe's Find Makes the Best Chicken
When I need a quick and easy marinade for chicken, I turn to this bottled sauce from Trader Joe’s. It’s full of sweet-meets-umami flavor that I can’t get enough of.
It seemed like I was staring at a package of chicken at least once a week wondering, “What do I make with this?” There are a handful of chicken dishes that I always keep on rotation, but when I get tired of pesto, Parm, or barbecue sauce, I can always rely on Trader Joe’s Soyaki. The teriyaki-inspired find is so good that it quickly became the only store-bought sauce I use to marinate chicken.
Why I Love Trader Joe’s Soyaki
I’ve always been a fan of teriyaki sauce, but had to make it from scratch after Trader Joe’s stopped stocking the Soy Vay brand and it was pricier to buy it at big-box supermarkets. So when I noticed that TJ’s came out with a private-label sauce that was cheaper and made from essentially the same mix of ingredients found in my homemade recipe, I immediately added it to my cart — along with a pound of raw chicken.
The way it transformed those chicken breasts into something far more moist and flavorful immediately hooked me — and I have been ever since. The ingredients, which include soy sauce, cane sugar, garlic, and ginger, give it an irresistible sweet-meets-umami flavor profile, and sesame seed oil and whole sesame seeds add a nutty taste and a ton of crunch. While it’s a little thinner than traditional teriyaki sauces, it thickens up to a rich and silky texture when used as a basting liquid, which I often do.
I reach for it every time I make teriyaki chicken bowls, sometimes swapping out the chicken for salmon, since it’s both effortless and delicious. For the best results, I’ve learned that using dark meat is best because it requires minimal marinating time as it’s naturally softer and more flavorful than white meat. Still, with a little extra time, it works wonders on chicken breasts, too.
How I Use Trader Joe’s Soyaki
My go-to method is pretty straightforward. I place the chicken in a single layer in a shallow dish and add TJ’s Soyaki until the meat is at least halfway covered. I use about half a bottle per 1 to 2 pounds of chicken so one bottle easily makes two to three meals for a family of three. I typically let it marinate in the fridge for somewhere between one and four hours, depending on the type of chicken.
Unlike citrus-based marinades that can break down the proteins in meats and make them mushy, this sauce can sit on longer, even overnight. But when I’m craving the sadly discontinued Trader Joe’s Island Soyaki and mix in a few splashes of pineapple juice, I have to remind myself to watch the clock.
When it comes time to cook, I usually stick to the traditional teriyaki method — grilling or broiling the chicken until almost fully cooked, then basting it for the last few minutes until a thick glaze forms. Then, all that’s left to do is cut it into thick strips, serve it over white rice with a side of vegetables, and dig in.
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