by LeAnn Rice
As soon as it’s above freezing, I crank up my grill. Seriously! Anything marinated and cooked on the grill goes on my top 10 list of favorite things to eat.
It’s June so it’s well above freezing for most of us. If you love backyard barbeques during the summer months, here are a few of my favorite marinade recipes that you can make with very simple ingredients that you probably already have in your kitchen.
Brown Sugar and Soy Marinade
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
- dash or two of cayenne (optional – add as much or as little heat as you like)
Blend all ingredients and pour over beef, pork, poultry or salmon. Cover and marinate 2 to 24 hours in the refrigerator.
Sweet and Tangy Marinade
- 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon grainy mustard
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
Blend all ingredients and pour over beef, pork, or poultry. Cover and marinate 2 to 24 hours in the refrigerator.
Citrus Chile Marinade
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- the zest of one lemon
- the juice of two lemons
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- kosher salt and black pepper to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon chili flakes (or more to taste)
Blend all ingredients and pour over poultry. Cover and marinate 2-24 hours in the refrigerator. This also works really well with halibut, cod, shrimp and scallops but only marinate 30 minutes.
Note: for a Greek variation, add some fresh or dried oregano to the marinade and then sprinkle with a little bit of Feta cheese after the meat or seafood is cooked – right before serving.
Notes about marinating:
- Always cover and marinate meats, pork, poultry or seafood in the refrigerator.
- Remove food from marinade before cooking.
- If you want to serve extra marinade with your entree, make sure you bring it to a boil and simmer for 3-5 minutes to kill any bacteria.
- If your marinade has a high acid content (lots of citrus or vinegar) you do not want to marinate as long and you especially do not want to marinate seafood for more than 30 minutes. The acid in the citrus will begin to cook the seafood and leave it a little rubbery.
- Most marinades are delicious on vegetables but I marinate in separate containers. If making kabobs, marinate your vegetables in one container and whatever meat you are using in another, before assembling the kabobs.
Now fire up those grills!
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