8 Marinade Recipes for Perfect Grilled Meat and Poultry

Thanks to marinades, meat and poultry get saturated with flavors and spices, they become softer and more tender. But a lot depends on the ingredients of marinade. Lemon juice or vinegar, for example, make meat softer, while vegetable oil protects it from drying out during frying. But a good marinade is a balanced mixture of acid, oil, and seasoning.

5-Minute Crafts would like to share the recipes of marinades for chicken, pork, mutton, and beef, with you.

Important: To slow down the growth of bacteria in meat and poultry, it’s best to marinate them in a closed container made of glass or food-grade plastic, that is kept inside the fridge. If you boil the marinade afterward, you can use it as a sauce.

8. Universal marinade for meat and poultry

Ingredients:

1/3 cup of vegetable or olive oil

1/2 cup of chopped onion

1/2 cup of tomato juice

1/4 cup of lemon juice

1/4 cup snipped parsley

1 tsp of salt

1 tsp of dried marjoram, crushed

1 tsp dried thyme, crushed

1/2 tsp pepper

1 clove garlic, minced

Cooking process. Combine all of the ingredients in a zip lock bag. Place the lamb, pork, beef, or chicken into the bag. It’s best if you chop the meat into small pieces. Press out air from the bag and seal it. Refrigerate the meat in the marinade for 4 to 6 hours or overnight, turning the bag occasionally. Grill the marinated meat.

7. Chicken barbeque with Berberis and saffron

Ingredients:

• 2.2 pounds of chicken breasts
• 1 large onion
• 1 clove of garlic
• 2 tbsp of tomato puree
• pinch of black pepper
• 3 tbsp of sugar
• 3 tbsp of coarse salt
• 1/2 tbsp of powdered Berberis berries
• 1/2 tbsp of powdered saffron
• a few bay leaves (optional)
• 1 liter of water

Cooking process: Add the salt and sugar, and 1 tablespoon of tomato puree to a mixing bowl. Add 1 liter of water and stir until the sugar and salt have dissolved. Cut the clove of garlic into 4 pieces and add to the mixture. Add the bay leaves (optional). Add the chicken breasts, cover the bowl, and place it in the refrigerator. Do this at least 12 hours before cooking so that the meat becomes soft and full of flavor.

When you are ready to cook, remove the bowl of marinated chicken from the refrigerator and drain the water. Cut the chicken breasts into medium-sized cubes and put them into a mixing bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of tomato puree, saffron, the powdered Berberis berries, and black pepper. Stir until all of the ingredients are mixed. Add the cubed chicken to the barbecue skewers. Place the skewers on a barbecue and turn them regularly to ensure that the meat is thoroughly cooked. Put the chicken on a plate with chopped onion.

6. Pork chop marinade with mustard, brown sugar, and pepper

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup of extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup of brown sugar
• 2 tbsp of grainy mustard
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 tbsp of red pepper flakes
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 4 pork chops

Cooking process. In a large bowl, whisk all of the ingredients together and season them with salt and pepper. Pour the marinade over pork chops and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. In a large skillet, over medium heat, heat the oil and cook the pork chops until golden and cooked through, about 7 minutes per side. The marinated pork chops can be also grilled.

5. Chicken wing marinade with soy sauce, honey, ginger, and lime

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup of extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup of low-sodium soy sauce
• 1/4 cup of honey
• 1/4 cup of chili garlic sauce
• Juice of 1 lime
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp of freshly minced ginger
• 2 pounds of chicken wings

Cooking process: In a large bowl, whisk together oil, soy sauce, honey, chili garlic sauce, lime juice, garlic, and ginger. Set aside ½ cup of this mixture. Add chicken wings to the remaining marinade and toss to coat. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 400°F and place a wire rack over a baking sheet. Remove the wings from the marinade and place them on the wire rack. Bake them until they’re golden and crispy, for about 50 to 60 minutes, flipping the wings halfway through. In a small saucepan over medium heat, add the reserved marinade. Bring it to a boil, then reduce heat and let it simmer until thickened, for about 10 minutes. Turn the oven to broil. Brush the sauce over the wings and broil them until caramelized, for 2 to 3 minutes.

4. Chicken marinade with yogurt, lemon juice, and cilantro

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of full-fat plain Greek yogurt
• 1 cup of lightly packed cilantro, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp of fresh lemon juice
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp of cayenne
• 1 tsp of ground cumin
• Kosher salt
• Pepper
• One 3 1/2-pound chicken—halved, breast and rib bones removed, leg bones left intact
• Vegetable oil, for brushing

Cooking process. In a large resealable plastic bag, mix the yogurt with the cilantro, lemon juice, garlic, cayenne, cumin, 2 teaspoons of salt, and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Add the chicken halves and turn to coat. Seal the bag and transfer it to a baking dish. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight.

Bring the chicken to room temperature before grilling. Set up a gas grill for indirect grilling, then heat to 400°F and oil the grate. Remove the chicken from the marinade, scraping off any excess. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Set the chicken skin side up on the grate over indirect heat. Close the grill and cook, turning once until the chicken is browned and nearly cooked through, for about 25 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Flip the chicken and grill it over direct heat, turning occasionally, until lightly charred. Transfer the chicken to a carving board and let it rest for 10 minutes before carving.

3. Honey Sriracha marinade for chicken

Ingredients:

• 4 chicken thighs, deboned but skin-on
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1.5 tbsp of honey
• 1 tbsp of soy sauce
• 1 tsp of Sriracha chili sauce
• 1 tsp of rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1 tsp of oil
• White sesame seeds, for serving

Cooking process. In a bowl, mix the honey, soy sauce, vinegar, salt, and Sriracha chili sauce. Add the garlic. Put the chicken into the marinade and leave it for 30 minutes. Heat up a skillet over medium heat. Add the oil. Transfer the chicken to the skillet and cook on both sides, until they turn golden brown and are cooked through. Add the remaining marinade to the skillet, as soon as it thickens, turn off the heat, top with some sesame seeds (if using), and serve immediately.

2. Pork marinade with orange juice, lime, mint, and herbs

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup of extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp of orange zest
• 3/4 cup of fresh orange juice
• 1/2 cup of fresh lime juice
• 1 cup of cilantro, finely-chopped
• 1/4 cup of lightly packed mint leaves, finely-chopped
• 8 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbsp of minced oregano (or 2 teaspoons of dried oregano)
• 2 tsp of ground cumin
• Kosher salt
• Pepper
• 3 and 1/2 pounds boneless pork shoulder, in one piece

Cooking process. In a large Ziploc bag, combine the olive oil, orange zest, orange juice, lime juice, chopped cilantro, chopped mint, minced garlic, oregano, and cumin. Shake it around a bit to mix it up, then add the pork shoulder. Place the zipped-up bag in a baking dish, and put it in the fridge overnight, or several hours at least.

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Place a wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet. Place the pork on the rack and discard the marinade. Salt and pepper the pork well. Roast the pork for 30 minutes. It should be lightly browned. Turn the oven down to 375°F. Roast for another hour and 20-30 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board, cover it with aluminum foil, and let it rest for at least 20 minutes.

1. Chicken marinade with pineapple, ketchup, soy sauce, ginger, and garlic

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of unsweetened pineapple juice
• 3/4 cup of ketchup
• 1/2 cup of low-sodium soy sauce
• 1/2 cup of brown sugar
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp of freshly minced ginger
• 1 pound of boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 tbsp of vegetable oil, plus more for grilling
• 1 pineapple, sliced into rings and halved
• Thinly sliced green onions, for garnish

Cooking process. In a large bowl, whisk together the pineapple juice, ketchup, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, and ginger until combined. Add the chicken to a large resealable plastic bag and pour in the marinade. Let it marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight.

When ready to grill, heat the grill to high. Oil the grates and grill the chicken, basting with marinade until charred and cooked through, 8 minutes per side. Toss the pineapple in the oil and grill it until charred, about 2 minutes per side. Garnish the chicken and pineapple with green onions before serving.