89% of Americans eat meat, which demonstrates how prevalent ripping into a chunk of meat is! Most of us also enjoy a good barbecue, especially when summertime hits.
Combine meat and barbecuing, and you’ve got yourself a guaranteed good time!
While throwing a slab of meat onto the grill may suffice for some people, for others, they need an extra boost in flavor. So it can be worth your time to chop up some ingredients and marinate your meat a day or two before your BBQ.
Don’t know where to start? Then keep reading for 5 delicious meat marinades you need to try this summer!
1. All-Purpose Meat Marinade
Let’s start off with something that you can apply to any type of meat you bring home. That way, you won’t have to rack your brain to narrow down which marinade complements it best.
For this recipe, soy sauce will provide most of the marinade’s taste. You’ll then spice it up with 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar, 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce, and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. For some real spice, sprinkle in some cayenne powder; leave it out if you can’t handle spice.
To provide a little bit of sweetness, you’ll put in a little under a tablespoon of honey. Dice up a few garlic cloves and parsley leaves, and throw those in with some onion powder.
To make the marinade stick better to the meat, you should add around a third cup of oil. You can use olive, canola, or vegetable here.
Mix up the marinade thoroughly and then put your meat in. While you can cook it just 2 hours after marinating, the meat’s best if you leave it in the mix overnight.
2. 4-Ingredient Steak Marinade
What if you don’t have many ingredients at home, but your family’s demanding you get some meat on the grill? (If you need a new one, here are some great online grill reviews!) Only salt and pepper won’t do, as it’s too basic.
This recipe kicks things up a notch while utilizing things you’d usually have in your pantry and fridge. Simply cut up half an onion and a garlic clove, then mix with a quarter cup of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of water. Blend everything well and stick your steaks in the mix.
Let the meat marinate for at least 4 hours, but don’t let it get past 24 hours. Also, you might want to put your steaks in an airtight container if you don’t want the rest of your fridge to smell like onions and garlic!
3. Chimichurri Marinade
Add an Argentinian taste to your BBQ by whipping up a batch of this chimichurri marinade!
Pour out 1/2 a cup of red wine vinegar. Then chop up 4 garlic cloves, a shallot, a jalapeno, 2 cups of cilantro, 1 cup of parsley, and 1/3rd cup of oregano. Add a teaspoon of salt, then whisk everything together with 3/4ths cup olive oil.
If you want some chimichurri sauce to use as a dip later, remove some now. Then pour the chimichurri marinade into a glass container and toss your desired meat to coat it well.
You should marinate the meat for at least 3 hours. For the most powerful flavor possible, marinate overnight.
4. Vietnamese Lemongrass Marinade
If you want a twist to your marinated meat, then try this Vietnamese lemongrass marinade. It’s a refreshing change to the usual western recipes!
This marinade relies heavily on sugar, so just note that grilling meat is the only choice with this recipe. Otherwise, you’ll end up with a burnt mess on the stove or in the oven.
Finely chop a lemongrass stalk, as well as a few cloves of garlic, shallots, and 1 Thai chile (add more if you love spice!). Combine all this with 3/4ths cup sugar and 1/4th cup fish sauce. Whisk until all the sugar’s dissolved, then put the meat in.
What’s great about this recipe is you can get marinated meat quickly; it’s ready for grilling within 2 hours! However, for more flavorful meat, we recommend you leave it in the marinade overnight.
5. Miso Marinade
Here’s another Asian-inspired marinade if you want to expand your palate. Miso’s great for not-so-adventurous people since it’s flavorful but not too wild.
To make this marinade, get 1/4th cup miso paste. Mix it with 2 tablespoons mirin, 2 teaspoons dashi powder, and 2 teaspoons sugar. Spread this mixture over the top of your meat, place in an airtight container, and leave it to marinate for as long as you want; the longer, the better!
Like the Vietnamese lemongrass marinade, this recipe is super quick. In fact, you don’t even need to marinate meat if you want a fast meal!
Brush the meat with miso marinade before it’s cooked and you’ll have a dish that’s rich in flavors.
This miso marinade is best paired with salmon, as it can help hide its fishy taste. However, you can use miso marinade on all other types of meat, so feel free to experiment!
Give These Meat Marinades a Try
Now you have some fantastic meat marinades to use on your meats this summer and beyond. What’s great about these recipes is not only can you use them for grilling, but also for regular stovetop cooking and even oven baking!
So don’t let the changing seasons stop you from flavoring your food. Keep these recipes bookmarked to whip them out in a flash when you want to make a delicious dinner. Your taste buds will thank you!
If you liked these marinade recipes, then take a look at the rest of our blog page for more tasty ideas.
