When you’re grilling any meat/poultry, the key is in the marination! Yes, marination helps tenderize the meat/poultry, adds moisture to it and will help absorb the flavours, letting it soak in better.
If you’re a fan of grilling meats/poultry, then always start off with marinating your meat and let it soak in for 8 to 10 hours or overnight (while kept in the refrigerator).
In this article, I’ll give you recipes to 10 of my favourite grilling marinades! From zesty citrus blends to savory sauce infusions, we’ve got ten different marinade recipes for you to flavour your grilling meats/poultry with.
10 Flavourful Grilling Marinade Recipes
1. Barbecue Marinade
Mix together 1 cup of barbecue sauce, along with ½ cup wine (or beef/chicken broth) and ¼ cup lemon juice in a bowl. Mix well and pour it over your meat/poultry. Apply on all sides and marinate for 6 to 8 hours.
2. Soy Garlic Marinade
Combine ¾ cup soy sauce, 1½ tsp finely chopped garlic, 1 cup packed brown sugar, 1/3 cup chicken broth and ¾ cup ketchup. Mix well and pour it over your meat/poultry. Apply on all sides and marinate for 6 to 8 hours.
3. Ranch Marinade
Mix together 3 tablespoons or 1 pkg. ranch dressing mix, 1 tablespoon garlic salt, ¼ cup olive oil and 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Mix well and pour it over your meat/poultry. Apply on all sides and marinate for 6 to 8 hours.
4. Ginger Lemon with Peach/Apple Marinade
Combine 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tbsp minced crystallized ginger, ¼ cup peach or apple preserve, 1/8 tsp clove powder and 2 tsp lemon zest. Mix well and pour it over your meat/poultry. Apply on all sides and marinate for 6 to 8 hours.
5. Soy Orange Marinade
Mix together ½ cup orange juice (concentrate), ¼ cup soy sauce, 1 tsp garlic powder, ¼ cup honey and 1 tsp five-spice powder. Mix well and pour it over your meat/poultry. Apply on all sides and marinate for 6 to 8 hours.
6. Olive Oregano Marinade
Mix together 1/3 cup lemon juice, salt to taste, pepper to taste, 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp dried oregano, 4 tsp lemon zest and 2 minced cloves of garlic. Mix well and pour it over your meat/poultry. Apply on all sides and marinate for 6 to 8 hours.
7. Chili Coriander Marinade
Mix together 2 tbsp olive oil, pepper to taste, ½ tsp cumin powder, 1 tbsp chili powder, 1 tsp minced garlic, salt to taste and 1 tsp coriander powder. Mix well and pour it over your meat/poultry. Apply on all sides and marinate for 6 to 8 hours.
8. Balsamic Vinegar and Maple Marinade
Combine 6 tbsp maple syrup, ¾ tsp coarsely ground pepper, 6 tbsp balsamic vinegar and salt to taste. Mix well and pour it over your meat/poultry. Apply on all sides and marinate for 6 to 8 hours.
9. Soy Honey Marinade
Combine ¼ cup lemon juice, 2 pods of minced garlic, ¼ cup honey and 2 tbsp soy sauce. Mix well and pour it over your meat/poultry. Apply on all sides and marinate for 6 to 8 hours.
10. Coffee Marinade
Combine 1 cup coffee, 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup olive oil, 4 crushed garlic cloves, salt and pepper to taste. . Mix well and pour it over your meat/poultry. Apply on all sides and marinate for 6 to 8 hours.
Note: You can use these marinades for any types of meat/poultry of your choice. You can poke the meat with a fork or make incisions on the flesh for better penetration of the marinade.