marinades

Marinades, Brines, And Rubs Make Grilled Foods Great

By Allrecipes Staff

Sometimes food just needs a little extra love before it's ready for the grill.

Photo by Meredith

Marinades are flavor-infusing liquids. In addition to herbs, condiments, spices, and oils, marinades typically include an acid, like lemon juice, wine, vinegar, even dairy. Sweet ingredients (brown sugar, cola) can help form delicious caramelized, crispy coatings on grilled meats.

Always marinate in the refrigerator. And remember, if you're basting with a liquid in which raw meat marinated, do not apply it during the last three minutes of grilling.

Photo by Meredith

Brines are salty solutions that help lean meats hold their moisture so they stay juicy and tender during grilling.

Brining is a popular method for preparing poultry, particularly turkey, and lean meats, like pork, that tend to dry out on the grill. Sugar, spices, and herbs are sometimes added to the liquid as well.

Soak meats in a container large enough to submerge the meat completely without allowing it to float in the solution. Store in the refrigerator.

Before grilling, rinse brined meat to remove excess salt and dry it with paper towels.

Photo by Meredith

Rubs are seasoning mixtures rubbed on meats before grilling to add spicy or smoky flavors. The best rubs enhance the flavor of the meat without being overbearing and are often blends of strong and mild spices and herbs. When oil or another wet substance is included, it is called a wet rub. A little moisture helps the rub adhere to the meat.

Rubs are an easy way to infuse your grilled meats with exciting ethnic flavors--from Cajun to Korean.

Setting aside rubbed meats for anywhere from 30 minutes to overnight allows the spices to permeate the meat.

Photo by Meredith

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Marinades

An easy way to season grilled foods, marinating keeps meat and fish moist and tender. Our marinades use ginger, red pepper, and even coconut milk.

The Right Container

A shallow, nonreactive dish allows marinade to coat food evenly and is easy to transport to the grill. You can also use a large resealable plastic bag; if marinating meat in the refrigerator, rest the bag on a plate in case of leaks.

Marinate meat and poultry for at least 30 minutes at room temperature; if marinating longer, refrigerate, turning meat occasionally. Let the meat come to room temperature before grilling. Seafood should be marinated for only 15 to 30 minutes; any longer, and the acid in the marinade will begin to "cook" the fish.

Safety Note

Because it's not safe to consume marinades used on raw fish or meat, set some aside before marinating (or make extra) if you plan to baste food during cooking. Use a clean brush to apply.

Six Marinades

Follow this formula for making marinades: In a small bowl, whisk together an acid (to tenderize); some oil or other liquid, such as buttermilk (to moisten); and assorted seasonings. These recipes make enough to marinate about 2 pounds of meat or fish.

Use this to marinate lamb chops; grill over medium heat until seared outside, pink inside. Let stand, covered, 5 minutes.

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup grainy mustard

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar

2 teaspoons dried thyme

Besides chicken and fish, this marinade is good with steak, tofu, or vegetables. In place of the vinegar and sugar, try mirin, Japanese cooking wine.

1/2 cup canola oil

1/4 cup rice-wine vinegar

3 tablespoons soy sauce

3 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger or 1 teaspoon ground ginger

2 tablespoons sugar

This spicy marinade might overwhelm delicate fish but is appropriate for just about everything else, including grilled turkey.

1/2 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon red or green Tabasco sauce

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Buttermilk

Instead of dill, try finely chopped chives. Or substitute limes for the lemons. Use with chicken, fish, or other seafood.

1/2 cup buttermilk

2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon grated lemon zest

2 tablespoons chopped garlic (3 cloves)

This vibrant marinade goes well with shrimp, scallops, and firm-fleshed fish, such as red snapper.

1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk

1/4 cup coarsely grated shallot (1 shallot)

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 teaspoon chili paste

The yogurt helps keep chicken especially moist; add chopped fresh cilantro and ginger for deeper flavor.

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Marinade Recipes

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Inspiration and Ideas

• Tips & Tricks

Best-Ever Kabob Marinade

"This is perfect for kabobs! We generally use chicken or pork, and it is great with onions, zucchini, and mushrooms!" – Lindsay Clark

Italian Chicken Marinade

"This is probably the easiest, yummiest grilled chicken I have ever made. My three teenagers love it!" – amy

Lisa's Favorite Carne Asada Marinade

"We made this for a group of 15, and it was SO good, everybody loved it! The flavors were perfect." – Connie LaFlam

Marinades

A good marinade makes foods tastier, juicier, healthier and more tender

If you want to grill a tasty and healthy meal you need to plan ahead. Sure, one of the great things about grilling is that you can come home and throw a couple of chops on the grill and have a meal in minutes, but there are four very good reasons why you should take the time and marinate meats before they hit the grill. A marinade can work in as little as 30 minutes to provide many of these benefits, but tougher, thicker cuts of meat may need several hours or most of a day.

A good marinade contains flavorings, spices, herbs, etc. Because a marinade is also acidic it carries these flavors into foods. Of course, it can only travel so far, so marinating a thick roast will not get the added flavor you would get with a thin cut, but it is still beneficial. When selecting a marinade look for flavor that will compliment the food you are marinating.

Marinades typically contain some kind of oil. Olive oil is my particular favorite. In fact, the best oil to use is a light oil containing mono- and/or diglycerides. These natural emulsifiers help penetrate meats faster than other oils, so check the labels for a good marinade oil. The oil also serves to hold in moisture on meats and to reduce the moisture loss during cooking. This also helps prevent sticking on the grill.

When cooking meats over a direct flame heterocyclic amines (HCA)'s are created.

These potentially cancer-causing agents can be reduced by, as much at 99% when foods are marinated in an acidic marinade, at least that's what the American Cancer Research Institute says. An acidic marinade acts by keeping HCA's from forming on meats. Where do you get these acids you ask. Acidic liquids can be any kind of vinegar, citrus juices (particularly lemon juice), wine, or even beer.

The acids in a marinade acts to break down protein chains in meats, making the meat more tender. However, you need to make sure that you do not let food sit in marinades for too long. Surfaces in direct contact with a marinade can become soft and mushy, not something you would want to serve. This is particularly important with fish and seafood, which can actually cook, in an acidic environment. Do not marinate foods longer than called for.

Putting together a marinade is very easy. In fact, one of the simplest solutions to a good marinade is Italian Dressing. Yes, this favorite on the salad makes the perfect marinade because it contains oil and vinegar in equal parts with a good dose of herbs and spice. To make a simple marinade take your oil of choice and add it to an equal part of acid (vinegar, lemon juice, wine, etc.). Now throw in whatever seasonings you like and you are done. Pour the whole thing in a zip-top bag, add the meat and refrigerate until you are ready to cook. Meats like beef and pork should be marinated the longest. Anywhere from an hour to 10 hours depending on the thickness of the cut and the strength of the marinade. Poultry should be marinated anywhere from 30 minutes to 3 hours.

Fish and seafood should spend no more than 30 minutes in a marinade. Be particularly careful with shrimp that can actually cook in a strong marinade.

You only need enough marinade to cover the meat completely with a thick layer. It is important to make sure that it is completely covered in the marinade so it can work on the entire exposed surface. You also need to keep meats of any kind refrigerated. Do not let food sit at room temperature any longer than absolutely necessary. When marinating take your food straight from the refrigerator to the grill.

If you intend to use your marinade as a sauce after you have taken the meat out of you will need to bring it to a complete boil for 5 minutes before it is safe again. For some marinades, this can actually ruin the flavor so make sure you are following your recipe's instructions.

I know what you are asking at this point (if you have read this far). How long do you marinate all those things you want to marinate. Try one of these:

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marinade

Past participle: marinaded

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Marinades, Rubs, and Sauces: Recipes and Tips

Mastered the basic grilling techniques? Take your cooking to the next level with these flavor enhancers

• intro
• marinades
• rubs
• mop sauces
• barbecue sauces

O K, you've got your grilling basics down. You're familiar with the various types of barbecue fuel, when to use direct versus indirect heat, how to arrange the grill for each method, and when to take the food off. (For a complete guide to these techniques and more, see our grilling primer.)

But maybe you're itching to take it to the next level: Are your taste buds getting a bit bored with your repertoire? Wishing you could change things up a bit?

According to Elizabeth Karmel, author of Soaked, Slathered, and Seasoned: A Complete Guide to Flavoring Food for the Grill, the answer lies in what she calls "flavor accessories." You see, she explains, great grilling is only half about how you actually cook the ingredients. Once you've got that part down, the key to making it your own is learning how to add flavor in different ways. There are various options to accomplish this: The most common are marinades, rubs, mop sauces, and barbecue sauces. Once you understand how to use these building blocks, you can mix and match them to take the same type of grilled meat in dozens of different directions.

Karmel walked us through each of these four methods, and shared her recipes for each. See below for her side-by-side comparison, and click on the links for recipes and more in-depth explanations.

Flavor Accessories at a Glance

The best way to divide these four flavoring elements is by when they're used: Marinades and rubs go on before cooking, mop sauces during cooking, and barbecue sauces toward the end of cooking or after the food comes off the grill. Here's more info on the differences:

more flavoring ideas:

Karmel reminds us that the options listed above are just the most common ways of adding flavor before and during cooking. There are also numerous options to use after the food comes off the grill—for instance:

• An herb butter is great on top of steak or fish.
• Pork and chicken are delicious with a fresh salsa or relish.
• Pestos, chimichurris, and tapanades are a fantastic garnish for almost any grilled ingredient.
• Dipping sauces are served at the table for diners to customize their own flavors.

Photography by Jamie Tiampo

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Steak Marinade and Rub Recipes

These zesty concoctions tenderize meat while infusing it with flavor. Place the steak and the marinade in a shallow bowl and let sit for 30 minutes or up to overnight in the refrigerator.

If you don't have rosemary on hand, fresh thyme or marjoram will work just as well.

Balsamic-Soy Marinade

Give steak a salty-sweet kick with an Asian-inspired marinade.

All-Purpose Steak Rub

Want to add a kick to steak and simultaneously seal in succulent juices? Use a rub, pressing gently to help it adhere. Apply just before cooking.

All-Purpose Steak Rub

This rub can be kept for up to 2 weeks in an airtight container at room temperature.

Lemon, Thyme, and Pepper Rub

To add more heat to his citrusy rub, use crushed black pepper (sometimes called butcher’s grind) in place of ground pepper.

Build Better Flavor By Avoiding These Marinade Common Mistakes

A marinade can make all the difference between "good" and "holy geez, that is amazing." But first, mix together a better marinade by avoiding these common mistakes.

A good marinade doesn't just enhance roasted chicken, grilled steaks, or pan-fried tofu. We'd argue that in some instances, it's necessary. (If you've ever gnawed on a dry, flavorless grilled drumstick, you know what we're talking about). But not all marinades are created equal.

1. Your Marinade Is a Temple, Not a Dumping Ground

Test kitchen manager Brad Leone says it best: "People to tend to overdo it. As with most cooking, less is more. Your marinade is not a garbage can for you to throw half-empty jars of whatevebr in." A proper marinade should have focus and clean flavor—this is not the time to combine Sriracha, mustard, soy sauce, hot sauce, balsamic vinegar, apple cider vinegar, onion jam, and whatever other random jars are lurking in the shelf of your fridge. Choose a simple theme or defining ingredient, and don't stray too far from the course . Besides: The point of a marinade is to enhance the protein—you will want to be able to taste and enjoy that steak, chicken, tofu, etc.

2. Don't Get Too Salty or Acidic

Another common mistake, according to Leone: Using too much salt. The marinade should mingle with the protein for a few hours (more on that in a minute), which is a good amount of time for the garlic, oil, herbs, what-have-you to infuse everything with flavor. Be mindful of this when adding S&P: That chicken breast will not only taste over-salted if you load up on the NaCL, it can also turn out dry. Salt pulls out moisture from ingredients , so get too heavy-handed, and you'll be dousing on the sauce at dinner to compensate for a dry bird. Same goes for overly acidic marinades, says Carla Lalli Music, BA 's food director. Be mindful of how much citrus and vinegar you add.

3. …But Don't Be a Flavor Wimp, Either

You're not drinking the marinade; it works its magic in more subtle, slowly-released ways. So don't be afraid to go big and bold ( lots of garlic). Additionally, the single-best thing you can do to build flavor in your marinade is to kick start the aromatics. That means bruising herbs, toasting spices, smashing garlic cloves, and chopping alliums . These seemingly simple steps will help release the goodness into the rest of the marinade, which then, of course, gets transferred to the main event.

The secret to this Wedding Chicken is the marinade. Photo: Christina Holmes

4. Don't Be Afraid of a Little Fat

According to Music, "Fat carries flavor and will help distribute all the ingredients in the marinade into all the nooks and crannies of your steak, etc." In most cases, an inexpensive neutral-tasting oil, like canola, will work just fine. Expensive artisan or specialty oils, like nut oils, may taste great, but their delicate flavor will get obliterated when introduced to the heat.

5. It's a Process—Don't Rush It

Get ready to get in touch with your inner zen master: A good marinade takes time to sink in . Most require at least a few hours to make a discernible difference in taste, and all are infinitely more effective when allowed to mingle with the protein overnight (chilled in the fridge, of course). There are some exceptions—the marinade for these Sambal Chicken Skewers is so bold that the meat gets a quick dip just prior to grilling. Of course, if you were to make it and marinate it in advance, it'd be that much better. If you are pressed for time, use this hack from Music: "If you only have a short period of time to marinate, leave the protein at room temperature and give it a couple flips and massages to help it absorb."

6. Reserve Half and Don't Reuse!

The biggest marinade mistake is also a dangerous health hazard. Do not use the original marinade to baste the protein while it's cooking. Instead, separate the prepared marinade into two batches. (This is not mandatory for non-meat items, like tofu .) Use one half to marinate the raw meat. When you're ready to grill, sear, or roast, discard the raw-meat marinade. Use the second, uncontaminated marinade during the cooking process. You'll be adding flavor, a glossy glaze, and avoiding salmonella. Everybody wins!

Our Best Marinades (and Rubs and Brines, for Good Measure)

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Healthy Marinade Recipes

Forget the bottled stuff—you can make your own delicious (and more nutritious) homemade version that won't leave you crunched for time.

Our Favorite Healthy Marinades

Marinades can be a powerful tool when it comes to creating flavorful seafood, meat, and chicken. Unfortunately, those convenient store-bought versions tend to bring along less than stellar nutrition facts. By making your own marinades, you can save sodium and other preservatives while ensuring a moist and delicious meal.

Our first marinade will have you taking a mental vacation to The Big Island as you enjoy this grilled chicken marinated in a mixture of pineapple juice, ketchup, soy sauce and ginger.

Soy-Marinated Chicken Thighs

Soy sauce is great in marinades for grilled meats, as it stands up to charred flavors. The simple solution would also be tasty with steaks, pork tenderloin, or pork chops.

Alder-Planked Salmon in an Asian-Style Marinade

If you can get your hands on a filleted side of salmon, this is the recipe to choose. The salmon only needs 30 minutes in the soy marinade rounded out with honey, ginger, and lemon. Keeping the salmon on a plank is one way to ensure that this large cut of fish stays extra-moist.

Teriyaki Pork and Pineapple

This sweet-salty marinade is excellent for almost any tender cut of meat that's cubed and skewered—chicken breasts or thighs, or beef tenderloin or sirloin. Reducing the marinade concentrates its flavor and helps it stick to the kebabs. Although we usually marinate in zip-top plastic bags, we recommend using a bowl for this recipe so it's easier to scoop out the pork and pineapple with a slotted spoon. Serve over white and wild rice pilaf.

Chicken Skewers with Soy-Mirin Marinade

This marinade would also pair nicely with salmon. Red and green bell peppers taste delicious when laced onto skewers and grilled with the marinated chicken. To round out the meal, serve with sautéed snow peas.

Maple Grilled Salmon

The sweet-sour marinade is cooked down to a syrupy glaze that's brushed on the fish as it cooks. The citrus and maple flavors would also be tasty with pork. Garnish fillets with orange slices, if desired.

Grilled Chicken with Whiskey-Ginger Marinade

This Whiskey-Ginger Marinade packs a powerful punch of flavor. The chicken browns over the hottest part of the grill (direct heat), then moves to the cooler side (indirect heat) to finish. The result: tender chicken, perfectly cooked.

Escabèche-Style Scallops

Escabèche is a Spanish dish in which cooked seafood is marinated and served cold as an appetizer. Though it's traditionally made with sardines, escabèche is also good with other seafood, including scallops and shrimp. Marinate for only 30 minutes to ensure the scallops remain tender. Top with thyme sprigs.

Argentinean Pork

Our Argentinean Pork is marinated in a olive oil herb mixture that gives the grilled meat a fantastic fresh flavor. The pork only needs to be marinated for an hour, just be sure to flip once during the process.

Chicken Fajitas

This marinade features a unique blend of ingredients that come together in a wonderful way. Serve with flour tortillas and your favorite garnishes like salsa, reduced-fat sour cream, and cilantro and you'll be ready for a fiesta.