It is Memorial Day weekend which means summer is just around the corner and it seems the warmer temperatures are finally, well hopefully here to stay! Summer to me means moving a lot of my cooking outside so I can enjoy the fresh air instead of being in the kitchen. I also find cooking on the grill = less mess in the kitchen and a little less clean up which gets me outside more as well!
Summer also means a lot of picnics or easy leftover nights so we can stay and play at the beach or pool longer. I find grilled meats are great for picnics or leftovers because they taste good at room temperature as well. If you feel the same way I thought it would be helpful to share some of my favorite easy marinades that I use on rotation for chicken and pork. I actually don’t marinate my steak. I have found that if you buy a good quality piece all it needs is a little salt (and sometimes garlic and herbs).
My Favorite Easy Marinades for Chicken or Pork
I recommend you marinate for 3-4 hours at a minimum or up to 24 hours. Doing it the night before is actually helpful to make the morning less stressful. I also sometimes like to buy my meat in bulk and marinate it when I separate it before I freeze it.
Honey Harissa:
- 2 lbs pork tenderloin or chicken
- 1 tbs olive oil
- 1 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp honey
- 2 tsp tumeric
- 1 tsp harissa
Teriyaki:
Marinate Time: 4 hours is enough but this is really really good if you do it over night
- 3 lbs chicken or pork tenderloin
- 1/2 cup soy or coconut aminos
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 1/8 tsp ground ginger or 2 tsp freshly grated ginger
Rosemary & Garlic Marinade:
- 2 lbs pork tenderloin or chicken
- 1 TBS Olive Oil
- 1 TSP Salt
- A Bunch of Rosemary
- 1 TSP Minced Garlic (about 2 cloves)
Chicken Marinades
Pesto
My Spinach Pesto Makes a great marinade! I use half of this batch to marinade and then save the rest for a drizzle or dipping after (add 2 tbsp of water if you want to drizzle)
Ranch
Use my Easy Yogurt Ranch Dip & Dressing as a Marinade
Healthy & Simple Yogurt Chicken Kebabs – check out the full recipe here!
Mixed Herb
- 1.5 lbs chicken breasts
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 tbs olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 lemon squeezed
- A handful of mixed herbs about 2tbs chopped