My Favorite Marinades

I know y'all are probably just about over me talking about how much I'm into meal planning now. But it really is amazing. That's all I'll say about that.

However, for as routine and organized as meal planning can be, I like having a little wiggle room when it comes to marinades. I love using marinades for meat AND veggies. I'll use it for things I cook in the oven, on the stove or grill. Today, I'm going to share with you a few of my favorite marinades as of late and I'll even share with y'all my dad's super secret (but not really) "Anything Marinade".

First off, though I didn't grow up using store-bought marinades, M has turned me on to these guys.

Hawaiian Marinade with Tropical Fruit Juices
Lawry's Marinades
(we like Hawaiian and Herb & Garlic)
Grill Mates® Montreal Steak Marinade
(I usually just add this to olive oil and maybe a little bit of vinegar)

Also, for whatever reason, all of my fave store-bought marinades are made by McCormick. No, this is not a sponsored post, it just happened that way. :) I've used the Hawaiian marinade for chicken, beef, pork AND in a veggie stir-fry. It was delicious! Also, my family has really never been much a red bbq sauce kinda family, so you won't see any of those in my list. (I was born and my parents grew up in the only part of the country that recognizes mustard-based bbq sauce as the primary sauce of choice...and it used to be kinda hard to find growing up unless you purchased it from a couple of stores in SC but then the bbq sauce owner was accused of being racist and all the grocery stores pulled his sauces...long story. And I'm now into a rabbit trail...)

My dad's homemade marinade was dubbed "Anything Marinade" because it is good on just about anything. (Except for cupcakes. I can't imagine that would be good.) Now, my dad would say that his marinade is slightly different each time depending on what he has in the kitchen, and I would agree with that. Once you put the basic ingredients together, you can add other things to change up the flavor a little.

"Anything Marinade"
1/4 cup (4 tbs.) soy sauce (I use low sodium)
2 tbs. brown sugar
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/3 cup red wine

Mix together and make sure sugar dissolves. This is enough for 2 chicken breasts. This is great on chicken, beef or veggies.

Add pineapple juice or orange juice (great on pork chops!)
Add worcestershire sauce (gives it a little heat)
Sub the garlic powder for fresh diced garlic (a few cloves, to taste)

I use this all the time. M really likes it, so it happens quite a bit. A few other simple homemade marinades I use on occasion are:
1 can diet coke + 1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup peach jam + 4 tbs yellow mustard + 1/4 cup ketchup (trust me!)
1/4 cup lime juice + 2 tsp chili powder + 1 tsp garlic powder
soy sauce + garlic powder + maple syrup
dijon mustard + maple syrup

Do you like make your own marinades or do you swear by a store-bought one? Please share! I'm always looking for more ideas!

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1 comment:

  1. I make my own, and I make them a little differently each time, but they usually contain olive oil, dijon mustard, soy sauce, ketchup, garlic and onion.

