5 DIY Marinades (With Ingredients You Can Pronounce)

One of the best ways to add intense flavor to proteins is to use marinades. While there are shelves of marinades available in the store, you can also easily mix up your own at home. That way you can control the ingredients, so you can make some flavor combos that aren’t available in the stores!

Check out these five easy homemade marinades and use them to make your summer cookouts really special!

1. Sweet Chili Marinade

This is one of the easiest marinades you can make since it starts with a base of sweet chili sauce. In other words, it already has lots of flavor. Add a few other common marinade ingredients and you’re in great shape.

This marinade is good on:

• Chicken
• Pork
• Shrimp
• Tofu

2. Teriyaki Marinade

This is a very classic Asian marinade. You probably have most of the ingredients you need for it in your pantry! The finished marinade gives that classic savory/sweet teriyaki flavor that is so addictive.

This marinade is good on:

• Chicken
• Pork
• Beef
• Tofu

3. Italian Herb Marinade

This marinade has a hidden secret. You can also use it as a salad dressing! But, it works great as a quick marinade with mostly dried herbs. It also keeps well for weeks so you can make a big batch of it if you want and use it over and over.

This marinade is good on:

• Chicken
• Pork
• Shrimp
• Salad

4. Jalapeño-Citrus Marinade

This marinade works best if you have a food processor, so you can make sure the peppers and lime are emulsified with the oil. It gives a bright flavor kick to whatever you use it on.

This marinade is good on:

• Chicken
• Pork
• Shrimp

5. Spicy Chimichurri Marinade

This marinade is inspired by the classic Argentine condiment that is one of my favorite things in the whole world. It’s spicy, garlicky, and a huge flavor booster.

This marinade is good on:

• Beef
• Pork
• Chicken

Mix up a few batches of these simple marinades and take your summer barbecue to the next level this summer!

Nick thinks you should be making big batches of these all summer! Check out his blog, Macheesmo, and follow him on his Tablespoon profile.