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Barbecue Marinades to Spice Up Your Summer
We’ve put together 3 recipes for a great barbecue marinade that will make your summer events more fun than ever. Read on to find out how to easily elevate your barbecue to the next level.
- Homemade BBQ Sauce
This is an absolute classic but it’s even better when you make it from scratch. You can marinate meat in it to add flavor and then you can add even more when the meat is cooked. It’s a long list of ingredients but it’s well worth it.
It works well with most meats, but ribs will be exceptional.
1 1/2 c. tomato ketchup
1 c. light brown sugar
1 c. water
1/4 c. apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp. molasses
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 onion powder
1/4 tsp. ground mustard
1/2 tsp. paprika
1. Combine all of the ingredients over a medium heat.
2. Bring to the boil, then simmer until the sauce becomes thick, stirring occasionally. This should take up to one hour.
3. Let it cool before use. Store in an airtight container in the fridge until you are ready to use.
2. Pineapple marinade
This spicy marinade has a tropical feel. Use it on chicken or turkey.
1 c. pineapple juice
1/2 c. ketchup
1/4 c. soy sauce
1/4 c. brown sugar
A squeeze of lime juice
1 small chopped chill – taste a small portion to test the spice. If it is hot, leave the seeds out, but put them in if you like it spicier.
1. Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl. If the sugar is not combining, try gently heating the mixture.
2. Let it cool before use. Store in an airtight container in the fridge until you are ready to use.
3. Middle Eastern style marinade
Perfect with mezze dishes, this marinade would work well with chicken or even on vegetables if you want to add some vegetarian elements to your barbecue.
1/2 c. olive oil
1/4 c. lemon juice
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp. ground cardamom
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1. Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl.
2. Store this in an airtight container until ready to use.
The key with a marinade is to get everything into it nice and early. If you can put the meat in the day before then that is even better. Make sure it is completely coated in the marinade and then return everything to the fridge overnight to absorb the flavors. Do make sure that the marinade was cooled beforehand to avoid the risk of slightly cooking the meat.
With meats such as beef, pork or lamb, you may want to tenderize them slightly as they go into the marinade. This means slightly pounding the meat to help it absorb all of the flavor.
When you are ready to cook, let the marinade drip off slightly so that it does not burn on the barbecue. You may want to use a griddle mat to avoid this. Ensure that everything is cooked through and serve it with plenty of salads and cold drinks. That little bit of extra effort will certainly be worth it!
Which of these marinades will you be trying? Let us know in the comments?
