May 1, 2023

5 Marinades to Take You Through Summer Grilling Season

There are many varieties of marinades used all over the world to enhance the flavors of everyday meals. Whether the marinade is citrus-based, savory, sweet, smoky, and so on, each adds a layer of moisture and tenderization to the meat before cooking. In addition, a good marinade can even help make leaner meat cuts less dry and more flavorful, while tougher pieces of meat become more succulent. It’s no wonder why cultures all over the world have been soaking their meats in seasoned liquids for centuries. Just read on to see what we mean!

How Marinades Can Elevate Your Meals

Marinades are designed to preserve food, add flavor, and even break down proteins, making them softer. Good marinades typically consist of salt, acid, and a variety of spices and herbs. With the help of a delicious marinade, most bland and flavorless cuts of meat, like duck or gator, are given even more of a chance to make your mouth water. In conjunction, combining meats soaked in marinades with a powerful dip or textured sauce can take one’s flavor pallet to the next level. Sauces and dips can be used to add texture, flavor, and visual appeal. Even the most subtle sauces and dips, like oils and vinegar, can add layers of flavor to an otherwise bland or unexciting meal!

5 Flavor Profiles to Remember:

Sweet
Salty
Sour
Bitter
Umami (better known as savory)

If you can learn to incorporate 1 or more of these flavor profiles into every dish, you’re sure to elevate your favorite weekly meals. Continue reading to see how these flavor profiles are worked into these 5 summer marinades you’re sure to enjoy.

Grilled Beef Skirt Steak with Onion-Based Marinade

If you’re looking to create a delicious 5-star meal with little prep and cooking time, you’ve come to the right place. This Grilled Skirt Steak is marinated in an onion-based mixture and served with a delicious chimichurri, giving a bright, fresh flavor to the tender meat. This recipe is great for transitioning from winter to spring and may even stay on the menu throughout the summer. We think it might have something to do with how Spice World Ready-to-Use Chopped Easy Onion creates a zing of flavor throughout the meal.

To make the steak marinade, you’ll need:

2 cups Spice World Ready-to-Use Chopped Easy Onion
1 clove of Spice World Organic Peeled Garlic
¼ cup of Olive Oil
1 tablespoon of water

To make the Skirt Steak, you’ll need:

2 pounds of skirt steak, trim away silver skin
1 teaspoon of salt
¼ teaspoon of black pepper
Smoked sea salt, for finishing
Chimichurri, optional

To make the Chimichurri, you’ll need:

1 Spice World Organic Fresh Shallot, finely chopped
1 Fresno chile or red jalapeno, finely chopped
3 to 4 cloves of Spice World Organic Peeled Garlic, finely chopped
½ cup red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup cilantro, finely chopped
¼ cup flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
2 tablespoons oregano, finely chopped
¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Directions for the Skirt Steak:

To begin, combine Spice World Ready-to-Use Chopped Easy Onion, Spice World Organic Peeled Garlic, the olive oil, and water into a blender; blend until smooth.
Once blended, place the skirt steak into a large plastic bag or baking dish and pour the onion marinade over, coating both sides.
Cover or wrap the meat and chill for at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours.
After marinating, remove the steak from the marinade and season with salt and pepper on both sides.
Place the steak on a grill, cook on medium to high heat, and flip after 3 minutes.
Allow the skirt steak to cool for 1 to 2 minutes before slicing and serving with chimichurri sauce.
Garnish with smoked sea salt and chimichurri.

Directions for the Chimichurri Sauce:

Combine the Spice World Organic Fresh Shallot, chile, Spice World Organic Peeled Garlic, vinegar, and salt into a bowl.
Allow this mixture to sit for 10 minutes before stirring in cilantro, parsley, and oregano.
Using a fork, whisk in oil and season to taste with salt.
Keep the chimichurri sauce in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Grilled Shrimp with Lemon and Ginger Marinade

For all you adventurous seafood lovers, this is the recipe for you! Even the color of this marinade will brighten your mood, making it perfect for the summer grilling season. Its flavor combination will not only provide a tasty sour and umami experience, but also tons of health benefits for your gut thanks to the use of Spice World Ready-to-Use Minced Ginger!

To make the lemon and ginger marinade, you’ll need:

½ cup olive oil
2 teaspoons sesame oil
¼ cup lemon juice
2 cups Spice World Easy Onion
4 cloves of Spice World Organic Peeled Garlic
1 jalapeno
1 tablespoon Spice World Ready-to-Use Minced Ginger
2 tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped
1 teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper

To make the Grilled Shrimp, you’ll need:

3 pounds jumbo shrimp, deveined and peeled
Skewers, optiona

Directions for the Lemon + Ginger Grilled Shrimp:

In a blender or food processor, add the olive oil, sesame oil, lemon juice, Spice World Easy Onion, Spice World Organic Peeled Garlic, Spice World Ready-to-Use Minced Ginger, jalapeno, cilantro, paprika, salt and pepper.
Blend until smooth.
Save ½ cup of the marinade for later.
With the remaining marinade, cover the shrimp and refrigerate for 2 hours minimum.
Heat a grill or stove to medium-high heat.
Optional: thread the shrimp on the skewers.
Lightly oil the grill or pan and grill the shrimp for 2-3 minutes per side.
With the reserved marinade, baste the shrimp as they cook.
Grill until opaque.

Grilled Chicken with a Chipotle Wet Rub

If you’re looking for a smoky, robust, and spicy lunch or dinner option, this is it. This chipotle chicken recipe is bound to knock your socks off! Rather than being a traditional marinade-based recipe, this dish is created with a wet rub. Made even more spectacular with Spice World Ready-to-Use Minced Garlic.

To make the chipotle wet rub, you’ll need:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
½ teaspoon chili powder
½ ground cumin
½ tablespoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon Spice World Ready-to-Use Minced Garlic
½ teaspoon Spice World Easy Onion
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon lime juice

To make the Chipotle Chicken, you’ll need:

2-3 chicken breasts (1 pound)

Directions for the Chipotle Chicken:

In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, chipotle chili powder, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, Spice World Ready-to-Use Minced Garlic, Spice World Easy Onion, salt, pepper, and lime juice.
Once the wet rub is combined, rub evenly over the chicken breasts and allow the chicken to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes to 8 hours.
Heat a grill or pan over medium-high heat.
Once hot, add the chicken breast and cook for 3-5 minutes, or until browned, on each side.
Reduce the heat and cook for 5-7 more minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
Allow the chicken to rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

Chicken Kebabs with Onion Herb Marinade

Now here’s a chicken marinade that brings the savory, umami punch, with a hint of tang and heat. With this chicken kebab recipe, individuals can grill, bake, or sear their chicken for tender and juicy pieces of meat. See how Spice World Easy Onion elevates this meal to the next level!

For the chicken kebab marinade, you’ll need:

¼ cup olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon Spice World Ready-to-Use Minced Garlic
2 tablespoons Spice World Easy Onion
¼ teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon salt

For the Chicken Kebabs, you’ll need:

2 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken
2 bell peppers, red and/or yellow
12 wooden skewers, soaked in warm water

Directions for the Chicken Kebabs:

Prior to cooking, soak 12 wooden skewers in warm water for at least an hour, so that they do not burn.
In a medium size bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, parsley, Dijon mustard, smoked paprika, Spice World Easy Onion, Spice World Ready-to-Use Minced Garlic, salt and pepper.
Cut the chicken into cubes and then place the pieces into a glass bowl or plastic baggy.
In the plastic bag, pour the marinade over the chicken, mix well until the chicken is completely coated. Refrigerate for a couple of hours, or overnight for the best results.
Preheat the grill to medium-high heat or an oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
Cut the bell peppers into 1.5 inch slices.
Thread the chicken and bell peppers onto the skewers.
Place the kebabs on the grill or lined baking sheet and cook for 15 minutes, flipping the skewers halfway through.

Baby Back Ribs in a Tangy Marinade

There is no better way to kickoff the hot summer season than with homemade baby back ribs. The recipe even uses Spice World Easy Onion in a variety of different ways, so you can save some prep time! Just take a look at how easy cooking these baby back ribs really is.

To make the baby back ribs marinade, you’ll need:

4 cloves of Spice World Organic Peeled Garlic
5-6 cups of Spice World Easy Onion
7 tablespoons thyme
7 tablespoons oregano
7 tablespoons parsley
1 bottle of red wine

To make the Baby Back Ribs dry rub, you’ll need:

3 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons pepper
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons onion powder
2 tablespoons seasoning salt

To make the Baby Back Ribs, you’ll need:

4 slabs of baby back ribs (2.5 to 3 pounds)
2 cups of extra virgin olive oil

Directions for the Tangy Baby Back Ribs:

Wash and dry the ribs. Combine the dry rub ingredients in a bowl and liberally season both sides of the ribs.
In a large roasting pan, line the bottom with some of Spice World Easy Onion and place 2 slabs of ribs over the onions, bone side down.
Next rub the 2 slabs of ribs with some of Spice World Organic Peeled Garlic and then set the garlic on top of the slab.
Place thyme, oregano, and parsley over each slab. Add the remaining onions on top of the herbs.
Drizzle the ribs with wine and extra virgin olive oil.
Add the last 2 slabs of ribs, creating a second layer and repeat the previously mentioned steps.
Allow the ribs to marinate in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
To cook, take the ribs out of the marinade, place them bone side down over some hot coals and cook for 30 to 40 minutes.

Whether you’re cooking for yourself, friends, or family, these recipes are sure to please everyone’s taste buds. Marinating is a simple yet effective way to add delicious depth to your favorite meals. Whether you’re grilling, baking, or sautéing, taking the time to marinate your meats and veggies can make a world of difference and take your cooking to the next level.