Grilling for Beginners: 8 Easy Marinades for a Delicious Barbecue Dish

Flavor is what defines whatever you cook on the grill. The longer you marinate your meat, the more flavorful it will be. Keep in mind that chicken is ideally marinated for a minimum of 20 minutes and a maximum of 12 hours, beef, pork and lamb for a minimum of 3 hours and a maximum of 24 hours while fish and other seafood will be most flavorful if marinated for a minimum of 10 minutes and a maximum of 20 minutes only.

So whether you’re in the mood for just a classic steak or something more festive, here are 8 quick and easy meat marinades for grilling:

Classic Steak

Perfect for grilled beef, pork or chicken.

What you need:

• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tbsps. brown sugar
• 2 tsps. balsamic vinegar
• Ground black pepper to taste

Sweet and Spicy

Best for grilled chicken and pork and can be used as a glaze as well.

What you need:

• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup ketchup
• 1 cup hot sauce
• 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 tbsps. fresh lemon juice
• 1 tbsp. or more brown sugar

Classic Grilled Seafood

Use for any kind of fish. Works great for shrimp, too.

What you need:

• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• Rind of 1 lemon
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tbsps. lemon juice
• 2 tbsps. chopped parsley
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• Salt to taste

Mexican Style

Great for grilled beef or chicken.

What you need:

• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup fresh lime juice
• 1/3 cup white vinegar
• 1 tbsp. onion powder
• 1 tbsp. paprika
• 2 tsps. oregano
• 2 tsps. sugar
• 1 1/2 tsps. salt
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1 tsp. ground black pepper
• Chili powder to taste

Italian Style

Ideal for chicken, pork, fish and shrimp.

What you need:

• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup white wine vinegar
• 2 tbsps. mustard
• 1 tbsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. mixed dried herbs
• Salt and pepper to taste

Korean Style

Perfect for beef, chicken or any kind of seafood.

What you need:

• 8 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 red apple, grated
• 1 brown onion, finely sliced
• 3 tbsps. soy sauce
• 2 tbsps. brown sugar
• 1 tbsp. sesame oil

Japanese Style

Can be used for beef, chicken and seafood.

What you need:

• 3/4 cup mirin
• 1/4 cup soy sauce

Greek Style

Best for grilled chicken, lamb and seafood.

What you need:

• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1 tbsp. oregano leaves
• 2 tsps. thyme leaves

These recipes are for 1-1 1/2 kg. of meat. Enjoy these simple yet deliciously flavorful marinades for your meat the next time you grill!