Last week we talked about marinating 101 when it comes to meat. I was so excited to have on the awesome David of Farming America! If you don’t know David, you should. He is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to the meat industry thanks to his degree in Meat Science. And this guest appearance was no different. He shared with us the different ways to marinate meat, some common ingredients in marinades and injections, we talked a little bit about phosphates and nitrites and the safety of them in meat products. We also talked about WHY meat is injected or marinated. After we were done with our discussion, I showed you three different recipes for marinades.
For those of you unable to watch the video, the most common household way to marinate meat is called static marination. It’s basically where the meat soaks in the marinade (usually in your fridge overnight). David gives a great description on HOW marination works in the video. There are three different ingredients that have proven effective when marinating meats. One is using an acid of some sort (like citrus, vinegars, or tomato), the second is using an enzyme (found in ginger, papaya, kiwi, and pineapple), and the third is using a dairy product (like buttermilk or yogurt).
Acid Method of Marinating: Tequila Lime Marinated Chicken
I chose limes and orange juice in this Tequila Lime Chicken. I love Tequila Lime marinades, mostly because I love lime. This one is super simple. It’s great served along side some mexican rice and beans or even sliced up in a burrito! The possibilities are endless! I’ve also marinated some white fish in it (only for about 15 minutes) and grilled it for fish tacos. YUM!
PrintTequila Lime Marinated Chicken
Super easy and delicious marinade for chicken or fish
- Prep Time: 10
- Total Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 lb. chicken breast
- 2 limes
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 cup tequila
- 3–4 garlic cloves
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- 1 jalapeno pepper
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Cut the limes in half and squeeze the juice into a food processor or blender.
- Add the tequila, olive oil, salt, garlic, jalapenos and cilantro. Pulse the mixture until totally combined, don’t worry if there are still some chunks.
- Add the chicken to a large ziploc and pour in the lime-tequila mixture.
- Seal the bag and marinate in the fridge for several hours or overnight is best.
- When you are ready to cook the chicken, you can either bake it, pan fry it, or grill it until it reaches 165 degrees internal temperature. Top with cheese and let it melt. Slice and enjoy!
Notes
Serve alongside Mexican Rice
- 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
- 1 cup long grain rice, uncooked
- 1 garlic clove
- 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp. cumin
- 2 medium tomatoes
- 1 medium onion
- 1 tsp. chicken bouillon
- 2 1/2 cups water
- In a food processor or blender, pulse the tomatoes, garlic, and onion until finely blended. Mix in the water and chicken bouillon.
- Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the rice and gently stir until rice begins to lightly brown. Add the salt and cumin and the tomato mixture. Bring the mix to a boil then turn the heat to low and cover the pan with a lid. Simmer for 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 3
Enzymatic Method of Marinating: Pineapple Soy Beef Marinade
I chose pineapple juice for this next recipe of Pineapple Soy Beef Marinade. This next marinade is even more simple and it goes great with beef! Pineapple juice along with soy sauce AND worcestershire sauce. It’s a killer combo that can’t be beat. I chose to use a flank steak in this recipe, but you can use any type of beef steak. I think this would be delicious alongside some grilled pineapple to complement the steak!
PrintPineapple Soy Beef Marinade
a super simple and delicious beef marinade recipe using soy sauce and pineapple
- Prep Time: 5
- Total Time: 5 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 cup olive oil
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 cup pineapple juice
- 1 tablespoon granulated garlic
- 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon dry mustard
- 1 beef flank steak OR two beef steaks such as new yorks or ribeyes
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients in a large ziploc bag.
- Marinate steaks overnight or for 10 hours in refrigerator.
- Pan fry or grill until cooked to desired temperature. Serve.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 3
Dairy Method of Marinating: Greek Marinated Chicken
Yogurt was my pick of choice for the next recipe! Buttermilk is another favorite of mine for fried chicken or chicken tenders! But you don’t see many recipes using yogurt! This is one of my favorite semi-ethnic recipes, it is for Greek Chicken. Sliced up with some tzatziki sauce, feta cheese, tomatoes, and red onion in a pita or flour tortilla! So delicious!
PrintGreek Marinated Chicken
Delicious Greek recipe!
Ingredients
- 4 cloves garlic, smashed
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 2 tsp. red wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 2 heaping tbsp. greek yogurt, plain
- 1 tbsp. dried oregano
- Salt and pepper
- 1 lb. chicken breast
Instructions
- Combine the garlic, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, olive oil, yogurt, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste in a medium bowl. Whisk together until mixed well.
- Pour into a large ziploc bag and add the chicken. Seal and marinate at least 1 hour or overnight.
- Serve with tomatoes, sliced red onion, feta cheese, and tzatziki sauce in a pita or flour tortilla.
Notes
Tzatziki Sauce
- 16 oz. plain yogurt (not nonfat, if possible)
- 1/2 cucumber, peeled and seeded
- 2-3 cloves garlic, smashed or diced
- 1 tsp. white wine vinegar
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Squeeze of fresh lemon juice
- Drizzle of olive oil
- Shred the cucumber. Wrap in paper towels and squeeze to remove as much water as possible. Mix together the yogurt, cucumber, garlic, white wine vinegar, salt and pepper to taste, and lemon juice. Drizzle lightly with olive oil.
- Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to develop.
So there you go. Three simple and easy marinades that make an evening meal quick and easy when you marinate the meat ahead of time! What are some of your favorite marinade recipes?
I hope you will join me again on Saturday at 11 AM CST on OurHDtv!
This was so neat to watch! You’re such an ambitious person, very well done.
Author
Thank you ma’am!! 🙂 Means a lot coming from you!!
I think one of the keys to a tasty meat is marinade. I can’t wait to try some of these recipes!