Description

This versatile marinade for meat combines savory and tangy flavors with a hint of sweetness to enhance beef, chicken, or pork. Featuring olive oil, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, and aromatic herbs and spices, it tenderizes and infuses the meat with delicious depth. Perfect for marinating tougher cuts for up to 24 hours or lighter meats for shorter times, this easy no-cook marinade is a flavorful base for grilling, pan-frying, or baking.

Ingredients

Scale

Marinade Ingredients

½ cup olive oil
¼ cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (or red wine vinegar)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons brown sugar or honey
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs (or a mix of oregano, thyme, and basil)
Optional: ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes for heat

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Instructions

Combine Marinade Ingredients: In a medium bowl or jar, whisk together olive oil, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, and brown sugar or honey until well combined and smooth.
Add Seasonings: Stir in minced garlic, Dijon mustard, onion powder, black pepper, dried Italian herbs, and crushed red pepper flakes if using. Whisk again until the mixture is uniform.
Marinate Meat: Place your choice of meat (such as steak, chicken, or pork) into a resealable plastic bag or a shallow dish. Pour the marinade over the meat, ensuring it is thoroughly coated on all sides.
Refrigerate: Seal the bag or cover the dish and refrigerate. Marinate for at least 1 hour, preferably 4 to 8 hours for best flavor infusion. For tougher cuts like flank or skirt steak, marinate up to 24 hours to tenderize the meat fully.
Cook as Desired: Remove the meat from the marinade and discard the used marinade or boil it for 5 minutes if you wish to use it as a sauce. Cook the meat by grilling, pan-frying, baking, or your preferred method until it reaches the desired doneness.

Notes

This marinade is excellent with beef, pork, or chicken.
Avoid marinating seafood for more than 30 minutes because of the acidic ingredients that can overly break down the delicate flesh.
Always discard used marinade or boil it thoroughly for 5 minutes before using it as a sauce to eliminate any bacteria.
For a gluten-free version, substitute soy sauce with tamari.

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Category: Sauce
Method: No-Cook
Cuisine: American