Summer cooking should be simple, effortless, and ideally done outside over the grill. There’s always a time and place for your top-secret, 15-ingredient magic marinade, but on a busy weeknight, you can reach for those one-stop-shop ingredients that add instant flavor. Whether you’re making burgers, fish tacos, or grilled vegetables for a salad, these 10 grocery-store staples make for the best no-fuss rubs and marinades!
1. Pickle Juice
Pickle addicts, this one’s for you! The acidic juice acts as a meat tenderizer, making grilled meats like chicken and pork extra juicy. Marinate for at least 2 hours, but any longer than 24 hours will change the proteins of the meat.
2. Chinese Five Spice
Perfect on veggies or sprinkled on any protein from chicken and seafood to pork and beef, Chinese five-spice powder adds instant warmth and complexity to any dish. Although this is technically not one ingredient since it’s comprised of star anise, fennel, peppercorns, cloves, and cinnamon, you can easily find this spice mix in a single jar at many grocery stores and specialty markets or at H-E-B.
3. Salad Dressing
We all have those random half-used bottles of salad dressing just sitting in the fridge, so free up some space and repurpose the huge array of flavors as marinades. Virtually any store-bought dressing will do since the ingredients are essentially the same as in bottled marinades—try Italian for zest, balsamic vinaigrettes for tang, or lemon-herb for a citrusy punch.
4. Mayonnaise
As any Southerner can attest, mayonnaise is a magical ingredient. We use it throughout the year, but we go through the whole jar the fastest in the summer. The savory spread adds moisture, fat, and flavor all in one scoop. Once your food hits the heat, the fat melts away and leaves nothing but flavor. Try rubbing it on fish or tossing it with vegetables so they don’t stick to the grill. In a pinch, you can use the mayo as is, but you can also try mixing in grated citrus zest or hot sauce. Mayo is also a secret ingredient in burgers. Fold 2 tablespoons into each pound of ground beef and you’ll end up with incredibly juicy patties.
5. Olive Brine
After you finish a jar of olives, don’t toss that precious brine. Brush it on pork chops, fish, or steaks while they’re cooking. The brine adds nice salinity and a delicate flavor.
6. Sambal Oelek (Thai Chili Paste)
Many are familiar with sriracha, but we strongly encourage you to try out its chunkier, more interesting cousin, sambal oelek. The Thai chili paste provides a good dose of heat and complex taste from ingredients like shrimp paste, fish sauce, garlic, ginger, palm sugar, and lime juice. With all of that flavor power in one bottle, it’s all you need to flavor shrimp or a flank steak before it hits the hot grate.
7. Mexican Coca-Cola
When you come across Mexican Coca-Cola in the United States, grab a few bottles to have on hand for sipping and cooking. Sweetened with cane sugar, it has a wonderful natural sweetness and a more complex spicy and herby flavor. If you’re cooking a fatty cut of steak or pork, let it sit in the Coca-Cola for a few hours while you’re at work or out running errands. The cola tenderizes the meat, and the natural sugars caramelize on the grill for a fantastic crust. If you have time, toss a few spices like cinnamon, cumin, or some smashed garlic cloves in there, but it adds impeccable flavor on its own. This is also worth trying out in the winter when you’re roasting. The meat braises in the Coca-Cola and leaves you with a crispy, sugary exterior.
8. Garlic Salt
When grilling a quality piece of meat, keep the rub very simple. Garlic salt is always worth reaching for because it provides an instant, savory note that doesn’t overpower what you’re putting it on. Look for the best quality garlic salt available at your grocery store. We like this black garlic version from Jacobsen Salt Co.—the black garlic adds a mellow sweetness, and the crunchy texture of the salt creates a nice crust on the outside of your meat. A little goes a long way here.
9. Goya Foods Marinades and Seasonings
Here at Goodtaste, you know we love Goya Foods! The bottled Mojo Criollo Marinade is brimming with fresh citrus, garlic, and onion and tastes homemade. It’s great with beef and chicken and even drizzled over grilled vegetables. Goya’s vibrant Adobo Seasoning is one of our go-to’s—it adds instant complex, tangy flavor to grilled shrimp or a batch of homemade chili. Try it in our Shredded Chicken Tacos or Latin Sliders with Jalapeño Relish.
10. Peg Leg Porker BBQ Seasoning
Peg Leg Porker is Nashville’s award-winning must-stop barbecue restaurant. Southern Living named this spot as the Best BBQ Joint in Tennessee for 2019, and it’s well known around the country for its famous dry-rub ribs. If a road trip to Nashville isn’t in your near future, you can try Peg Leg’s Signature BBQ Seasoning for a taste of these amazing ribs at home. Not only is this rub great for ribs, you can also sprinkle it on chicken, pork, brisket, fish, wild game, or even some grilled veggies.
Like the Olive Brine and Mexican Coca Cola idea. I pickle my own cocktail onions and that would make a good marinade as well. Thanks!
I’ve not tried any of these marinades but thank you for information I’ll be sure to try one of them the next time I cook.