Summer Marinades

It's Grilling season! Grilling is one of my favorite ways to cook. Maybe because my husband usually man's the grill--haha, I'm a pretty good delegator. Any other fans of the grill out there? I also really enjoy make ahead meals. It's refreshing to not have to think much about dinner prep the day of. So last week, my dear friend Amy came over and we whipped up a bunch of marinades, put it on some meat and put it in the freezer. Yippee! 13 freezer meals ready for the grill. That makes life simpler for sure! Can anyone relate? Because I love ya'll, I'm sharing all 13 marinades with you, right here in 1 post! Now, make ahead meals, or freezer meals if you prefer to call it,  does take some preparation and time, but it is SO worth the effort.

I truly believe there is something sacred about breaking bread together, sharing a meal with others. Such valuable things happen around the table. That's one of the reasons I write this blog, I hope to inspire you to gather around the table with your family and your friends. I find it equally satisfying to cook with friends. Amy promised me this would not be the last time we do this. And I'm holding her to it! This was quite easy because we had one focus, marinades. All we had to do was make the marinades and pour it over our meat. And I got to spend part of the day with my friend. That was a blessing in itself.

Before I get to the marinades, if you love freezer cooking, you've got to check out Once a Month Meals (OAMM). They are Ah-mazing. Their site is organized, helpful, and packed with everything you need to make freezer meals. There are several different types of menus, so if you have any dietary plans or preferences you will find meals to match it. Recipes, links, shopping lists, seriously they have thought of everything! Check them out here.

Want my shopping list? Subscribe today, and I'll send it right to you!

Here's some of our day captured in pictures:

A couple of notes on the marinades...

*I've listed these marinades under the meat that we chose to do, but many of them go well with Chicken, pork, or beef.
*I always use Extra Virgin Olive Oil
*I always use real, pure maple syrup, no Mrs. Butterworths's here!
*Any recipe that says lemon juice or lime juice is always fresh squeezed from the fruit, nothing pre-packaged.
*I recommend doubling up on your freezer bags. Put the ingredients in one, and label the second one. They can get holes in them if they are bumped around in the freezer, then when you thaw, it leaks. Yes, I'm speaking from experience!
***If you would like my shopping list, subscribe! I'll send it right out to you.***

Okay, here we go:

Chicken Marinades:

Coconut Lime

1 pkg boneless skinless chicken breasts
3 Tbs coconut oil
zest of 1 lime
1 tsp cumin
2 Tbs soy sauce
1 tsp salt
3 Tbs sugar
1 tsp curry powder
1 cup canned coconut milk
juice of 1 lime
Jalapeño peppers sliced and cilantro for serving.

Whisk together all ingredients except for the jalapeños and cilantro. Place Chicken in a freezer bag, pour marinade over top, seal and lay flat in your freezer.

Honey Siracha
1 pkg chicken drumsticks
⅓ cup honey
¼ cup siracha sauce
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp olive oil
1-2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

Whisk together all ingredients. Place chicken in a freezer bag, and pour marinade over top. Seal and lay flat in your freezer.

Middle Eastern
1 pkg chicken drumsticks
2 Tbs garam masala
3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 tsp salt
⅓ cup olive oil
juice from half of a lemon

Whisk together all ingredients. Place chicken in a freezer bag, and pour marinade over top. Seal and lay flat in your freezer.

Citrus Basil Marinade

1 pkg boneless skinless chicken
¾ cup fresh orange juice
2 Tbs chopped fresh basil
2 Tbs fresh squeezed lime juice
1 Tbs olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced or pressed
½ tsp salt

Whisk all ingredients together. Place chicken in a freezer bag and pour marinade over top. Seal and lay flat in your freezer.

Savory
1 pkg boneless skinless chicken breasts
½ cup olive oil
¼ cup white wine vinegar
3 Tbs mayonnaise
1 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbs freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 Tbs Seasoned salt (I use tastefully simple, but anything like it will work)
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
1 Tbs smoked paprika
½ Tbs onion powder
2 tsp fresh thyme

Whisk all ingredients together. Place chicken in a freezer bag and pour marinade over top. Seal and lay flat in your freezer.

Garlic Lime
¼ cup olive oil
2 tsp grated lime zest
¼ cup fresh squeezed lime juice
3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper

Whisk all ingredients together. Place chicken in a freezer bag and pour marinade over top. Seal and lay flat in your freezer.

Teriyaki
1 pkg boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 Tbs fresh grated ginger
⅓ cup soy sauce
2 Tbs honey
1 garlic clove, minced or pressed
1 tsp grated onions

Whisk all ingredients together. Place chicken in a freezer bag and pour marinade over top. Seal and lay flat in your freezer.

Greek
1 pkg chicken drumsticks
1 cup plain greek yogurt
2 Tbs olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp dried oregano
zest of 1 lemon
juice of ½ lemon
½ tsp salt
fresh cracked pepper to taste
¼ bunch fresh parsley, chopped

Whisk all ingredients together. Place chicken in a freezer bag and pour marinade over top. Seal and lay flat in your freezer.

Pork Marinades:

Maple Mustard
4-6 boneless pork steaks
3 Tbs dijon mustard
2 Tbs pure maple syrup
1 Tbs whole grain mustard
1 Tbs brown sugar
½ tsp thyme

Whisk all ingredients together. Place pork in a freezer bag and pour marinade over top. Seal and lay flat in your freezer.

Apple Mustard
4- 6 boneless pork steaks
½ cup apple juice
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
¼ cup coarse grain mustard
2 Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs pure maple syrup
4 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 ½ tsp soy sauce
salt and  pepper to taste

Whisk all ingredients together. Place pork in a freezer bag and pour marinade over top. Seal and lay flat in your freezer.

Balsamic Marinade
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ cup olive oil
½ cup balsamic vinegar
2 Tbs brown sugar
1 Tbs fresh rosemary
1 ½ tsp salt
pepper to taste

Whisk all ingredients together. Place pork in a freezer bag and pour marinade over top. Seal and lay flat in your freezer.

Beef Marinades:

Fajita
1 flank steak, about 1 ½-2 lb.
⅓ cup soy sauce
juice from 2 limes
juice from 2 lemons
⅓ cup olive oil
3 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed
2 Tbs brown sugar
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder

Whisk all ingredients together. Place beef in a freezer bag and pour marinade over top. Seal and lay flat in your freezer. When you are ready to grill, cook the steak whole, let it rest 10 minutes before slicing against the grain.

Carne Asada
5-6 lbs Flank steak (you can easily half this recipe if you want to do less meat)
¼ cup olive oil
½ cur red wine vinegar
⅓ cup fresh squeezed lime juice
⅓ cup orange juice
2 Tbs fresh garlic minced or pressed
1 ½ tsp black pepper
½ tsp salt
1 Tbs cumin
1 Tbs chili powder
¼ tsp ground cloves
¼ bunch cilantro
½ orange, sliced

Whisk all ingredients together except orange slices. Place beef in a freezer bag. Pour marinade over top and add orange slices. Seal and lay flat in your freezer. When you are ready grill, cook the steak whole, let it rest 10 minutes before slicing against the grain.

There you have it! 13 Marinades to get your grill on. So, tell me, do you have a favorite go-to marinade? Do you do freezer meals? Leave your answers in the comments. Also, don't forget, if you want my shopping list for the 13 freezer meals we made here, subscribe to the blog and I'll send it out to you.

Happy Grilling!