Lean & Clean Cookbook

Seasonings & Marinades

Love food. Love cooking. No chef required.

Created by Lee Dowdle

Garlic Herb Marinade

Garlic Herb Marinade

Makes About 3/4 cup

A savory, garlic-forward marinade loaded with rosemary, thyme, and herbs — a versatile choice for chicken, turkey, steak, pork, mushrooms, and vegetables headed for the grill, griddle, or cast iron.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 5 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 2 teaspoons dried rosemary, crushed
  • 2 teaspoons dried thyme
  • 1 tablespoon dried parsley
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon coarse-ground black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional

Instructions

  1. Add the olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, Dijon mustard, rosemary, thyme, parsley, salt, black pepper, onion powder, and optional red pepper flakes to a bowl or jar.
  2. Whisk vigorously or shake in a sealed jar until thoroughly combined.
  3. Add the meat or vegetables and turn or toss until evenly coated.
  4. Marinate chicken or turkey for 1 to 6 hours.
  5. Marinate steak or pork for 1 to 4 hours.
  6. Marinate mushrooms or other vegetables for 15 to 30 minutes.
  7. Remove food from the marinade before cooking and discard any marinade that has been in contact with raw meat.

Notes & Tips

  • This is an all-purpose savory marinade for times when you want plenty of garlic and herbs without a strong citrus flavor.
  • For chicken or turkey, 2 to 4 hours provides plenty of flavor, although the meat can marinate for up to 6 hours.
  • For steak, 1 to 2 hours is usually enough. Use the marinade on sirloin, flank steak, steak bites, or beef kabobs where the herbs and garlic can complement the beef.
  • For a premium steak such as ribeye, New York strip, or filet, House Steak & Burger Rub or House AP Seasoning is usually a better choice so the natural beef flavor remains the focus.
  • Mushrooms are especially good with this marinade because they absorb the garlic, herbs, and savory marinade quickly.
  • For kabobs, marinate the meat separately from the vegetables, then assemble just before grilling so each ingredient can be marinated for the appropriate amount of time.
  • The Dijon mustard helps emulsify the marinade and adds savory depth without giving the finished food a strong mustard flavor.
  • Reserve a small portion of clean marinade before adding raw meat if you want to brush a little over the food during the final minutes of cooking or use it as a finishing drizzle.