Who else has been loving their barbecue this summer? It’s amazing how you can throw pretty much any meat with a rub or marinade and a grill basket full of veggies on there and you come out with a mouth watering meal. The hot sear and slight smoky flavour from grilling is hard to beat, besides the obvious perk of not heating up the house!

Today I’m going to show you 4 of my absolute favourite marinades you can use on almost any kind of meat, plus one bonus dry rub I’ve been using on repeat. Let’s dive right in with some of my best grilling tips and then the recipes will follow!

Grilling Tips for Marinated Meat:

Portion and marinade your meat before freezing! When you bring home fresh meat, set yourself up for easy summer meals and add one of these marinades before you freeze it. I like to portion my meat into 6 serving portions (see how I portion my chicken breast here). Then when you’re ready, you can take them out and either thaw overnight in the fridge, or thaw quickly in a sink of cool water for about an hour. The meat will marinade as it thaws and all you need to do is throw it on the grill! Of course, if you want to use previously frozen meat you can thaw it, marinade, and then cook. Can you refreeze previously frozen meat? In terms of food safety, yes – you can refreeze previously frozen meat as long as you thawed it completely in the refrigerator (not on the counter, sink, or microwave). However, keep in mind that every time food is frozen, the cell walls are broken down, changing the integrity of the structure. One time freezing is usually not noticeable, but thawing and re-freezing can have quite a noticeable impact on the taste and texture of your meats, so for this reason, I wouldn’t suggest it.

Do you struggle with meat sticking to the grill? Make sure your barbecue is fully heated before adding the meat. Similar to pan searing in a cast iron pan, you have to make sure your grill is screaming hot before you add the meat or it will stick horribly. I like to make sure the temperature dial on my barbecue reads at least 400F (even closer to 500F) before adding my meat. Do not flip until the meat is nicely seared. If you go to flip the meat and it’s sticking, try leaving it another minute until it lifts easily. If you consistently have trouble with meat sticking to your grill, try oiling the grates with a neutral vegetable oil before adding the meat. I also make sure to include oil in all of my marinades to help keep the meat from sticking.

Be careful not to overcook your meat. The barbecue cooks much faster than oven roasting or even pan searing. Here is a handy guide with cook times for all kinds of meats depending on the type of grill you have. Set a timer or watch the clock and keep a close eye on it so you don’t end up with dried out, burnt meat! You also want to keep an eye on the grill for flareups. I recommend having everything else ready to go for your meal (or delegating it to someone else) so you can focus on grilling. I test my meat by firmness to make sure it’s done, but feel free to use an instant read meat thermometer if that makes you feel more comfortable! When it’s done, remove the meat to a plate, tent with foil, and let it rest for at least 5 minutes (more depending on the thickness of the meat) to allow the juices to redistribute in the meat.

The finish makes all the difference. Grilled meat can sometimes come out a little dry. I don’t like basting my meat with leftover marinade; because the meat cooks so quickly, there isn’t time for that marinade to be safely cooked if I baste the meat while it’s cooking. If you want to baste your meat, be sure to leave some marinade out (never touching the raw meat) to safely use. You can also boil marinade that has been in contact with raw meat for at least 5 minutes to kill any harmful bacteria bacteria and serve as a sauce for the meat. Personally, this is too fussy for me; my secret to juicy grilled meat is finishing it with a squeeze of citrus – fresh lemon, lime, orange – whatever suits the meal! An extra sprinkle of salt goes a long way also if you feel the meat needs some extra “oomph”. Finally, a scattering of fresh herbs adds a pop of fresh flavour and visual interest, a welcome and enticing finish!

I hope these tips are helpful for your grilling success. Let me know if you have any other questions you’d like me to address in the comments below. Let’s dive into the marinades!

Top 4 Grilling Marinades + my fav dry rub

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Metal Grilling Skewers – these are a game changer for grilling. No more soaking bamboo skewers that still burn to a crisp anyways and you have to keep repurchasing. Simply throw these in the dishwasher when you’re done and they’re good as new, ready for next time. And they wont disintegrate for you on the grill while you’re turning them either! Major win!!

Grilling Basket – this is my favourite vessel for grilling vegetables on the BBQ. They don’t burn to a crisp like they tend to do on a kabob, but instead it acts like a wok, giving the vegetables a delicious sear while you are able to control how much they char by stirring them frequently. Works like a charm!

Digital Instant Read Meat Thermometer – don’t want dry overcooked meat, but also worried about serving raw meat? This thermometer probe will tell you the internal temperature of your meat in seconds without having to cut it open and loose all the juices. Plus, it is waterproof and magnetic so you can store it easily and safely under the BBQ for easy access. Problem solved!