A Simple, Versatile, Flavorful Marinade
Use these 4 ingredients to marinate everything!
Today is a short and sweet newsletter with a short (and slightly sweet) marinade that you can use on just about anything.
It doesn’t matter which type of protein you want to marinate - chicken, pork, salmon, tofu - you can use this simple 4-ingredient recipe to add sweet, salty and tangy flavor with a teriyaki vibe.
I’ve been using this marinade for years and I honestly can’t remember where I first saw it published. I love that it takes only a few minutes to whisk together and it’s easy to memorize.
There are only 4 ingredients and you add the same amount of each.
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
2 Tablespoons oil (sunflower oil, olive oil, or sesame oil)
2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 Tablespoons maple syrup
Letting your chosen protein soak in the marinade for about 30 minutes usually adds enough flavor (although you can marinate longer if you have time).
If you’re marinating more than 1 pound of protein (or more than 1 container of tofu) you can double the ingredients. You can also add a clove of finely chopped garlic if you like.
Most often, I marinate cubes of tofu. I also use this marinade for chicken thighs and pork loin and occasionally salmon (but the marinade doesn’t soak into salmon quite as efficiently.)
Recipe Tips
Soy sauce and maple syrup will burn if the heat is too high or if the protein is cooked for a long time. To avoid this, try using faster cooking methods over medium or medium-high heat, like pan-searing or grilling. If you’re using the oven, don’t pour the marinade around the protein, or it will burn. Just take the protein out of the marinade and set it on a sheet-pan lined with parchment or foil.
When I double the marinade, I only add 3 tablespoons of maple syrup instead of 4. Otherwise, the flavor is too sweet for me.
Thanks for subscribing, and enjoy the recipe!
xo
Jenny