The bright citrus and herb flavors of this Lemon-Herb Marinade is perfect for chicken, pork, and fish. Adjust this marinade recipe to suit your needs. Use additional herbs like fresh basil or oregano for a more Mediterranean flair or tarragon and thyme for a French-inspired flavor. Double or triple this lemon-herb marinade recipe if you are planning to use it on a whole chicken, turkey, or pork roast.
Lemon-Herb Marinade Ingredients:
- Lemons
- Olive oil
- Garlic
- Italian parsley
- Honey
- Fresh rosemary
- Fresh thyme
- Salt
- White pepper (use black pepper if preferred)
- Red pepper flakes (optional)
How to Make a Lemon-Herb Marinade:
- In a medium glass or plastic bowl, add lemon juice. Slowly whisk in olive oil, emulsifying the mixture.
- Add remaining lemon-herb marinade ingredients and stir through until honey and salt have dissolved. Let stand for 5 minutes, and stir through once more before using.
- If you plan on making this marinade ahead of time, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for one week.
- You can freeze marinade for up to 2 months in a vacuum-sealed bag or freeze it first in ice cube trays, then transfer it to an airtight container and keep frozen. Defrost this lemon-herb marinade as needed.
Marinating times:
- Pork chops, marinate for 2-4 hours and larger pork roasts for 8-12 hours.
- Marinate chicken breasts for 2 hours, thighs and legs for 2-3 hours, and whole chickens for 4-6 hours.
- Marinate fish, seafood, vegetables, and meat substitutes for 15-30 minutes. Keep a close eye on smaller seafood items. It is best to leave this lemon-herb marinade in for 15 minutes with proteins like shrimp or other quick-cooking seafood. Citrus acids can cure the outside of these proteins, causing them to become firm in texture and opaque in color opaque; much like ceviche.
Like the recipe lemon-herb marinade? Try some of our other marinade recipes:
Balsamic Chicken Marinade
Pineapple-Rum and Ginger Steak Marinade
Pork Chop Marinade
Carne Asada Marinade
Jamaican Jerk Marinade
Ingredients
- Juice of 3 lemons
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons minced Italian parsley
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper flakes (optional)
Instructions
- In a medium glass or plastic bowl (metal reacts with acids), add lemon juice. Slowly pour in olive oil, while whisking, creating an emulsion. Add remaining ingredients and stir through until honey and salt have dissolved. Let stand for 5 minutes, and stir through once more before using.
- Marinate pork chops for 2-4 hours and larger cuts for 8-12 hours.
- Marinate chicken pieces for 2 hours, and whole chickens for 4-6 hours.
- Marinate fish, seafood, vegetables, and meat substitutes for 30 minutes.
- If making this marinade ahead of time, store mixture in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. You can freeze marinade for up to 2 months.
Notes
Photo by: laperla_foto/Depositphotos
Nutrition
Calories: 441kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 72g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 53g | Sodium: 3111mg | Potassium: 89mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 304IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 39mg | Iron: 1mg
