Healthy Marinade Recipes

Find healthy, delicious marinade recipes including steak, chicken and pork marinades. Healthier recipes, from the food and nutrition experts at EatingWell.

Staff Picks

Balsamic-Dijon Chicken

Rating: Unrated
4
Experiment with various flavored mustards to add a different spin to this simple marinade recipe. It's low in fat and carbs because it's oil- and sugar-free.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Teriyaki Marinade

Rating: Unrated
4
Soy sauce, mirin, brown sugar, garlic and ginger combine in this teriyaki-inspired marinade for grilled chicken or pork chops.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Balsamic Marinade

Rating: Unrated
1
Sweet-tart balsamic vinegar spiked with garlic and Italian seasoning makes a fast and flavorful marinade for just about anything you're inspired to grill for dinner.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Plank-Grilled Tuna Steaks

This Asian-inspired grilled tuna recipe is bursting with zesty ginger-lime flavor. Place any leftover ginger, unpeeled, in a freezer bag. It freezes well, and you can peel and grate it as needed from its frozen state.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Grilled Tofu with Korean BBQ Glaze & Stir-Fried Napa Cabbage

In this vegetarian grilling recipe, the hot grill gives tofu smokiness and some crispy edges. A BBQ sauce made with gochujang, the hot Korean chile paste, doubles as both a glaze and some sauce to slather on the tofu at the table. Serve with brown rice or farro.
By Bruce Aidells

Marinated Grilled Vegetable Kebabs

Tender vegetables soak up this tangy marinade and turn delicately smoky and tender on a hot grill. These kebabs make a wonderful side dish with grilled meats or fish.
By Carolyn Casner

Rosemary-Red Wine Marinade

Rating: Unrated
1
Richer tasting meats like chicken thighs, beef and lamb work best in this red wine marinade.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Maple-Bourbon Chicken with Grilled Sweet Potatoes

The sweetness in this Maple-Bourbon Chicken recipe is from the real maple syrup and grilled sweet potatoes. Bacon is also included!
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Pirate Marinade

Rating: Unrated
3
This big, bold marinade recipe was adapted from a local Vermont restaurant and caterer. We make it in huge batches and freeze the extras so we always have it on hand. Use on: Extra-firm tofu, salmon, chicken, duck, pork, beef, lamb
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Wood Ear Mushroom Salad

The mild flavor of deliciously soft (but still surprisingly crunchy) wood ear mushrooms is a perfect canvas for the vinegary marinade in this healthy salad. This recipe uses dried wood ears, so make sure you soak them overnight the day before.
By Vivian Ku

Citrus Tilapia with Fruit Salsa

Mild tilapia filets are marinated in an orange-cayenne pepper mixture in this sweet and spicy fish recipe. And because spice is nice--chopped jalapeños are added to the fruit salsa to kick it up the heat just a bit more. Serve over brown rice to round out the meal.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Indian-Spiced Marinade

Rating: Unrated
2
This tangy marinade, spiked with the Indian spice blend garam masala, is a terrific way to enliven chicken, tofu or pork chops.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Inspiration and Ideas

Tandoori Chicken Thighs with Lemon Couscous

Tandoori Chicken Thighs with Lemon Couscous

This Tandoori chicken recipe is marinated overnight in yogurt with a blend of aromatic spices and served with a light-tasting couscous full of lemon zest, cilantro, currants, and toasted pine nuts.
Jerk Paste Marinade

Jerk Paste Marinade

This jerk paste recipe gets heat from a Scotch bonnet pepper, sweetness from a little brown sugar, acid from lime juice and cider vinegar and classic jerk flavors from three spices. Perfect for chicken, pork or shrimp, serve with rice or in tacos. For the best flavor, marinate meat (or shrimp) for about 1 hour before cooking.
Five-Spice Marinade

Five-Spice Marinade

Flank Steak with Coffee-Peppercorn Marinade

Flank Steak with Coffee-Peppercorn Marinade

Rating: Unrated
3
Mojito Marinade

Mojito Marinade

Rating: Unrated
2
Miso-Ginger Marinade

Miso-Ginger Marinade

Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Mustard, Rosemary & Apple Marinade

Rating: Unrated
1

This recipe gets added depth and a pretty finish from a balsamic vinaigrette that's enriched with either port or black tea. Try the boldly flavored marinade with chicken too.

All Healthy Marinade Recipes

Coffee-Balsamic Marinade

Rating: Unrated
3
You might not think of coffee as a marinade ingredient but it adds depth and flavor that's not duplicatable. Richly flavored meats like beef and lamb work best with this marinade.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Moroccan-Citrus Marinade

This easy marinade recipe for chicken, turkey, pork, lamb or tofu blends citrus zests and juices with flavor-enhancing aromatic spices. For best flavor, marinate meat (or tofu) for at least 4 hours and up to 8 hours. Shake off any excess marinade before cooking.
By David Bonom

Curry-Glazed Pork Tenderloin Kabobs

Pork tenderloin is much tastier when marinated before it's cooked. In this recipe, the pork is cut into smaller pieces so it can soak up more of the orange-curry marinade.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Indian Spice Marinade

Here we combine traditional Indian spices like cumin, coriander, mustard and paprika with yogurt and lime for a tangy marinade. Marinate seafood in the refrigerator for 20 minutes to one hour, or chicken for as long as eight hours.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Bok Choy and Mango Stir-Fry with Skillet-Seared Barramundi

Barramundi is high in omega-3s and packed with protein. In this dish it's marinated in a citrus-soy mixture, skillet-seared and served with stir-fried baby bok choy, sweet pepper and sweet mango strips.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Red Wine Marinade

Rating: Unrated
1
This simple classic marinade is perfect paired with dark or gamy meats. You can vary the flavor depending on what kind of red wine you choose. For a greater intensity, try using a full-bodied red, such as shiraz or zinfandel. For a more delicate flavor, use a lighter red, such as pinot noir or Burgundy. Use on: Chicken thighs, duck, beef, lamb
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Orange-Balsamic Marinated Shrimp

The cook time on this shrimp dinner is minimal, but don't skimp on the marinating time. Let the orange juice, orange zest and white balsamic vinegar work its magic--you won't be disappointed!
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Yogurt-Cumin Marinade

Cumin, fresh mint, fruity chutney and tangy yogurt combine in a flavorful marinade perfect for chicken, lamb or pork.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Peppered Salmon Steaks with Yogurt-Lime Marinade

Rating: Unrated
1
The yogurt marinade, with hints of lime and ginger, makes the salmon wonderfully succulent.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Greek Lemon-Pepper Marinade

Add some zest to your chicken or pork with this classic lemon-pepper marinade.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Oregano-Garlic Marinade

This Greek-inspired marinade works best on tuna, shrimp, chicken and vegetables.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Jerk-Seasoned Beef Skewers

A delicious marinade of cilantro, orange juice and jerk seasoning provides incredible flavor to the sirloin steak in this beef skewer recipe. The kebabs are threaded with alternating pieces of onion, beef and orange wedges so there's a spicy-sweet kick in each bite.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Grilled Salmon Steaks with Mustard-Orange Marinade

Staples like orange-juice concentrate and Dijon mustard turn into a quick and flavorful marinade for omega-3-rich salmon. Make it a meal: Warm Green Bean Salad with Toasted Walnuts is a nice side dish for this tangy salmon.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Orange-Thyme Marinade

A double-hit of orange comes from orange juice concentrate and fresh orange zest.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Moroccan Marinade

Rating: Unrated
1
This Moroccan blend works well with chicken or tuna.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Provencal Marinade

Try this rosemary and white wine marinade with lamb, pork or chicken.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Lemongrass-Thai Lime Leaf Marinade

Fragrant lemongrass and Thai lime leaves infuse your favorite fish or seafood with flavor. Serve with Chile-Lime Dip.
By Corinne Trang
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