This Italian Marinade is loaded full of all the classic flavors to take you straight to Italy. From vibrant herbs of thyme, oregano, and rosemary, to garlic, lemon juice and olive oil, this marinade has it all. Perfect for Italian marinated chicken, steak, seafood or vegetables!

Ingredients Needed for Italian Marinade

When it comes to the ingredients needed for this Italian Marinade, we are pulling every-day items out of the cupboard and refrigerator to make this marinade come to life. Sounds like the perfect combo to me!

• Extra virgin olive oil
• Lemon juice – fresh or bottled.
• Garlic – this is a STAPLE in my house!
• Dried oregano
• Dried rosemary
• Dried thyme
• Worcestershire sauce
• Salt
• Pepper

How to Use the Italian Marinade

After you have the marinade whipped up, there are endless ways that you can use it! From different meats, veggies, to different cooking applications. Let’s break down all the ways you can use this Italian Marinade:

• Chicken: breasts, tenders, thighs, legs or rub it all over a whole chicken! Marinate the chicken, or sauté it in the sauce! The marinated chicken is also perfect on the grill.
• Steak: skirt steak or flank steak love marinades! Grill or pan-sear it afterwards.
• Pork: pork chops, pork tenderloin or thinly sliced pork marinated and then sautéd or grilled.
• Seafood: shrimp, cod, salmon. Instead of marinating the seafood, sauté or glaze the seafood with the marinade while cooking!

Vegetables:

• Stir-fry vegetables: bell peppers, mushrooms and onions sautéd in a bit of the marinade!
• Portabella mushrooms: glaze with the marinade before grilling.
• Roasted/Grilled vegetables: pour some of the marinade over potatoes, carrots, onions, beets, squash, broccoli or asparagus and cook away!

Cooking Methods:

• Sauté
• Grill
• Roast
• Bake
• Slow Cooker

Ways to Serve the Italian Marinated Cooked Meats & Vegetables:

• Grilled Chicken, Steak, Pork, or Seafood with Veggies – try out this Italian Marinated Flank Steak!
• Kabobs
• Salad toppings
• Pasta toppings
• Roasted with mashed potatoes, veggies and garlic bread.

Marinade FAQ’s

• How long should I marinate chicken or steak?

  A general rule of thumb, don’t go over 24 hours. Anywhere from 1 hour to 8 hours is prime marinating time! Another thing to keep in mind is the toughness of the meat you are marinating. Chicken will marinate faster than a flank steak since it is not as dense and tough as a flank steak.

• What do I do with the leftover marinade from the meat?

  Unfortunately, it will need to be discarded. Since it has been infusing with the meat and vice versa, you don’t want to risk any cross-contamination issues.

• How do I sauté with a marinade and use it as a sauce? 

  If you are wanting to use the Italian marinade more as a sauce, then skip the whole marinating process. Here’s an example of how you can do this: cut boneless, skinless chicken breasts or tenders into 1-inch pieces, sauté the chicken until golden brown and then add in about half of the marinade to create a saucy, Italian chicken recipe. This application can be applied to vegetables, seafood or pork as well.

• How long does the marinade last in the refrigerator? 

  Un-used marinade will keep in the refrigerator for 5 days in an air-tight container. The olive oil may harden and thats ok. Lightly shake it and bring it to room temperature to help this if necessary.

An Italian Marinade is a classic for a reason: because it’s just so darn good! It can be used in so many different ways and is a crowd pleaser for sure. 

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If you make this recipe and love it as much as I do, I’d love to hear from you! Comment below, rate the recipe, or share a picture tagging @kjandcompany or using #kjandcompany so that I can see your fun pictures 🙂

Thanks for following and cooking along with me!

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