5 Easy Pork Marinades (2024)

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These 5 easypork marinade recipes are freezer-friendly,simple to prepare, andtotally dependable and delicious! Perfect for baking, grilling, slow cooking, Instant Pot, meal prep, and more.

And finally, after sharing 5 chicken marinades and 5 steak marinadesearlier this week,I’m back today with one final collection of recipes to wrap up thismarinade merriment…

5 easypork marinades! ?

Because I don’t know about you, but I always tend to think that “the other white meat” is begging for an extra kick of flavor. So whether you’re craving a nice dijon grilled pork chop, or maybe juicypork carnitas tacos, or some zesty moo shu pork, or just some classic BBQ spare ribs…these five marinades are sure to hit the spot. And better yet? They’re all 100% freezer friendly (perfect for meal prep!), naturally gluten-free, easy to make, and ultra-delicious. Plus, they work well with various cooking methods and nearly any cut of pork you may be craving (chops, tenderloin, shoulder, spare ribs and more).

So let’s get to it!

When it comes specifically to pork, these are 5 of the marinades I use most often:

• Moo Shu PorkMarinade:a yummy hoisin-based marinade
• BBQ PorkMarinade:my favorite KC-style homemade bbq sauce is always a winner
• Pineapple Ginger Pork Marinade:sweet and savory with a kick
• Maple DijonPork Marinade:mustard and pork were made for each other
• Pork CarnitasMarinade:a freezer-friendlyversion (no alcohol!) ofthis zesty Mexi marinade

To make each marinade, simply whisk the ingredients together in a small bowl until combined. Then combine the marinade andpork together in a freezer ziplock bag, seal, and refrigerate or freeze according to the directions below until ready to use. So simple!

That said, here are a few tips to keep in mind with marinating pork…

Marinade toPork Ratio:

You’re welcome to use however much marinade you would like per pound of pork, but in general, I recommend1/2 cup marinadeper 1 pound of pork.

Marinade Times:

• Fridgemarinade time:I recommend marinating yourpork packs in therefrigerator for anywhere from 30 minutes up to 1 day (24 hours).
• Freezer marinade time:I recommend marinating yourpork packs in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Marinade Safety:

• Always thawpork properly:As tempting as it may be to try and “quick-thaw”frozen pork, food safety guidelines recommend that you always thawpork slowly in the refrigerator. Ideally, you can plan ahead and pop your frozenpork pack in the fridge and let it rest for 24 hours or so, or until it has completely thawed. But to speed the process up, you can place thepork pack in a bowl of cold water, then refrigerate until thepork pack has completely thawed.
• Don’t try to cookpartially-frozen pork:Probably goes without saying, but if you jump the gun, thepork will cook unevenly. So thaw completely.
• Basting with marinades:There are a variety of opinions in the food safety world abouthow safe/unsafe it is to baste yourpork with its marinade. Some say it’s ok to use the marinade as a baste in the beginning stages of cooking, but many strongly disagree. To err on the side of caution, if you wouldlike to usethemarinade as a baste while cooking, I recommend usingextramarinade that you have reserved ahead of time. (Basically, marinade that hasn’t touched the raw pork.)

Marinade Equipment:

• Freezer bags:Irecommend using the designated freezer ziplock bags (vs. the thinner/cheaper sandwich plastic bags) for thesepork packs. They are stronger and (obvs) freezer friendly, and will help prevent leaks. And I also love using freezer bags because you can note the expiration date on the front. Here is aneco-friendly reusable freezer bagoption too!
• Meal prep containers:We also regularly usemeal prep containersfor quick marinades in our house. I don’t recommend them for freezing, since there’s no way to eliminate all of the excess air inside. But for a quick (1 to 24 hour) marinade, they work well.
• Everydaybowls:Another simple option for quick (1 to 24 hour) marinade would be to use any small mixing or serving bowls that fit your amount of pork. Just mix, cover with a sheet of foil or plastic wrap, and refrigerate.

Cooking Tips:

• Instant-Read Thermometer:However you choose to cook your pork, I always recommend having an instant-read thermometer on hand to ensure that yourpork is cooked through…and not overcooked. (The FDA recommends cooking yourpork to 145°F.) I love andrecommendthis $10thermometerfrom Amazon.(<– affiliate link)
• Baking/Grilling/Sautéing/Slow Cooking:I’ve included general instructions for each of these methods below. They will each vary (especially with cook time) according to thecut and sizeof your pork, so again, I recommend using a thermometer to guarantee accurate doneness.

Truly, between these five marinades, all of the various cuts of pork, plus all of the various ways tocook pork…there are a zillion potential options here for a delicious meal. So have fun with them, and happy marinating!

Be sure to also check out these other marinades!

?5 EasySteak Marinades

?5 Easy Chicken Marinades