This is a delicious and easy balsamic marinade with just 5 ingredients that infuses protein and vegetables with tons of flavor. It's great for grilling, broiling, baking and more.
Marinating meat and veggies is a great way to infuse flavor with minimal effort. And this delicious sauce is so easy to make and works for all kinds of protein (meat or plant-based) and vegetables. I'm excited to share it just in time for grilling season. But really, this is an easy recipe you can rely on all year long.
Try it for Roasted Winter Vegetables, summery Grilled Vegetable Salad, and Crispy Baked Tofu.
How to Make Balsamic Marinade
All it takes to make this easy marinade is a bowl and a whisk. Here's what you'll need:
- Balsamic vinegar. Choose a nice vinegar that's thick and sweet. It will coat your protein and veggies with more flavor and a sticky-sweet finish.
- Olive oil. A good marinade needs oil to penetrate into the protein or veggies. This also helps your product crisp up on the edges when you cook it.
- Garlic powder. You can also use onion powder for a similar allium flavor that's a bit milder.
- Dried oregano. Feel free to mix up the dried herbs if you like! See below for some ideas.
- Red pepper flakes. This adds a hint of spice, but you can omit the red pepper flakes if you're not a fan of heat.
Ingredient Swaps
At the very least, you'll want to keep the balsamic in this marinade. However, you can mix up the other ingredients:
- Use a different, more neutral-flavored oil. Avocado, canola or sunflower seed oil all work well.
- Swap the garlic powder for onion powder.
- Instead of dried oregano, use dried basil, tarragon, thyme, rosemary, or a blend.
- For heat, you can use paprika, chili powder or cayenne instead of the red pepper flakes.
How to Use Balsamic Marinade
Here are some of my favorite ways to use this savory marinade:
- Plant-based proteins: like tofu, tempeh or seitan
- Seafood: like salmon, shrimp or swordfish
- Meat and poultry: like chicken, steaks, or pork
- Veggies: like eggplant, mushrooms, peppers, corn, and more
How Long does Marinade Last?
You can store unused marinade for up to four days in an airtight container in the fridge.
I recommend marinating your product for at least 30 minutes. However, most products benefit from an overnight marinade for even more flavor.
More Dressing Recipes to Try
- 6 Easy Vegan Salad Dressing Ideas
- Sesame Dressing for Healthy Carrot Slaw
- The Best Shallot Dressing Recipe
If you make this Easy Balsamic Marinade recipe, be sure to let me know what you think with a comment below!
Easy Balsamic Marinade
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Generous pinch of salt & pepper
Instructions
- Whisk all the ingredients together.
- Pour over your desired protein or vegetable and allow to sit for at least 30 minutes.
- Cook your ingredients however you'd like – grill, bake, pan, etc. – and enjoy!
Nutrition
