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Five Easy Pork Marinades

These five easy pork marinade recipes are freezer-friendly, simple to prepare, and totally dependable and delicious! Perfect for baking, grilling, slow cooking, Instant Pot, meal prep, and more.
Prep Time5 minutes
Total Time5 minutes
Servings: 1 cup (approximately) each
Author: Ali - Gimme Some Oven

Ingredients

Meat:

  • 1½ lb tenderloin of pork or alternative pork cuts

Moo Shu Marinade:

  • ½ cup Hoisin sauce*
  • ¼ cup rice vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons oyster sauce*
  • 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce or Tamari
  • 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
  • ½ teaspoon freshly-cracked black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder

BBQ Marinade:

Pineapple Ginger Marinade:

  • ⅔ cup pineapple juice
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
  • ½ teaspoon freshly-cracked black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • optional: pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

Carnitas Marinade:

  • ½ cup fresh orange juice
  • ⅓ cup fresh lime juice
  • ⅓ cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon each: dried oregano
  • ½ teaspoon freshly-cracked black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder

Maple Dijon Marinade:

  • ¼ cup red wine vinegar
  • ¼ cup coarse-grain Dijon mustard
  • ¼ cup maple syrup
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • optional: 1-2 tablespoons finely-chopped fresh rosemary

Instructions

  • Whisk together the ingredients for (one) marinade in a small bowl until combined.
  • Combine marinade with the pork in a Ziplock freezer bag, and toss until the pork is evenly coated in the marinade. Carefully press out any extra air that might be in the bag, then seal. (You will need 1/2 cup marinade per 1 pound of pork.)
  • If Using Immediately: Refrigerate the pork pack(s) for anywhere from 30 minutes to up to 1 day.
  • If Freezing: Immediately transfer the pork pack(s) to the freezer, and freeze for up to 3 months. Then when you’re ready to cook the pork, transfer the pork pack back to the refrigerator for 24 hours, or until it has thawed completely. Or to speed up the process, you can submerge the sealed pork pack in a bowl of cold water in the refrigerator until it has thawed completely.
  • When ready to cook, remove the pork from the marinade, discard the remaining marinade, and cook however you prefer.
  • Enjoy!