5 Easy Pork Marinades

These 5 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.

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

5 easy pork 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 juicy pork 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 Pork Marinade: a yummy hoisin-based marinade
• BBQ Pork Marinade: my favorite KC-style homemade bbq sauce is always a winner
• Pineapple Ginger Pork Marinade: sweet and savory with a kick
• Maple Dijon Pork Marinade: mustard and pork were made for each other
• Pork Carnitas Marinade: a freezer-friendly version (no alcohol!) of this zesty Mexi marinade

To make each marinade, simply whisk the ingredients together in a small bowl until combined. Then combine the marinade and pork 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 to Pork Ratio: 

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

Marinade Times:

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

Marinade Safety:

• Always thaw pork properly: As tempting as it may be to try and “quick-thaw” frozen pork, food safety guidelines recommend that you always thaw pork slowly in the refrigerator. Ideally, you can plan ahead and pop your frozen pork 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 the pork pack in a bowl of cold water, then refrigerate until the pork pack has completely thawed.
• Don’t try to cook partially-frozen pork: Probably goes without saying, but if you jump the gun, the pork will cook unevenly. So thaw completely.
• Basting with marinades: There are a variety of opinions in the food safety world about how safe/unsafe it is to baste your pork 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 would like to use the marinade as a baste while cooking, I recommend using extra marinade that you have reserved ahead of time. (Basically, marinade that hasn’t touched the raw pork.)

Marinade Equipment:

• Freezer bags: I recommend using the designated freezer ziplock bags (vs. the thinner/cheaper sandwich plastic bags) for these pork 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 an eco-friendly reusable freezer bag option too!
• Meal prep containers: We also regularly use meal prep containers for 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.
• Everyday bowls: 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 your pork is cooked through…and not overcooked. (The FDA recommends cooking your pork to 145°F.)  I love and recommend this $10 thermometer from 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 the cut and size of 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 to cook pork…there are a zillion potential options here for a delicious meal. So have fun with them, and happy marinating!

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5 Easy Pork Marinade Recipes

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• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Total Time: 5 minutes
• Yield: 0 About 1 cup (each) 1x

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Description

These 5 easy pork marinade recipes are simple to make, freezer-friendly, and totally dependable and delicious!  Perfect for grilling, baking, sautéing, slow cooking, meal prep, and more.

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Ingredients

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Moo Shu Marinade:

• 1/2 cup hoisin sauce*
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons oyster sauce*
• 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce (or tamari)
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 1/2 teaspoon each: freshly-cracked black pepper, garlic powder

BBQ Marinade:

• 1 batch Homemade BBQ Sauce

Pineapple Ginger Marinade:

• 2/3 cup pineapple juice
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
• 1/2 teaspoon each: freshly-cracked black pepper, garlic powder
• optional: pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

Carnitas Marinade:

• 1/2 cup fresh orange juice
• 1/3 cup fresh lime juice
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon each: chili powder, salt
• 1/2 teaspoon each: dried oregano, freshly-cracked black pepper, garlic powder

Maple Dijon Marinade:

• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup coarse-grain dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• optional: 1-2 tablespoons finely-chopped fresh rosemary

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Instructions

1. Whisk together the ingredients for (one) marinade in a small bowl until combined.
2. Combine marinade with 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.)
3. If Using Immediately: Refrigerate the pork pack(s) for anywhere from 30 minutes to up to 1 day.
4. 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.
5. When ready to cook, remove the pork from the marinade, discard the remaining marinade, and cook however you prefer.  (See recommendations below.)

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Be sure to also check out these other marinades!

? 5 Easy Steak Marinades

? 5 Easy Chicken Marinades