Recipe & Photos by Melanie Hutti
Spring grilling season is officially open, and with the longer, warmer days comes a schedule filled with gardening, sports, and outdoor activities that stretch late into the evenings. Easy spring marinades are the perfect way to prep meals ahead of time and reduce the work it takes to get dinner on the table. Cleanup is simple, and the ingredients are fresh and flavorful—think herbs, citrus, vinegars, and your favorite cuts of meat or veggies.
Below are five versatile marinade recipes designed to bring bold flavor to your spring meals, whether cooking chicken, seafood, steak, or tofu over an open flame on the Cowboy Grill or your tried-and-true backyard grill.
We’re starting with a Yogurt-Marinated Greek Chicken Kabob, rich with lemon and fresh dill, perfect for serving alongside pita and salad. Next, our Marinated Seafood Boil Kabobs give you all the flavors of a low-country boil—corn, potatoes, sausage, and shrimp—grilled to smoky perfection.
For steak lovers, the Skirt Steak Chimichurri Marinade packs vibrant herb flavor and a hint of heat, ideal for slicing thin and serving with tortillas or fresh greens. If you’re craving a little spice, the Peri Peri Chicken Marinade blends charred peppers, smoky paprika, and zesty lemon for a fiery, flavorful kick. And finally, the Bourbon Brown Sugar Chicken Marinade delivers a rich, caramelized finish with a perfect balance of sweet and smoky—ideal for relaxed weekend grilling.
Excited? Grab your skewers, fire up the coals, and choose your dinner marinade.
How to Make
Yogurt-Marinated Greek Chicken Kabobs
Servings: 4-6 | Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 20 min | Total Time: 40 min (plus marinade time of 2 hours to overnight)
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cups plain yogurt
- Fresh dill
- Juice of one lemon
- Zest of one lemon
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch chunks
Materials
Instructions
- Measure yogurt and olive oil and add to the bowl. Using a chef’s knife, chop one bunch of fresh dill and add to the yogurt. Zest one lemon and squeeze the juice into the bowl.
- Stir in the remaining herbs, spices, salt, and pepper to taste.
- Cut the boneless chicken thighs into roughly one-inch pieces. Stir in chicken until well combined; marinate for at least 2 hours to overnight, turning occasionally.
- Drain the chicken from the marinade. Thread the chicken onto the skewers. Place skewers onto preheated grill over indirect heat, and cook, turning occasionally, until the chicken is completely cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, about 10 minutes. This chicken marinade recipe is ideal served with warm pita bread and a fresh Mediterranean salad.
How to Make
Marinated Seafood Boil Kabobs
Servings: 6 | Prep Time: 30 min | Cook Time: 15 min Par-Cooking + 15 min Grilling (30 total) | Total Time: 60 min (plus marinade time of 2 hours to overnight)
Main Ingredients
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 splash of hot sauce (if desired)
- 1 pound of baby Dutch yellow potatoes
- 3 ears corn, each cut crosswise into 6 pieces
- 1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 (12.8-ounce) package smoked andouille sausage, thinly sliced
- 2 lemons, cut into wedges
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
Materials
Instructions
- Combine melted butter, garlic, spices, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Add the prepared shrimp to the mixture (reserve some for basting on the grill) and stir until evenly coated. Marinate for 1-2 hours in the refrigerator.
- In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook potatoes until just tender and parboiled, about 10-13 minutes. Stir in corn during the last 5 minutes of cooking time; drain well.
- Thread potatoes, corn, shrimp, and sausage onto skewers.
- Preheat the grill to medium-high heat and brush the grill grate with olive oil to prevent the kabobs from sticking.
- Place kabobs on the grill, brushing with butter mixture occasionally and turning once halfway, until shrimp are opaque and corn is tender, about 7-8 minutes.
- This seafood marinade is best served immediately with lemon wedges and a side of cheese grits, garnished with parsley, if desired.
How to Make
Skirt Steak Chimichurri Marinade
Servings: 4 | Prep Time: 25 min | Cook Time: 20 min | Total Time: 55 min (plus marinade time of 2 hours to overnight)
Main Ingredients
- 1 cup parsley leaves, roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon oregano leaves
- 4 garlic cloves
- Red pepper flakes (if you like some heat)
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 1/2 cup (125 ml) extra virgin olive oil
- 1.4 pounds flat iron, flank, skirt steak
- Salt and pepper to taste
Materials
Instructions
- Add salt (to taste, or ½ teaspoon to start), garlic, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and oregano to a molcajete. Pulverize until minced. Pour in the olive oil and vinegar and mix well.
- Add the chopped parsley and mix in the molcajete until roughly combined (not completely liquified). *Alternatively, Chimichurri can be made in a food processor, but don’t overmix. It should still be chunky and have some texture to it.
- Transfer into a small bowl. Note: Consider making two batches of the chimichurri to have enough to marinate and use to top the steaks after grilling. It holds well in the fridge and is a great condiment for other meats!
- Add the skirt steak to the Chimichurri marinade and cover. Place in the refrigerator for 2 -3 hours or overnight. Remove the steak 30 minutes before grilling.
- Heat the grill to med-high heat. Place the skirt steak over hot coals to sear, and then move it to indirect heat to finish until cooked to your preferred temperature.
- Allow the meat to rest for 10 minutes. Cut thin slices against the grain and top with additional Chimichurri Marinade. The steak is great served with warm tortillas and other toppings.
How to Make
Peri Peri Chicken Marinade
Servings: 6 | Prep Time: 30 min | Cook Time: 30 min | Total Time: 60 min (plus 2 hours- overnight for marinade time)
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken thighs (or chicken breasts can be used as well)
Sauce Ingredients
- 2 large red bell peppers, char-grilled
- 1 large red onion, char-grilled
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup lemon juice
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- Zest of one lemon, finely grated
- 10 small red Thai chilis (I used 1.5 tablespoons of Gochujang as a substitute since my local stores don’t carry Thai chilis or Peri Peri chilis. The amount can be personalized according to how much heat you like!)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- Ingredients Added To Sauce After Cooking
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- Zest of one lemon, finely minced
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Materials
Instructions
- For the sauce, grill the red peppers and onions until they are charred well and starting to soften.
- Chop the blackened peppers and onions and add them to a food processor or blender.
- Add the garlic, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, lemon zest, red Thai chilis (or Gochujang), smoked paprika, oregano, salt, and pepper to the food processor with the grilled onions and peppers and puree until smooth.
- Transfer the sauce to a medium saucepan and simmer for 20-30 minutes.
- Let the sauce cool slightly and return it to the blender. Add the additional lemon juice, red wine vinegar, and lemon zest. Puree for another few minutes until very smooth. Slowly add the olive oil in a thin stream as the sauce is blending.
- Transfer half of the sauce to a medium-sized bowl, reserving the other half for basting on the grill. Place the chicken thighs in the sauce and mix until evenly covered. Allow the chicken to marinate in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours or overnight.
- Remove the chicken from the refrigerator 20 minutes before grilling. Heat the grill to medium-high temperatures, preparing a grilling area over indirect heat. Grill the chicken thighs, turning occasionally and basting once with additional sauce, until the internal temperature is at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit on an internal thermometer.
- Allow to cool for a few minutes, then serve the peri peri chicken marinade with rice, grilled vegetables, or your favorite side dish.
How to Make
Bourbon Brown Sugar Chicken Marinade
Servings: 4-6 | Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 30 min | Total Time: 50 min (plus 2 hours to overnight for marinade time)
Main Ingredients
- ½ cup bourbon
- ½ cup brown sugar, firmly packed
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons of soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- pinch crushed red pepper flakes
- kosher salt and ground black pepper, to season
- 1.5 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Materials
Instructions
- For the chicken marinade recipe, pour the bourbon, brown sugar, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, olive oil, mustard, garlic, rosemary, and crushed red pepper flakes into a jar with a lid. Season with 1-2 teaspoons of salt and ground black pepper, as desired. Put the lid on the jar and shake vigorously to combine.
- Place the chicken breasts in a medium-sized bowl. Pour the bourbon marinade over the chicken (reserving some for basting) and stir to coat the pieces evenly. Place the bowl in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours or overnight.
- Heat a grill to medium-high heat (375-400 degrees). Brush the grill grates with olive oil to prevent the chicken from sticking. Place the chicken over indirect heat. Turn and rotate the chicken, cooking until the juices run clear or 165 degrees internally.
- Allow the chicken to rest for 10 minutes, and serve it alongside grilled vegetables, potatoes, or any other favorite side dish.
About
Melanie Hutti is the stay-at-home gypsy of Gypsy Hill Farm located in central Kentucky. She loves to travel but equally loves her time on her farm with her husband and two sons. She is a full-time Occupational Therapist in the public schools, where she uses gardening as a therapeutic activity for her students with exceptional needs. She spends her evenings and summers off in her garden and behind the camera with her hobby photography business, Gypsy Hill Photography. She loves cooking, canning, and serving as a missionary in Haiti. She is a collector of hobbies and loves anything food and nature centered.
