38 Rubs, Brines, and Marinades to Add More Flavor to Your Life
Sometimes we need to shake things up a little bit. And what better way to spice things up in the kitchen than to spice up our favorite meat, fish, and vegetable recipes? Here are 38 rubs, brines, and marinades to breathe new life—and add more flavor—to your food and life.
Jason Lowe1/38Fresh Turmeric Marinade
Fresh turmeric lends a unique and earthy note plus incredible color to the finished dish.
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Coffee Rub
For this spice mixture, chef Josef Centeno, of Baco Mercat in Los Angeles, was inspired by the coffee rub his father used to make for grilling steaks. Basting with butter before transferring the pan to the oven helps bloom the dried spices and adds irresistible flavor to the meat.
- Matt Duckor3/38
Buttermilk Brine
This recipe makes enough brine for one 3½–4-pound chicken or 4 pounds of chicken pieces.
- Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich4/38
Chimichurri
This colorful sauce doubles as a marinade and as an accompaniment to all cuts of beef.
- 5/38
Jerk Marinade
Enough to marinate 2 pounds of chicken (skin-on thights, legs, or wings) or pork (chops, loin, or boneless shoulder).
- Ted Cavanaugh6/38
Berbere Spice Mix
A mix of sweet and savory spices means this blend can be used on all kinds of dishes. Toss it with vegetables before roasting, use it as a dry rub on pork or poultry before grilling, or stir it into yogurt and serve with fruit.
- Photograph by Isa Zapata, Prop Styling by Tim Ferro, Food Styling by Sean Dooley7/38
A Simple Brine
This brine uses ingredients we always have on stock in our kitchens to add serious flavor to any meat it touches.
- Peden + Munk8/38
Chile and Yogurt Marinade
Yes, you’ll need a lot of spices, but it’s not much work from there. Let the chicken marinate for 12 hours to get the most impact.
- Peden + Munk9/38
Herb Marinade
The seductively high ratio of skin to meat is what makes wings taste good, and grilling takes full advantage of that. This herb marinade is bright and summery, and light enough to let the skin get nice and crisp.
- Peden + Munk10/38
Kashmiri Hot Sauce
Use this hot sauce as a condiment or mix in additional aromatics like grated garlic and ginger to make a marinade for meat.
- 11/38
Smoky Paprika Salt Rub
This dry rub is perfect for meats, but would also impart extra smoke and dimension to vegetarian options, including tofu and vegetable entrees.
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Toasted Caraway-Salt Rub
When added either before or after cooking, this aromatic seasoning imparts deep flavor to lamb, beef, pork, or duck.
- Ashley Rodriguez14/38
Sriracha-Soy-Miso Marinade
If you ever wanted to know how to give your tofu knock-out flavor, this is how it's done.
- Peden + Munk15/38
Fennel, Garlic, and Chili Powder Spice Mix
You don’t need a roaring-hot grill for this lamb chops recipe. Grilling them over moderate heat will allow some of the fat to soften and render.
- 16/38
Japanese-Style Seasoning Salt
This is our version of shichimi togarashi, the spicy Japanese condiment.
- 17/38
Chile Rub
Look to Mexico, where turkey has been the big bird for centuries. Continue the theme by using the leftovers for tacos (corn tortillas, shredded meat, lime…). We promise you won’t miss your sandwich.
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4-3-2-1 Spice Rub
You can use this simple formula to wake up beer-can chicken, add another layer of flavor to barbecued chicken, or sass up plenty of things that aren't poultry, like pork, steak, or vegetables.
- Marcus Nilsson19/38
Dry Brine
No patience for a traditional brine? The dry brine is applied directly to the turkey's skin for a few hours, delivering big flavor and less hassle.
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Fennel Seed-Salt Rub
Try this rub on chicken, fish, or pork, and place some in a salt cellar for seasoning at the table.
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Citrus and Peppercorn Dry Brine
Our dry brine is like a concentrated rub; massage citrus zest and peppercorns onto the skin and let it cure for a few hours before the bird hits the oven.
- Peden + Munk22/38
All-Purpose Ancho Spice Rub
Bobby Flay uses this spice rub for salmon, or on chicken thighs that are braised and then layered in tacos.
- 23/38
Garlic and Herb Dry Brine
A dry brine with garlic and herbs can be applied directly to your turkey's skin for a few hours, delivering big flavor and less hassle.
- Hirsheimer + Hamilton24/38
Lemon-Pepper Salt Rub
Sprinkle this fresh take on lemon-pepper seasoning over olive-oil rubbed chicken or steak before grilling or roasting. It's also delicious strewn over grilled or pan-roasted cod or bluefish.
- Marcus NIlsson25/38
Fennel, Chile, and Maple Dry Brine
A dry brine with fennel, chile, and maple, can be applied directly to your turkey's skin for a few hours, delivering big flavor and less hassle.
- 26/38
Chipotle Rub
Perfect with the Tri-Tip, this rub from Sue Torres, chef at Sueños in New York City, will give smoky flavor to any steak.
- Julian Broad27/38
Citrus Brine
The spice rub builds a nice flavorful crust around the pork as it cooks, but the sugar can cause the meat to brown quickly. Keep a close watch.
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Za'atar Rub
This aromatic eastern Mediterranean spice blend pairs well with everything from grilled meats to freshly baked bread.
- Michael Graydon + Nikole Herriott29/38
Pickle Brine
How does the fried chicken from Rose's Luxury achieve No. 1 status? Brined, boneless thighs are responsible for incredible dark-meat flavor, and the dredge technique creates an insanely crunchy coating.
- 30/38
Yemeni Spice Rub
Here's a traditional spice blend from Yemen, where it's called hawayil. We suggest adding it with the celery and onions when making chicken soup, sprinkling on carrots before roasting, or rubbing into steaks before searing.
- Marcus Nilsson31/38
Cider Brine
If you like, you can coat pork with coriander and chill it for an extra night before roasting for more flavor. It will also help pork get a good sear.
- Romulo Yanes32/38
Herb-Sugar Brine
Brining these chops makes them moist, tender, and seasoned throughout, and the sugar helps create a dark, caramelized sheen.
- 33/38
Dry Chimichurri Rub
In Argentina, this mix of herbs and spices is combined wtih oil and vinegar and used as a sauce for grilled meats. For best results, use dried herb leaves—not powdered or ground.
- Marcus Nilsson34/38
Grilled Porcini-Rubbed Rack of Veal
At L.A.'s Chi Spacca, chef Chad Colby loves grass-fed, a.k.a. red, veal for its marbling and color, but regular milk-fed veal will work well. He often brines his meat, too: Here is his go-to basic brine recipe.
- Christopher Testani35/38
Green Chile Charmoula
Let’s put it this way: If you like salsa verde, you’ll love charmoula, a spiced marinade central to Algerian, Libyan, Moroccan, and Tunisian cooking.
- Michael Graydon + Nikole Herriott36/38
Pickled Seeds
Feel free to play around with other herbs and spices to make your own custom brine.
- Peden + Munk37/38
Tamarind Glaze
Tamarind is sweet, sour, and quite tart and provides the ideal base for this finger-licking glaze.
- Photo by Peden + Munk38/38
Soy Sauce Marinade for Pork Chops
In this episode of Weeknight Grilling, we’re making thin-cut pork chops that come together f-a-s-t.