For more variety on the barbecue, we recommend marinating the food in a marinade. Marinades are not only suitable for meat, fish or vegetables, but vegan alternatives such as tofu or seitan can also be marinated and grilled. You can also marinate different types of cheese such as feta or halloumi or fruit such as peaches or bananas.

But what is the basis of a marinade? Which marinades are suitable for which grilled food? And are there any tips for making and using marinades?

We’ll show you how in this article. You’ll also find creative recipe ideas for marinades that make for a special barbecue experience.

Would you like to go straight to the marinade recipes? Then click on one of the boxes:

Which marinade is suitable for which grilled food?

A marinade consists of a mixture of oil, acid such as lemon juice or vinegar, spices, herbs and sometimes sugar. It is used to season meat, fish, vegetables and any grilled food before grilling, adding extra flavor and preserving the juiciness of the food. While strong, spicy marinades are well suited to meat, milder, citrus-based marinades are more suitable for fish. Vegetables, on the other hand, benefit more from spicy oil-based or creamy marinades.

Recipe ideas for the perfect barbecue marinade

No matter which marinade you choose, the process is always the same: Put the food together with the marinade in a storage box. It is important that the food is completely covered in oil and spices. Now put the pickled food in the fridge for a few hours so that the flavors can soak into the food.

The time varies depending on the recipe and marinade. Thinly sliced grilled food such as poultry only needs 30 minutes to an hour, while thicker grilled food such as tougher beef or pork benefits from a longer marinating time of several hours. A steak should therefore be marinated for approx. 3-5 hours. Fish and poultry require less time. After the marinating time, allow the meat to reach room temperature for 1 to 2 hours, pat dry and place on the grill.

Our tip for delicious marinated spare ribs, chicken, zucchini or eggplant slices.

The sweet freshness of sun-ripened mangoes combined with the fine acidity of balsamic vinegar: our fruity mango and balsamic marinade is ideal for fish such as tender salmon fillets or vegetable skewers.

We particularly recommend the fresh basil and lemon marinade for marinating vegetables such as peppers, zucchinis, mushrooms, tomatoes or onions. The lemony marinade is also ideal for light meat such as chicken breast or fish such as salmon fillets or prawn skewers. Tofu also tastes wonderfully aromatic with this marinade.

This all-rounder is a real professional tip from our chef Sabine from our in-house organic gourmet kitchen. It can be used as a dip and barbecue sauce as well as a marinade for any barbecue food. Sabine has also created the divine Byodo Allrounder vegan, so that it goes perfectly with any vegan barbecue ideas.