Homemade lemon herb marinade
- Preparation 5 min
- Servings 2/3 cup (160 ml)
- Freezing Absolutely
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🌿 A fresh, herbaceous, absolutely legendary marinade
This homemade lemon herb marinade is summer incarnated in a mason jar. An ultra-fresh and herbaceous combination that transforms any protein into something special. Olive oil, fresh lemon juice, Italian parsley, garlic, honey, white balsamic vinegar and the 100% Québécois signature touch. Herbes salées from Bas-du-Fleuve. Three minutes of prep, a mason jar, a good shake and you have a marinade you’ll make all summer long.
💪 Versatile like you wouldn’t believe
This marinade works on pretty much anything that can be grilled or baked: chicken, pork, extra-firm tofu, shrimp, and even white fish like salmon, tilapia, cod or haddock. The pro trick? Pour it over 1.5 lb of protein and always keep a little bit in the jar to baste during cooking or serve as a drizzle when eating. This is exactly the kind of marinade to always have in your repertoire for entertaining friends.
🎯 Different from all my other marinades
Compared to my marinade fajita maison which focuses on spices and heat, or my sauce BBQ classique fumée maison which focuses on smoke and depth, this one plays in a completely different category: pure summer freshness. This is the marinade that goes on your Saturday night skewers, your Sunday chicken breasts, or your grilled tofu for the week’s meal prep. Once you taste it, you’ll understand why I call it legendary.
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🥩 Works on (pretty much) all proteins
This homemade lemon herb marinade isn’t just for chicken. Try it on pork (tenderloin, medallions, cubes), on extra-firm tofu, on shrimp, on white fish like salmon, tilapia, cod or haddock. It’s the universal summer marinade.
⏱️ Maximum 4 hours to avoid degradation
The lemon and white balsamic make the marinade very acidic. For chicken, pork and tofu, aim for 2 to 4 hours maximum. Beyond that, the protein becomes mushy on the surface. For shrimp, 15 to 20 minutes only. Otherwise they cook in the acid like a ceviche.
🧂 Herbes salées from Bas-du-Fleuve = 1 tsp maximum
Don’t put more than the indicated teaspoon. It’s already very salty. If you put more, your marinade will be inedible. And no need to add salt separately: the herbes salées do all the work alone.
🫙 Mason jar and shaking, not the blender
Put everything in a mason jar, screw on the lid and shake vigorously for 20 seconds. Never use a blender or food processor. We want to keep the texture of the herbes salées from Bas-du-Fleuve which bring chew and character to the marinade.
🔄 Always keep some for basting or serving
Pour about ¾ of the marinade over your protein and ALWAYS keep a little bit in the jar (that has never touched raw meat). You can use it to baste during cooking, or serve directly on the cooked protein as a drizzle for a final freshness boost.
🧊 The freezer trick. Protein + marinade
You can absolutely freeze your raw protein directly with the marinade in a ziploc bag. The marinade penetrates during thawing in the fridge and you have a ready dinner in 15 minutes on the day. Perfect for meal prep.
✅ What to serve with my homemade lemon herb marinade?
This marinade is perfect for entertaining friends on the terrace, for a summer BBQ or for a weekly meal that’s out of the ordinary. Serve your marinated protein with a Lemony orzo salad with feta & chickpeas to stay with the citrus theme, a simple arugula salad for freshness, or my Bbq grilled veggies for a complete grilled combo. For brunch or a lighter dinner, my Melon salad with feta and fresh herbs plays in the same summer register.
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Lemon herb marinade (about 150 ml)
- ¼ cup (60 ml) olive oil
- 3 tbsp (45 ml) fresh lemon juice
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) fresh flat-leaf Italian parsley, finely chopped
- ½ tbsp (7 ml) white balsamic vinegar
- 2 tsp (10 ml) honey
- 1 tsp (5 ml) mustard powder
- 1 tsp (5 ml) herbes salées from Bas-du-Fleuve
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Preparation
- Combine all ingredients directly in a 500 ml mason jar.
- Screw the lid on tightly and shake vigorously for 15 to 20 seconds to emulsify well. Do not use a blender. We want to keep the texture of the herbes salées from Bas-du-Fleuve.
- Pour about ¾ of the marinade over 1.5 lb (700 g) of protein of your choice (chicken, pork, extra-firm tofu, shrimp or fish). Reserve the rest of the marinade in a separate bowl for basting during cooking or serving as a drizzle.
- Cover or seal the bag and refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours maximum (the marinade is acidic because of the lemon, beyond that the protein starts to become mushy). For shrimp, 15 to 20 minutes only.
- Cook as desired: on the BBQ over medium-high heat (ideal) or in the oven at 425°F (220°C). Baste with reserved marinade halfway through cooking.
- Serve with the rest of the reserved marinade as a drizzle directly on the protein for a final freshness boost.
Pretty much anything that can be grilled or baked. Chicken (breasts, thighs, wings), pork (tenderloin, medallions, cubes), extra-firm tofu, shrimp, and white fish like salmon, tilapia, cod or haddock. Just adjust the marinating time according to the protein.
Maximum 4 hours for chicken, pork and tofu. The marinade contains lemon and white balsamic, so it’s acidic. Beyond 4 hours, the meat becomes mushy on the surface. For shrimp, 15 to 20 minutes only. For fish, 30 minutes to 1 hour maximum.
Absolutely. Add 2 tbsp of plain Greek yogurt to the base marinade for a creamier and more tender version. The yogurt will also help tenderize firmer proteins like whole chicken or thighs. Ideal for a more Mediterranean version.
If you can’t find any, replace with ½ tsp salt + 1 tsp of a fresh herb mix (chives, savory, parsley). The result won’t be identical, herbes salées have a unique salty-pickled side, but it works.
It’s a perfect marinade for entertaining friends on the terrace. Serve your marinated protein with my lemony orzo salad with feta & chickpeas, a simple arugula salad, my bbq grilled veggies or my melon salad with feta and fresh herbs to stay in the summer register.
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