Fire Up the Flavor: 16 Rubs and Marinades Made for Summer Grilling

Trust us, you'll never run out of ideas for what to barbecue next.

By
Mimi Young
Mimi Young
Mimi Young
Editor
Mimi Young is an editor and pastry chef. She has also curated and written numerous recipe roundups for Serious Eats.
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Published June 30, 2025
Overhead view of jerk pork on a platter

Serious Eats / Lorena Masso

The sun is shining and you're itching to fire up the grill, so you head to the grocery store and end up standing in front of the butcher or seafood counter, eyes darting from one "specials" sign to another, wondering where to start. I say, start with the seasoning—and by that I mean marinades and rubs. Regardless of the type of meat, seafood, or vegetable you choose for grilling, you'll need to season it well.

We're here to help with 16 of our most flavorful, kitchen-tested marinades and rubs, made for your summer grill. This collection includes an all-purpose barbecue dry rub and sauce, intensely flavored jerk and al pastor marinades, as well as spice blends and sauces that surpass their store-bought counterparts, among many other offerings. Now let's get grilling.

  • Easy All-Purpose Barbecue Rub

    Closeup of barbecue rub in a mixing bowl. The author's hand has scooped some up to show to the camera.

    Serious Eats / J. Kenji López-Alt

    There's no reason to buy a premade dry rub when you can easily whip up a big batch at home that'll last you through the grilling season. Not only is it more cost-effective, but you're also almost guaranteed a higher quality finished product when you start with freshly purchased spices and dried herbs. We bet you'll be reaching for this well-balanced, great-for-everything blend all summer long.

  • Easy All-Purpose Barbecue Sauce

    Barbecue sauce being brushed onto ribs on a grill

    Serious Eats / J. Kenji López-Alt

    Definitively speaking, this barbecue sauce is the all-time pinch hitter of the grill. It combines an ideal balance of tangy, sweet, and savory elements, along with a complex flavor profile, thanks to molasses, Worcestershire, and a touch of liquid smoke. Slather the sauce on everything—burgers, ribs, chicken, and even tofu. Like our easy all-purpose barbecue rub, it's also fairly inexpensive to make a big batch, and it keeps for several months in the fridge.

  • Lean and Mean Dry Rub for Pulled Pork

    Side view of a sauce-coated pork shoulder being sprinkled with lean and mean dry rub.

    Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

    This dry rub recipe keeps it simple with a few ingredients that hit key flavor notes. The sweetness and warmth of the brown sugar balance the black pepper's heat, while fruity sweet paprika, citrusy coriander seeds, and aromatic onion and garlic powders provide layers of flavor. We've left out the salt assuming that the meat will be generously dry-brined, but if you'd like, you can add a half cup of kosher salt to the rub.

  • Shio Koji (Koji Marinade)

    Pouring shio koji over a prime rib roast.

    Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

    This fermented porridge-like mixture of grain koji (cooked rice inoculated with Aspergillus oryzae, then dried), salt, and water has a sweet, funky aroma and boosts the flavor of any food it comes into contact with an infusion of umami. Thanks to the protease and amylase enzymes that help break down amino acids and starches, it's fantastic for marinating poultry, meat, seafood, and vegetables, so every bite is tender, juicy, and incredibly flavorful.

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  • 4-Ingredient Cocoa-Coffee Steak Marinade

    Closeup of sliced and shingled cocoa-coffee marinated steak.

    Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

    Trust us, the cocoa and coffee combo in this marinade works wonders in as little as an hour. Their strong flavors take on a delightfully milder tone when blended with salt, dark brown sugar, and a hint of cayenne. You get a slight bitterness from the coffee that underscores deep char from the grill, while the chocolate adds a round butteriness that plays off the steak's fattiness.

  • Jamaican Jerk Pork

    Overhead view of jerk pork on a platter

    Serious Eats / Lorena Masso

    True jerk is a carefully orchestrated endeavor that's equal parts ingredients and cooking technique. It all starts with a salty, spicy marinade made of Scotch bonnet peppers, allspice berries, and aromatics cooked down to a thick, intensely flavored paste that clings to the meat. Once marinated, the pork is covered in pimento or banana leaves, and cooked low and slow over (ideally) pimento wood until that thick coating of marinade becomes beautifully charred.

  • Grilled Beef Galbi (Korean-Style Marinated Short Ribs)

    Korean grilled marinated beef short ribs on a black platter

    Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

    What we loved about the marinade for these Korean-style short ribs is how remarkably quickly it comes together in a food processor. Most of the ingredients, including Asian pear, onion, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, brown sugar, and mirin, are blitzed together, then thinly sliced scallions, sesame oil, and sesame seeds are stirred in. That's it. A little water tempers the salinity of the soy sauce, helping to create a perfect balance of sweet and savory.

  • Chicken Inasal (Filipino Grilled Chicken)

    Chicken Inasal on a white plate next to dipping sauce and a bowl of white rice

    Serious Eats / Julia Hartbeck

    Although chicken inasal is traditionally enjoyed as street food in the Philippines, this version from contributor Yana Gilbuena is also ideal for summer backyard barbecues. The marinade is loaded with savory, sweet, pungent, assertively acidic, and umami-packed flavors that are the hallmarks of Filipino cuisine. Coconut vinegar, calamansi juice, and soda help tenderize the meat and add sweetness, while muscovado sugar deepens the caramel flavor, and Maggi seasoning provides an umami punch.

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  • Sticky and Sweet Filipino Barbecue Skewers

    carrot ribbons in a bowl with rice, cucumber and chicken skewers

    Serious Eats / Stacy Allen

    Suppose you have an appetite for sticky and sweet Filipino barbecue meat skewers. In that case, Joshua Boussel has cracked the code on the marinade, which includes such ingredients as Coke, brown sugar, onion, soy sauce, cider vinegar, orange juice, ketchup, and garlic. These are cooked down to concentrate the sugars and give the finished grilled meat its requisite glossy finish. Marinating the chicken or pork overnight allows the flavors to deepen even further.

  • Charcoal-Grilled al Pastor Skewers

    Grilled al pastor pork skewers on black platter with lime wedges

    Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

    All the flavors of top-notch al pastor in super grill-friendly form? Yes, please! Our marinade begins with toasting ancho and pasilla chiles, then softening them with hot chicken stock. We combine spices, adobo in chipotle sauce, vinegar, and other seasonings, and blend all the ingredients until smooth. The marinade can be made in advance and refrigerated for up to three days, and you can marinate the pork for up to 36 hours.

  • Grilled Chicken With Za'atar

    Grilled chicken pieces served with a dipping sauce and lemon wedges on a plate

    Serious Eats / J. Kenji Lopez-Alt

    For this recipe, we create a homemade za'atar-style spice blend by combining dry oregano, fresh thyme, savory, sumac, and sesame seeds to give grilled chicken a flavor-packed kick. To ensure the chicken is well-coated, make a paste with the za'atar, olive oil, and garlic, allowing the mixture to distribute evenly and stick to the surface.

  • Thai-Style Grilled Chicken (Gai Yang)

    Thai-style grilled chicken on a platter
    Serious Eats / Melissa Hom

    The aroma of charred lemongrass and coriander coming off this Thai grilled chicken is what immediately draws you in. In our version of the dish, the robust ends of cilantro stalks serve as a good substitute for the traditional, harder-to-find coriander root, and light brown sugar stands in for palm sugar. Plenty of garlic and white pepper, along with soy and fish sauce, round out the marinade.

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  • Zesty Beer, Lemongrass, and Ginger Steak Marinade

    Closeup of beer-lemongrass-ginger marinated steak.

    Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

    Looking for a marinade that pairs well with fatty steaks, such as boneless short ribs? This one, made with light lager, fresh ginger, lemongrass, coriander seed, thyme, and lemon zest, works its magic in about an hour. Salt in the marinade helps the meat retain moisture as it grills, while olive oil draws out the flavor of the aromatics.

  • Black Diamond-Style Steak Marinade

    Two black diamond-marinated skirt steaks, arranged on a cutting board.

    Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

    Sure, you can buy a bottle of the popular Black Diamond brand steak marinade, but chances are you already have most, if not all, of the ingredients in your pantry to recreate those deep, dark, savory flavors with this recipe. All you need is soy sauce, Worcestershire, balsamic vinegar, and onion and garlic powders, and you're good to go.

  • Mojo Sauce

    A mojo-marinated chicken suspended on a spit over coals.

    Serious Eats / Joshua Bousel

    The secret ingredient to this mojo sauce is sour orange juice, which has a uniquely bitter flavor that gives mojo its distinct aroma and punch. Although an equal mix of orange and lime or lemon juice serves as a reasonable dupe, finding a local source for real sour oranges is worth the effort.

  • Basic Teriyaki Sauce

    Overhead view of two teriyaki-marinated negima yakitori skewers.

    Serious Eats / J. Kenji López-Alt

    This tried-and-true teriyaki sauce is terrific for both meat and fish, such as stuffed flank steak and grilled salmon. Unlike the store-bought variety, this homemade version contains no starches or thickeners, allowing you to use it as a marinade, glaze, or sauce.

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