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Garlic & Zest

Gourmet Cooking at Home!

Brown Sugar Bourbon Marinade for Steak, Chicken & Pork

Brown Sugar Bourbon Marinade For Beef Pork and Chicken.
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Whether you’re looking for a brown sugar bourbon marinade for chicken, pork or beef, this quick and easy bourbon whiskey marinade is by far the BEST. This has been our go to bourbon whiskey steak marinade for ages — you’ll love it on a flank steak. We use Jim Beam for the brown sugar bourbon marinade but any bourbon whiskey will do. Your favorite protein just a little bit of soaking time, and it’s ready for the grill (but if you can soak it longer, all the better). Best of all, this quick and easy recipe uses pantry staples – no fussy ingredients.

Ingredients for the whiskey marinade.

This is my great Aunt Betty’s recipe and flavor-wise, it’s a doozy. This brown sugar whiskey marinade is loaded with assertive flavors that, when blended together, are so much greater than the sum of its parts. So let’s get started.

Ingredients for bourbon marinade

  • Garlic
  • Brown Sugar (light or dark)
  • Soy Sauce (I use reduced sodium)
  • Bourbon Whiskey (I use Jim Beam)
  • Olive Oil
  • Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
  • Black Pepper

That’s it! Most of these ingredients are probably already in your pantry, so if you’re stocked and have 5 minutes… well, you’ve got the makings of a dynamite dinner.

Measuring the ingredients and pouring into a bowl.

A quick funny: I made this whiskey marinade to season some steaks for my husband’s family and they went ga-ga for the flavor. In fact, my sister in law asked for the recipe — and proceeded to make it … using her husband’s $150 bottle of McCallan. He was understandably upset.

Best bourbon whiskey to use for marinade

I use Jim Beam. It’s affordable, flavorful and perfect for this recipe. Since it’s about $15/bottle and the recipe only uses 1/4 cup — you’re only using about a dollars worth of bourbon. That said, you can use whatever type of bourbon whiskey you have on hand, but I’d advise staying away from the really good stuff, otherwise, there could be a feud.

Adding bourbon and olive oil to the marinade.

Flavor of Bourbon Whiskey Marinade

You might think the soy sauce gives this bourbon marinade an Asian flavor profile, but that’s not the case. The bourbon marinade is a cohesive blend of all the flavors and soy sauce acts as the “salt element” of the whiskey steak marinade. Bourbon lends a smooth, smoky touch and the brown sugar bridges the gap. The crushed red pepper doesn’t make it overly spicy either, so even if you’re skittish about heat, you don’t need to be for this recipe.

whisking the whiskey marinade in a bowl.
Blending

Best cuts to use with the marinade

Use the marinade with many different cuts of meat. Just put your chosen protein in a zip top bag and pour the marinade over it, press as much air out of the bag as possible and seal it. Refrigerate the meat to marinate. When you’re ready to grill, remove the steak from the marinade, and pat it dry with paper towels. Let the meat rest at room temperature for 20-30 minutes before putting it on the barbecue. Why? You don’t want to throw cold meat on a hot grill. Click here to see why and other tips for successful grilling.

Whiskey steak marinade

This marinade makes beef taste “beefier”. Try it for flank steaks, London broil and sirloin. The brown sugar, soy and bourbon whiskey will permit the steak flesh within an hour of soaking, but for more robust flavor, several hours or even overnight will really penetrate the meat.

Marinade for pork

Use this blend for quick cooking cuts of pork like chops, pork tenderloin or even a pork loin roast.

Bourbon chicken marinade

Chicken leg pieces and wings are best for this bourbon marinade, those darker meat cuts really absorb the flavors. That said, there’s no reason you can’t use it with chicken breasts too (bone-in, skin-on or boneless).

bourbon marinade in a glass jar.

I typically make this bourbon marinade in the morning (when I’m drinking my coffee) and soak the steaks, chops or legs all day, so that by the time the dinner hour rolls around, the brown sugar bourbon flavor has really permeated and it’s ready for the grill.

Side dishes to go with whiskey marinated grilled meats

  • Pearl Barley Kale Chopped Salad
  • Tomatoes Provencal
  • Jeweled Yellow Rice with Pine Nuts
  • Balsamic Dijon Mushrooms
Print Pin
3.67 from 9 votes

Bourbon Marinade

This quick and easy marinade is perfect for chicken, pork and beef. Though it does have soy sauce, it's not an Asian-inspired marinade. Delicious!
Course Condiments
Cuisine American
Keyword marinade
Dietary Restrictions Dairy-Free, Vegetarian
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 202kcal

Ingredients

  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup Jim Beam or other bourbon please don't use the good stuff.
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper

Instructions

  • Combine the garlic, brown sugar, soy sauce, bourbon, olive oil, red pepper flakes and black pepper in a medium bowl and whisk until the brown sugar is mostly dissolved.
  • Use this marinade for chicken pieces or breasts, pork chops, pork tenderloin beef flank steak, london broil, sirloin or any other cut you'd normally marinate.
  • Marinate for at least 60 minutes or up to overnight to really penetrate.

Nutrition

Calories: 202kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 817mg | Potassium: 58mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 37IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 1mg

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a pin for 5 minute bourbon whiskey marinade.
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Marinades & Rubs// Outdoor Cooking4 Comments

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Comments

  1. Kimmie says

    February 6, 2021 at 1:26 PM

    In the description it says it uses 1/4 cup of bourbon but in the ingredient list it says 2 Tbs. Which is it????

    Reply
    • Lisa Lotts says

      February 7, 2021 at 8:48 AM

      Hey, thanks for the catch! Officially, you use 1/4 cup of bourbon in the recipe (and I’ve fixed it in the recipe card), but if you want to use less (2-3 tablespoons) that’s fine too. It will still impart the bourbon flavor.

      Reply
  2. Yvette says

    September 8, 2020 at 12:04 AM

    I tried this recipe but used Tennessee honey and it was absolutely yummy! My family loved it!!!!!! THANK YOU!

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      September 8, 2020 at 7:12 AM

      So glad you and your family liked it. The honey sounds like a great improvisation!

      Reply

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Meet Lisa

Lisa

Calling all cooks! You donโ€™t have to be a gourmet chef to get a delicious, healthy meal on the table! At Garlic & Zest, Iโ€™ll show you how to make hundreds of seasonal, fresh recipes and indulgent comfort foods with easy step-by-step instructions and photos to help you master the dish.

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