My Go-to Marinade

After years of experimenting, trying store-bought sauces and making dozens of recipes, I’ve finally found my go-to marinade!  It’s pretty simple – Dijon, maple syrup and garlic – and it goes great on pork tenderloin, chicken and salmon.

I have long been a fan of Dijon in or on almost anything, but the maple syrup idea came from the Pinterest-famous Man Pleasing Chicken.  Add some garlic and some salt and pepper, and voila! you’ve got some really good tasting meat!

Dijon Maple Marinade

1/2 cup Dijon mustard
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
2 cloves garlic (or the equivalent in minced garlic)
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Yes, I use minced garlic.  It is a huge time saver when you are trying to cook from scratch every night.  It’s all natural – just garlic and citric acid.  I buy it at Costco and a jar that size will last me about 6 months.  Another one of my work-arounds is to use gallon Ziploc bags to marinate my food in – one less big dish to try and squeeze in my already full dishwasher.  Beyond marinating, anytime I need to toss food (potatoes or veggies in olive oil, chicken in flour, whatever) I use a Ziploc bag.  I go through a lot, so I get these at Costco too.

When I use this marinade on salmon, I’m typically cooking it in the oven; when it’s pork tenderloin or chicken breast, it’s on the grill.  There is something about the sweetness of the maple that pairs well with salmon, as well as with the smokey flavor from the grill.  So good!

To make this pork, I used two pork tenderloins and marinated them in the Dijon Maple marinade for 15 to 20 minutes.  I grilled it on each side for 7 to 8 minutes and I let it rest for about 10 minutes before I cut it.  Perfection!