Marinades and rubs both add flavour before the food hits the grill, but they work on different parts of the food and suit different cuts. Choosing between them comes down to what you are cooking, how long you have, and what kind of surface you want on the finished piece.
This guide covers how marinades and rubs work, which foods suit each, how to use them together, and the mistakes that cause trouble on a weekend cook. The examples are aimed at barbecuers who fire up the grill on days off and want reliable results without a lot of fuss.
How a Marinade Works
A marinade is a seasoned liquid you soak food in before cooking. Most contain three parts: an acid such as vinegar, citrus juice or yogurt, an oil such as olive or sesame, and flavourings like garlic, herbs, spices, soy sauce or honey.
Each part has a job. The acid loosens the surface of the meat and brightens the flavour. The oil carries fat-soluble flavours from herbs and spices and helps the food brown on the grill. The seasonings give the marinade its character.
A marinade does not soak deep into the food. It mostly affects the outer layer, a few millimetres in, so a thick roast marinated overnight is still plain in the centre. This is why marinades suit thin or small pieces best: chicken thighs, skewers, flank steak, sliced vegetables and fish fillets all have enough surface area for the flavour to matter.
Marinating times
Time matters more than most people expect, and longer is not better.
-
Fish and shellfish: 15 to 30 minutes. Acid starts to turn the flesh firm and chalky quickly.
-
Vegetables: 30 minutes to a couple of hours, depending on how dense they are.
-
Chicken: a few hours is plenty, especially with an acidic marinade. Yogurt-based marinades are gentler than ones heavy in citrus or vinegar.
-
Beef and lamb cuts such as flank steak: several hours, or overnight if the marinade is mild.
Leave an acidic marinade on too long and the surface turns mushy and the flavour becomes sharp. If you plan to marinate overnight, cut back the acid or use a dairy-based mix.
How a Rub Works
A rub is a mixture of spices, herbs, salt and often sugar, applied to the outside of the food. A dry rub is just the powders and dried herbs. A wet rub, sometimes called a paste, adds a little oil, mustard, honey or another liquid so the mixture clings to the food.
A rub stays on the surface, and that is where it earns its place. As the food cooks, the spices, salt and sugar form a crust, often called bark on slow-smoked meat. The crust gives you the texture and the concentrated flavour in the first bite.
Salt in a rub also seasons the meat beneath the surface. When salt sits on meat for a while, it draws out moisture, dissolves, and is reabsorbed, which seasons the meat more deeply than salt added just before cooking. That is why many cooks apply a rub well ahead of time on larger cuts.
Dry rubs versus wet rubs
Dry rubs are the standard for ribs, pork shoulder, brisket and chicken pieces. A classic mix includes paprika, black pepper, garlic powder, salt and brown sugar. Our best tender ribs recipe is a good place to see a rub put to work on a cut that suits it.
Wet rubs stick better to foods with less surface moisture and make a thicker coating. They suit chicken thighs, lamb chops and vegetables. The oil also helps the spices toast rather than scorch.
Sugar deserves a warning. It caramelises nicely at moderate heat but burns over a hot direct flame, turning bitter and black. If your rub is sugar-heavy, cook over indirect heat or lower the temperature. Our guide to direct grilling techniques covers how to manage the hot side of your grill.
When to Use a Marinade
Reach for a marinade when the food is lean, thin or mild and needs flavour that goes beyond the surface layer.
-
Chicken breasts and thighs. Breasts dry out easily, and a marinade adds flavour and a little surface moisture. Thighs are forgiving and take on strong flavours well.
-
Flank, skirt and hanger steak. These cuts are thin and lean, and a marinade complements the beefy flavour while softening the outside.
-
Kebabs. Small pieces with lots of cut surface take a marinade well, and the sauce makes the char taste better.
-
Fish and prawns. A short soak in a light marinade works, as long as you keep to the short times above.
-
Vegetables. Courgette, peppers, aubergine and mushrooms soak up oil-based marinades and brown well.
A marinade is also the better choice when you want a sauce-forward style, such as teriyaki, citrus-garlic, or yogurt and spice for lamb.
One thing a marinade does not do reliably is create a crust. The liquid on the surface has to evaporate before browning begins, so wet food can steam briefly on the grill. Lift the food out and let excess marinade drip off before it goes on, and pat it lightly if you want better sear marks.
When to Use a Rub
Use a rub when the cut is thick, fatty or slow-cooked, and when you want bark or a savoury, seasoned crust.
-
Ribs. Rub the surface well and let the smoke and slow heat do the rest.
-
Pork shoulder and brisket. Large cuts need a bold coating because the flavour has to stand up to hours of cooking and a lot of meat underneath.
-
Whole chicken and chicken pieces. A rub, including under the skin, seasons the meat, and the skin crisps over the spices.
-
Steaks and chops. A simple salt, pepper and garlic rub on a thick steak is hard to beat. For thick pork chops, a rub plus the right cooking method gives a good crust and a juicy centre, and our piece on the best cooking methods for thick pork chops covers the cooking side.
-
Roasted or grilled vegetables. A light dusting of spice and a little oil gives a toasted exterior.
Rubs also make sense when you are short on time or planning ahead. You can mix a big batch, keep it in a jar, and use it on several cuts through the season.
Using Marinades and Rubs Together
The two methods work well in combination, and the order matters. Marinate first, then lift the food out and pat it dry with paper towels, then apply the rub just before cooking. Drying the surface lets the rub stick and helps it form a crust rather than a wet paste.
Some pairings that work well:
-
Citrus marinade and a chilli-paprika rub on chicken wings.
-
Soy, ginger and garlic marinade with a sesame and black pepper rub on pork ribs or thin pork steaks.
-
Yogurt, lemon and garlic marinade with a cumin and coriander rub on lamb chops.
Keep the flavours compatible. If both layers are heavily salted, the result can be too salty, so use less salt in the rub when the marinade already contains soy sauce or brine.
Food Safety With Marinades and Rubs
A few rules keep a barbecue enjoyable for everyone.
-
Marinate in the refrigerator, not on the counter. Use a covered dish or a sealed bag.
-
Do not reuse a marinade that has touched raw meat as a sauce unless you boil it first. Better still, set aside a portion before the raw meat goes in and use that for basting or serving.
-
Use clean utensils and plates for cooked food, not the ones that held the raw meat.
-
Cook to the right internal temperature. Flavour and appearance do not tell you whether chicken or pork is done. A good thermometer does, and our guide to the best meat thermometer for grilling helps you choose one that fits how you cook.
Common Mistakes
Too much acid. A marinade that is mostly lemon juice or vinegar leaves meat mushy at the surface. A common starting balance is more oil than acid, with the acid supporting the flavour rather than leading it.
Marinating for too long. Fish needs minutes, not hours. Even chicken gains little after the first several hours.
Piling on the rub. A thick layer turns salty and bitter. A thin, even coating that you can still see the meat through is enough.
Skipping the pat-dry. Wet food struggles to brown, whether it came from a marinade or the packet.
Burning sugary rubs. If the crust is blackening before the inside is cooked, move the food to a cooler part of the grill.
Applying a rub at the last second on thick cuts. Give salty rubs time to work. For a thick steak or a large roast, apply the rub at least 30 minutes ahead, and for big cuts like pork shoulder, several hours or overnight in the refrigerator is common.
Simple Starting Recipes
These two mixes use common pantry ingredients and give you a baseline to adjust.
All-purpose marinade for chicken, fish or vegetables: olive oil, lemon juice, crushed garlic, chopped rosemary, salt and black pepper. Use roughly three parts oil to one part lemon juice.
All-purpose barbecue rub: brown sugar, paprika, cumin, chilli powder, garlic powder, black pepper and salt. Start with more paprika and sugar than anything else, then adjust the heat and saltiness to your taste.
Change one thing at a time, such as swapping paprika for smoked paprika or adding a spoonful of ground coffee to a beef rub, so you can tell what made the difference.
Quick Answers
Should I salt meat that I am marinating? Yes, either in the marinade or with a rub. Salt is what carries seasoning into the meat.
Which goes first, marinade or rub? Marinade first, then pat dry, then rub.
Can I use a rub on fish? Yes, a light rub works well on firm fish such as salmon, but keep the spice level moderate and cook it at a moderate heat.
Does a marinade tenderise meat? Only at the surface, and acid can make that surface mushy if left too long. For tough cuts, slow cooking does far more than a marinade.
Which is better for a weekend cook with limited time? A rub, since it needs as little as 30 minutes and no pre-planning. A marinade rewards a few hours of lead time.