Big Banana Pepper Flavor in Every Spoonful
This marinade uses both mild pickled banana peppers and their brine, so the distinctive tangy flavor runs through the entire mixture. The peppers add body and flavor, while the brine supplies the acidity and seasoning that form the base of the marinade.
Garlic, Dijon mustard, honey, seasonings, and extra-virgin olive oil turn the peppers and brine into a smooth, flavorful marinade that clings beautifully to meat and vegetables. It is bold enough for steak but versatile enough for chicken, pork, pasta salad, green salads, grain bowls, and more.
Choosing Pickled Banana Peppers
This recipe was developed and tested with mild pickled banana peppers, but hot banana peppers can be used if you prefer more heat.
When buying pickled banana peppers, read the ingredient list and look for a brand made without added citric acid. The vinegar in the brine already provides acidity, so citric acid is not necessary to make a flavorful jar of pickled peppers.
Use both the peppers and the brine from the same jar. This ensures that the flavors and heat level of the brine match the peppers.
Why Use Both the Peppers and the Brine?
The banana peppers and their brine each serve a different purpose.
The peppers give the marinade its distinctive banana pepper flavor and create a little body when blended. The brine provides acidity, salt, and the seasonings used to pickle the peppers. Using both creates a fuller, more balanced marinade than using the brine alone.
Pickling brines can vary considerably in saltiness. Taste the brine before adding any additional salt to the marinade. In most cases, the brine provides all the salt the recipe needs.
If the jar contains a large amount of mustard seeds, peppercorns, or other whole pickling spices, pour the brine through a fine-mesh strainer before measuring it. A few spices are fine, but a large quantity may overpower the banana pepper flavor or affect the texture of the finished marinade.
Building a Balanced Marinade
A flavorful marinade needs balance. The banana peppers and brine provide tanginess, while garlic, Dijon mustard, oregano, onion powder, paprika, and black pepper add savory depth.
A small amount of honey balances the sharpness of the brine without making the marinade noticeably sweet. It also helps the surface of the meat brown during cooking.
Extra-virgin olive oil rounds out the acidity, carries the seasonings across the food, and helps the marinade cling instead of immediately running off.
More Than a Meat Marinade
Although this marinade is delicious with steak, it can also be used with chicken, pork, and vegetables. Allow chicken or pork to marinate for four to eight hours. Vegetables generally need only 30 to 60 minutes.
It also works as a ready-made dressing for pasta salad. Because the banana peppers are blended into the dressing, their flavor is distributed throughout the entire dish instead of appearing in only an occasional bite.
Use it as a dressing for green salads, grain bowls, cold rice salads, potato salad, or coleslaw. For a milder vinaigrette, blend or whisk in a little additional extra-virgin olive oil.
It can also be drizzled over sandwiches, wraps, roasted potatoes, grilled vegetables, or sliced cooked meat. If you want to use some as a dressing or finishing sauce, set that portion aside before the remaining marinade comes into contact with raw meat.
Pickled Banana Pepper Marinade
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup pickled banana peppers
- 1/2 cup banana pepper brine, strained
- 2 cloves garlic smashed
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp sweet paprika
- 1/2 tsp freshed cracked pepper
- 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper, optional
- 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
- If the banana pepper brine contains a large amount of mustard seeds, peppercorns, or other pickling spices, pour it through a fine-mesh strainer before measuring. A few spices are fine, but straining out an excessive amount prevents them from overpowering the finished marinade.Add the banana peppers, strained brine, garlic, Dijon mustard, honey, oregano, onion powder, sweet paprika, black pepper, and crushed red pepper to a tall blending cup or wide-mouth mason jar if using an immersion blender. You can also prepare the marinade in a countertop blender or food processor.Blend the ingredients without the olive oil until the banana peppers and garlic are finely processed and the mixture is nearly smooth.With the blender or food processor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil. When using an immersion blender, pour the oil slowly down the inside of the blending cup or jar while keeping the motor running. Continue blending until the oil is fully incorporated and the marinade looks creamy and emulsified.To use as a marinade, place the meat in a shallow dish or resealable bag and add enough marinade to coat it thoroughly. Turn the meat to distribute the marinade evenly, then cover and refrigerate for the recommended amount of time.Remove the meat from the marinade and allow the excess to drip off. Pat the surface lightly with a paper towel before cooking to promote browning and prevent the meat from steaming. Discard any marinade that has come into contact with raw meat.
Recommended marinating times:
- For steak, marinate for 2–4 hours.For chicken, marinate for 4–8 hours.For pork, marinate for 4–8 hours.For vegetables, marinate for 30–60 minutes.
Other Ways to Use It
- Use it as a dressing for pasta salad.Serve it as a bold dressing for a green salad. For a milder salad dressing, blend or whisk in additional olive oil to taste.Toss it with grilled or roasted vegetables.Use it to dress a grain bowl or cold rice salad.Drizzle it over sandwiches, wraps, grilled meats, or roasted potatoes.Use it as a tangy dressing for potato salad or coleslaw.
Storage
- Store unused marinade that has not come into contact with raw meat in a clean, airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2–3 weeks. Shake or stir well before using, as some separation is natural.Always discard marinade that has been in contact with raw meat.
Notes
- Use mild or hot pickled banana peppers depending on your preferred level of heat. This recipe was developed and tested with mild banana peppers. For the best flavor, use the peppers and brine from the same jar.