A Common Marinade Mistake Is Ruining Your Meat

Using a marinade is a great way to ensure well flavored and tender meat. The effort of making a marinade is minimal and your fridge does most of the hard labor; but the results can be incredible. If you've ever eaten honey soy chicken, flavorful pork ribs, or Greek-style lamb chops, you'll know that the secret to these dishes is the marinade. It's true that they need time to flavor or tenderize meat — but don't make the common mistake of letting your meat marinate for longer than 24 hours.

Over marinating your meat is a common mistake, and is a no-go for more than one reason. After a prolonged period, the acids in your marinade will break down the meat to the point that it turns mushy. Apart from ruining the meat's texture, you also risk the flavor becoming too overpowering. From a food safety perspective, leaving your meat for days in the fridge is also not a smart idea. Raw chicken can be particularly high risk and shouldn't sit in your fridge for longer than two days.

While you shouldn't be marinating any meat for longer than 24 hours, the right length of time depends on the cut and type of protein. The general rule of thumb is that the bigger the piece of meat, the longer it will need to marinate. Extra large cuts like pork shoulder or lamb leg will need the full 24 hours. Around four to 12 hours is a good length of time for medium sized meats like a half chicken, or pork tenderloin. Smaller cuts like chicken breasts or lamb chops will only need 15 minutes to three hours. The ingredients in the marinade also matter.

Harsh acids like vinegar, lemon, or lime shouldn't be left on your meat for too long because they will start to affect the texture. If you want to keep your meat overnight worry-free, using a marinade with lactic acid (the gentlest type) from a fermented dairy product is the way to go. If you're using pineapple juice which can make a great meat marinade, be extra mindful of the time. The bromelain enzyme in pineapple breaks down meat very quickly — so try not to keep it on for longer than 15 minutes. You may have to do some experimenting to get your marinating time right, but it'll be worth the delicious and flavorful results.