Marinating

How far a marinade gets

Meat is mostly water and mostly cells, and a marinade is mostly large molecules that cannot cross membranes easily. Measured, marinades penetrate a few millimetres over many hours — the flavour is on and just under the surface, not through the middle.

Salt is the exception. Salt ions are small and they diffuse readily, so a salty marinade genuinely seasons the interior and does the same job a brine does: dissolving some of the muscle protein so it holds on to more water during cooking. That is the mechanism behind most of what people credit marinades with.

The practical version: if a marinade works, it is usually the salt doing it.

The components, and what each really does

Salt

Penetrates, seasons, and improves moisture retention. The one component that reliably does something inside the meat.

Acid — lemon, vinegar, wine

Denatures protein at the surface. In small amounts it firms and flavours; left too long it turns the outer layer chalky and mushy. It does not tenderise the interior.

Oil

Carries fat-soluble flavours, stops sticking, and helps conduct heat. Does not penetrate.

Sugar and honey

Aid browning, and burn if the heat is high. Great for a glaze, risky over direct flame.

Yoghurt and buttermilk

Mildly acidic and full of calcium, which is thought to activate enzymes in the meat. Gentler than a straight acid, and the coating protects the surface. This is why tandoori works.

Enzymes — pineapple, papaya, kiwi, fresh ginger

Genuinely break down protein, and aggressively. Half an hour is often too long; they turn the surface to paste.

How long

Longer is not better, and for acidic marinades it is actively worse.

• Fish and seafood — 15 to 30 minutes. Acid begins cooking the surface (that is ceviche) and the texture goes chalky.
• Chicken pieces — 2 to 12 hours in a yoghurt or salt-based marinade; under an hour if it is strongly acidic.
• Pork and beef — 4 to 24 hours. Denser, so they tolerate longer.
• Vegetables and halloumi — 30 minutes to a few hours. They absorb surface flavour quickly.
• Enzymatic marinades — 30 minutes at most. Then wash it off.
• A dry brine — overnight, uncovered in the fridge. Often better than any wet marinade: it seasons properly and leaves a dry surface that browns.

Practical rules

• Pat it dry before cooking. A wet surface will not brown, and the marinade you carefully made will steam rather than caramelise.
• Never reuse a marinade that has held raw meat without boiling it thoroughly first.
• Score thick pieces to give the marinade more surface, which is more effective than more time.
• Marinate in a bag or a shallow dish, so the liquid is in contact with everything rather than pooling at the bottom.
• Reserve some marinade before it touches the meat if you want it as a sauce.
• Salt separately if the marinade is not salty. It is the part that does the work.

Common questions