SaveComments I wrote recently about how
Italian dressing is incredibly effective at marinating chicken — it’s something I learned from my mom when I was growing up. In that story, I also casually mentioned that my mom “kept her chicken marinating in the fridge all week,” in a bag that lived in the bottom of our fridge. She did it with the best of intentions; it was essentially her early version of
meal prep. If we were lucky, we’d have eaten through those chicken breasts by Wednesday. By Thursday or Friday they were unappetizing — even grilled or made in a slow cooker. And mom did everything she could to make them edible (my thrifty-by-need mom was not about to waste chicken). But by Friday, after a week swimming in marinade, the chicken was just no good. If you’re
prepping out your week and considering marinating chicken, you might be in the same boat. In theory, if chicken marinated overnight tastes better than it does after only an hour, then it should taste amazing after three days, right? Nope. You will end up with a squishy, mucky mess. It will taste like eating a sponge. Here’s what happens when you over-marinate, and how long you should actually let it sit for. Basic marinades are a combination of rich oil, salt, sugar, and a tangy acid. Lemon juice, vinegar, and yogurt are the most common acids, and they help tenderize and flavor the chicken as it sits. Tenderizing meat is great! It breaks down tougher muscle fiber and can make what would be a chewy piece of protein melt-in-the-mouth tender. But when that goes on too long, it becomes
essentially melted-outside-the-mouth: The meat turns mushy. There’s a food-safety reason to avoid letting meat over-marinate as well: According to Federal Food Safety guidelines, raw chicken should only be stored in the refrigerator for one to two days (pork and beef are safe a little longer). After this, dangerous amounts of bacteria can grow, and you risk getting sick. This is
especially true when the meat is in contact with a bunch of other ingredients from all over the place (like in a marinade). Long story short, you shouldn’t marinate meat for longer than 24 hours — less if you are marinating small pieces. I’ve personally found 12 hours to be the sweet spot, but you can also go shorter — as little as a three to four hours will do a lot. Certain factors will impact how long it takes a particular marinade to flavor (or, if
left too long, deteriorate) chicken — the most salient being acid. Keep the 24-hour marinade window in mind for all meats, including pork tenderloin, flank steaks, and especially tender seafood like shrimp and salmon. So what can a meal prep-minded person do, other than restricting all their meat-eating to Monday or Tuesday? There are options: Make your marinade during meal prep and then add in the meat the night
before you plan to cook it. For a longer-term solution, toss chicken in a marinade and freeze it immediately. This stops the marinating process until you thaw it. Lastly — and this move can be used when your meal plan changes, and you can’t cook something you’ve been marinating right away — remove the meat from its marinade and rinse it. You’ll still need to season it before
cooking but you’ll save it from becoming inedibly mushy, and that’s something! Quick favor: Will someone else please send this to my mom? An easier way to make a chicken sparkle is by using a marinade. But how long can chicken marinate in the fridge before it goes bad? If you’re like me, I used to marinate chicken or meat for a long time, thinking that they would turn more flavorful and juicy after extended marination. I was wrong!
The truth is, it is best to marinate poultry or meat within 2 hours up to 24 hours in the refrigerator. This timeline depends on what marinades you use, as various marinades call for different durations.
Sure, most of us don’t have the luxury of time on our side to cook, what more in marinating the meat, especially the chicken.
Types of marinadesThere are two types of marinades.
There are three known essential components of a typical marinade.
These ingredients combined aid and transform the taste and texture of the protein in various ways. The acid breaks down the meat, absorbing more flavor while maintaining its natural juices. The oil (like olive oil) has the unique ability to help pull the fat-soluble flavors out of some ingredients that help seep through the meat and prohibit more moisture loss when cooking, while the spices and herbs introduce robust flavors. What is a marinade?A marinade is a liquid mixture that is essential if you want to inject more flavor into your meat or protein while making them more tender by beginning the breakdown process of cooking.
1 Acidic marinadesThis marinade uses natural, mild, occurring acids from certain liquids that help to denature the proteins in the chicken that usually traps the moisture. Ingredients like vinegar, buttermilk, yogurt, apple juice, and wine are examples of acidic liquids for marinades. Acidic Marinades2 Enzymatic marinadesFruits like papaya, pineapple, ginger, kiwi are the best examples of enzymatic marinades that help tenderize the protein inside and out while breaking down the muscle fiber and connective tissues. Enzymatic marinades3 Third option: Dairy-based marinadesIn Middle Eastern cuisine, yogurt is notably the typical base for marinades. Though they are actually acidic in nature, the lactic acid present in yogurt interacts so mildly compared to other non-dairy acidic marinades. Learn how marinades workMarinades serve two purposes:
You can read my exhaustive post here on how to tenderize tough meat. Marination requires contactDuring the marination process, meat must directly contact the liquid for the chemical reaction to occur. This means saturating meat or protein in marinades will only permeate or pass through the surface, particularly in large cuts of meat.
Hence the cuts that benefit most from tenderizing marinades are the flat ones, especially if you place them in a Ziplock bag with the air squeezed out. Few tips before you get started:
How long can you marinate chicken thighs?Again, based on my experience. You should marinate chicken thighs overnight or less inside the refrigerator.
Chicken thighs are a pretty small piece of meat either purchased with bones or without bones and are far more tender than chicken breast. This is the main reason you should not marinate chicken thighs for a longer time frame.
How long can you marinate chicken breasts?The chicken breast is the most effortless part of working with when it comes to marinating—considering that the meat is not as tender compared to other chicken pieces. Therefore it is less inclined to degrade or fall apart. My advice is to take precautions on what kind of marinade to use, especially with the acidic base, as it can affect the chicken’s texture if marinated for too long. But to sum it up, you can marinate chicken breasts for up to 24 hours inside the refrigerator. However, marinating them for at least 2 hours is good enough to get that incredible flavors. How Long Can I Marinate Chicken BreastsNote that using acidic marinade like vinegar, lemon juice, or even Italian dressing has a timeline of 2 to 12 hours. It cannot be longer than that. Otherwise, the more you let it soak, the more tender your chicken could get. However, if you use dairy-based marinades like buttermilk or yogurt, the chicken breast will take a bit longer to penetrate the flavors. Therefore, you can marinate overnight or for up to 24 hours. How long can you marinate chicken tenderloins?I love chicken tenderloins; they are thin and small, although they are much alike with the chicken breast, there’s no need for extended marination. Marinate chicken tenders for at least 30 minutes or up to 12 hours. Don’t overdo it, as the chicken will turn into mushy textures. In theory, 2 hours is the perfect timeline for getting those flavors to penetrate the chicken tenders, hence helping them moist and juicy. How long can I marinate chicken drumsticks?Who doesn’t love chicken drumsticks? They are one of our favorites because they are dark meat such as chicken thighs. Besides, they have great flavor naturally, and most of all, they are an effortless and inexpensive cut of meat to cook. Chicken drumsticks don’t need that long marination as well. You can marinate them in 2 hours, and you’ll get the tastiest drums you’ll ever have. When it comes to drumsticks, less is more; therefore, exceeding 12 hours of marinating could break down the meat fibers, causing them to become mushy. How long can I marinate chicken wings?Chicken wings are not simply party food; they are an excellent appetizer that’s super easy to make and often a crowd-pleaser.
Recipe for Chicken Wing marinade:Ingredients
Instructions
To BakeBake at 400°F until they reach an internal temperature of 165°F, about 40 minutes, flipping them halfway through. To Grill:
Difference Between a Marinade and a BrineWhen we talk about brine and marinades, each serves its own purpose— marinades inject robust flavors while brine helps with the moisture. Lean cuts of meat like poultry breast, tough cuts of beef, pork, turkey cuts usually benefit from brining, while marinades are perfect for proteins with fat content. You can read my complete guide here: Difference between brine and marinade When brining, you immerse the meat or protein in a saline solution of salt, sugar, and water. Doing this process improves its texture and moisture content that aid in keeping the liquid juices when cooking. On the other hand, marinades are a mixture of liquid solutions either using an acidic (like vinegar, citrus, and wine) or enzymatic base (like pineapple, kiwi, and papaya). The acids from marinades break up the structure of the proteins fiber, while the meat will absorb a lot of flavors. Marinades serve their purpose, especially for the smaller cuts and tender pieces like chicken, steaks, and pork. Don’t try soaking the proteins for an extended time, as it can result in a tough or mushy texture. Handling chicken the safe wayProper handling and storage are essential to ensure safety when working with chickens. Salmonella is one of the causes of foodborne illness, and these harmful bacteria are occasionally found on the chicken. Follow these guidelines on how to handle the chicken properly1 Cleanliness:
Read: How to Separate Frozen Chicken 2 Handling:
3 Cooking Safety
Does liquid in the package mean bad quality?
How do you know if the chicken is of good quality?The first thing to look for is if the chicken has a pinkish color. Double-check if there exist some bruising or tears in the skin, as this can influence the quality and freshness of the poultry. Remember, poultry should look plump, and when you poke or pinch it, there will be some resilience that quickly revives its normal shape after a few seconds. Is it safe to cook smelly chicken?In case you notice that your chicken has a foul smell or feels slimy and has a change of color, these are the indications that your chicken has gone bad. Ensure to bin the chicken right away, mainly if it’s past expiration and has been stored in the fridge for four days, which means if you feel skeptical about its overall quality, you better throw it away. Properly dispose of chicken by putting it in a plastic bag and sealing it to avoid contamination and offensive odor. Is it OK to marinate chicken for 3 days?Most recipes for marinating meat and poultry recommend six hours up to 24 hours. It is safe to keep the food in the marinade longer, but after two days it is possible that the marinade can start to break down the fibers of the meat, causing it to become mushy.
How long can you keep marinated chicken in fridge?How long can I store Chicken and use it at its top quality? For how long can I keep marinated chicken in the fridge? Marinated chicken can be kept in the fridge for 2 days; after that, any uncooked marinade should be discarded.
Is raw chicken OK in the fridge for 7 days?No need to stash it in the freezer — it's OK to store raw chicken (whole or in pieces) for 1–2 days in the fridge.
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