Chicken is one of the most popular meats to marinate. In terms of the actual process, it’s always important to take note of what herbs and spices you use. However, people often underestimate the time factor involved, and time does play a crucial role here.
All of which begs the question: How long can you marinate chicken? The answer isn’t as simple you may expect.
Can You Marinate Chicken for Too Long?
Yes, you can. If you use various spicy sauces that aren’t too citrusy and salty, they won’t penetrate the meat for days. However, salt and acids will penetrate the chicken and affect the taste. When we’re talking about salt, we don’t just mean table salt – but everything from sea salt to soy sauce. Yes, although soy sauce doesn’t look like your typical salt, its main purpose is seasoning foods, which is why marinating chicken in soy sauce for too long may lead to overwhelming salt absorption.
When it comes to acids, everything from natural citruses to vinegar can completely change the texture of chicken. Leave it to soak for too long, and the texture will turn all mushy. Of course, there are recipes that call for this, but don’t leave chicken to marinate in acids for too long for your barbecue.
Other types of spices and sauces won’t change the taste and texture of the chicken. This means that even if you marinate it for days, you’ll be able to wash the taste off with plain water. Do note that the smell might linger, though.
What Happens If You Marinate Chicken for Too Long?
As we just mentioned, there are three main effects that marinating can have on chicken.
The first is the meat becoming salty. If the marinade is exceptionally salty, the meal may even become inedible. On the other hand, if you plan on marinating the meat in a concoction that isn’t overly salty, you can do so for a couple of days.
Acids such as citrus and vinegar might influence the taste of chicken, but, for the most part, they’ll completely change the texture of the meat. The best way to go is to avoid using vinegar for your marinades. Stick with lemon juice, for example – it’s sharp enough, but doesn’t have that artificial taste.
Finally, other sauces can actually have a long-lasting effect on the meat. Still, these sauces (that aren’t overly salty or citrusy) will easily wash off. Again, beware of ingredients with particularly strong smells. For example, the smell of garlic will linger on the meat surface, even if you wash the marinade off.
You Can’t Do Anything in 15 Minutes
If you’re preparing a meal that needs to be ready for cooking in 15 minutes or half an hour, it might be best to give up. Instead of waiting for 15 minutes, just prepare the meat and then add the marinade on top. It’s not going to taste too good, and the marinade definitely won’t be absorbed, but at least you won’t waste 15 minutes of your time.
If you’re planning on marinating any type of meat, even chicken, factor in a wait of at least two hours.
So, can you only eat marinated chicken every other day, then? Well, no, you can technically eat it every day. All you need to do is put tomorrow’s chicken in the marinade that you’ve made today and prepare the chicken that you’ve been marinating since yesterday.
24 Hours Is Usually Enough
As a rule of thumb, 24 hours is more than enough when it comes to marinating chicken. In fact, if you’re working with small chicken pieces, you should let them soak for no more than 12 hours. Some recipes, however, require no more than 3 hours of marinating.
This all depends on the recipe and the marinade. For instance, if you fill a bowl up with a vinegar-based marinade and soak the chicken meat for 24 hours, you’ll end up with a mushy, sour mess. However, adding water to the concoction gives you more room, time-wise.
But why would you prolong the marinating process?
Timing the Marinade
Let’s say that you have the time to soak the chicken meat right now. But you’re going out later and won’t be home for at least eight hours. What do you do? Well, add some water to the concoction, and you’ll have successfully prolonged the process. The end result may not come out exactly the way you wanted it to, but it’s still going to make for a nice meal.
Then, there’s an option to speed up the process. As mentioned earlier, the smaller the poultry chunks, the faster they marinate. So, if you forgot to let the chicken marinate yesterday and you really don’t want to add more spices to the marinade itself, chop the meat into little pieces, and they just might be done in time for lunch.
Of course, marinades are different across various recipes. Some require long soaks, while others are done in a few hours. You can time the marinade in this way, as well. Just find a recipe that fits your timetable.
Types of Marinade
If you’re particularly keen, you can create your own recipes that feature various different forms of marinade. How to do it? Well, experiment. Think about the chicken flavor and what best complements it.
That said, most marinades can be sorted into one of three categories.
The first category is acidic marinades. They’re based on apple juice, vinegar, or wine — essentially, acidic ingredients. The acids inside these ingredients denature and attack the proteins, which causes them to mesh. They also trap moisture inside the meat. This is why acidic marinades can leave the chicken meat with a somewhat mushy texture. In some instances, this can be too much. In other recipes, though, the mushiness is the whole thing.
Enzymatic marinades are another marinade type that aren’t so citrusy. It can be acidic to an extent, but mostly it aims at a sweet, savory taste. We’re talking ingredients such as guava, pineapple, ginger, and so on. Enzymatic marinades break down the muscle fiber and the connective tissue, making the meat more tender and softer.
The third option is less popular in Western countries but common in the Middle East. These are mostly yogurt-based marinades, and they are, in part, acidic. Still, the lactic acid is much gentler than the nondairy acids. This means that you’ll get a milder, yet very specific taste.
Safety
Although marinating may not seem like a risky business, there is a reason why the USDA has set the marinating safety limit to two days inside the refrigerator. Go past this and/or leave it at room temperature, and you’re going to want to avoid preparing the meal, let alone eating it.
Still, who lets meat marinade for two days or more? Not likely to happen. But many would be tempted to reuse the marinade for another meal. Well, this isn’t the best idea, either. Unused marinade that was in contact with chicken meat should be discarded. Why? The more you let the chicken soak in the marinade, the more bacteria from the chicken will find its way to the marinade itself. Use it again in a couple of days, and you’ll essentially be marinating your next meal in a rich pool of bacteria.
You should also make sure that the container that you use for marinating is properly sealed. Otherwise, the bacteria may find its way to other products inside your fridge. Reusable plastic containers, resealable bags, as well as glass containers are all good, as long as you can tightly close them.
Oh, and avoid marinating in aluminum containers. Acids may react with aluminum and negatively affect the chicken meat flavor.
If you don’t follow these safety guidelines, you may end up contracting a bacteria-borne disease, which can be very dangerous.
Some Marinade Examples
To finish things off, let’s list some cool marinade options that everyone can enjoy. Although you can combine the dressings and spices in infinite ways, here are some of the most popular marinades that you may have even heard of before:
- Jerk
- Teriyaki
- Red wine
- Lemon pepper
- Provencal herb
- Carne asada
- Apple juice
Naturally, these are just some of the awesome marinade ideas to look for. Once you start venturing deep into the rabbit hole, you might just end up a real chef!
Marinating Chicken
Don’t overdo it with chicken marinating, but don’t plan on marinating for a mere 15 minutes, either. Marinating is a delicate process; do it for too long, and you’ll ruin the taste altogether. So, be prepared to set the timer every time you marinate chicken. Make sure that you’re playing it safe, as well. Marinate only inside the fridge and get rid of the marinade once you’re done with it.
Start exploring the world of marinades with the ideas outlined above, and don’t be afraid of experimenting and getting creative. After all, that’s what cooking is all about.