How long should I marinade a steak?

Question

I bought a steak marinade and it says let it marinade for 15 minutes. With marinading I'd assume the longer the better..is this true? Would I get a better flavor if I marinaded over night, or a few hours before?

Answer 1

Depends on the ingredients in the steak marinade you bought. If it contains any type of acid, mostly some sort of vinegar, or citric acid (lime, lemon, etc.) its best to not marinate it any longer than the instructions say. The acid will start to break down your steak and will make it mushy, definitely not good eats. However, if your steak marinade doesn't contain any acid, then feel free to marinate it as long as you like. Most of the time, overnight is best, but you should determine what is practical depending on the marinade itself. If it is some sort of basic steak marinade, then I wouldn't expect too much flavor if you let it marinate longer than needed. If on the otherhand, you have some sort of exotic flavored type marinade, then I would say marinate it longer to better absorb the flavor, so that you can actually taste it.

Answer 2

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RE:
How long should I marinade a steak?
I bought a steak marinade and it says let it marinade for 15 minutes. With marinading I'd assume the longer the better..is this true? Would I get a better flavor if I marinaded over night, or a few hours before?

Answer 3

Pre-packaged marinades usually contain some type of meat tenderizer. This will break down the proteins in your meat if you use it significantly longer than the directions call for, resulting in a lesser quality flavor and texture.

If you are making your own marinade, using an oil (1 part), an acid (citrus juice or vinegar; 1 part), herbs and spices (italian salad dressing for example) marinade at least 2 hours up to 12 hours in the refrigerator. The acid will tenderize the meat, but not to the extent a prepared meat tenderizer will.

So... the idea of the longer the better is true, unless you are using a prepared marinade that is designed to be used for a short amount of time.

Answer 4

It's true, the longer the better. Marinades like that just mean that after 15 minutes you'll get the flavor, because they know people are usually looking to rush cooking. If you poke some holes in the steak, and pour the marinade in an air tight sealed container in the fridge, leave it there all day- even overnight- and then you'll get a much stronger flavor and of course it tenderizes the meat.

Answer 5

At least 15-30 minutes. I have a tendency to marinade for several hours, depending on the marinade. Liquids I marinade longer, rubs I let it go for about 30 after rubbing it in, then throw the steak or chicken on the grill.

Answer 6

Those store-bought bottled marinades are made to marinade fast. If you leave it overnight in that stuff, you will end up with a flavorful steak, but it will be robbed of it's texture. If you want to do overnight, put a little seasoned salt, garlic powder, and black pepper on your steak, put a little worchestershire sauce on it, put it in a ziploc bag, and refrigerate. AS for the store-bought marinades, I would follow label directions.

Answer 7

Use a non-reactive dish, meaning no aluminum, for marinating or use a heavy-duty plastic zippered storage bag. It is generally okay to marinade foods at room temperature but only for an hour or two. Any longer and the food should be put into the refrigerator.


Marinating times vary depending on the food and the ingredients. Except for very tender cuts, meat can stay in a marinade for up to two days. The acid that serves to tenderize a tougher cut will cause an already tender piece of meat to become mushy. That same acid will "cook" fish and seafood so marinade times are reduced to between 30 minutes and two hours. This is the basic timing for vegetables to marinade as well. A happy medium of 24 hours is a good maximum for poultry.


Tricks and Tips


To help a marinade penetrate meats, prick the surface deeply with a fork before adding the liquids.


If you are in a hurry, cut foods into smaller pieces.


Sugars in your marinade may burn as you cook the food so watch carefully.


Mince or grate seasonings, such as onion, garlic or ginger, for maximum flavor release.


If it isn't completely immersed, turn the marinating food so that both sides have the opportunity of absorb the flavors.

Answer 8

How Long To Marinate Steak

Answer 9

Most marinades call for either 8 hours or overnight. but if it says all you need is 15 minutes than I would follow the directions.

Answer 10

i usually try to marinade overnight. but have done it for a couple of hrs too. tho overnight does provide a stronger/better taste. depending on what u marinade with depends on how long u marinade and how strong the taste is.