Chicken – Does a long marinade time matter for chicken, shrimp, etc

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I have no doubt that a long marinade makes a difference for coarsely striated meats like beef, pork, lamb and some fish. But I've got my doubts that marinating, say, chicken or (peeled) shrimp for several hours makes any substantial improvement over a brief marinating of 15 minutes or so. It doesn't seem to me that the marinade penetrates the meat deeply and rather simply coats it. If you use a dark marinade you can see this with beef, pork and lamb. The longer you marinate, the deeper you can see it penetrate. But not so with chicken and shrimp. I see no evidence a long marinade makes any difference.

Am I wrong?

Best Answer

No marinade penetrates very deeply in unless:

  • The marinade is quite salty, as the salt can diffuse past cell membranes into the meat
  • The marinade contains an active enzyme or acidic component which will denature the meat over time, allowing deeper penetration

Marination is by its very nature a surface treatment, although one that can add considerable flavor.

Kenji Alt at Serious Eats says (in regards to flank steak):

In reality, a marinade is mostly a surface treatment, and not much benefit lies in marinating for more than half a day or so. If you'd like the flavor of the marinade to completely coat your meat, your best bet is to reserve some marinade and simply toss your meat with it after it has been cooked and sliced.

I am more partial to the dry rub or wet rub myself.

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