The marinade helps to add flavor and aroma to the meat. In the article we will tell you how long you need to marinate chicken.
How long to marinate chicken
Red meats, beef, pork marinate longer than chicken.
Chicken can be marinated for 2-6 hours. However, even half an hour of marinade can give a meat dish a new taste.
Marinating time depends on the part of the chicken. The drier, leaner parts marinate faster. Fattier, drumsticks, thighs require more time to marinade due to the high amount of fat.
The length of the marinade affects the intensity of flavor and aroma.
If you are using a vinegar or lemon juice marinade, marinate the bird for no more than 1 hour. The acid can soften and change the texture of the meat too much.
What happens if you leave the chicken in the marinade for a long time
The maximum time for chicken marinade is 24 hours.
With a long marinade, the meat fibers are destroyed, and the chicken turns into porridge.
An acid marinade for more than 1 hour can make the chicken tougher.
Is it safe to reuse marinade
Marinade left over from raw meat is not safe to use due to the risk of harmful bacteria.
However, E. coli or Salmonella in the marinade can be killed by boiling for 5 minutes.
However, it is best not to use the marinade left after the chicken a second time.
