A marinade can work magic… or completely ruin your meat. The difference is almost always timing.
Below are exact marinating times. No guessing, just what works.
Chicken
1–12 hours
Longer time = more tender meat, especially with yogurt or lemon-based marinades.
Pork
2–24 hours
Handles longer marinating very well.
Beef
30 minutes – 4 hours
Too much time will damage the texture.
A good steak does not need a long marinade.
Fish
15–30 minutes
Very delicate – turns soft quickly.
Most common mistake
Marinating for too long.
Acids start to “cook” the meat.
If your marinade contains lemon or vinegar, be careful.
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