marinade

cooking

Also known as: marinating

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Last updated

June 30, 2026

Quick Summary

Marinating is a cooking technique where food, such as meat, fish, or vegetables, is soaked in a savory, often acidic sauce. This process serves to enrich the food's flavor and tenderize it before cooking. The term originates from the French word "mariner," meaning "to pickle" or "to marinate".12

The marinade itself is the sauce used in this process. The verb "marinate" can also refer to coating or covering food with herbs and spices before cooking or serving. The act of marinating is considered a step that enhances both flavor and tenderness, especially for leaner cuts of meat.231

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frozen meal
Marinating
…develop desirable sensory attributes, a marinade is often helpful. Typical marinades contain salt, vinegar, lemon juice, spices, citric acid, and oil. Tenderization of meats is particularly enhanced by marinades that contain proteolytic enzymes—that is, enzymes that help to break down proteins. Meats are simply soaked in the marinade, or they…
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…develop desirable sensory attributes, a marinade is often helpful. Typical marinades contain salt, vinegar, lemon juice, spices, citric acid, and oil. Tenderization of meats is particularly enhanced by marinades that contain proteolytic enzymes—that is, enzymes that help to break down proteins. Meats are simply soaked in the marinade, or they…
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