Exactly How Long Should You Marinate Your Steaks?

It's always a big decision, whether or not to marinate your steaks. Fortunately, we can help make that decision a little easier with a quick — and easy-to-remember — explanation on what you should and shouldn't be marinating, what you're trying to do, and how long you should be marinating for. First, let's talk about exactly what marinating does, because that's important in figuring out how long the process should take.

Steak marinades add flavor, which is why Dr. Pepper and some of the most unusual meat marinades are so much fun to experiment with. But they're also used to change the texture of the meat, which can be the key to taking a tough cut of meat and turning it into a deliciously tender steak.

That's a good thing, but it's entirely possible to get too much of a good thing. Leave it too long, and you're likely to get a mushy steak instead of a tender one. Gross, right? Although there are a number of variables that impact exact times — like the type and cut of meat, and what's going into your marinade — the general rule is that four, eight, and 12 hours are some good times to aim for, but you shouldn't let meat sit in a marinade for more than 24 to 48 hours.

What happens then? And what happens if time gets away from you, and you're not going to be able to cook your steaks in that time frame you'd planned for? Here's some guidelines on how long you should marinate steaks for Let's start out by saying that this is complicated, and there's no single answer that wo.