Is Injecting Meat With Marinade Actually Worth It?

If you're following a meat recipe, you might come across the advice to marinate. There is some science behind marinating meat — it's key to tenderizing and infusing flavor before and during the cooking process. It's easy to figure out the "why" of marinating, but the "how" is where some get lost. For most small cuts of meat, letting them sit in a bowl or resealable bag of marinade is enough to get the job done. Bigger proteins like pork shoulder, beef brisket, and whole bird recipes such as chicken and roasted turkey might need a more intensive marinating process.

The best way to ensure hefty cuts of meat are thoroughly marinated is through the injection method. Injecting marinades is worth it because the liquid is able to reach the deepest parts of the meat that a soaking method might not reach. Soaking for bigger proteins may lead to uneven flavor, with the outside being overdone while the inside barely absorbs the marinade. Injecting the marinade into the deepest parts leads to a more even flavor. It also helps to tenderize thicker or tougher parts of the meat that a surface marinade won't reach.

Marinade injectors are just big syringes that you attach a large needle to, stick the needle into the meat after filling with marinade, and then push down the handle. It's easiest if you put your marinade in a tall glass, giving the syringe plenty of room to suction it up to the base as you pull the handle. When you go to inject the meat, stick the needle into the thickest parts to make sure the juice is really getting in there. You also want to avoid injecting near bones. A dishwasher-safe, stainless steel syringe like the JY COOKMENT Meat Injector Syringe will feel the most sturdy in your hand as you work.

Some marinades will be harder to work with than others, depending on consistency. A thick honey soy sauce glaze is going to be more challenging to suction than a thin liquid. Thin marinades like melted butter, broth, pickle juice, or apple cider vinegar-based marinades will slide in and out of the needle without resistance. An injectable marinade leaves protein tender and juicy, but it's best to let the meat rest for at least 30 minutes before cooking to let the marinade work its magic. If you're looking for a way to elevate large cuts of meat to the next level, consider using a marinade injector with your next recipe.