Marinating Meat, Chicken and Fish for Tikka, Kebabs and Curries

What a marinade does

A marinade does three things: it seasons the surface of the meat, it tenderises it, and it helps it brown when it cooks. In South Asian and Middle Eastern cooking, marinades are central: chicken tikka, tandoori chicken, malai boti, shawarma and kachchi biryani all depend on them.

The building blocks

• Salt is the most important ingredient. It travels into the meat over time, seasoning it inside and helping it hold on to its juices.
• Yogurt tenderises gently. Its mild acid and enzymes soften the outside without turning it mushy, and the milk solids help it brown and char. Use thick yogurt (hang it for 30 minutes if it’s runny) so the marinade clings.
• Acid (lemon juice, vinegar) tenderises faster but can turn the surface chalky if left too long, especially with fish and chicken.
• Raw papaya paste contains an enzyme (papain) that breaks down tough meat quickly. Use it for mutton and beef, about 1 tablespoon per kilo, and no more than 2–4 hours, or the meat turns mushy.
• Ginger-garlic paste adds flavour; fresh ginger also has a mild tenderising enzyme.
• Oil, cream or cheese (in malai boti) carry flavour and keep lean meat moist.
• Spices like chilli, garam masala and turmeric add flavour and colour. They mostly stay on the surface.

Two-stage marinating

Many tikka recipes use two marinades:

1. First marinade: salt, lemon juice and ginger-garlic paste for 20–30 minutes. This seasons the meat deeply.
2. Second marinade: thick yogurt, spices and oil for the main marinating time. This builds the crust and colour.

How long?

• Fish and prawns: 15–30 minutes. Acid starts to “cook” them after that.
• Boneless chicken: 1–4 hours (overnight is fine with yogurt, not with lots of lemon).
• Chicken on the bone: 4–12 hours.
• Mutton and beef: 6–24 hours, or 2–4 hours with papaya.
• Mince (for kebabs): 1–2 hours in the fridge mainly helps it firm up and hold together.

Cutting slashes into chicken pieces lets the marinade reach further.

Food safety

• Always marinate in the fridge, never on the counter, in a covered glass, steel or food-safe plastic container (acids react with aluminium).
• Don’t reuse raw marinade as a sauce unless you boil it for several minutes first.
• Take the meat out 20–30 minutes before cooking so it cooks more evenly, but don’t leave it out longer, especially in hot weather.
• Wash your hands, board and knife after handling raw meat.

Cooking marinated meat

Shake off excess marinade before grilling, or it will steam instead of charring. Cook on high heat for colour, then lower the heat or move to a cooler part of the grill to cook through. Finish with a brush of butter and a smoky dhungar for restaurant flavour.

For tough cuts, also see our guide to making mutton and beef tender, and for grilling, Pakistani BBQ at home.