Here's Why You Shouldn't Waste Time Marinating Meat But Should Marinate Your Tofu

We know that, contrary to popular belief, marinades do most of their work on the surface of meat and poultry.

That’s because very few flavor compounds can make it deep into the meat, no matter how long it soaks in the marinade. Tofu is often substituted for meat and poultry in recipes, but it doesn’t behave in exactly the same way. How would it respond to marinating? We set up an experiment to find out.

Experiment
We marinated blocks of firm tofu in four different marinades—using soy sauce, red wine, yogurt, and lemon and garlic as the various bases—for 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 1 hour, and 2 hours. We then wiped off the excess marinade and baked the tofu in a 300-degree oven until hot throughout. We also baked a control block of tofu that we hadn’t marinated. We trimmed the outer 3 millimeters off each block and had 10 tasters sample the remaining tofus blind, asking them to identify the marinade for each.

Results
Tasters were relatively unsuccessful at matching the sample to the marinade at the 15-minute mark, but their results improved dramatically for the 30-minute set. All 10 tasters correctly identified the sample soaked in the soy-based marinade, and eight of the tasters did the same for tofu from the lemon-garlic marinade, while six were accurate for the red wine and yogurt marinades. Interestingly, the accuracy increased only slightly for the 1- and 2-hour batches.

Takeaway
Unlike meat and poultry, firm (and extra-firm) tofu can be thoroughly seasoned by marinades of all types due to its relatively loose structure. Meat is made up of individual muscle fibers bundled together in tight packages by connective tissue, which translates to a dense, resilient texture. The flavors in most marinades don’t get much farther than skin-deep, with a few exceptions—alliums such as garlic and glutamate-rich foods such as soy sauce, both of which have small, water-soluble molecules. By comparison, firm tofu is made of coagulated curds of soy protein pressed into block form. Marinades are able to seep between curd clumps and migrate toward the center.

That said, some marinades are more effective than others. It was easier for tasters to identify the soy and lemon-garlic marinades because the water-soluble flavor compounds in soy sauce and ­garlic are better at moving through high-moisture tofu than are the compounds found in red wine or yogurt. Considering that we often cut tofu into bite-size pieces with greater surface area (thus creating more points of entry for marinade), marinating can have a profound impact, seasoning the tofu not only at the surface but also deep inside.

ABOUT US: Located in Boston’s Seaport District in the historic Innovation and Design Building, America's Test Kitchen features 15,000 square feet of kitchen space including multiple photography and video studios. It is the home of Cook’s Illustrated magazine and Cook’s Country magazine and is the workday destination for more than 60 test cooks, editors, and cookware specialists. Our mission is to test recipes over and over again until we understand how and why they work and until we arrive at the best version.

If you like us, follow us:

[brendanleadbeater]

I was excited for this video but was left very disappointed. Where is the demonstration? Did you press the liquid out of the block first? And if so, how far in advance? What about the marinade preparations or cooking methods? This production wasn't thought out too well.

[ciw]

Thank you for your PowerPoint presentation with no pictures.

[VyvienneEaux]

When I make my signature mapo tofu recipe, I cut the tofu into cubes and boil the cubes in salt water with some MSG and granulated garlic added as additional flavorings. So far, almost everyone who has tried it comments that they are amazed at how well the flavors of the sauce have penetrated the tofu. I strongly believe that boiling the tofu in salt water for ~15 minutes and quenching in cold water primes the tofu to absorb flavors. My hypothesis is that the tofu proteins become more hydrated and better able to interface with any water-based sauce they encounter, allowing the sauce to penetrate deep into each piece.

Now I always take the trouble to boil my tofu in salt water for 15 minutes before adding it to saucy dishes.

[marystestkitchen]

Nahhh...press that tofu first, then marinate it overnight! It gets way more flavourful.

[jgmdsn]

I think it's a critical question to ask...how thick were the blocks of tofu? Guessing that tofu that's 1/4" thick will be likely flavored to the core in 15 minutes, but a block of tofu that's 2" thick will take considerably longer. Similar to a steak that's 1/8" vs 2"...need this info to make this truly useful...thx!

[yubestbetrippen]

Marinating with enzyme containing fruits or other compounds should make a big difference in changing the texture of the meat if allowed to marinate for longer though

[ethan]

Who came here from Adam Raguseas video?

[enriquereyes]

Cube and use a flavor seal for 1/2 hour.

[Indeedandtruth]

Noooo lol, this is why people hate tofu lol. 😭 The best way to marinate tofu is by pressing out excess water first, then freeze the entire block, thaw, squeeze out excess water, then marinate. LIFE CHANGING METHOD 😎

[darlenedevegan]

If you freeze the tofu first for at least 2 hours, then let it thaw in the refrigerator or microwave it, cut it into four cubes squeeze gently all the water out it becomes like a sponge. Marion age soaks up in seconds.😊

[MsInapickle]

Thanks for confirming what I’ve long maintained about marinating meat and poultry.

[nathan]

This was a helpful video. I'll be marinating my tofu in the future. However, I agree with other commenters that a more thorough explanation would have added value to this video

[eramosat]

100% agreement. Marinating meats simply does not significantly penetrate the meat...beef or chicken or pork or whatever...enough to make a significant difference The meat in the outer 3 millimeters or so may retain the flavors...but nothing else. You can prove this to yourself by carefully cutting any of your marinated meat dishes apart, and separating the outer surfaces from the inner, without exposing them to whatever sauce that's accumulated.
Then taste...I think you'll find inner portions lack any of the flavours contained in your marinades.

flavor

As for tofu. Yes...it can be thoroughly marinated throughout. It can absorb almost anything you care to throw at it

[JogBird]

ive been eating tofu my whole life and never think of it as a substitute for meat

[semco]

That is nice to know and I am not crazy about tofu, but love my meats and won't be marinading them any longer.

[YankeeBigBird]

When I make Hawaiian style Teriyaki beef I marinate up to 3 days. The thinly sliced beef soaks up the marinade and gets fat. When there's barely any pooling marinade and the beef is swollen, it's the right time for the Hibachi!

[sdushdiu]

What began as an interesting concept has quickly devolved into vapid click bait devoid of any practical value.

[kevinhullinger]

I believe your correct. 😉 from the post I’m reading seems people either negative or confused. I would suggest explaining the differences, hows and whys between a marinate, brine and marinate injection.

[calebash]

This video didn't explain anything

[idnwiw]

What about the acid component of a marinate reacting with the meat? Isn't that what takes the longest time?