How you store leftover marinade depends on one question: has it touched raw meat, poultry or seafood? Unused marinade keeps in a sealed container in the fridge for up to about a week. Marinade that has held raw meat must be boiled for at least 1 minute before reuse, or thrown away. Never store it at room temperature.
Raw meat leaves bacteria in the liquid, and the acid, salt and oil in a marinade do not kill them. Use the rules below to keep marinade safe.
Unused Marinade (Never Touched Raw Meat)
Marinade you mixed but did not use is just a sauce or dressing.
- Container: a clean glass jar or food-safe plastic container with a tight lid.
- Fridge life: about 1 week for oil-and-acid marinades. Use marinades containing fresh garlic, fresh herbs, dairy (yogurt or buttermilk) or fresh fruit within 3 to 4 days.
- Freezer: up to 3 months. Freeze it in ice-cube trays or flat zip-top bags so you can thaw only what you need.
Store garlic- or herb-infused oil marinades in the fridge only. Garlic in oil kept at room temperature is a known botulism risk.
Marinade That Held Raw Meat, Poultry or Fish
Treat this liquid as raw meat juice. You have two safe choices:
- Discard it. This is the simplest option, and the safest.
- Boil it first. Bring it to a full rolling boil and keep it boiling for at least 1 minute. After that it can be used as a sauce or glaze straight away. Refrigerate any left over within 2 hours and use it within 1 to 2 days.
Do not store used marinade raw with the plan to boil it later, and do not reuse it raw for another batch of meat.
The Better Habit: Set Some Aside First
If you want marinade for basting or as a dipping sauce, pour off a portion into a separate container before it touches the raw meat. That portion counts as unused marinade and follows the 1-week rule. Use a clean brush for basting cooked food.
Marinating Safely in the First Place
- Always marinate in the refrigerator, never on the counter.
- Use glass, ceramic, food-safe plastic or stainless steel. Acidic marinades react with aluminium.
- Poultry and cubed meat usually marinate for up to 2 days. Seafood needs only 15 minutes to 1 hour, because acid starts to “cook” it.
- Keep the marinating container covered and on a low shelf so juices cannot drip onto other foods.
How to Tell a Marinade Has Gone Off
Throw it out if you see mould, bubbling or fizzing, or cloudiness in a formerly clear marinade, or if it smells sour or yeasty in a way it did not before. When in doubt, throw it out: a new batch costs little compared with food poisoning.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can I freeze meat in its marinade? Yes. Freeze the raw meat and marinade together in a sealed bag, then thaw it in the fridge and cook it. Discard the marinade afterwards, or boil it as above.
- Does the vinegar or lemon juice make used marinade safe? No. Acid slows bacterial growth, but it does not make raw-meat marinade safe to reuse without boiling.
- How long can marinade sit out? No more than 2 hours at room temperature, or 1 hour above 90°F, and only while you are serving it.
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