For years, chefs and home cooks alike have sworn by one humble, $1 grocery item to turn tough cuts of meat into incredibly tender, juicy, restaurant-quality dishes—and it’s likely already in your pantry.
It’s not a fancy marinade, a pricey meat mallet, or a slow cooker.
It’s baking soda.
Yes—sodium bicarbonate, the same stuff you use to bake cookies or deodorize your fridge, is a game-changing meat tenderizer used in Chinese stir-fries, American steakhouses, and home kitchens worldwide. And it works in as little as 15–20 minutes.
Let’s uncover the science, the method, and how to use it without tasting a hint of “soapy” flavor.
🔬 How Baking Soda Tenderizes Meat (The Science)
Meat toughness comes from tight muscle fibers and connective tissue. Baking soda (a mild alkali) works by:
- Raising the pH on the meat’s surface
- Loosening protein structure, so fibers absorb more moisture
- Preventing proteins from binding too tightly during cooking → less squeeze-out of juices
The result? Meat that stays tender, even when quickly seared or stir-fried—perfect for budget cuts like flank steak, chicken breast, or pork chops.
🌟 Fun fact: This technique, called “velveting,” is a cornerstone of Chinese cooking—where baking soda (or egg white + cornstarch) gives stir-fries that silky, melt-in-your-mouth texture.
✅ How to Use Baking Soda to Tenderize Meat (Step-by-Step)
For 1 lb (450g) of meat:
