How much marinade do I need per pound of meat?

A practical starting point is about 1/2 cup marinade per pound, or roughly 300-500 ml per kilogram depending on the food and container.

Can I marinate at room temperature?

No. Meat, poultry and seafood should marinate in the refrigerator at 40°F / 4°C or below.

Can I reuse marinade as a sauce?

Only if it is boiled first after contact with raw meat, poultry or seafood. Safer practice is to reserve a clean portion before adding raw food.

Marinade Calculator

Calculate marinade amounts for pork, beef, chicken, fish, lamb or vegetables using preset recipes or custom acid, oil, base and salt ratios.

Marinade Calculator

Food

Food weight, kg

Reference for pork: 400 mL marinade per kg.

Marinade type

Marinade needed

800 mL

Marinating time

4-12 hr

Marinade ingredients

1. Vinegar 9%120 mL

2. Water360 mL

3. Neutral oil80 mL

4. Onion500 g

5. Salt32 g

6. Black pepper8 g

7. Bay leaf8 pcs

Do not over-marinate with vinegar; long acid exposure can make meat mushy.

Marinate in the refrigerator at 40°F / 4°C or below. Use a nonreactive container, and do not reuse raw-meat marinade as a sauce unless it is boiled first.

Calculate marinade by food weight

Marinade intent is about quantity and timing: how much liquid to make, how much acid and oil to include, and how long to keep food refrigerated before cooking.

V_{ma r ina d e} = M_{f oo d} \cdot R_{m l / k g}

Vmarinade - marinade volume, Mfood - food weight in kilograms, Rml/kg - marinade rate per kilogram.

V_{a c i d} = V_{ma r ina d e} \cdot \frac{P _{a c i d}}{100}

Vacid - acid portion, Pacid - acid percentage.

M_{s a l t} = M_{f oo d} \cdot 1000 \cdot \frac{P _{s a l t}}{100}

Msalt - salt in grams, Psalt - salt percentage of food weight.

Food safety and timing

Marinate meat, poultry and seafood in the refrigerator, not on the counter.
Use a glass, stainless steel or food-safe plastic container for acidic marinades.
Do not reuse marinade that touched raw meat as a sauce unless it is boiled first.
Acid-heavy marinades can damage texture when food sits too long.

This page estimates quantities and timing only. It does not determine doneness, safe cooking temperature or allergen suitability.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources and References

Calculations are based on the listed reference sources. Links open in a new tab.

Updated: June 2, 2026

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