You’ve probably heard of marinating meat with pineapple, yogurt, or vinegar to make it tender — but there’s one unexpected kitchen staple that chefs and home cooks in Chinese cuisine have used for decades to achieve impossibly soft, melt-in-your-mouth results: baking soda.
Yes — that humble box from your fridge can do more than absorb odors. When used correctly, baking soda is a powerful meat tenderizer that works fast, costs almost nothing, and delivers results that taste like you spent hours slow-cooking… even on quick stir-fries.
Let’s uncover the science, the method, and why this trick might just change the way you cook meat forever.
🌟 Why Baking Soda Works Wonders on Meat
✅ Raises surface pH – This weakens protein bonds, preventing them from tightening too much during cooking
✅ Locks in moisture – Keeps meat juicy, even when cooked quickly at high heat
✅ Perfect for stir-fries & grilling – Makes thin slices stay tender, not tough
✅ Faster than aging or slow cooking – Tenderizes in under 30 minutes
✅ Used in authentic dishes – From kung pao chicken to beef lo mein, it’s a pro secret
This isn’t a hack — it’s culinary chemistry, perfected over generations.
🧪 How Baking Soda Tenderizes Meat (The Science):
