Meat tenderizer substitutes
Meat tenderizer substitutes — 6 options, ranked, with the exact amount
Also called meat tenderizer powder, tenderizing powder, Adolph's tenderizer
Use Kosher salt (dry brine)
1 tsp for every 1 tsp meat tenderizer
Use kosher salt, 1 teaspoon for every 1 teaspoon of tenderizer, which is the amount for 1 pound of meat. Salt the meat on all sides and leave it in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, or overnight. It seasons the meat and helps it hold its juice; it does not break down protein the way the enzyme does. For thin slices for a stir-fry, a short baking soda soak softens the meat more. For a real enzyme effect, use fresh pineapple or kiwi for no more than 30 minutes.
- Verdict —
- Tweak it
- The tweak —
- Use 1 teaspoon of kosher salt per pound of meat, on all sides, then refrigerate uncovered for at least 1 hour and up to 24. Do not rinse; pat dry and cook. Add no other salt.
- Best for —
- steaks and chops
- Pantry —
- Likely in your cupboard
Updated 8 Oct 2026 · no sponsored swaps
But first: what’s the meat tenderizer doing?
Pick your caseWhat cut are you cooking, and is it whole or sliced?
Salt it ahead: 1 teaspoon of kosher salt per pound, at least 1 hour in the refrigerator. For a thin, chewy steak such as flank or skirt, add fresh pineapple or kiwi for the last 15 to 30 minutes.
Notes on kosher salt (dry brine), fresh pineapple or green papaya or kiwi
1 tsp per 1 tsp
Use baking soda: 1 teaspoon in ½ cup of water for 12 ounces to 1 pound of meat, 15 minutes, then rinse and pat dry.
Notes on baking soda
1 tsp per 1 tsp
Marinate it in salted buttermilk or yogurt for 4 to 12 hours, or pound the breasts to an even thickness so they cook through before they dry out.
Notes on buttermilk or plain yogurt or pounding with a heavy skillet or rolling pin
1 cup per 1 lb meat
Put the meat between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound it with the bottom of a heavy skillet, a small saucepan or a rolling pin. To copy the spiked side, score the surface or pierce it with a fork.
Tenderizer powder does two things. The salt seasons the meat and helps it hold moisture. The enzyme, papain or bromelain, cuts protein near the surface as the meat warms up in the pan, so a lean, chewy cut gives more easily. It works fast and only on the outer part of the meat, and it cannot dissolve the heavy connective tissue in cuts like chuck or brisket. Substitutes fall into the same groups: salt, an enzyme from fresh fruit, a pH change from baking soda, or physical force.
Every option, one card
Ranked · per 1 tsp meat tenderizer| # | Substitute | Instead of 1 tsp meat tenderizer | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kosher salt (dry brine)steaks and chops | 1 tspTweak it | Tweak it |
| 2 | Baking sodathin-sliced beef, pork or chicken for stir-fry | 1 tspTweak it | Tweak it |
| 3 | Fresh pineapple or green papayathin steaks such as flank and skirt | 2 tbspTweak it | Tweak it |
| 4 | KiwiKorean-style short ribs and bulgogi | 1 tbspTweak it | Tweak it |
| 5 | Buttermilk or plain yogurtchicken for frying or grilling | 1 cup per 1 lb meatYou'll taste it | You'll taste it |
| 6 | Pounding with a heavy skillet or rolling pinchicken breasts and cutlets | See notesTweak it | Tweak it |
| Not a swap | Canned pineapple or bottled pineapple juice | not a swapNot for this | Not for this |
| Not a swap | A long soak in vinegar or citrus juice | not a swapNot for this | Not for this |
Kosher salt (dry brine)
well seasoned, no off flavor
Tenderizer powder is mostly salt already. Salting ahead lets the salt dissolve into the meat, where it loosens the muscle proteins so they hold more juice when cooked.
- Best for
- steaks and chops, roasts, chicken pieces, any cut cooked whole
- Texture
- juicier, not softer
- Prep
- Use 1 teaspoon of kosher salt per pound of meat, on all sides, then refrigerate uncovered for at least 1 hour and up to 24. Do not rinse; pat dry and cook. Add no other salt.
- Pantry
- Likely in your cupboard
- Suits
- vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free
This amount is for Diamond Crystal kosher salt. Use about ¾ teaspoon of Morton kosher salt or ½ teaspoon of table salt per pound. Salt makes meat juicier and better seasoned, but it will not soften gristle or connective tissue, and it needs time that the powder does not.
Baking soda
neutral if rinsed
Baking soda raises the pH on the surface of the meat, which keeps the proteins from tightening as they cook. It is the method behind the soft beef in restaurant stir-fries.
- Best for
- thin-sliced beef, pork or chicken for stir-fry, fajita strips
- Texture
- soft, slippery, velvety
- Prep
- Dissolve 1 teaspoon of baking soda in ½ cup of water, toss it with 12 ounces to 1 pound of sliced meat, and leave it 15 minutes. Rinse well and pat dry before cooking.
- Pantry
- Likely in your cupboard
- Suits
- vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free
It works on thin pieces, not on a whole steak or roast, because it only reaches the surface. Use too much or skip the rinse and the meat tastes soapy and turns spongy. It adds no seasoning, so salt the meat or the sauce as usual.
Fresh pineapple or green papaya
slightly sweet, fruity
The natural sources of the enzymes in the powder: bromelain in pineapple and papain in unripe papaya. This is the only kind of swap that tenderizes the same way.
- Best for
- thin steaks such as flank and skirt, pork chops, kebabs, marinades for grilling
- Texture
- softer surface, mushy if left too long
- Prep
- Start with 2 tablespoons of fresh juice or finely grated fruit per pound of meat, rubbed over the surface. Leave it 15 to 30 minutes, wipe it off, and cook right away.
- Suits
- vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free
The fruit must be raw. Timing is everything: past about an hour the surface turns mushy and mealy while the center is unchanged. It also adds sweetness that browns fast, so watch the grill. Ripe papaya has little enzyme left; green papaya is the active one.
Kiwi
nearly neutral
Kiwi contains actinidin, an enzyme that breaks down protein the same way and adds less flavor of its own than pineapple.
- Best for
- Korean-style short ribs and bulgogi, thin steaks, lamb
- Texture
- softer surface, mushy if left too long
- Prep
- Mash the peeled fruit and use about 1 tablespoon per pound of meat, mixed into the marinade or rubbed on. Leave it no more than 30 minutes for thin cuts.
- Suits
- vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free
It is strong. Half a kiwi is enough for about 2 pounds of meat, and an hour or more can turn thin slices to paste. The flavor is mild and mostly disappears once the meat is cooked.
Buttermilk or plain yogurt
tangy
A mild dairy acid marinade. It works slowly and gently, which makes it hard to overdo.
- Best for
- chicken for frying or grilling, lamb, pork chops
- Texture
- tender and moist, soft surface
- Prep
- Stir 1 teaspoon of kosher salt into each cup, coat the meat, and refrigerate 4 to 12 hours. Wipe off the excess before cooking.
- Pantry
- Likely in your cupboard
- Suits
- gluten-free
- Contains
- dairy
This is a different method from the powder: hours instead of minutes, and a tangy flavor left on the meat. It suits poultry far better than a beef steak, and the wet surface has to be dried well or it will not brown.
Pounding with a heavy skillet or rolling pin
unchanged
The mechanical method, and the stand-in for a meat mallet. Pounding breaks the muscle fibers and makes the cut thin and even so it cooks fast.
- Best for
- chicken breasts and cutlets, schnitzel and chicken-fried steak, pork chops, thin steaks
- Texture
- thinner, more tender bite
- Prep
- Put the meat between two sheets of plastic wrap or parchment and pound from the center outward with the bottom of a heavy skillet, a small saucepan or a rolling pin, to an even ¼ to ½ inch.
- Pantry
- Likely in your cupboard
- Suits
- gluten-free
A smooth pan flattens but does not cut fibers the way the spiked side of a mallet does. For that, score the surface in a crosshatch about 1/8 inch deep or pierce it all over with a fork. Do not use a glass bottle; it can break.
Canned pineapple or bottled pineapple juice
sweet
Pineapple that has been heat-processed, used in the hope that it works like fresh.
- Best for
- flavor only
- Texture
- no tenderizing
- Pantry
- Likely in your cupboard
The heat of canning and pasteurizing destroys bromelain. Canned pineapple and shelf-stable juice add sweetness and a little acid to a marinade, but they do not tenderize. Use fresh pineapple if you want the enzyme.
A long soak in vinegar or citrus juice
sour surface
Hours in a strongly acidic marinade, on the idea that acid softens meat.
- Best for
- flavor, for 30 minutes to 2 hours
- Texture
- mealy outside, unchanged inside
- Pantry
- Likely in your cupboard
Strong acid only reaches the outer layer, and over several hours it turns that layer chalky and mealy while the inside stays as tough as it was. An acidic marinade is good for flavor for up to about 2 hours. It does not replace a tenderizer.
Don’t swap it here
3 cases- A tough, collagen-heavy cut such as chuck, brisket, shank or short ribs that you plan to grill or pan-fry quickly.Braise it, covered, at about 300°F for 2 ½ to 3 hours until a fork slides in, or use a slow cooker.
- Leaving fresh pineapple, papaya or kiwi on meat for hours or overnight.Keep fruit enzymes to 15 to 30 minutes. For an overnight marinade, use salt, buttermilk or yogurt.
- Fish, shrimp, or tender cuts such as tenderloin and ribeye.Season with salt and cook as usual.
Questions
6 questionsWhat can I use instead of meat tenderizer powder?
Kosher salt, 1 teaspoon per pound of meat, applied at least 1 hour ahead, is the simplest substitute and covers the seasoning the powder provides. For the enzyme effect, rub on 2 tablespoons of fresh pineapple juice or 1 tablespoon of mashed kiwi per pound for 15 to 30 minutes. For sliced stir-fry meat, use a 15-minute baking soda soak.
What can I use instead of a meat mallet?
The bottom of a heavy skillet or a small saucepan, or a rolling pin. Put the meat between two sheets of plastic wrap or parchment and pound from the center outward to an even thickness. An empty glass bottle is not safe to use because it can break.
What is meat tenderizer powder made of?
Mostly salt, with sugar or dextrose, starch to keep it flowing, and a protein-digesting enzyme: papain from papaya or bromelain from pineapple. Seasoned versions add spices.
Does baking soda tenderize meat?
Yes, on thin pieces. Dissolve 1 teaspoon in ½ cup of water for 12 ounces to 1 pound of sliced meat, soak 15 minutes, then rinse and dry. It keeps the surface proteins from tightening, so the meat stays soft. It does little for a whole steak.
Does pineapple juice tenderize meat?
Fresh pineapple juice does, because it contains the enzyme bromelain. Canned and bottled juice does not, because heat processing destroys the enzyme. Keep fresh pineapple on meat for 15 to 30 minutes only.
Can I just use salt instead of meat tenderizer?
Yes. Use 1 teaspoon of kosher salt per pound and give it at least an hour. The meat will be juicier and better seasoned. It will not be as soft at the surface as enzyme-treated meat, which for a good steak is usually the better result.
Tips for substituting meat tenderizer
5 tips- The usual amount of tenderizer powder is about 1 teaspoon per pound of meat, sprinkled on a moistened surface just before cooking. Size any substitute from that.
- If you do use the powder, add no other salt until you have tasted the cooked meat. Salt is the first ingredient in most brands.
- Slice cooked flank, skirt and other long-grained cuts across the grain, about ¼ inch thick. Short fibers are easier to chew, and this does more for those cuts than any tenderizer.
- Set a timer when using fresh pineapple, papaya or kiwi. Fifteen to 30 minutes is enough for meat under 1 inch thick.
- Pound meat between two sheets of plastic wrap, from the center outward, to an even ¼ to ½ inch. Even thickness matters more than thinness, because the piece then cooks at one rate.