Topic: How do I get my tikka marinade to penetrate the meat?

[zzikester]

OK, this is still a mystery to me...all the restaurants here in Scotland seem to be able to ghet their tikka/tandoori marinades to penetrate the chicken pieces very deeply 1cm.  How is this achieved? I have tried countless variations of marinade and left the chicken in the marinade for extended periods of time and achieve only a small surface penetration.  I am convinced that their is some ingredient or method which is eluding me.  Can someone please help me out with this.

[adriandavidb]

I think you may be seeing the degree of penetration hightlighted by the red food colouring, they possibly use much more than you do, or is found in a jar of Pataks!

[spicymatt]

Have you tried scoring the meat to help the marinade penetrate a little deeper? 4 or 5 cuts across a chicken breast about 1/2 cm deep using a very sharp knife should do the trick.

[joshallen2k]

I've noticed that before too, but I think I figured it out, and the answer is adriandavidb's response.

I made a batch of Blade1212's tikka yesterday, and accidently poured way too much food colouring into the marinade. Probably just under a teaspoon. I only marinated the chicken for three hours before barbequing, but the end colour result was very deeply pentrated into the chicken. Mystery solved.

Downside is that my hands are STILL orange. 

-- Josh

[matt3333]

Agree with Josh on this, the answer is most certainly from the colouring powder, I have experienced the orange hands the stuff is bloody lethal.
Matt
 

[ifindforu]

May I suggest adding 3 desert spins of malt vinegar and 2 desert spoons of coalmans fresh garden mint,It works wonders for me in flavour penetration.Hope this helps TERRY

[Chris303]

I think the heat from the tandoor is a massive player in how far the marinate gets cooked into the meat as well.