How do you fix salty meat after cooking?

Over-salting meat while cooking is a common mistake many home cooks make. Thankfully, there are several methods you can use to fix over-salted meat after it has already been cooked.

Table of Contents

Why Meat Can Become Over-Salted

There are a few main reasons why meat often ends up becoming too salty during the cooking process:

Not measuring salt accurately – It’s easy to accidentally add too much salt if you aren’t carefully measuring.
Heavy-handed seasoning – Some people tend to be generous when seasoning meat before or during cooking.
Using salted broths/stocks -Cooking meat in store-bought broths or stocks often increases the sodium content.

Marinades and rubs – Marinades and dry rubs containing salt and salty ingredients like soy sauce can make meat salty.
Not tasting before serving – You won’t know if the seasoning needs adjusting until you taste the finished dish.

To avoid over-salted meat in the future, be cautious when seasoning, precisely measure salt and salty ingredients, use low-sodium stocks, and always taste before serving. But if it’s already too late, keep reading to learn how to fix salty meat.

Methods to Fix Overly Salty Meat

If your cooked meat has already become too salty, don’t worry – the dish isn’t ruined yet. Here are some of the most effective ways to fix over-salted meat after cooking:

Soak in Water

One of the quickest and easiest methods is to soak the salty meat in water. This helps draw out excess salt from the meat.

Cut the meat into pieces or slices and place in a bowl of cold water for 15-30 minutes. The water dilutes the saltiness.

Change the water every 10-15 minutes to maximize de-salting. Discard the water after each soak.
Pat the meat dry afterwards. Proceed with cooking as intended, tasting before adding any more seasonings.

Soaking works best for thin cuts of meat like chicken breasts, pork chops, fish fillets, steak and more. For larger roasts or whole poultry, try another method.

Simmer in Liquid

Simmering salty meat in water, broth or milk can also help reduce excess saltiness.

Place the meat in a pot and cover with water, broth, milk or a combination.
Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Allow to simmer for 15-30 minutes until liquid reduces slightly.

Turn meat over halfway through simmering. Drain liquid when finished.

This technique works well for larger cuts of meat, thick steaks, pork roasts, whole chickens and more. The simmering liquid draws salt out of the meat while keeping it moist.

Slice and Rinse

For cooked meat that’s already sliced or chopped, you can rinse each piece under running water.

If the meat isn’t sliced, cut it into bite-sized pieces first.
Place the meat pieces in a colander and rinse under a gentle stream of cold water, stirring occasionally.
Let the water run over the meat for 1-2 minutes total to remove salt without over-washing.

Drain well, pat dry and taste before adding any seasonings.

Rinsing works great for foods like sliced chicken breast for sandwiches or salads, chopped meat for tacos or pasta sauce, and sliced steak.

Dilute With Other Ingredients

You can also dilute the saltiness of meat by mixing it with bland or neutral ingredients.

Shred, chop or cube the salty meat.
Combine it with rice, pasta, mashed potatoes, breadcrumbs or cooked vegetables.
The additional ingredientsabsorb some of the excess salt.

For a stew or casserole, add more sauce or increase chopped vegetables to dilute.

This method helps when the over-salted meat is a main ingredient in a larger dish. Adding bland starches or vegetables balances the flavor.

Use Acidic Ingredients

Acidic ingredients like lemon juice, vinegar and tomatoes can help counterbalance salty flavor.

Stir in a splash of lemon juice, vinegar or tomato juice/sauce to the dish.
Garnish the meat with sliced fresh tomatoes or pickled onion.
For pasta, tomato-based sauce can help cut the salt.

A squeeze of citrus over salads with salty chicken boosts brightness.

The acidity from citrus, vinegar or tomatoes helps neutralize and mask the saltiness. Use sparingly though, as large amounts can make dishes overly sour.

Add Sweetness

Sweet ingredients offset saltiness, so they can be used to rescue over-salted meat dishes.

Stir in a little honey, maple syrup, brown sugar or molasses.
Toss sliced salty meat with sweet fruits like diced pineapple, apples or pears.
Add sweet vegetables like roasted carrots, bell peppers or butternut squash.

Garnish with chopped sweet pickles or chutney.

Just a small amount of added sweetness balances salt and enhances overall flavor. Be careful not to overdo it – you don’t want the dish to become cloyingly sweet.

Increase Cooking Liquid

For soups, stews, chilis and braises, you can dilute saltiness by increasing the cooking liquid.

Add more water, broth or milk to the pot.
You can also mash potatoes in the liquid which helps absorb some salt.
For chili, add a whole peeled tomato or more tomato sauce.

Add chopped potatoes or soaked beans to stew which absorb liquid.

By increasing the volume of cooking liquid compared to the salty meat, you dilute the salt concentration for a less salty overall taste.

Use More Fat/Oil

Adding extra fat like oil, butter or cream can also help reduce salty taste.

Stir in a tablespoon or two of butter, olive oil or cream.
Baste poultry or meat with melted butter or oil towards the end of cooking.
Top dishes like pasta or roasted vegetables with cheese or an extra drizzle of olive oil.

Fats coat the palate which prevents salty flavors from dominating. Plus, fats balance and carry other flavor notes.

Add Starchy Thickeners

Thickeners like cornstarch, flour or pureed vegetables can help absorb excess saltiness.

For stew, make a cornstarch slurry and stir in while simmering to thicken.

Knead a little flour into ground meat before patties or meatballs to absorb moisture and salt.
Puree vegetables like cauliflower or potatoes – their starches dilute salty liquid.

As the added starches thicken and absorb liquid, they also absorb some of the salty compounds for a less concentrated salt flavor.

Serving and Storage Tips

In addition to fixing over-salted meat, keep these serving and storage suggestions in mind:

Avoid adding any extra salt before serving the dish.
Adjust other seasonings like herbs and spices to enhance overall flavor.

Chill soups and stews overnight – this allows salt to distribute evenly.
Cut back on any accompanying salty foods like cheese, condiments, etc.
Refrigerate and freeze leftovers in smaller containers to limit reheating portions.

With small adjustments at serving time and strategic storage, you can further minimize the impact of over-salted meat.

Preventing Over-Salted Meat

While the methods above can rescue over-salted meat, it’s still best to try preventing it in the first place. Here are some tips for salting meat properly:

Precisely measure salt instead of eyeballing.

Salt meat just before cooking instead of far in advance.
Brush off any excess salt from marinades or rubs.
Use low or reduced-sodium stocks and broths.

Add salty ingredients like soy sauce gradually and taste.
If reducing a sauce, hold off on salting until the end.

With careful, restrained salting techniques, you can achieve well-seasoned meat without going overboard on salt.

Conclusion

Fixing over-salted meat may require some extra work, but in most cases it can be remedied. Diluting, rinsing, soaking, adding acids or sweeteners, and thickening are all effective ways to reduce excess saltiness. By taking steps at both the cooking stage and the serving stage, you can still rescue the dish. With some caution about over-seasoning to begin with, you can avoid having to fix salty meat in the future. Just remember – it’s always possible to add more salt later if needed, but much trickier to remove it!