How to Fix Overcooked Meat
Whether you’re just getting your tongs under you with a new ceramic grill, or you’re a well-seasoned grilling pro, overcooked meat happens to all of us.
But can you salvage your overcooked meat? While it may never be the same as the mouthwatering chicken wings or juicy steak that you’ve pulled off right on time, there are things you can do to recover overcooked meat.
Here are a few ways to fix overcooked meat and keep your backyard barbecue guests happy.
Overcooked Chicken
Perfectly cooked chicken basically goes with any dish—but overcooked chicken gets dry, tough, and stringy. Chicken that gets dried out and tough is hard to save. It crumbles like a week-old biscuit, and no amount of Ranch dressing seems to bring it back from the desert.
How to Fix It
Clean Your Grill
Chicken can start to get tough if you haven’t properly cleaned the grill. Old grime can transfer onto the skin. Also, if the heat isn’t clean and there’s different kinds of smoke and grease burning, the chicken won’t cook cleanly. This can begin to toughen out your meat.
We’ve got tools to help! Our Kick Ash Grate Hook makes it easy to remove your cooking grate and clean out the ashes. And our Kick Ash Basket and Can make cleaning up a breeze and support clean, consistent heat every time.
Add Moisture
If you caught it early enough, a quick dunk in broth or stock can help. Warm chicken stock, slice your overcooked chicken, and let it simmer for a few minutes. It won’t undo the crime, but it’ll soften the blow and keep things edible.
Repurpose
Overcooked chicken breasts? Shred them and toss them into tacos, stir-fry, creamy pasta, or soup. The key is to pair it with moisture-rich ingredients and bold flavors. While it may not have been what you planned for dinner, it’s better than the alternative.
Overcooked Steak or Roast Beef
If it’s steak that you’ve overcooked, it’s probably charred to oblivion on the outside, but gray as a storm cloud inside. Chewy and tough, it’ll definitely give your jaw a workout.
How to Fix It
Use a Marinade
Soak your steak in a marinade overnight. Acidity can be your friend here. A little bit of vinegar and lemon juice in the liquid can help you tenderize the meat.
Braise It
Alternatively, you can put the overcooked meat into a slow cooker with a few cups of liquid. Make sure there is enough to cover it about halfway, a method known as braising. This is generally a great way to bring back steak from the brink of burning.
Shred It Up
The great news is that steak is something that you can come back from by shredding it up. If the steak is not that overcooked, then you can shred up the steak and use it for sandwiches, wraps, soup, or shepherd’s pie. Even a steak salad (with extra dressing) can help!
Overcooked Burgers
You’re tailgating at your favorite team’s game and you’re in charge of the burgers. You get caught up in a cornhole game (or maybe arguing if it’s “bags” or “cornhole”) and the burgers are now dry, shrunken discs that could double as a paperweight.
If distraction is the source of overcooked burgers, it can be tough to give them new life, but there’s still hope.
How to Fix It
Don’t Press Them
Make sure not to press them. This causes any existing natural juices and moisture to spill out.
Soak Them
When you remove the burgers from the grill, let them soak in a little soda and onion mix to keep them warm until people are ready to eat. Every little bit helps!
Add Condiments
You can also add a little bit of moisture by using a healthy serving of condiments and fresh veggies!
If you grill the buns before serving them, add a bit of butter or mayonnaise, it can help cover the dryness that the meat carries.
Overcooked Seafood
Shrimp, scallops, or fish left too long on the grill will get a chewy, eraser-like texture. Let’s not even pretend we’re enjoying that. Seafood that you’ve overcooked needs to use seasonings and a quality rub to revive the flavors.
How to Fix It:
Avoid Oversalting
Salting your seafood while you’ve already started cooking can draw out the moisture in the seafood and blunt the flavors. While you can crust things like fish and prawns with a salt and pepper combination, be careful about salting too much of the flesh or inside which can draw out the moisture.
Try Lemon Juice
Once seafood gets dry, it is difficult to recover it. But lemon juice is going to be your best friend here. The acidity can really bring out the flavors of seafood.
If putting lemon juice on top of the seafood is not enough, try simmering the seafood in a little bit of butter and lemon juice.
When All Hope Seems Lost
If things get way too overcooked, a final Hail Mary is to toss it into a food processor with a drizzle of olive oil and puree it.
This meat paste can be used for a ton of different things, including:
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Meat pies
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Empanadas
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Dumplings
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Ravioli
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And more!
We’re all about saving money and not throwing away food. If you’ve got a fancy steak that is well beyond burnt, this is a great way to avoid wasting it.
Pro Tips for Next Time (So You Don’t Mess It Up Again)
Overcooked meat isn’t the end of your backyard reputation. With a little creativity, you can usually turn your “oops” into something surprisingly delicious. And hey, next time, we’ll make sure that ribeye stays tender, juicy, and brag-worthy.
Get a Digital Meat Thermometer
Guessing is for rookies. A good thermometer is the difference between medium-rare perfection and medium-well sadness. Stick it in, trust the numbers, and stop the guessing game.
Rest Your Meat
Pull your meat off the heat and let it sit for 5 or 10 minutes. That downtime lets juices redistribute instead of running all over your cutting board. It’s like spa time for your steak.
Use Two-Zone Grilling
Create a hot zone and a cooler zone on your grill using our Dividers. With the dividers you get two heat zones, allowing you to sear your meat over high heat and move it to the cooler side to finish gently. That way, you get an Instagram-worthy crust without the inside turning into sawdust.
Don’t Walk Away
Yes, we know cornhole, friends, and a beer are calling your name. But distraction is often what leads to overcooked meat. Unless you enjoy charred regret, stay close and keep an eye on your grill. If you have to step away, set a timer on your phone or find a trustworthy griller to keep watch.
Trust the Process
By “process,” we mean science. Don’t rush it. Good meat doesn’t need to be bullied with high heat the whole time. Let it cook gently after the sear, and you’ll be rewarded with tender, juicy results. Rushing it is how you end up with a hockey puck.
Master Temperature Control
If you’re like us, there’s a good chance that you’ve tried just about everything to get your ceramic grill to get up to and maintain the perfect temperature. We’re here to tell you that it’s (probably) not your charcoal or your grill, and it’s not the person wielding the tongs either.
Whether you’re aiming for high-heat searing or learning how to smoke meat with a charcoal grill, steady airflow and heat control are essential.
You need good airflow to get consistent temperatures. Just shake that ash with a Kick Ash Basket to sift out excess ash before adding new coal for your next grilling session. The ash will drop into the can, which can easily be removed and dumped prior to grilling to ensure you have an easy clean up and can maintain the temps you need for perfectly cooked meals on the grill!
Restore Your Backyard BBQ Reputation with Kick Ash
Kick Ash Basket has a variety of grilling accessories that help you master airflow and temperature control and keep your grill and patio area clean — all of which are key for perfectly cooked meat.
Explore all our products and join The Kick Ash Crew on Facebook for more grilling tips and inspiration.