You Should Be Adding Sugar—Yes, Sugar!—to Your Meat (2025)

You know all about seasoning your protein with salt before cooking it. You’ve got kosher salt on deck, you know to pat everything dry before you get to sprinkling, and you aren’t shy with your three-fingered pinches. You’re well aware that a good dusting now means you’ll have to season less later, as the salt will penetrate the meat and let its natural flavor shine.

But did you know there’s another staple ingredient hiding in your pantry that could take your seasoning game to the next level? It works with any protein, adapts to any flavor profile, and a little goes a long way. We’re talking, of course, about sugar.

My introduction to seasoning meat with sugar came in the form of a once-a-year tradition: the dry brine for a Thanksgiving turkey. Along with salt, sugar (either brown or white granulated) is a dry-brine must-have, essential both for its browning capabilities and flavor-enhancing properties. Breaking out the sugar is my favorite way to ensure that my turkey comes out perfectly tender and golden brown every November.

But it took making the Salt-and-Sugar Pork Rib Chops from Carla Lalli Music’s new book, That Sounds So Good, to remember that the same technique could be employed elsewhere and often to great success. Seasoning your protein with a small pinch of sugar in addition to salt is a simple, speedy trick with big returns. Here’s why:

It’s the secret to quick browning.

Developing the perfect brown crust on the sides of your steak or pork chop can be a labor of love. It takes time for that delightfully textured outermost layer to form, and any shifting or peeking throws the process off course.

But a little bit of sugar sprinkled over your protein before it hits the pan is the fast track to the color you’re hoping to achieve. The sugar caramelizes in the heat, easily creating a brown crust that you might otherwise have had to wait twice as long for, during which time you’d risk overcooking the insides. (Do keep an eye on the heat and don’t use more than a small pinch, however, because sugar is liable to burn.)

It’s a natural tenderizer.

Sugar starts working on your cut of protein long before it hits the pan. It helps to keep the meat tender, especially the longer you let it sit before cooking but even with a much shorter rest time (a few minutes for these chops compared to a couple days for a turkey). Carla recommends using 1 teaspoon sugar with 2 teaspoons kosher salt in her recipe, to season 1 pound of pork rib chops—you can scale up or down accordingly as needed.

It’s—duh—a little sweet.

While the salt in your dry brine or grill rub highlights and showcases the flavor of the meat itself, the sugar adds a little something extra. It’s not enough sweetness to make your steak taste like meat candy—it’s more of a subtle hint that plays well with the savoriness of beef or pork and works especially well with bitter or acidic accompaniments. Carla serves her chop with radicchio, mustard, and a tiny drizzle of honey to heighten the sweetness even further; the result is a balanced bite that comes together all in one pan—muuuch faster than a Thanksgiving turkey.

Pour some sugar on these:

You Should Be Adding Sugar—Yes, Sugar!—to Your Meat (1)

Carla Lalli Music's ingenious shortcut for perfectly browned pork chops is the weeknight dinner cheat code we all need.

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You Should Be Adding Sugar—Yes, Sugar!—to Your Meat (2025)

FAQs

You Should Be Adding Sugar—Yes, Sugar!—to Your Meat? ›

I know what you're thinking. No, sprinkling sugar on your steak will not make it taste like candy or obscure its meat flavor. Instead, it delivers a fleeting moment of sweetness followed by a flood of meaty flavors.

Should you add sugar to meat? ›

Along with salt, sugar (either brown or white granulated) is a dry-brine must-have, essential both for its browning capabilities and flavor-enhancing properties.

Why is sugar added to some meat products? ›

Sugar has multiple functions in chemically cured and uncured meat and poultry, as well as many smoked and dried products. Sugar dehydrates, while it also helps retain moisture throughout processing and storage. In comminuted products, sugar may stabilize the emulsion of moisture, fat and protein.

Does sugar toughen meat? ›

Sugar is an emulsifier, in that, when heated it will harden ever so slightly, helping to retain moisture and make meat less chewy. Use it mixed with salt and cayenne for and nice succulent dry rub, or a dash of vanilla bourbon, honey, and brown sugar marinade. Sugar is a great meat tenderizer.

Does sugar penetrate meat like salt? ›

So sugar is barely absorbed by meat, even after a full day's brining. The diffusion rate is at least 5-10 times slower than salt1, .

Why is food with added sugar bad for you? ›

Eating too much sugar can contribute to people having too many calories, which can lead to weight gain. Being overweight increases your risk of health problems such as heart disease, some cancers and type 2 diabetes.

What is the sugar in meat called? ›

Share on Pinterest Red meats – beef, pork and lamb – are rich in a sugar called Neu5Gc and provide the primary sources of this sugar in the human diet.

Is there natural sugar in meat? ›

Seafood, pork, beef, and chicken are all sugar-free. They're also an important source of protein and omega-3 fatty acids. If you don't eat meat, soybeans, lentils, beans, nuts, and seeds are great sugar-free, high-protein foods.

Does sprinkling baking soda on meat tenderize it? ›

Baking soda acts as a meat tenderizer by changing the physical composition of meat fibers. It raises the pH levels on the surface and makes it tougher (pun intended) for the proteins in the meat to bond.

What is the secret ingredient to tenderize meat? ›

Less than a teaspoon of baking soda ensures that your steak remains juicy and tender—even after a speedy marinade. While other recipes demand hours of marinating, this baking soda hack makes a flank steak or any other fibrous cut of beef ready to sear after just an hour.

Should I put sugar on my steak? ›

But you don't add sugar for its flavor—you add it for its effect on texture. Some of the most popular cuts of beef (skirt steak, flank steak) are tough and chewy unless exposed to sugar, which is a natural tenderizer.

How do you remove sugar from meat? ›

With marinades and sauces, non-nutritive sweeteners, such as stevia, monk fruit and some sugar alcohols, can be used to partially or fully replace added sugars. And, with heat-and-eat foods, an easy way to reduce added sugars is to simply use less.

What kills salt in meat? ›

Add Acid to Your Dish

Try some of the following tips to salvage your recipe: Squeeze some lemon juice or orange juice over your dish. The sour flavor provides a new layer of complexity to the meal and should mellow out the salt.

What happens if you leave meat in brine too long? ›

Most over-brining simply makes everything a little too salty, and you can soak the meat in cold water to draw out the excess salt. If you really let it go too long—as in, brining for days instead of hours—things may go beyond repair. Doing so can make your meat mushy, and there's no way to fix that!

Is sugar necessary for curing meat? ›

Curing meat in sugar helps to preserve it by drawing out moisture and inhibiting the growth of bacteria. The sugar also adds flavor and helps to create a desirable texture in the meat. What type of sugar is best for curing meat?

What happens if you put sugar on steak? ›

No, sprinkling sugar on your steak will not make it taste like candy or obscure its meat flavor. Instead, it delivers a fleeting moment of sweetness followed by a flood of meaty flavors.

Does sugar help preserve meat? ›

Sugar is also used with salt to preserve certain foods especially fish and meat. Sugar may either be added to salt to create a dry mixture which covers food or may be dissolved in a liquid to make a brine to surround the food.

Should I add sugar to ground beef? ›

Its earthy flavor adds depth to a dish but a little bit goes a long way. It can quickly overpower other flavors. A touch of brown sugar works well in rubs used as a seasoning on grilled cuts of beef because it helps to caramelize the outside of the meat. It also creates those crunchy bits we all love.

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