The Best Meat Tenderizer - 2021
We looked at the top 11 Meat Tenderizers and dug through the reviews from 22 of the most popular review sites including and more. The result is a ranking of the best Meat Tenderizers.
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Our Picks For The Top Meat Tenderizers
- The Best Meat Tenderizer
- 1. OXO 56191 Steel Dishwasher Safe Meat Tenderizer
- 2. Jaccard 200348 Original Super 3 Meat Tenderizer
- 3. Norpro 7032 TENDERIZERPRO-BX Meat Tenderizer
- 4. Weston 07-3101-W-A Sturdy Construction Heavy Duty Manual Meat Tenderizer
- 5. Mercy Shopping Heavy Duty Sharp Needle Meat Tenderizer
- 6. OXO 420956 Meat Tenderizer
- 7. Farberware 5211475 Professional Dual-Sided Stainless Steel Meat Tenderizer
- 8. Aliglow Dual-Sided Meat Tenderizer
- 9. JY COOKMENT Heavy Duty Stainless Steel Mallet Meat Tenderizer
- 10. JY COOKMENT Ultra Sharp Stainless Steel Needle Blades Meat Tenderizer
- 11. HIC Harold Import Co. 1515 Double Sided Meat Tenderizer
Non-Stick CoatingThis meat tenderizer is easy to clean and can be placed directly in your dishwasher.
Raises the Absorption Rate by 600%This blade meat tenderizes creates channels for marinades to better flavor the meat.
Heavy Duty Spring Action MechanismThis powerful gadget breaks down tough meat fibers and connective tissues.
Ideal for Hunters and FarmersThis high-performance tool tenderizes even the toughest cuts of meat.
Why we recommend these meat tenderizers?
Products Considered
Products Analyzed
Expert Reviews Included
User Opinions Analyzed
Our experts reviewed the top 11 Meat Tenderizers and also dug through the reviews from 22 of the most popular review sites including and more. The result is a ranking of the best of the best Meat Tenderizers.
DWYM is your trusted roduct review source. Our team reviews thousands of product reviews from the trusted top experts and combines them into one easy-to-understand score. Learn more.
The Best Overall
OXO 56191 Steel Dishwasher Safe Meat Tenderizer
Our Take
Thanks to this meat tenderizer's solid aluminum construction, you won't have to replace it for decades. The handle has a soft comfortable grip to prevent your hands from slipping during use. The flat side of the utensil is designed for pounding meat, while the spiked side is best for tenderizing poultry and beef.
What other experts liked
The Best Bang For Your Buck
Norpro 7032 TENDERIZERPRO-BX Meat Tenderizer
Our Take
With 24 stainless-steel prongs, this meat tenderizer allows marinade to absorb faster into the meat. Using this tool improves the taste of any kind of meat. Clean the gadget easily in warm water and soap.
Overall Product Rankings
4. Weston 07-3101-W-A Sturdy Construction Heavy Duty Manual Meat Tenderizer
7. Farberware 5211475 Professional Dual-Sided Stainless Steel Meat Tenderizer
9. JY COOKMENT Heavy Duty Stainless Steel Mallet Meat Tenderizer
10. JY COOKMENT Ultra Sharp Stainless Steel Needle Blades Meat Tenderizer
Our Meat Tenderizer Findings
OXO 56191 Steel Dishwasher Safe Meat Tenderizer
What We Liked: Thanks to this meat tenderizer’s solid aluminum construction, you won’t have to replace it for decades. The handle has a soft comfortable grip to prevent your hands from slipping during use. The flat side of the utensil is designed for pounding meat, while the spiked side is best for tenderizing poultry and beef.
Jaccard 200348 Original Super 3 Meat Tenderizer
What We Liked: With 48 powerful stainless steel blades, this meat tenderizer helps you cook delicious meals. The blades help the marinade to seep into the meat, and reduce the cooking time by 40 percent. It’s highly durable and made out of commercial-grade material.
Norpro 7032 TENDERIZERPRO-BX Meat Tenderizer
What We Liked: With 24 stainless-steel prongs, this meat tenderizer allows marinade to absorb faster into the meat. Using this tool improves the taste of any kind of meat. Clean the gadget easily in warm water and soap.
Weston 07-3101-W-A Sturdy Construction Heavy Duty Manual Meat Tenderizer
What We Liked: If you routinely need to process large quantities of meat, this meat tenderizer with a hand crank will make your job easier. It has 31 stainless steel blades and a sturdy cast aluminum body with a heavy-duty base and crank handle. The gadget comes apart for easy cleanup.
Mercy Shopping Heavy Duty Sharp Needle Meat Tenderizer
What We Liked: This meat tenderizer has 48 stainless steel blades that cut through the connective tissue without changing the shape of the meat. The blades remain sharp, even when used daily. The meat tenderizer is easy to grip and doesn’t require a lot of force.
Our Meat Tenderizer Buying Guide
Have you ever had an unreasonably tough piece of beef or a very chewy piece of chicken? Sometimes, no matter how good of a chef you are, the meat you’re working with can be very difficult to eat. This is where a meat tenderizer tool comes in. It’s a hand-powered kitchen gadget that is designed to soften beef, lamb, venison, pork, turkey, chicken, duck and other kinds of meat before cooking. Taking the time to do this quick step often results in melt-in-your-mouth dishes.
There are three main types of meat tenderizing tools. One of the most common is the kind that looks like a large hammer or mallet. Typically, this meat tenderizer is made out of a heavy metal. The hammer has two faces, one that’s flat, while the other has cone-shaped protrusions. You use this type of meat tenderizer by hammering on the meat. Similar to this style of gadget is one that looks kind of like a potato masher, but has a large metal face that is either smooth or has a bumpy surface. The flat sides of these tools are perfect for pounding out meat into thinner slices, while the jagged side is great for softening the meat. Another type of meat tenderizer uses blades that puncture the meat as they are pressed into it. This not only helps to soften the tough fibers of the meat, but also helps to create channels for flavors from marinades and spices to seep through.
While one of the key benefits of a meat tenderizer tool is that they turn rough cuts of meat into succulent meals, an added bonus is that they help to reduce cooking time significantly. You can make a better meal in less time by using a meat tenderizer because the gadget does a good job of breaking down tough fibers in the meat.
DWYM Fun Fact
While meat tenderizers are handy tools in the kitchen, they can be difficult to keep clean and sanitized because of their grooved parts and small blades. While some meat tenderizers can be put into the dishwasher, others will need to be properly cleaned by hand.
Begin by removing any parts that come off, such as blades and levers. Soak all of the parts in the sink filled with warm water and dish soap for a few minutes. Then, use a long-handled brush to clean each part individually. Rinse off the dish soap, and then place in a drying rack to air dry. Only reassemble the parts once everything is fully dry. Once a month, use a water and bleach solution to sanitize the parts, and then rinse fully and air dry.
The Meat Tenderizer Tips and Advice
- Before you purchase a meat tenderizer, think about what kind of cuts of meat you eat most often. This will help you decide what kind of gadget you need. For example, if you mostly eat chicken and turkey breast, a mallet-style tenderizer will help you get thin cutlets that cook up in no time. If you are a fan of large roasts, you may fare better with a blade-style meat tenderizer that can penetrate thick cuts of meat, helping to both soften the flesh and let the marinade seep through. If cube steaks are your thing, then a standing blade-tenderizer can help you get perfectly textured meat with a few turns of the hand crank.
- Depending on the quantity of meat you need to tenderize, look at the surface area the gadget covers. For example, if you’re a hunter and process your own meat, you’ll want to get a large meat tenderizer that has a big surface area. If you’re only tenderizing a few small pieces for your family, then a small tool will do the trick.
- For those that like to add flavor to their meat using herbs, spices and marinades, take a look at the absorption rate the gadget provides. In many cases, you can get meat tenderizers that will increase the absorption rate of the meat by several hundred percent. This helps your meat to take on better flavors and decreases the amount of time it needs to cook.
- Meat tenderizers have a tough job to do, and that’s why durability is key. Look for tools that have blades that are made out of heavy-duty materials such as stainless steel. Aluminum construction for the outside of the gadget will provide the best results.
About The Author
Anam Ahmed is a professional copywriter and essayist based in Toronto. She has been writing on technology, travel, parenting, and business for over 10 years, and works with a number of high-profile organizations. As an avid home cook who loves making magic in the kitchen, she values finding the best products to make people's lives easier. Anam earned a master's degree from the University of Toronto and a bachelor's degree from Queen's University.