A meat tenderizer is a must-have kitchen gadget for any meat lover. If beef, chicken, lamb, or pork features on your weekly menu, a meat tenderizer will create meat dishes that are deliciously tender and full of flavor.
The 10 Best Meat Tenderizers
- OXO Good Grips Meat Tenderizer
- Aliglow Meat Tenderizer
- Spring Chef Meat Tenderizer
- XSpecial Meat Tenderizer Tool
- Jaccard Meat Tenderizer (Our Top Pick)
- DIMROM Koncle Professional Needle Meat Tenderizer
- Norpro Meat Tenderizer
- Chef Master Meat Tenderizer Tool
- KLEMOO Meat Tenderizer Tool
- Weston Meat Cuber Tenderizer
Our Top Pick for the Best Meat Tenderizer
Our top pick for the best meat tenderizer is the Jaccard Meat Tenderizer.
The original Jaccard Meat Tenderizer is a truly amazing kitchen gadget. Whatever type of meat you enjoy eating, the Supertendermatic will transform tough cuts of meat into tender, succulent, flavorful meat dishes that look and taste like professional culinary creations.
Check the price on AmazonCook Deliciously Tender Meat with an Easy-to-use Ultra-sharp Meat Tenderizer
Meat preparation tasks benefit greatly from all different types of kitchen gadgets. Just like a meat grinder or a meat slicer makes grinding or slicing meat quick and easy, a meat tenderizer is a super-fast, easy-to-use, ultra-sharp meat preparation tool.
One of the challenges that are often associated with eating meat is that our highly prized pieces of meat can turn out to be dry, tough, and hard to chew. Even the best type of marinade can fail to soften or produce the taste infusion we had hoped for.
A meat tenderizer will turn thick cuts of meat like ribeye or porterhouse steak, lamb, pork, or a whole chicken or turkey into tender, succulent meat that is ready for your favorite spices, seasonings, and marinades.
How to Choose the Best Meat Tenderizer
There are 3 types of meat tenderizers available. A traditional mallet meat tenderizer, a needle-style meat tenderizer, and a commercial mechanical meat tenderizer.
Mallet-style Meat Tenderizer
A mallet-style tenderizer looks just like a small hammer. Its heavy-duty two-sided metalhead has a smooth surface to pound, pulverize and soften the meat and a ridged side for perforating the meat with tiny holes to make it marinade-ready.
While this type of tenderizer is perfect for small pieces of meat, it may not be very effective with thicker cuts of meat like beef steak or a whole chicken, and it can be quite messy to work with.
Needle-style Meat Tenderizer
For small and large pieces of meat, a needle-style meat tenderizer, like the Jaccard Meat Tenderizer, the Chef Master Meat Tenderizer Tool, or the KLEMOO Meat Tenderizer Tool are the right tools for the job. These tenderizers have a set of razor-sharp metal needles, blades. or prongs that are very effective at penetrating up to 1.5 or 2-inches into thick meat and can cut through the tough strands of fibrous muscle tissue.
This heavy-duty tenderizing action also creates small channels that allow seasonings, rubs, and marinades to penetrate deep inside the meat. It also reduces the total cooking time by up to 40% and prevents any meat shrinkage.
For operator safety, these tenderizers have a plastic disk or plate at the bottom. The blades move through the holes in the disk as you press down on the handle. Once you lift the tenderizer, the needles then retract back inside the disk so they are not exposed and will not cut your hands.
The problem that can occur with a needle-style tenderizer is that the needles, blades, or prongs can get stuck in extra thick meat. You may have to apply more pressure with larger pieces of meat. Also, it may not be suitable for thinner cuts of meat as it can flatten out the meat so that it loses its original shape.
Blade Style
Most needle-style tenderizers have a collection of spring-loaded blades that make the tenderizing process so much faster and safer. The blades can be arranged in a tight circle like the Norpro Meat Tenderizer, a square design like the DIMROM Koncle Professional Needle Meat Tenderizer, or in a linear straight line like the KLEMOO Meat Tenderizer Tool.
The number of blades will range from 16, 24, 48, or 56, depending on the tenderizer’s design. The more needles it has, the faster your meat will be tenderized.
The needles, blades or prongs are razor sharp so be extra vigilant when you are cleaning them. Some brands can be washed in the dishwasher, while others must be hand-washed. The safest way to clean the blades is with a brush.
Commercial-style Meat Tenderizer
A commercial-style mechanical meat tenderizer is specially designed for busy restaurants and people who eat a lot of meat. These free-standing units have a meat feeding shute at the top and a manual crank handle that guides the meat through the machine.
The sharp stainless steel blades are highly effective at flattening and tenderizing large prices of meat. You may even be able to feed the meat back through the tenderizer to turn it into cubes like the Weston Meat Cuber Tenderizer.
The only real problem with this type of tenderizer is it is best suited for red meat and may not be very effective with wet meat like chicken.
Protective Guard
An important safety feature to consider with needle-style meat tenderizers is a protective safety guard. This special plastic cap fits over the blades, which prevents any accidental contact with the blades and allows for safe storage.
Handle
Whether the handle design is horizontal or vertical, it should always fit securely in your hand. Ergonomic non-slip handles are comfortable to hold and make the tenderizing process so much easier, quicker, and safer.
Also, a handle that has a locking feature gives you ultimate control over the tool like the Norpro Meat Tenderizer or the XSpecial Meat Tenderizer Tool.
10 Best Meat Tenderizers – Reviews
1. OXO Good Grips Meat Tenderizer
OXO is one of the most trusted names in the food preparation gadget industry and its superior mallet-style meat tenderizer is a fantastic choice for any meat lover. The OXO Good Grips Meat Tenderizer has a sturdy, strong, and durable one-piece aluminum construction.
For optimal tenderizing, the double-sided head has a smooth side for flattening cutlets and a textured side for perforating tougher cuts of meat, so you can use the Good Grips tenderizer for beef, lamb, pork cutlets, or chicken. Both metal surfaces have a non-stick surface to make sure the tenderizer does not get stuck in the meat.
Using the gadget is very easy as its comfortable soft-grip rubberized handle absorbs any pressure while you tenderize your meat. Its non-slip design is highly effective in both dry and wet food preparation conditions.
The OXO Good Grips tenderizer is very easy to keep clean, but it is not dishwasher safe.
Pros
- High quality
- Very good value for money
- Affordable price
- Sturdy and durable one-piece aluminum construction
- Strong double-sided smooth and texturized head
- Optimal tenderizing performance
- Non-stick coating
- Comfortable soft-grip rubberized handle
- Non-slip design is ideal for dry and wet food preparation conditions
- Easy to clean
Cons
- Cleaning the tenderizer in the dishwasher can damage the rubberized handle
2. Aliglow Meat Tenderizer
If you are looking for a lightweight meat tenderizer for small pieces of meat, the Aliglow Meat Tenderizer is a very good choice.
The Aliglow meat tenderizer can be used to flatten and tenderize a variety of meats like beef, veal, chicken, and pork. It is made from a solid piece of zinc alloy and the generously sized double-sided head is strong and sturdy. The smooth surface is effective at pounding and flattening and the textured surface tenderizes meat quickly.
You can also use this tenderizer to loosen frozen vegetables, crush ice, garlic, and crack nuts.
As well as being lightweight, the Aliglow meat tenderizer is well-balanced and the soft-grip ergonomic handle is comfortable to use while you tenderize your meat to perfection. For easy storage, the handle has a hole at the end, so you can hang the tenderizer up in the kitchen or barbecue area.
Easy to clean, the tenderizer can be hand washed or it can go straight into the dishwasher.
Aliglow offers its tenderizer with a square or rounded head. The tenderizer is covered by a refund or replacement guarantee and a 1-year warranty.
Pros
- High quality
- Great value for money
- Very good price
- Can be used with a wide variety of meats
- Can also be used to loosen frozen vegetables, crush ice and garlic, and crack nuts
- Lightweight, strong, and sturdy one-piece zinc alloy
- Generously sized smooth and textured surface
- Lightweight and well-balanced
- Ergonomic soft-grip handle
- Handle has a hole for multiple storage options
- Dishwasher safe
- Available with a square and a rounded head
- Refund or replacement guarantee
- One-year warranty
Cons
- Not ideal for tenderizing large, thick pieces of meat
3. Spring Chef Meat Tenderizer
Cook up to 50% faster and enjoy tender and flavorful meat with the Spring Chef Meat Tenderizer.
The mallet-style tenderizer is made of durable and strong solid aluminum that has a polished rust-resistant chrome plating.
Whether you love chicken, veal, or steak, the Spring Chef is very effective at flattening and tenderizing your meat so that your steaks or cutlets cut like butter. You can use the smooth side to flatten poultry and the textured side tenderizes red meat so that it is ready to be seasoned or marinated.
Highly functional, the Spring Chef can also be used to loosen up frozen vegetable packages, crack seafood shells, loosen garlic skin, crush garlic, nuts, hard candy, prepare bread crumbs, and break up ice cubes for drinks.
The tenderizer is especially ideal for people who have arthritis. It has a non-slip pressure-absorbing soft-grip black handle and a specially weighted head that allows gravity to do all the hard work and saves any strain on your hand.
For quick and easy cleaning, the tenderizer can go into the dishwasher.
Spring Chef offers a lifetime warranty on its tenderizer.
Pros
- High quality
- Very good value for money
- Great tenderizing performance
- Smooth side to flatten meats and poultry
- Textured side for perfect tenderizing
- Highly functional
- Durable and strong solid aluminum construction
- Sanitary corrosion-resistant chrome plating
- Ideal for arthritis sufferers
- Heavy-duty weighted head
- Soft-grip non-slip handle
- Very easy to keep clean
- Dishwasher-safe
- Lifetime warranty
Cons
- Can break if used with large thick pieces of meat
- Not ideal for heavy-duty use
- Little expensive
4. XSpecial Meat Tenderizer Tool
If you are a meat enthusiast, the XSpecial Meat Tenderizer Tool is your secret weapon against tough pieces of meat.
For a quick, easy and safe way of tendering thick-cut meat like steaks or roasts, the XSpecial Tool does all the hard work for you. The 48 razor-sharp stainless steel retractable blades lock into place inside the holding disc and penetrate 2-inches into the meat. Your beef, lamb, or chicken will be tender and ready for your favorite marinade infusion.
The tenderizer has a long-lasting design as the stainless steel blades will never dull, discolor, rust, or change shape over time.
The BPA-free ABS plastic handle is strong and durable and comfortable to use. Although it is dishwasher safe, it is best to soak it in hot water, hand wash it, and leave it to dry. The protective disc can be detached which makes the tenderizer even easier to clean.
For safe storage, the tenderizer has a protective cover to prevent any accidental cuts from the blades.
XSpecial offers its tenderizer in black or white.
Pros
- Great quality
- Very good value for money
- Safe to use
- Razor-sharp stainless steel needles-like blades
- Retractable blades
- Penetrate 2-inches into the meat
- Ideal for thick cuts of meat
- Strong BPA free ABS plastic
- Protective cover
- Blade holding disc detaches for easy cleaning
- Dishwasher safe
- Available in black or green
Cons
- Slightly expensive
- Meat can be hard to clean off from the needles
- Harder to use with thicker meat
- Can make smaller pieces of meat too flat
5. Jaccard Meat Tenderizer
You will achieve better cooking results and enjoy tender and flavorful food with the multi-blade Jaccard Meat Tenderizer.
The professional meat tenderizer increases marination absorption, reduces cook times by up to 40%, and reduces any shrinkage, which allows the meat to cook evenly.
The 48 razor-sharp double-edged stainless steel retractable blades are securely anchored to the holding plate on the bottom of the unit. As the blades are designed to penetrate 1.5-inches into the meat, they create tiny heat channels that will not change the shape of the meat but allow for faster penetration of seasonings, spices, or marinades.
Whether you are preparing small or large pieces of beef, pork, veal, chicken, turkey, venison, or fowl, your meat will be deliciously tender and bursting with flavor.
The sturdy white ABS plastic handle provides you with a firm comfortable grip for effortless tenderization.
Jaccard also includes a plastic protective cover to protect your hands from the sharp blades. To keep it clean, you can put it in the dishwasher or use a brush to remove stubborn meat fibers.
Pros
- High quality
- Great value for money
- #1 choice of professional chefs worldwide
- Reduces cooking times by up to 40%
- Increases marinade absorption by 600%
- Reduces shrinkage
- Allows meat to cook evenly
- Creates juicy and flavorful meat
- 48 razor-sharp stainless steel double-edged blades
- 48 Rockwell hardness
- Sturdy ABS plastic handle is comfortable to use
- Ideal for all types of red and white meats
- Highly effective on large, thick pieces of meat
- Protective cover
- Dishwasher safe
Cons
- Expensive
- Can be hard to remove meat fibers from the blades
6. DIMROM Koncle Professional Needle Meat Tenderizer
The DIMROM Koncle Professional Needle Meat Tenderizer is a great choice for home cooking enthusiasts or a busy hotel restaurant.
For quick and easy tenderization, the 56 ultra-sharp corrosion-resistant spring-action blades are deployed when they are pressed into the meat and automatically retract when you lift the gadget. Your meat will be soft and tender, while seasonings or marinades will create a deeper level of flavor and cooking will be quick and easy.
The rounded food-grade ABS plastic handle has a one-touch button that is wide enough to press down as you tenderize your meat. The locking feature also provides you with extra safety during challenging tenderizing tasks with thick cuts of meat.
You can safely store the tenderizer as it comes with a protective cover that protects your hands from being cut by the razor-sharp blades.
The tenderizer’s blades can be hard to clean, so soak it in warm water, wash with soapy water and use a brush to keep the blades clean.
Pros
- High quality
- Great value for money
- Excellent price
- Ideal for home use and restaurants
- Ultra-sharp stainless steel blades
- Retractable spring-action blades
- Corrosion-resistant
- Food-grade material
- Suitable for many different types of meat
- Create tender, juicier, and more flavorful meat
- Sauces penetrate faster and deeper
- Allows meat to cook quickly and evenly and faster
- ABS black plastic handle is comfortable to use
- Safely locking feature
- Protective cover
- Dishwasher safe
Cons
- Blades are hard to clean
- Handle can feel uncomfortable after long-term use
7. Norpro Meat Tenderizer
Whether you like to cook beef, fish, or poultry, the Norpro Meat Tenderizer will improve the texture of the meat, allow for better marinade absorption, and ensure fast, even cooking results.
Highly effective, it has 24 stainless steel razor-sharp prongs that penetrate quickly into tough meat fibers, and the 2-inches heavy-duty spring-loaded plastic disk provides precise tenderizing control. As you grasp the sturdy plastic handle and press downwards, the prongs pass through the disk’s holes and into the meat.
When you release the downward pressure, the spring action mechanism releases the prongs, so you can move to another section to tenderize the meat with the same smooth, uniform action.
It is very lightweight and easy to use but it may require extra force for thicker cuts of meat.
For compact storage, you can put the tenderizer in a kitchen drawer or use the hole on the end of the handle to hang it up out of the way.
To keep the tenderizer clean and ready for action, hand washing is recommended.
Norpro offers the tenderizer in a 1, 2, 3, or 4-pack.
Pros
- High quality
- Very affordable price
- Good value for money
- 24 razor-sharp stainless steel prongs
- Heavy-duty 2-inches spring action disk
- Sturdy plastic handle
- Smooth, uniform action
- Prongs can penetrate tough meat fibers and connective tissues
- Allows marinade to absorb faster into the meat
- Lightweight
- Easy to store with a hole in the handle
- Available in 1, 2, 3, 4-pack
Cons
- Requires a lot of force for extra thick meat
- Prongs can get stuck in thick cuts of meat
- Not designed for the dishwasher
- Need to use a brush to clean the prongs
8. Chef Master Meat Tenderizer Tool
If you love your barbeques, the Chef Master Meat Tenderizer Tool is destined to be your new barbequing food prepping buddy.
The 48 commercial-grade 2-inches spring-loaded stainless steel blades are razor-sharp and can quickly penetrate the toughest meat. As well as softening the meat quickly, the blades create small holes that allow seasonings or marinades to absorb deep into the meat for rich flavorful results.
You can use it in your kitchen or keep it handy while you grill up a storm on your outside grill.
As the tenderizer requires no assembly, it is always ready for some tenderizing action. The black handle has a high-grade thick plastic construction that is strong and sturdy and comfortable to use.
The smart red and black colored design makes the tenderizer very easy to spot in your kitchen drawer, and it has a protective cover for safe storage.
Pros
- High quality
- Very good value for money
- 48 commercial-grade 2-inches stainless steel razor-sharp blades
- Spring-loaded design
- Penetrates and softens thick cuts of meat with ease
- Allows flavors and spices to be absorbed quickly and deeply
- Sturdy high-grade thick plastic handle is comfortable to use
- Smart red and black design
- Protective cover
Cons
- Little bit expensive
- Not ideal for heavy-duty use
- Plastic is not BPA-free
- Not dishwasher safe
9. KLEMOO Meat Tenderizer Tool
Create deliciously tender and flavorful meat dishes with the KLEMOO Meat Tenderizer Tool.
It has 48 ultra-sharp 420 stainless steel blades that penetrate deep into the meat to break down the connective tissues that make meat tough and chewy. So whether you have small or large thick cuts of meat, the KLEMOO meat tenderizer transforms beef, chicken, pork, wild game, fish, or pork skin into tender mouthwatering gourmet delights.
The blades create tiny channels within the meat that allow your favorite seasonings or marinades to be fully absorbed in just 5 minutes.
These perforations allow the meat to cook evenly, reduce cooking time by up to 40%, maximizes the meat’s tenderness, juices, and flavor, and reduce any meat shrinkage.
It has an ergonomic non-slip plastic handle that is comfortable to hold and requires minimal energy even with thick meat.
Even though the KLEMOO can go straight into the dishwasher, the best way to clean it is by soaking it in warm soapy water and use a brush. It also comes with a clear protective cover for safe storage.
KLEMOO offers its tenderizer in black or white. The tenderizer is covered by a 30-day return guarantee and a 1-year warranty.
Pros
- Excellent quality
- Great value for money
- Affordable price
- Strong and durable
- 48 ultra-sharp 420 stainless steel blades
- Ideal for all types of meat even thick cuts of meat
- Maximize meat’s tenderness, juices, and flavor
- Reduces cooking time by 40%
- Allows meat to cook evenly
- Reduces shrinkage
- Increases seasoning or marinade infusion
- Ergonomic comfortable, non-slip plastic handle
- Very easy to use
- Easy cleanup
- Top-rack dishwasher safe
- Clear protective plastic cover
- 30-day return guarantee
- One-year warranty
Cons
- Blades can get stuck in thick cuts of meat
- Not ideal for extra-large pieces of meat
10. Weston Meat Cuber Tenderizer
Whether you have a busy restaurant or you are a home cooking enthusiast, the Weston Meat Cuber Tenderizer is an excellent meat tenderizing gadget.
The Weston meat tenderizer helps to soften meat and maximize the effectiveness of marinades to enhance the delicious flavor of your favorite meats. It has a strong and sturdy cast aluminum construction with a food-safe plastic coating and a heavy-duty base.
The 2 C-clamps allows the unit to be securely mounted to a kitchen countertop that is 1½-inches thick, and it has an easy to use sturdy and strong plastic crank handle.
You can use it for large cuts of meat like steak and chops up to 1¼-inches thick. The 31 ultra-sharp stainless steel blades are highly effective at piercing through tough connective fibers and can tenderize and flatten even the toughest cuts of meat. For a smooth-running performance, the stainless steel combs stop any meat from jamming in the tenderizer.
A highly functional gadget, it also cubes the meat after it has been tenderized. You can even convert it into a Jerky Slicing Machine with Jerky Slicer Blades which are sold separately (07-3302-W).
The Weston tenderizer has a 2-piece housing design that disassembles for easy clean-up and compact storage.
Weston offers a 1-year warranty on its super meat cuber and tenderizer.
Pros
- High quality
- Great value for money
- Good price
- Flattens tenderizes and cubes thick meat
- 31 ultra-sharp stainless steel blades
- Stainless steel combs prevent jamming
- Sturdy cast aluminum construction
- Food-safe coating
- Heavy-duty base and crank handle
- Two C-clamps can be mounted to 1½-inches thick countertops
- Two-piece housing disassembles for easy clean-up and storage
- Dishwasher safe components
- One-year warranty
Cons
- Not very effective with chicken or marinated meat
- Can be hard to clean
Our Top Pick for the Best Meat Tenderizer
Our top pick for the best meat tenderizer is the Jaccard Meat Tenderizer.
The original Jaccard Meat Tenderizer is a truly amazing kitchen gadget. Whatever type of meat you enjoy eating, the Supertendermatic will transform tough cuts of meat into tender, succulent, flavorful meat dishes that look and taste like professional culinary creations.
Check the price on Amazon
