Grilled meat certainly makes for a great dinner. However, there’s one side effect that no one wants as a side dish: an increased risk of cancer. Fortunately, there’s a very simple — and delicious — way to reduce that risk.

As the UCLA Health Center (and numerous studies) explains, “eating meat cooked over high temperatures can increase the risk of cancer” because it can char the meat, which “produces carcinogenic chemicals known as heterocyclic amines and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.” The more you’re exposed to these chemicals, the more damage they can do to your DNA, and “over time can develop into tumors.”

And while there are many ways to reduce your risk, such as not overcooking your meat, trimming off charred areas, and turning your meat frequently while cooking over an open flame, experts also recommend one more tasty option: marinating your meat first.

“Marinades can significantly reduce the carcinogenic compounds formed in grilling or cooking meats at high temperatures. Even marinating meat for as little as 40 minutes seems to reduce these compounds by over 90%,” the Karmanos Cancer Institute at Wayne State University explained. The institute noted that it’s unclear why marinades seem to be so protective, but it could be due to the antioxidants in the marinade or because it gives a “simple cooling effect of marinades on meat.”

“The marinade of sugar and oil may just act as a barrier between the meat and the heat, then that is what becomes seared instead of the meat,” Nigel Brockton, the vice president of research at the American Institute for Cancer Research, shared in a statement. “The spices and herbs not only make your meat more flavorful, but their antioxidant properties may prevent the formation of harmful carcinogenic compounds.”

A 2023 study on marinades also found that marinating can create a physical barrier on the meat, with the liquid layer reducing direct contact with the flame and smoke from a grill, while also adding more moisture to the meat itself. The study also found that the longer you marinate, the better the results; however, excessive time in marinades can alter the meat’s texture, so it’s best to keep the marination time to 24 hours or less. Additionally, it found that the most effective ingredients for reducing harmful chemicals include acids such as vinegar, citrus juice, wine, and yogurt, as well as herbs and spices like garlic, onion, rosemary, thyme, and oregano.

The main point isn’t to worry too much about your meats, as long as you aren’t charring every meal every single day. “It’s not so much a one-time experience, such as an occasion where you kept your meat on the grill too long and it turned black. It’s more of a message about one’s lifestyle,” Dr. Catherine Carpenter, a professor of clinical nutrition and a member of the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, added. “You’ve been cooking that way for 30 years; every weekend, there’s a barbecue, you grill the meat at high temperatures, and all of this blackening occurs. That’s when it becomes a problem in terms of cancer risk.”

Carpenter and her colleagues have one more way to reduce your risk of cancer, and that’s by pairing your meat with fruits and vegetables, “which contain antioxidants that counteract the effects of the cancer-causing chemicals.”