Steak Marinade

This steak marinade whips up in no time and infuses steaks with so much flavor.

A simple blend of oil, garlic, soy sauce, and fresh herbs with savory seasonings, this marinade is easy and delicious.

steak with The Best Steak Marinade on a plate

It’s great for any cut of steak, especially tougher cuts like skirt, flank, or chuck.
It’s made with ingredients you likely have on hand.
It tenderizes the meat and adds lots of flavor.

ingredients for Steak Marinade on a marble board

A marinade is great for tenderizing and flavoring steaks. However, I personally don’t marinate prime cuts of steaks that are known to be tender, like filet or ribeye (I season them and grill them, as in this ribeye recipe).

Tenderize: Marinades contain acidic ingredients like wine, vinegar, lemon juice, or a combination. Acid breaks down the tough fibers of the meat, making it tender.
Flavor: Marinades usually contain salt, herbs, aromatics, & bold flavors that flavor the meat.
Caramelize: Sugars in a marinade help with caramelization to give that nice brown crust we all love.

Steak Marinade Ingredients

Acid: I like to use balsamic vinegar to tenderize the meat, but any vinegar will work. Lemon, lime, pineapple, and orange juice are all great acids to experiment with!

Fat: I use olive oil as it’s what I always have on hand but any light flavored oil works. Oil helps the seasonings adhere to the meat and keep it tender while it cooks.

Flavor: Garlic, Worcestershire, soy sauce, and Dijon help to build depth of flavor in this steak marinade.

Herbs and Spices: Parsley, rosemary, pepper, and thyme give a rich, savory taste and a wonderful aroma. They also help to tenderize the meat and make it more flavorful!

Variations

Replace soy sauce for coconut amino acids for a lower sodium marinade.
Add your own favorite herbs like Italian seasoning, seasoned salt, or Montreal steak spice can be added to the marinade.
No fresh garlic? Use garlic powder instead!

You should always marinate in glass or plastic, not in a metal bowl, as the acid can react with the metal. A freezer bag works well too for easy cleanup.

How to Make Steak Marinade

Get juicy and tender steak every time with this easy marinade.

Combine all ingredients in a bowl or freezer bag (per recipe).
Add the meat and marinate for at least 1 hour or up to 4 hours (longer for tougher cuts).
Remove marinade and grill steak to desired doneness.

Tougher cuts like chuck, skirt, flank, or sirloins can marinate up to 24 hours if desired, which is perfect for next-day BBQs!

Storing Steak Marinade

Store leftover marinade (that hasn’t touched any meat) in a tightly covered container or jar in the refrigerator and use within 3 days or freeze into ice cubes and pop one or two out as needed.

My Favorite Ways to Enjoy Savory Steak

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This steak marinade tenderizes and adds a flavorful kick, resulting in juicy and flavorful steak every time!

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes

Marinate Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

In a glass bowl or freezer bag, combine olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, parsley, rosemary, pepper, thyme, and garlic.
Add up to 2 pounds of steak and marinate for at least 1 hour or up to 4 hours.
Remove steaks and discard marinade.
Grill or broil to desired doneness.

Steak marinade is perfect to use on those tougher, less expensive cuts of meat.
Marinate meat in a non-metal (glass or plastic) container or a freezer bag in the refrigerator.
Discard used marinade or boil it at a rolling boil for a few minutes to ensure it reaches 165°F.
Freeze marinade in ice cubes trays so you can pop out as little or as much as you like when it’s time to marinate a steak-this way the marinade stays fresh!

Marinating Times

Filet mignon or ribeye are perfectly tender without marinating but can be marinated for 30-60 minutes for flavor if desired.
New York strip or sirloin can marinate for about 4 hours.
Tougher cuts of beef, such as flank steak, skirt steak, or even chuck can marinate longer, up to 24 hours (I usually do it the night before for the next day’s dinner).

Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

Course Dressing, Sauce

Cuisine American

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