by Holly
Every good steak deserves an equally good steak marinade!
A marinade adds flavor while tenderizing the meat to make steakhouse quality steaks without the hefty price tag. Bright and savory, it is perfect for flank or skirt steak, or sirloin!
Even a few dashes can be added to hamburger patties before they go on the grill!
Any store-bought Italian-style dressing can serve as a marinade, but a homemade marinade is always better. And this recipe is so easy to make—plus you can tailor it with whatever is in the fridge or pantry!
What Does a Marinade Do?
Marinades are made from acidic or enzyme components like wine, vinegar, lemon juice, or any combination of them. The acids change the consistency of the meat, making it tender.
Marinades usually contain salt herbs & bold flavors which in turn flavor the meat.
Marinades help with caramelization to give that nice brown crust we love so much.
Make a Double Batch
This recipe is so easy to put together, why not double it up? We know you’ll use it for so much more!
It can be used on everything from beef or pork to grilled veggies and more. Mix up a double batch and store the extras in the freezer until you’re ready for it.
Marinade Basics
You probably have most, if not all of the ingredients you’ll need for this recipe, as long as you stick with the basics!
- An acid or enzyme—pretty much anything goes, as long as the acidic component is there!
- Whatever herbs or spices you want to toss into the mix! Italian seasoning mix always works well.
- Garlic is always a popular choice. Mince it finely or use garlic powder
- Don’t forget the salt and pepper. Soy sauce or other salty favorites can be added.
How Long to Marinate a steak
Tender steaks like ribeye or sirloin should marinate for a maximum of 4 hours. As they’re already tender, you don’t want to marinate longer than that or the meat will break down too much and the texture can become unpleasant.
A tougher cut of steak like a flank steak, skirt steak, or even chuck can marinate longer, up to 24 hours (I usually do the night before for the next day’s dinner).
Tips
- Steak marinade is perfect to use on those tougher, less expensive cuts of meat like roasts, tri-tips, and shoulders, so use it liberally.
- 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!
- For best results, use marinade on meat when both are at room temperature.
More Fave Marinades & Brines
- The Best Chicken Marinade
- Pork Chop Brine
- Ginger Garlic Salmon Marinade
- Turkey Brine
- Easy Pork Tenderloin Marinade
- Grilled Steak Fajitas
- Chicken Street Tacos
Did you love this Steak Marinade? Be sure to leave a rating and a comment below!
The Best Steak Marinade
Prep Time 5 minutes
Servings 1
Ingredients
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 clove garlic minced or more to taste
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped
- 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary chopped
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme or ¼ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
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Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a bowl or freezer bag.
- Add up to 2 pounds of steak and marinate at least 1 hour or up to 4 hours.
- Remove steaks and discard marinade.
- Grill or broil to desired doneness.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition Information
(Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.)
Will I have to say …. made this marinade this morning and let steak soak up all the flavors for about 6 hours (was not in a hurry to cook steak).
Steak was very, very tasty n’ flavor able. Very happy trying this out for the first time …
So happy you enjoyed it, Diana!
I have a question that may sound stupid but I have never used a marinade of any kind. once you remove the steak from the marinade do you wipe it clean or do you cook it with some of the marinade on it.
Well Nicole, that’s a great question! Usually the marinade is left on, unless the recipe tells you to rinse or blot it off. For steak, you’d leave it on. Enjoy!
I know the spelling in wrong but I will take it t he way it sound. It is an item to put into a Steak marinade. careameighsoviyoung. The receipe calls for 1/2 cup. I have never head of it and can’t find in groceries store
Hi Sharon, for this steak marinade we don’t use Cabernet Sauvignon (a dry red wine). But depending on where you are located you may want to check a liquor store or the liquor aisle at your local grocery store if you wanted to use it.
Cabernet Sauvignon – it’s a red wine
Not my favorite recipe. I didn’t hate it but I didn’t like it either. Had a very strong, overpowering mustard flavor. It just wasn’t something I personally was a fan of.
It was easy to make and it tasted delicious ! The smell of the marinade reminds me of A1 steak sauce but it flavored the meat perfectly and all of my family enjoyed it ! Sorry no pics, didn’t think about taking pics until we were already eating ! Definitely will use this marinade again !
Can’t wait to try this. Planning to make sirloin strips (sirloin tips). Will this marinade work well? Thanks!
That’ll be delicious Stephanie! Enjoy it!
Tried it and it was delicious
Great recipe, we really enjoyed the steak marinated this way! It was sirloin so didn’t too long of a time but it came out super tasty after just a couple of hours. Will definitely save it and make it again.
Tried your steak marinade on a couple prime ribs steaks for my wife and I. Marinaded them overnight, brought to room temperature and put them on the barbecue – fantastic! My wife loved the steak prepared that way! Thanks for the recipe!
You’re welcome Rick! So happy to hear that you and your wife love the steak!
I doubled the recipe for a 4-pound eye of round roast that I cut into strips to aid in tenderizing. I added one additional garlic clove and 1/2 cup of pineapple juice to the doubled ingredients. After marinating for about 22 hours, I rubbed some cumin/paprika/onion powder mix on the meat and let it sit for about 30 minutes before submerging in unsalted beef stock in a roasting pan in the oven at about 200 degrees F. It was my best eye of round roast yet. Flavorful and most tender to date! Thanks for this recipe!
Sorry for autocorrect. I meant to say: I enjoy fresh Thyme on vegies not on beef. That could be the reason for you not liking the marinade Author. Its rather strong but its beautiful for veges and chicken.
Thanks for this recipe. We always use a marinade on our steaks before cooking. The use of ingredients must compliment to the type of meat that you’re going to marinate. That could be why Arthur wasn’t happy with the recipe. Each type of meat, beef, chicken, pork etc., must have the appropriate compliment of spices for it to flavor the food appropriately.
This recipe is geared toward cooks who already have good cooking skills or has a sense of flavor addition. I would recommend researching what spices go best with what type of meat that you’re looking to marinate. Veges of course can use multiple types of marinate. I particularly like the use of fresh type on various vegies.
Thanks and happy cooking.
You’re very welcome CJ. Thank you for sharing! I’m so glad to hear that you love the marinade.
Thank you for sharing this recipe. It really gave the steak great flavor and tenderness!
Thank you so much for the recipe! Definitely try it, I already have most of ingredients.
So very delicious, Holly! Using this took our dinner to upper restaurant level. Thank you for making it available.
This recipe sucks! It overpowers the steak and leaves it in the dust!
Sorry you didn’t enjoy this recipe, Arthur!