October 25, 2023
Review RecipeHomemade Steak Marinade Recipe
Table of Contents
A good steak marinade will not only add tons of flavor to your steak but will also tenderize the meat to give it a delicious texture. This quick and easy marinade recipe uses the perfect blend of seasonings for the best steak – all with simple ingredients that you’ll probably already have in your spice cabinet.
Homemade Steak Marinade Ingredients
Imagine the savory notes of garlic and soy sauce mingling with the bright tang of Worcestershire and lemon juice. These flavors meld together and seep into the tender steak, creating an unforgettable taste experience.
The end result is a succulent, juicy, and tasty steak that is sure to make your mouth water with each and every bite.
You’ll need:
- ⅓ cup of soy sauce
- ⅓ cup of lemon juice
- ½ cup of olive oil
- ¼ cup of Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon of minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon of ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon of salt
- 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon of onion powder
- 1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning
- ⅛ teaspoon of red pepper flakes
- 4 ribeye steaks
- 4 tablespoons of cold butter, cut into 1 tablespoon pats
- Finely chopped parsley for garnish
- Sea salt to taste (optional)
Substitutions And Additions
STEAK: This delicious marinade will add amazing flavor to any cut of beef. Marinades are particularly beneficial for cheaper, tougher cuts of beef, such as skirt steak, hangar, and flank steak.
How To Make The Best Steak Marinade Recipe
Mix up the ingredients for the marinade before adding it to the steak. Allow the meat to marinate, giving it time to absorb all those savory flavors.
STEP ONE: In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, lemon juice, olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, minced garlic, ground black pepper, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes.
STEP TWO: Place your ribeye steak into a large, gallon-size freezer bag or 9×13-inch baking dish. Pour the marinade over the raw meat, ensuring that they are completely coated with enough marinade on all sides. Close the Ziploc bag or cover the baking dish with plastic wrap.
STEP THREE: Place the steaks into the refrigerator for two to four hours. For extra flavor, you could marinate them overnight. If you choose to marinate overnight, you should turn the steaks over midway through the marinating process.
OUR RECIPE DEVELOPER SAYS
If you prefer to fry your steak rather than grill it, you can do so using a cast-iron skillet. Add a splash of olive oil to the pan and sear on each side for three to four minutes. Then reduce the heat to low and continue to cook, flipping every three minutes until the internal thermometer reaches the desired temperature.
STEP FOUR: Remove the steaks from the marinade 20 to 30 minutes before you cook them. Bringing them to room temperature before cooking will result in a juicier steak.
Meanwhile, turn your grill temperature to high, open the dampers, and leave the lid closed for 10 to 15 minutes. The best temperature to cook a steak is between 450 to 500°F.
PRO TIP:
If cooking in a cast-iron skillet, be careful not to have the temperature too high or your steak will burn. Start steak at medium heat for best results.
STEP FIVE: Place your marinated steak on the grill. Add sea salt if desired. Close the lid and cook for three to four minutes.
PRO TIP:
Adding salt to your steak before cooking can make it more tender. Be careful not to add too much, as the marinade also contains salt.
STEP SIX: Open the grill and flip each steak over to a new part of the grill that is hot. Your steaks will have already absorbed all of the heat in the spot that they were cooking on, so using a new part of the grill will form grill marks on the other side of the meat. Close the lid and cook for another three to four minutes.
PRO TIP:
If using a skillet, reduce heat to medium-low and continue to cook for another 3 minutes, repeating until the internal temperature reaches the desired temperature. Cast-iron skillets take time to cool down, so starting at medium and then reducing to medium-low after searing will allow it to cook without burning.
STEP SEVEN: Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of each steak to see when they’re ready. Continue to check every two minutes until the desired temperature is achieved:
- RARE STEAK: 120-130°F
- MEDIUM RARE STEAK: 130-135°F
- MEDIUM STEAK: 135-145°F
- MEDIUM WELL STEAK: 145-155°F
- WELL DONE STEAK: 155°F and up
STEP EIGHT: When the steaks are done, place them on a cutting board under a tent of foil for five minutes. Resting will allow the steak to re-distribute the juices, so the liquid doesn’t run out when you cut into it.
STEP NINE: Top each steak with a one tablespoon pat of butter and freshly chopped parsley to serve.
How To Serve This Steak Marinade Recipe
Steak is delicious served alongside so many different side dishes. My favorite is topped with sauteed mushrooms and a side of garlic bread and Caesar salad.
You could also make broccoli salad or pasta salad to serve alongside your tasty steak.
You could also go a different route with roasted vegetables and mashed potatoes, all fantastic options.
MORE MEAT RECIPES
This is a great grilled recipe to use any night of the week, especially when served with air-fried home fries. Or cook up the tender steak to use in steak fajitas instead.
How To Store Marinade For Steak
IN THE FRIDGE: Cooked steak can be refrigerated for up to three days as long as it doesn’t look or smell bad. Be sure to wrap the steak tightly before refrigerating to keep any air out and all the juices in.
The marinade on its own should keep for a couple of weeks in the fridge in a sealed container without a problem. You can also marinate meat for up to five days.
IN THE FREEZER: You can store cooked steak in the freezer in an airtight container for up to three months. Thaw it in the fridge before reheating it in the oven or on the stove. It’s not ideal to freeze steak after cooking, so the leftovers may fare better if you create something like beef fajitas or a thinly-sliced steak and cheese sandwich.
All the best classic seasonings—from Worcestershire sauce to garlic powder and red pepper flakes—come together to create the perfect steak marinade recipe that produces a tender and juicy steak. We hope you agree that this is the best steak marinade recipe around. Give it a go this grilling season and then come back and tell us how delicious your steak was in the comments.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Tenderizing is not a requirement, but most cuts of beef do benefit from it. To make tough meat more tender, you can physically tenderize it using a meat mallet, score it with a knife or poke tiny holes in it with a fork.
A steak marinade with acidic ingredients like lemon juice will break down tough proteins and reduce any chewiness. It’s also important to let the meat come to room temperature before cooking as this helps it to cook more evenly.
From a food safety point of view, you can leave steak marinating in your fridge for up to five days. However, this could result in an undesirable texture and flavor, so it’s best not to leave it longer than overnight.
The grilling time will depend on the size and thickness of your steaks, grill temperature, the temperature of steaks to begin with. For an 8-ounce steak about 1-inch thick, cooking at medium-high heat (about 425°F), it should take about 3 to 5 minutes per side.
While it is not necessary to marinate steak, allowing the meat to sit in a marinade for several hours or overnight does add plenty of added flavor to most cuts of meat.
Overcooking steak tends to result in tough and chewy meat. It is best to cook your meat for a shorter amount of time for tender meat.
More Recipes You’ll Love
Best Steak Marinade Recipe
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup soy sauce
- ⅓ cup lemon juice
- ½ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 4 ribeye steaks
- 4 tablespoons cold butter, cut into 1 tablespoon pats
- parsley, finely chopped (for garnish)
- sea salt, to taste (optional)
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, lemon juice, olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, minced garlic, ground black pepper, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes.
- Place your ribeye steak into a large, gallon-sized freezer bag or 9×13-inch baking dish. Pour the marinade over the raw meat ensuring that they are completely coated with enough marinade on all sides. Close the Ziploc bag or cover the baking dish with plastic wrap.
- Place the steaks into the refrigerator for two to four hours. For extra flavor, you could marinate them overnight. If you choose to marinate overnight, you should turn the steaks over mid-way through the marinating process.
- Remove the steaks from the marinade 20 to 30 minutes before you cook them. Bringing them to room temperature before cooking will result in a juicier steak. Meanwhile, turn your grill temperature to high, open the dampers and leave the lid closed for 10 to 15 minutes. The best temperature to cook a steak is between 450 to 500°F.
- Place your marinated steak on the grill. Add sea salt if desired. Close the lid and cook for three to four minutes.
- Open the grill and flip each steak over to a new part of the grill that is hot. Your steaks will have already absorbed all of the heat in the spot that they were cooking on, so using a new part of the grill will form grill marks on the other side of the meat. Close the lid and cook for another three to four minutes.
- Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of each steak to see when they’re ready. Continue to check every two minutes until the desired temperature is achieved.
- When the steaks are done, place them on a cutting board under a tent of foil for five minutes. Resting will allow the steak to re-distribute the juices so the liquid doesn’t run out when you cut into it.
- Top each steak with a one tablespoon pat of butter and fresh chopped parsley to serve.
Notes
- Internal Temperatures for Steak: Rare steak 120-130°F, medium rare steak 130-135°F, medium steak 135-145°F, medium well steak 145-155°F, and well done steak 155°F and up.
- If you prefer to fry your steak rather than grill it, you can do so using a cast-iron skillet. Add a splash of olive oil to the pan and sear on each side for three to four minutes. Then reduce the heat to low and continue to cook, flipping every three minutes until the internal thermometer reaches the desired temperature.
- If cooking in a cast-iron skillet, be careful not to have the temperature too high or your steak will burn. Start steak at medium heat for best results.
- Adding salt to your steak before cooking can make it more tender. Be careful not to add too much as this marinade also contains salt.
- If using a skillet, reduce heat to medium-low and continue to cook for another 3 minutes, repeating until internal temperature reaches the desired temperature. Cast-iron skillets take time to cool down so starting at medium and then reducing to medium-low after searing will allow it to cook without burning.
Comments
jay platte says
this steak recipe is so good!!
Roni Fern Gossett says
Why does this recipe call for butter and i don’t see butter mentioned anywhere in the directions ???
Layne Kangas says
Hi, Roni – it’s in step nine. You top each steak with butter before serving. Enjoy!
Sherry says
How does the shortening pictured in the picture come into play? I did not see it mentioned in the directions.
Layne Kangas says
Hi, Sherry – that was totally a typo, there isn’t shortening in the recipe! 🙂
Kurt says
Amazing!
Charlie says
Going to try this with thick bone in pork chops
Tara Clairmont says
For the nutrition is that including the steak? Or just the marinade. Is the 383 per serving with the steak? Trying to track so want to make sure it’s accurate.
Thank you
Layne Kangas says
It includes the rib eye steaks!
Pam Gray says
If storing the marinade only, how long can it be stored in the refrigerator?
I may not use it all at once and would like to have it on hand for future meats.
Layne Kangas says
It should keep for a couple of weeks in the fridge without a problem, in a sealed container! You can also marinate meat for up to five days. Enjoy!
Hope Comerford says
This was SOOOOO good!!! WOW! This is a keeper! I love the grilling tips too. You helped me make Father’s Day dinner INCREDIBLY special and INCREDIBLY tasty! I will forever more use this marinade and these grilling tips when cooking steak on the grill. Thank you!
Julie says
I’ve used this recipe SEVERAL times and everyone loves it!!!!
IT’S MY FAVORITE!❤️
Brittni says
Such a great marinade! We use this for steak bites (minus the red pepper for the littles)! So simple, yet delicious!
Karen Walden says
Delish
Julie McGill-Leggett says
This is THE BEST steak recipe I have tried !! I’ve been using it for over a year and I’ll challenge anyone against their own. Everyone wants it , however I don’t want to share “ my secret recipe “🤣
William says
Used this on a New York strip, delicious, better than any of the bottled marinades I’ve tried.
Sydney says
I had my steaks in the marinade at around 1:00pm yesterday, my steaks were still frozen when I did this. They say in the marinade from than until dinner time today. They were very juicy, both my girls ate it right up and even the boyfriend said that he liked the steaks! And he doesn’t like Worcestershire sauce 😉 perfect marinade if you ask me! 10/10 thank you for the recipe