You have just found the BEST Steak Marinade recipe ever! This marinade combines the best blend of sauces, spices, and herbs that marinate and infuse almost any cut of steak with delicious seasoning.
Filled with tang and bold flavors, this easy steak marinade makes the most tender and juicy steak ever!
Best Steak Marinade Recipe
Our simple steak marinade is so easy to make in minutes using pantry-staple ingredients that are simply whisked together and poured over the meat to create the perfect pairing.
There’s no better way to season a steak than by letting it sit in a homemade sauce before grilling or pan searing so that its natural flavors are enhanced and not overpowered.
Preparing steak in a skillet not only evenly distributes the heat and puts the perfect sear on the outside, with beautiful brown crispy edges, and juicy, tender insides, but it also lets you cook all year when it’s too cold to grill outdoors.
If you love steak, you know that you don’t need much to make it taste delicious; that’s why this is the BEST steak sauce because meat should never be dry, tough, or flavorless after marinating!
Season all your steaks, fish, and chicken this summer with this flavorful sauce, and get grilling!
Why this is the Best Steak Marinade Recipe
- Quick and easy to make in minutes.
- Uses simple kitchen-staple ingredients.
- Brings out the delicious natural steak flavors with a juicy, tender texture.
- Marinade will turn any cut of beef into a show stopper and makes a meal that’s better than any fancy steakhouse.
- Perfect for special occasions yet simple enough for a weeknight dinner.
Other Grilled Recipes
Ingredients For Steak Marinade
- Rib eye steaks
- Soy sauce: You can use a low sodium soy sauce if you’re watching your salt intake.
- Lemon juice: You can also use pineapple juice–the acid from either will help tenderize even the leanest cuts of steak.
- Olive oil
- Worcestershire sauce
- Garlic
- Black pepper
- Salt
- Garlic powder (you can use fresh minced garlic instead if you have it)
- Onion powder
- Italian seasonings
- Red pepper flakes
- Butter
- Parsley
Steak Marinade Recipe Substitutions and Additions
- Swap Steaks: You can use this versatile marinade to tenderize almost any cut of meat. Try it with sirloin, New York Strip, filet, skirt steak, T-bone, porterhouse, flank steak, or my favorite rib eye.
- Skip The Soy: If you are allergic to soy or prefer not to use soy sauce, you can try Tamari sauce which is another Japanese sauce that tastes like soy but is thicker and more flavorful. Coconut aminos also make a good substitution for soy sauce or use Bragg liquid aminos to help tenderize the meat and add flavor.
Recommended Tools
- Mixing bowl
- Whisk
- Gallon sized ziplock bag or 9×13 baking dish
- Cast iron skillet
- Meat thermometer
- Cutting board
- Aluminum foil
See Full Recipe Card Below
Jump to RecipeHow to Make This Easy Steak Marinade
This Steak Marinade is so quick and easy to make simply by whisking together some sauces, spices and herbs. While it may sound basic, it coats your meat in the best flavors to create the most tender, juicy meal.
How to make Steaks in the Skillet
- Make The Marinade: Combine soy sauce, lemon juice, olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, pepper, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasonings, and red pepper flakes.
- Marinate The Meat: Add steaks to a ziplock bag. Pour the marinade over the steaks, making sure to coat all sides. Marinate in the refrigerator for 2-4 hours, or overnight for the best flavor.
Pro Tip: If marinating overnight make sure to turn steaks over halfway through. - Cook: Remove the steaks from the refrigerator and out of the marinade 20-30 minutes before cooking. Place steak in a heated skillet and season with sea salt. Cook and sear on each side for 3-4 minutes. Flip and repeat. Reduce the heat and continue to cook, flipping every 3 minutes until you reach your desired doneness.
Pro Tip: If your skillet isn’t “seasoned” or is new, add 1⁄2 tbsp olive oil before placing steaks into the skillet. This will prevent them from sticking to the bottom. - Test The Temperature: Use a meat thermometer to test the internal temperature.
Pro Tip: Cast Iron Skillets take time to cool down, so it’s important not to turn up the heat higher than medium. Cooking the steak at medium-low after it is seared will allow for it to cook slower without burning. The skillet will still be hot enough to cook the steak even at a lower temperature.- RARE STEAK: 120-130 degrees
- MEDIUM RARE STEAK: 130-135 degrees
- MEDIUM STEAK: 135-145 degrees
- MEDIUM WELL: 145-155 degrees
- WELL DONE: 155 degrees and up
- Serve: Place cooked steaks on a cutting board and tent with foil for 5 minutes. Top with a pat of butter and fresh parsley and serve. Enjoy!
Pro Tip: Tenting steak will allow the steak to re-distribute the juices so they don’t run out of the meat when it’s cut.
How to Grill a Steak
- Prepare The Grill: Preheat the grill and allow your steaks to come to room temperature. Clean the grill grates and adjust burners so they are all evenly lit and burning.
Pro Tip: The best temperature to cook steak is between 450 – 500 degrees. - Cook: Place steaks on the grill and season with salt. Cook for 3-4 minutes with lid closed, flip the steak over to a new hot part of the grill, and cook with lid closed for another 3-4 minutes.
Pro Tip: Because the steaks will have already absorbed the heat in the spot that they were cooking, make sure to cook them on an unused part of the grill after flipping. This will also allow your steaks to form grill marks on the other side of the meat. - Test The Temperature: Test the internal temperature of the steak for doneness. Continue to cook with the lid closed, checking every 2 minutes until desired doneness is achieved:
- RARE STEAK: 120-130 degrees
- MEDIUM RARE STEAL: 130-135 degrees
- MEDIUM STEAK: 135-145 degrees
- MEDIUM WELL: 145-155 degrees
- WELL DONE: 155 degrees and up
- Serve: Place cooked steaks on a cutting board and tent with foil for 5 minutes. Top each steak with a pat of butter and fresh chopped parsley and serve!
How do you marinate Steak?
To marinate steak, choose a marinade and mix it in a bowl. Place the steak in a sealable bag or container with the marinade, marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, and then cook the steak using your preferred method.
Can you marinate Steak overnight?
Yes, you can marinate steak overnight, and it can result in a more flavorful and tender meat. However, it’s important not to over-marinate the steak, as the acid in the marinade can break down the proteins too much, resulting in a mushy texture. A good rule of thumb is to marinate the steak for at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours.
Tips From Our Recipe Developer
- If you don’t have fancy marinade containers, just use a baggie! Works just as well!
- Cooking room temperature meat will result in a better cooked steak that is juicy and melts in your mouth.
- However you cook your steak, be sure to let it rest for at least 5 minutes for the juices to redistribute throughout the steak. You want all the flavor to remain inside the meat instead of on your plate.
- For tender bites of steak it’s essential that it be cut against the grain when slicing.
- If grilling your steak, patting it dry to remove excess marinade will prevent flare-ups on the grill.
Best Steak Marinade Storage Tips
- To Store: This marinade will stay fresh, covered in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- To Freeze: You can freeze your marinade for up to 2 months in a freezer-safe container.
Easy Side Dishes to Serve with Steak
- Green Beans with Feta Cheese
- Twice Baked Potatoes
- Mexican Street Corn Salad
- Cauliflower Fried Rice
- Tomato Cucumber Avocado Salad
- Campfire Potatoes
- Easy Antipasto Salad Recipe
Best Steak Marinade Recipe
Serves — 4
This quick and easy Steak Marinade is the perfect pairing for meat and will make even the least expensive cut taste as delicious as dining at a fancy restaurant! Because the tastiest flavor and juiciest texture comes from the best marinade!
Cook Time 14 minutes
Marinating Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 15 minutes
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup soy sauce
- ⅓ cup lemon juice
- ½ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tbsp italian seasonings
- ⅛ tsp red pepper flakes
- 4 tbsp cold butter cut into 1 tbsp pats
- 4 rib eye steaks
- Finely chopped parsley for garnish
- Sea Salt to taste *optional
Instructions
- In a small mixing bowl combine soy sauce, lemon juice, olive oil, worcestershire sauce, minced garlic, ground black pepper, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasonings, and red pepper flakes.
- Add steaks to a large gallon sized ziplock bag or 9×13 baking dish. Pour marinade over steaks and flip over to coat all sides of the steak. Close the zip lock bag, or cover the 9×13 with plastic wrap. Marinate for 2-4 hours, or overnight for the best flavor.NOTE: If marinating overnight make sure to turn steaks over half way through the marinating process.
- When you are ready to cook your steaks make sure to pull them out of the refrigerator, and out of the marinade 20-30 minutes before cooking. Place them on a cutting board while you are heating your cast iron skillet. This will result in a better cooked steak that is juicy and melts in your mouth.
- After your steak comes to room temperature, place the cast iron skillet over medium heat on the stove top. Bring the skillet up to temperature before adding meat.NOTE: If your cast iron skillet isn’t “seasoned”, or is on the newer side, add 1⁄2 tbsp olive oil before placing steaks into the skillet. This will prevent them from sticking to the bottom of the cast iron skillet.
- Place each steak in the cast iron skillet and season with sea salt. Allow each steak to cook and sear on each side for 3-4 minutes. Watch so they don’t burn. Flip over and repeat.
- Reduce heat to medium low and continue to cook, flipping every 3 minutes until the internal temperature reaches the desired temperature using meat thermometer.NOTE: Cast Iron Skillets take time to cool down, that’s why it’s important not to turn up the heat higher than medium. Cooking the steak at medium low after it is seared will allow for it to cook slower without burning. The cast iron skillet will still be hot enough to effectively cook the steak even at a lower temperature.
- When the steaks are done cooking remove to a cutting board and tent with foil for 5 minutes. This will allow the steak to re-distribute the juices so they don’t run out of the meat when cut it.
- Top each steak with a pat of butter and fresh chopped parsley and serve!
Jenn’s Notes
Internal Temperatures:
- RARE STEAK: 120-130 degrees
- MEDIUM RARE STEAK: 130-135 degrees
- MEDIUM STEAK: 135-145 degrees
- MEDIUM WELL: 145-155 degrees
- WELL DONE: 155 degrees and up
Nutrition Info
Calories: 851kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 48g | Fat: 70g | Saturated Fat: 25g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 168mg | Sodium: 1760mg | Potassium: 854mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 441IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 72mg | Iron: 6mg
Originally published May 24, 2019
It came out wayy too sweet and I strongly dislike sweet steak. It should be hearty and flavorful not just sweet. I followed this recipe to a T, and no where did it say it was going to be sweet. Extremely dissapointed, I didn’t even get to eat after that first bite 😡😩
I absolutely love everything about your site. You are my go to cookbook. You are so informative. I learned about you through my grandaughter.
You might want to check the ingredient list because they aren’t showing up. They do on the recipe card but not within the article. Just a bunch of dots.
YIKES – my site went down this weekend and some pages got messed up. Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know! ❤️
Can i use apple cider vinegar instead of balsamic vinegar?
Hi Marj, I have never tried that, but I would think it would totally change the taste of the recipe. Honestly, I would stick with balsamic.
Marge asked about balsamic vinegar however there was no balsamic vinegar in the ingredient list correct or am I missing something?
Kerry, that was an old version, we since updated the recipe.
I have followed your recipes for this bit of cake, the results are wonderful, everyone in my family complimented it very well
A very delicious recipe, thanks for it, my wife loves meat, especially steaks, so when I cooked her a steak for her recipe, she was just ecstatic! And I really love these steaks, because they are not difficult to cook, and they contain a large number of calories. Tell me please, how can you make this meat even tastier? Which sauce is better to add to it? Because I had only BBQ sauce at hand, it was delicious, but it seems to me that you could do even more delicious, I want to ask your advice, what do you say to this?