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This steak marinade is one of the top recipes on my site! It’s my go-to for turning tough, budget-friendly cuts into juicy, flavor-packed steaks that practically melt in your mouth.
A Reader’s Review
Loved loved loved this recipe!!!! This my first time making steak and was so pleased! Easy and simple. Thank you!!
Asma
Why Everyone’s Obsessed With This Marinade
- It’s totally foolproof! Even if you’re nervous about cooking steak, this marinade guarantees juicy, flavorful results every time.
- It lets the steak shine! This is NOT one of those marinades that hides the steak; it brings out the best in it. The perfect blend of spices, herbs, and acidity complements the natural flavor of the meat!
- It works year round! Grill it outside in the summer or sear it to perfection in a skillet when it’s freezing out. This marinade tastes amazing either way!
Ingredients Needed
- Soy Free: Swap soy sauce with coconut aminos for a soy-free option.
- Lemon Juice Substitution: Instead of lemon juice, you can use lime or orange juice, OR a few tablespoons of balsamic vinegar or apple cider vinegar, OR a tablespoon of whole grain or Dijon mustard for a little bite.
- Italian Seasoning: Not a big fan of Italian seasoning? Reduce it to 1 tablespoon, or use a different seasoning mix. Cajun, chipotle, and southwest would all be great!
How to Make Steak Marinade
Simple pantry ingredients all come together in this incredible steak marinade recipe to give you such amazing flavor and the perfectly cooked, juicy steak! Try my Tri-Tip Marinade next!
- Combine: Add soy sauce, lemon juice, olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, minced garlic, Italian seasoning, ground black pepper, salt, and red pepper flakes to a small bowl and whisk until combined.
- Marinate: Add 4 pounds of your choice of steaks to a zip lock bag. Pour the marinade over the steaks, then seal the bag, and marinate for 2 hours or overnight.
Steak Questions? I’ve Got You (FAQ’s)
- How do you make a steak tender? I use lemon juice in my marinade to break down tough fibers and soften the steak. For really tough cuts, I’ll also pound the meat before cooking.
- Why is my steak tough and chewy? It usually means the fibers didn’t break down enough. Tender cuts need quick, high heat; tougher cuts need slow cooking with moisture to stay tender.
- How long do you marinate steak? At least 2 hours, but overnight is even better for maximum flavor and tenderness. But don’t marinate the steaks for longer than 24 hours. After that, the lemon juice will start to break down the steak, leaving it tough and mushy.
Make Ahead & Leftover Steak Marinade
- Make Ahead: You can make the marinade 2-3 days in advance and keep it in the fridge. Set out at room temperature for an hour or two before adding the steak so the olive oil isn’t solid.
- Leftover Marinade: *Never reuse a marinade that has touched raw meat! If you want extra marinade for basting or making a sauce, set some aside before adding the raw steaks.
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The BEST Steak Marinade
My steak marinade turns you into the steak master everyone talks about. Juicy, tender, bold, whether your grilling or searing!
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup soy sauce
- ⅓ cup lemon juice
- ½ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes
Instructions
Marinade
- Add ⅓ cup soy sauce, ⅓ cup lemon juice, ½ cup olive oil, ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon minced garlic, 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon ground black pepper, ½ teaspoon salt, and 1 pinch red pepper flakes to a small bowl and whisk until combined.
- Add 4 pounds of your choice of steaks to a resealable zip lock bag. Pour the marinade over the steaks, seal the bag, and marinate for 2 hours or overnight.
Video
Notes
Servings: Makes about 1 ⅔ cups of marinade, enough to marinate up to 4 pounds of steak.
Cooking Steaks in a Skillet: Heat the skillet over high heat before adding the steaks. Add the marinated steaks and cook on each side for 3 minutes or until the outside forms a brown crust. Reduce the heat to medium-high. Cook the steaks to the desired doneness. Mine took about 10 minutes, flipping 3 times to get a medium well. Top the steaks with salted butter and garnish with fresh parsley, if desired.
Nutrition
Calories: 279kcalCarbohydrates: 8gProtein: 3gFat: 27gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 20gSodium: 1596mgPotassium: 246mgFiber: 1gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 68IUVitamin C: 11mgCalcium: 70mgIron: 3mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Tried this recipe?Mention @alyssa_therecipecritic or tag #therecipecritic!
More Delicious Steak Recipes
Steak is already a rockstar! It doesn’t need a lot to taste amazing. A good cut is packed with flavor on its own, but the right recipes (like these!) take it to the next level.
I would like to get the recipe for your marinade please.
Hi Jacqueline, if you click on this link, then click on the box right under my picture that says “JUMP TO RECIPE” it will take you right to the recipe card! I hope that helps!
We move this recipe, I do had half a can of coke for tenderizing reasons. My family loves it.
Loved loved loved this recipe!!!! This my first time making steak and was so pleased! Easy and simple. Thank you!!
Wow! I feel so honored you used this recipe for your first time making steak! I’m so glad it turned out great!
I tried this on Ribeye and Top Sirloin Stakes last night. I had them sit in the marinade for about 6 hours then smoked them for about an hour at 225 until a perfect medium rare.
The stakes came out full of flavor and as tender as I could ask for. I think they were better than any steakhouse out there.
I have already saved and printed the recipe as it will be used again.
Defiantly worth the wait.
Wow! Sounds amazing! I’m so happy to hear they turned out so well!
GREAT RECIPE!
Excellent marinade! The only deviation I had was 1/4 balsamic vinegar.
Thanks for sharing! So glad you liked it! I love how you can adjust things to suit your tastes and it still turns out amazing! Have you tried my chicken marinade? It’s another keeper!
Best I have ever cooked. I started a narrative about how great your whole recipe and cooking directions were but it got deleted so here’s my comment I hope you received it
What do you think about adding a little Gochujang? I think I’m going to try it now.
Excellent marinade! I used coconut amino’s instead of soy sauce and gluten free Worcestershire sauce. Ended up marinating them for 3 days and wow, one of the best steaks I’ve ever had! They were quite large and about 1.25 inches thick. Cooked on bbq, 4 min a side for medium rare. My husband and daughter both loved their steaks. Thank you, this recipe is a keeper! ?
My partner is histamine intolerant so I always use coconut aminos but didn’t know about the gluten free worstershire, thanks for tip! Great marinade!
YUM
Which is???
Just used this marinade for some flank steak.
WOW, we gobbled it up, this is a keeper!
I love this marinade!!
I use this ever time I cook ribeyes and flank steaks but I was looking for a chicken marinade and this recipe is very similar to other chicken marinades. Do you think it would be good with chicken?
I do have this recipe for chicken marinade but you could use this steak marinade as well. ?
I’m going to try the steak marinade But I was wondering if I can grill them on my pit
Kathy, yes you can because that’s how I do my steaks. Good luck!?
I am using it on Elk steak , why do people complain where they think you got the recipe, I’m just happy to have it ! I don’t have time to go on every site to see if it’s identical to someone else! Thanks for the recipe!
I have used this marinade to season my beef for beef stew more than once. It makes for the most tender meat in my stew and adds great flavors.
So happy to hear it! I’ll have to try that next time I make beef stew.