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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.
Love it!!
Will this work with chicken as well?
Yes, just leave it on for a few hours instead of overnight.
Lemon juice: bottled or freshly squeezed?
I prefer freshly squeezed but a bottle does work as well.
I tried this recipe last night and it was my first time ever at cooking steak. It was so delicious! my husband and I really enjoyed it. Thank you so much for sharing the recipe with the world 🙂
Hi I don’t have soy saues what can i. Use when do i add the butter?
Worcestershire sauce can be used but it will alter the taste compared to soy sauce. You will add the butter after the steak is done cooking on top of the steak to let it melt into the meat.
This is the best marinade. My husband is very particular but he loved it as well. I will be using it for other meat dishes in the future. Delish!!
In the flank steak recipe it calls for “herbs”. Name them by themself please.
The Italian seasoning is the only herbs in the recipe and you can either buy it in one seasoning bottle or you can make your own. Italian seasoning is a blend of dried Italian-inspired herbs such as basil, marjoram, oregano, rosemary, and thyme.
I made two NY strips with a four hour marinade. It was an absolute hit. Recommend flipping the steak every minute in a hot skillet while basting in butter. I will be using this recipe weekly! Thanks so much!
I used this with the Sous Vide. It was delicious.
Definitely the best steak marinade that I have ever eaten, SOOOOO YUMMY ?
Thank you and please keep them coming ??
I was sceptical about this but having tried it, well it is certainly the best marinade for steak available. You will never cook steak without this again! So full of flavour and just sublime!
I’ve used this recipe 4 or 5 times, and I have to say it’s excellent. I use it on sirloin and the marinade really enhances the flavor.
Hey Mike~ Have you found that it does a decent job of tenderizing the sirloin? SInce it’s a much leaner, somewhat tougher cut of beef, when I find it on sale I like to buy enough of it slow cook or use for stew, etc. but I know I’ve had sirloin steak- grilled or pan fried- elsewhere that was fairly tender~ just not much luck w/it yet, personally. Thanks in advance, for any further info~ Sam
I used this marinade on a 2 lb tri tip two weekends ago…oh. My. Goodness!
I had to learn how to BBQ/roast a tri tip as well. This marinade was a hit with everyone. The lemon not only tenderizes the meat, but adds a subtle tang to it. I used a lot of chopped garlic and McCormick’s steak seasoning both in the marinade and on the roast as well. I also made a garlic/chive compound butter to slather on as the roast was resting.
We all loved it.
This marinade is a keeper. I will make sure I always have the ingredients on hand, including the fresh-squeezed lemon. I highly recommend this recipe.
Do you use fresh lemon juice? If not, what do you buy?
I like to use fresh lemon juice. If not, you can use the lemon juice from a lemon that is already squeezed.
Can you marinade a roast in this and cook in a slow cooker, with potatoes and carrots?
Yes! That will work great too! Let me know how it turns out for you and what you did differently.
Can you use this with pork chops?
Hmm! That is a great idea! Let me know how it turns out!
I bet it would be great! I’m going to try it myself.
Thanks for the idea.
Delicious marinade! We’ve used this recipe several times now and have never been disappointed. Thanks for the recipe!