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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.
Okay crazy lady, 6 steaks is a bit much. I mean, yes, sometimes I enjoy cooking up a storm and showing my neighbors they don’t know meats… But 6 steaks…. and it’s not adjustable unless I want to INcrease the amount.
I’m not doing maths, I’m far too busy drinkins. So yeah!
On the recipe card where it says 6 steaks in pink, you can actually adjust that number to go down to change the amounts of ingredients for a smaller portion! Or, you can make the marinade and save some for later. Let me know if you try it out, it’s delicious.
Best steaks ever!!! Steaks were so tender!! My picky 12 year old ate an entire 8oz steak. She usually will only eat a few bites!!! Amazing recipe!!
Made this for my wife for mother’s day. Made the marinade and put my steaks in the night before. Threw those bad boys on the grill (5-6 minutes on each side)… one of the best steaks I have ever had. I’ll definitely be using this recipe from now on.
Can you grill it
Of course!
I use this recipe every time I cook steak! I love it soooo much – so much flavor! Thank you!
If you are someone who eats steak for what it is, stick to salt and pepper. The lemon juice and worcestershire completely overpowers the meat taste.
This marinade was so so yummy!!! Will continue to use this on every steak!! So good & easy! 🙂
Hello Alyssa,
Can this marinate, be used on Pork Steaks, bone in ?
Sure! I haven’t tried that before but it sounds delicious!
Yes! I’ve used similar marinades for pork steaks, wild game etc. Vary the marinade. Try balsamic vinegar instead of the lemon juice, throw some different hot sauce in or leave it out, add a dash of liquid smoke or a little honey/molasses/maple syrup/brown sugar. Use avocado oil. Don’t leave out the lemon or vinegar. It breaks down the meat fiber to tenderize it and the oil keeps it moist. I am going to use this recipe as a base.
What can I say, this is THE best steak marinade. Had it sitting in the fridge for 6 hours and they came out so flavourful!!! Simple, easy, and had all the ingredients. Just all around fantastic. Will definitely be saving this recipe 🙂 A+++
I’ve been cooking for 45 years and I have to tell you that this is absolutely the best marinade that I’ve ever had on a steak. It is absolutely delicious. It is the only marinade that I have been using for the last year since finding it online. It’s really easy, you marinate your steaks, get your grill nice and hot, sear the steak on one side, flip the steak to cook other side and then pull your steaks off when you have reached your desired doneness. The whole process should only take about 10 minute. Do not flip your steaks multiple times as this wrecks your steak and don’t forget to let your steak rest before cutting into it.
I’m so glad that you loved it! These are great tips, thanks so much for following along!
My husband raved about this marinade! Perfectly compliments the steak without overpowering it.
Idk what recipe you guys used. This ruined some good steaks! Made them go straight in trash!
I dont have lemon juice on hand . Will it still be good
Lemon juice provides flavor and it also helps tenderize the meat. You can try it but you may end up with a different, tougher texture for your steak.
I don’t leave reviews, but I have to with this. This marinade makes the best steak I’ve had. It’s also amazing as a chicken marinade. I can’t get a steak at a restaurant anymore because the flavor is just subpar to this.
I forgot the pepper, but still the BEST steak marinade I’ve ever made. I used Lawry’s seasoning salt in place of regular salt
Great marinade. We use it on steaks and chicken. It is awesome!!!