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Home » Dinner » The BEST Steak Marinade

Published: April 19, 2022 Last Modified: April 19, 2022 By Sara 91 Comments

The BEST Steak Marinade

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This steak marinade is made with olive oil, soy sauce, garlic, lemon, herbs and spices, and takes just 5 minutes to put together.
This steak marinade is made with olive oil, soy sauce, garlic, lemon, herbs and spices, and takes just 5 minutes to put together.
This steak marinade is made with olive oil, soy sauce, garlic, lemon, herbs and spices, and takes just 5 minutes to put together.

This steak marinade is made with olive oil, soy sauce, garlic, lemon, herbs and spices, and takes just 5 minutes to put together. It adds tons of flavor to any cut of beef and can be used for grilled, broiled or sauteed marinated steak.

I love to use marinades in cooking, it adds so much great flavor with very little effort. I regularly marinate chicken, shrimp and salmon, and I always have this amazing steak marinade in my constant rotation.

Steaks grilled, sitting in a pan of steak marinade and topped with butter.

Steak Marinade Ingredients

Bowls of ingredients including olive oil, soy sauce, garlic and seasonings.

This marinade consists of pantry staples that you probably already have on hand.

  • Olive Oil: The oil forms the base of the marinade. It adds flavor to the meat and helps to prevent it from drying out as it cooks.
  • Soy Sauce: This sauce adds much needed salt to the steak, as well as a complex, savory flavor.
  • Worcestershire Sauce: This sauce pairs perfectly with red meat, and is a must-have for this marinade.
  • Lemon Juice: Freshly squeezed lemon juice is best. This ingredient helps to tenderize the meat, as well as adds a bright, fresh flavor.
  • Garlic: You can’t have steak without garlic! Mince your own fresh garlic for the best results.
  • Seasonings: The ingredients of dried Italian seasoning, salt, pepper and onion powder round out the flavor profile of the marinade.

How do you make steak marinade?

This steak marinade is a blend of soy sauce, olive oil, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, Italian seasoning and spices. Mix everything together in either a bowl or a gallon sized freezer bag. Add your steak, and give it at least one hour to soak up all that great flavor!

Step by step shots of marinade being made and poured over steaks.

Tips for Steak marinade

  • This marinade will stay fresh in the fridge for up to 5 days, so it’s great to make in advance if you’re entertaining. You can even freeze your marinade for up to 2 months if need be!
  • Feel free to use a low sodium soy sauce if you’re watching your salt intake.
  • Italian seasoning is a blend of dry herbs that is available in the spice aisle of most grocery stores. This seasoning is typically a blend of dried basil, parsley, garlic and oregano. If you can’t find Italian seasoning, you can blend together your own dried herbs in equal amounts.
  • The steak in these photos is topped with an herb butter which is super easy to make. Simply combine 1/4 cup softened butter with 2 tablespoons fresh chopped herbs, 1/4 teaspoon minced garlic, salt and pepper. Add a dollop of butter on top of each steak as it comes off the grill.
  • This marinade works well with most cuts of beef, I recommend using it on flank steak, New York strip, ribeye, sirloin or filet mignon.
Beef in a steak marinade that's been grilled and sliced and served with potatoes and vegetables.

Recipe FAQs

Should steaks be marinated?

While it’s not a requirement to marinate your steak, most cuts of beef benefit from being marinated. The marinade adds a lot of flavor, and a longer marinating time allows for the ingredients to really penetrate the meat.

How long can you marinate steak?

I recommend marinating your steak for a minimum of one hour, but if you have time, it’s really best to marinate your steak for at least 6-8 hours. You can leave your steak in the marinade for up to 24 hours if you prefer.

Does marinade make steaks tender?

This marinade will help to tenderize steak. The acid in the lemon juice is the tenderizing agent.

Steak sliced on a platter, topped with herb butter and parsley.

Steak temperatures

Use a digital thermometer to gauge when your steaks are done. You can insert your thermometer into the thickest part of your meat to determine whether the steak is at your preferred level of doneness. I personally like to cook my steaks to medium, I don’t recommend cooking your meat over 150 degrees F as it will be more likely to be tough or dry.

Keep in mind that steaks should rest for at least 5 minutes before you cut into them, so it’s best to take them off the heat a few degrees before you reach your desired temperature, as they’ll continue to cook as they rest.

  • Rare: 130 degrees F
  • Medium Rare: 135 degrees F
  • Standard Medium: 145 degrees F
  • Medium Well: 150 degrees F
  • Well Done: 160 degrees F

I typically grill my steaks, either on an outdoor charcoal grill or inside on a grill pan. That being said, this marinade is perfect with sauteed or broiled steak, so go ahead and use whatever cooking method works best for you. Your family will thank you!

More great steak recipes

  • Garlic Butter Steak Bites
  • Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Peppers
  • Steak Kabobs
  • Pepper Steak Stir Fry
  • Flank Steak Marinade
Steaks grilled, sitting in a pan of steak marinade and topped with butter.
Print Pin
5 from 51 votes

Steak Marinade

This steak marinade is made with olive oil, soy sauce, garlic, lemon, herbs and spices, and takes just 5 minutes to put together. It adds tons of flavor to any cut of beef and can be used for grilled, broiled or sauteed marinated steak.
Course Main
Cuisine American
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 1 minute
Marinating Time 1 hour
Total Time 6 minutes
Servings 6
Calories 83kcal
Author Sara Welch

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder

Instructions

  • Place all the ingredients in a bowl or in a resealable gallon sized freezer bag. Mix to combine.
  • Add steaks to the marinade. Marinate for at least 1 hour, or up to 24 hours.
  • Cook steak as desired. Marinade makes enough for 2 pounds of steak.

Notes

  1. This marinade can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days, so it’s great to make in advance if you’re entertaining. You can even freeze your marinade for up to 2 months if need be!
  2. Feel free to use a low sodium soy sauce if you’re watching your salt intake.
  3. The steak in these photos is topped with an herb butter which is super easy to make. Simply combine 1/4 cup softened salted butter with 2 tablespoons fresh chopped herbs, 1/4 teaspoon minced garlic, and salt and pepper to taste. Add a dollop of butter on top of each steak as it comes off the grill.

Nutrition

Calories: 83kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 627mg | Potassium: 139mg | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 25IU | Vitamin C: 5.8mg | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 1.4mg
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    Comments

    1. Terri Buttry says

      May 30, 2022 at 11:33 am

      5 stars
      I’m so excited for a easy tasty marinade

      Reply
    2. Anjali says

      April 26, 2022 at 6:52 pm

      5 stars
      This is such a flavorful marinade!! We actually used it for some roasted veggies and grilled tofu and it was delicious!

      Reply
    3. Anita says

      April 26, 2022 at 4:59 pm

      5 stars
      I love this marinade, so simple and flavorful. I love how I can marinade it for several days to amp up the flavor too.

      Reply
    4. Vanessa says

      April 26, 2022 at 4:22 pm

      5 stars
      It started warming up here so we obviously had to start up the grill. This marinade added so much flavor to our first steaks of the grilling season! Thank you!

      Reply
    5. Cynthia says

      April 26, 2022 at 3:50 pm

      5 stars
      This was the perfect blend for my tri-tip steak. I love garlic so admit to adding a bit more!
      I made a second batch and am going to freeze it for an upcoming BBQ to save a bit of time so thanks for that tip.

      Reply
    6. Angela says

      April 26, 2022 at 3:49 pm

      5 stars
      This really is the perfect steak marinade. My steaks came out so flavorful! This recipe is definitely a keeper!

      Reply
    7. Sheryl says

      February 1, 2022 at 9:51 am

      5 stars
      I too have tried and tried and tried to cook steak over the years, but NOTHING has come out even close to this. Best steak I’ve ever made by far. Flavorful and juicy. Can’t thank you enough for sharing the recipe.

      Reply
    8. Sherrie T Price says

      January 24, 2022 at 9:15 am

      I’m trying this today, I’m impressed with all the awesome reviews, I will let you know how we liked it later….

      Reply
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