All you need is five minutes and a handful of fridge and pantry staples to make this easy steak marinade.
- Active Time: 5 mins
- Total Time: 1 hr 5 mins
A great steak marinade can make budget-friendly cuts of beef taste like a million bucks. And the best part about this easy steak marinade is that it can be made with ingredients you likely have in your pantry and fridge right now—and it's easy to adapt based on what you have on hand.
Here, learn how to make this quick and easy steak marinade, and find out the best way to marinate steak so that it is tender, flavorful, and juicy.
Why Marinate Steak?
What's the secret to perfectly tender, juicy, and flavorful steak? You don’t need chef-y equipment like a sous vide machine, or even pricey truffle butter. The key is giving the steak time to hang out in a bold umami-packed steak marinade just long enough to maximize the meat's flavor and tenderness.
If you think you might not have time for the extra step of marinating, think again. This quick and easy recipe requires just five minutes of prep, and it calls for ingredients that you most likely already have in your fridge and pantry. Plus, it’s totally flexible. Out of soy sauce? Swap in Worcestershire. No fresh herbs on hand? Use any combination of dried thyme, basil, rosemary, or oregano. If the sugar bowl is empty, try a drizzle of honey instead.
Steak Marinade Ingredients
This steak marinade recipe relies on just a handful of ingredients, most of which you likely have on hand right now. The full list and all measurements are listed below, but here's a brief recap of the ingredients you'll need for this steak marinade:
- Olive oil: Olive oil is neutral enough to serve as the base of this marinade. It also helps lock in moisture as the steak cooks.
- Balsamic vinegar: Tangy and a little bit sweet, this vinegar is ideal with steak.
- Soy or Worcestershire sauce: Use whichever you have or prefer for a hit of umami.
- Honey, granulated sugar, or brown sugar: Again, use whichever you have on hand, or pick the flavor you prefer. All caramelize the surface of the steak a bit as they cook.
- Garlic cloves: Fresh garlic will impart more flavor than the pre-minced stuff.
- Green herbs: Pick from your favorites: thyme, basil, rosemary, or oregano. Don't have fresh? You can use the same in dried form.
- Salt and pepper: To round out the flavor.
- Steak: You obviously need steak for a steak marinade. Pick whatever is in your budget. The great thing about a marinade is that it can elevate high-end cuts of beef, or it can tenderize budget cuts to be nearly as tender as the expensive cuts.
How To Make Homemade Steak Marinade
The second best thing about making homemade steak marinade—besides how flexible it is—is how quick it is. Once you pull everything out of the pantry and fridge, you just have to mix it all in a zip-top bag or baking dish.
Full instructions are below, but here's a brief recap.
- Step 1. Combine ingredients: In a zip-top bag or baking dish, whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, soy or Worcestershire sauce, mustard, sweetener, garlic cloves, herbs, and salt and pepper.
- Step 2. Add steak: Put the steaks in the marinade, flip the steaks, and then cover the baking dish (if using) with plastic wrap.
- Step 3. Marinate: Let the steaks sit in the fridge, and rotate or flip the steaks halfway during the marinating time.
- Step 4. Remove steaks: Take steaks out of the marinade, and pat dry. Dispose of the marinade, or cook it to use again (more on that below).
- Step 5. Cook steaks: Grill, sear, or bake the steaks, whichever you prefer.
How To Use Steak Marinade
You can marinate the steak in two easy ways:
- In a baking dish: Make sure the baking dish is large enough for the steaks (a 9- x 13-inch dish is likely large enough for four steaks).
- In a zip-top bag: No room for a baking dish in the fridge? Put the marinade in a bag, and toss the steaks. While it's marinading, massage the bag occasionally to cover the steaks with the liquid.
How Long To Marinate a Steak
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