The perfect Steak Marinade transforms your grilling game, ensuring your steak comes out juicy, tender, and packed with flavor.
The Best Steak Marinade
Ever since attending the grilling camp I shared about here I’ve been OBSESSED with grilling. Seriously, it’s my newest hobby and I’ve grilled just about every day this month. Before going to that bootcamp I grilled a bit, but it was usually just been chicken or shrimp and occasionally a steak.
Since coming back from the camp and reading just about everything I can about grilling (really, I’m so weird.), I can’t get enough.
And one of the things I’ve learned is that when grilling steak, the steak marinade you use makes a big difference. Lucky for you I have a great steak recipe I’m sharing with you below, complete with a steak marinade recipe as well.
Steak Marinade Ingredients
- Olive Oil, Soy Sauce, Worcestershire Sauce: These create a tasty and moist marinade. Use low-sodium soy sauce so you’re in control of the saltiness.
- Lemon Juice and Lemon Zest: Freshly squeezed lemon juice works best.
- Minced Garlic and Garlic Powder: Use finely minced fresh garlic for more intensity.
- Dried Basil, Parsley, Oregano: Finely diced fresh herbs also work!
- Ground White Pepper: Use black pepper if you like a stronger pepper flavor in your steak marinade.
- Coarse Sea Salt (optional): Sprinkle salt just before grilling to keep the meat juicy.
- Steaks: Pick well-marbled steaks for juicier, tastier results.
- Canola Oil: Prevents the steaks from sticking to the grill. Use an oil with a high smoke point, like canola, for best results.
What Are The Best Steaks To Grill?
I love this list of the top 10 steaks to grill by Steven Raichlen. (These photos are a NY Strip Steak, but my favorite GRILLED steak (right now) is probably a rib-eye)
Use a Meat Thermometer:
For the perfect grilled marinated steak, exactly how you like it, I highly recommend using a meat thermometer for the best results.
- Rare: 120-125°F
- Medium-Rare: 135°F
- Medium: 140°F
- Medium-Well: 150°F
- Well-Done: 160-175°F
Steak Marinade Tips
- Choose the Right Meat: For weeknight dinners, a good value steak from the grocery store works great. Butcher steaks are pricier and often just need salt and pepper.
- Steak Thickness: Aim for a steak at least 1 to 2 inches thick for a perfect red center.
- Center Cut: Ensures even cooking on the grill.
- Trim The Skin: Before grilling, trim the edge silverskin, but keep the marbling fat for flavor.
- Oil the Grill: Heat the grill fully, clean with a wire brush, then oil the grates with canola oil using a paper towel.
- Preheat the Grill: Ensure high heat before adding meat for a juicy steak with a great char.
- Flip with Tongs: Avoid piercing the steak with a fork to keep the juices in.
- Diamond Grill Marks: Place steak diagonally on the grill, then rotate 90 degrees after 2-3 minutes.
- Rest the Steak: Let it rest for 5-10 minutes under foil to redistribute juices for a juicier steak.
Storage
Leftovers?
Refrigerate: Place the cooled steaks in an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
Freeze: For longer storage, place the steaks in a freezer-safe bag, remove the air, and freeze for up to 2-3 months.
Make-Ahead Steak Marinade: Mix all ingredients and store in an airtight container or sealable jar in the fridge for up to 5 days. Shake or stir before using.
More Summer Recipes:
Easy Steak Marinade
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/3 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 2 large lemons
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
- 3 tablespoons dried basil
- 1-1/2 tablespoons garlic powder
- 1-1/2 tablespoons dried parsley
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground white pepper
- Coarse salt optional
- Steaks of your choice
- Canola oil for grill grates
Instructions
- Zest and juice lemons to get 1/2 teaspoon zest and 1/4 cup juice. In a medium bowl, add olive oil, soy sauce, lemon juice, lemon zest, minced garlic, Worcestershire sauce, dried basil, garlic powder, dried parsley, dried oregano, and white pepper.
- Whisk until ingredients are combined and incorporated. Pour mixture over steaks of your choice (the pictures show a NY Strip Steak; read the post for the “best grilling steaks”).
- Cover (or seal the bag) and place in fridge for up to 6 hours (too much longer than that and the acidity starts to “cook” the meat).
- About 20 minutes before grilling, remove steaks and let sit (still covered) at room temperature (not outside).
- Heat grill to high heat. Once hot, clean it with a wire brush. Roll up a few paper towels and drench them in canola oil. Using tongs, rub the paper towel wad along the grill grates generously.
- Remove steaks from marinade and optionally sprinkle coarse salt over the top (Don’t add salt if you didn’t use a low-sodium soy sauce or are sensitive to salt).
- Place steaks on grill and cook about 4–5 minutes (rotate 90 degrees at 2 and 1/2 minutes for diamond grill marks).
- Using tongs, flip steaks over and continue to grill 3–5 minutes for medium-rare (internal temperature of 135°F; see note 1).
- The grill time will greatly vary based on your grill, your steak thickness, and the actual temperature of your grill. For best results, use a meat thermometer and remove meat when it is 5 degrees below your desired internal temperature. (It will cook a bit more after being removed.)
- Once steaks are cooked to your desired doneness, remove to a plate or cutting board and tent loosely with foil 5–10 minutes to give the juices a chance to redistribute (juicier steaks!) Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Great taste! Marinated in the fridge for about 2-2.5 hours before taking the steaks out, and then another 30 minutes to get them to room temp before grilling. I didn’t have basil, so I used coriander instead. The steaks were juicy and flavorful. Great marinade! Will save for future use!
Sounds awesome! Thanks so much for the comment and review David 🙂
What luck! I found this marinade here a couple years back, but lost the bookmark and could not come back to leave a comment/review. Plus, I neglected writing it down Today, I go online to find a quick marinade for some steak I’d like to grill, and here I am again~ Yay! Thank you so much for this~it’s PERFECT~ & I will be subscribing this time, AND writing it down. I am getting into grilling myself these days, and am very grateful to those who have ‘gone before me’ =)
Ahhh I’m sooo happy you enjoyed this! And sooo happy you found it again! Thanks! 🙂
What kind of meat thermometer do you use? The recent one I bought stopped working after about a month!
Hey Kelly! I love thermapen 🙂 A little pricy, but so great and reliable (and they’ll go on sale every once and a while)!
These photos are very amazing, i liked the exciting flavours that you have used in your recipes.I will also try to use these perfect blend of flavours in my recipes.
Marinade is more expensive than the steak!
Buy more steak! Maybe marinate and freeze them
Hey CHELSEA, I just love grill steaks and I love a girl who appreciates meat! These are perfect for grilling season.
Thanks Stephanie! 🙂
Just a quick question, is it really supposed to have minced garlic AND garlic powder? Or is it supposed to be onion powder? I just feel like that’s a lot of garlic, lol!
Haha it is a lot of garlic, but I don’t think it ends up overpowering! You can definitely leave out one or the other or use onion powder in its place if you’d like 🙂
Your photos are simply stunning!! The steak looks scrumptious– delectable and juicy as a steak should be. Can’t wait to try this!
Thank you so much for your kind comment Lorrie! 🙂 I hope you love the marinade!
Loved this marinade! I only made half of the recipe but it still turned out wonderful!
So happy to hear that! Thanks for the comment Karen 🙂
My husband loves it and insists that I make it every time we grill steaks.
hey girl- love the post! The steak looks so yummy! We need to also buy a grill!
Thank you so much Shawnna!