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This Homemade Steak Marinade is the perfect way to season beef. Hearty and rich, the flavorful marinade is made with pantry staples and comes together in a snap! Perfect for creating tender and delicious burgers or steaks.
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Grilling season is in full swing and more often than not, you’ll find our family out in the backyard with smells of sizzling seasoned sirloin permeating the air. This super easy homemade steak marinade recipe is bold and zesty without being overpowering, and flavors hearty beef or steak up beautifully. We use this exact same recipe to flavor flank steaks for fajitas, beef for salads, or a thick, juicy t-bone on the grill. Plus it’s made with easy to find pantry ingredients that you probably already have on hand. So get that grill fired up and let’s get cooking!
Why Marinate Steak Before Cooking?
Soaking steaks in a bath of fragrant ingredients gives the meat a depth of flavor that can infuse your steak deeper than using a dry rub, which is great for cuts of steak that have a tendency to be tough. The oils, herbs and spices infuse the steak, while acids in the vinegar or lemon juice tenderizes tougher cuts of meat. Whether it’s for thirty minutes or overnight, marination will enhance the flavor and texture of your beef.
What’s in a Good Steak Marinade?
There are so many types of delicious marinades out there, but there’s usually a few key ingredients that make a perfect marinade. Here’s what you need for this perfect homemade steak marinade:
- Canola Oil: Fat helps retain moisture in the meat and helps to enhance the flavor. It can also keep the acidic flavors from being too overpowering. You can also use olive oil, sesame oil, mayonnaise or buttermilk.
- Soy Sauce: Just like salt, soy sauce acts as a flavor enhancer. It also breaks down myosin , the tough protein found in meat, so your meat is nice and tender.
- Balsamic Vinegar: The rich, sweet flavor of balsamic vinegar is a perfect way to add deep flavor to the beef and also make it tantalizingly tender.
- Worcestershire Sauce: You’ll find a little bit of everything in here. Vinegar tenderizes the meat, sugar adds sweetness, while onion, garlic, anchovies and tamarind bring together tons of savory flavors in one. Plus, Worcestershire sauce is highly concentrated so it can work itself deep into the meat for more tenderness and flavor.
- Garlic: Crush a few cloves of garlic and let them soak in the marinade with your meat for a deliciously subtle yet rich garlic flavor in your steak.
- Dijon Mustard: Mustard works as a meat tenderizer too! Plus, it can help create a crust over the steak, locking in all those succulent juices. We love Dijon but you can use a grainy brown mustard, honey mustard or plain yellow too.
- Brown Sugar: Rich brown sugar adds sweet flavor to balance out the savory ingredients, while helping to make a nice rich glaze on the meat during grilling.
- Kosher Salt: Kosher salt breaks down more slowly than table salt, and also acts as a meat tenderizer, giving the steak a savory flavor and melt-in-your-mouth texture.
How Long Can Steak Marinate?
Marinades that contain acid, alcohol or salt should only be used for a few hours because it can chemically break down the food in it. Because this recipe contains balsamic vinegar, up to five hours is a perfect amount of time to marinate your steaks. If you leave out the vinegar, you can actually marinate overnight in the refrigerator.
Can You Freeze Steak in Marinade?
Yes! Freezing your meat along with a delicious marinade is simple and makes dinner come together in a snap! Here’s all you do:
- Combine the marinade ingredients in a Ziploc freezer bag.
- Add the steaks to the bag use your hands to squish the ingredients around to coat the meat.
- Double bag it on order to avoid any leaks.
- Lay flat in the freezer.
- Marinated meat will keep well in the freezer for up to six months.
Frequently Asked Questions
It depends on the ingredients in the marinade. This marinade contains balsamic vinegar, which will work to break down the steak if left too long (any more than 5 hours). But, you can marinate overnight with marinades that don’t contain vinegar!
It isn’t absolutely necessary to marinate your steaks, but you will find that your steaks benefit from being marinated! Not only does it add flavor, it can make tougher cuts of beef softer. And with this easy steak marinade recipe, there’s really no excuse! 🙂
Read More:35+ Best BBQ Side Dishes
Other Delicious Grill Recipes
We love grilled suppers during warm summer months! Try some of these delicious favorites and keep that grill sizzling all season long.
- Grilled Carne Asada
- Grilled Hawaiian Teriyaki Chicken
- Parmesan Garlic Grilled Potatoes
- Grilled Balsamic Chicken
- Fruit Kabobs on the Grill
- Grilled Pork Tenderloin
How to Make Homemade Steak Marinade
Homemade Steak Marinade
Ingredients
- ½ cup canola oil
- ⅓ cup soy sauce
- ⅓ cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
- 5 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 tablespoon Dijon
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- Kosher salt (to taste)
- 3-5 pounds steak (your favorite cut)
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients (except steak) in a medium-sized mixing bowl or large liquid measuring cup and whisk until well combined.
- Place steak in a large Ziplock bag and pour marinade over the top. Press as much air out as you can and seal.
- You can also put the steak in a shallow dish. Pour the marinade over the top and cover.
- Allow steak to marinate for at least an hour (and up to 5 hours). Flip the bag over half way through marinating (or flip the steaks over in the dish).
- Grill steak to desired doneness and enjoy!
Notes
- Combine the marinade ingredients in a Ziploc freezer bag.
- Add the steaks to the bag use your hands to squish the ingredients around to coat the meat.
- Double bag it on order to avoid any leaks.
- Lay flat in the freezer.
- Marinated meat will keep well in the freezer for up to six months
This steak marinate was amazing, it made the taste not only delicious but super tender, this will be a staple recipe for us!
This steak marinade is the absolute BEST! Nothing compares. The best flavor!
Mmmmmm! Love this marinade! So much good flavor! I’m going to baste some burgers with this, too! Epic.
This recipe was so easy and turned out great. I will definitely use this again!
This marinade was INCREDIBLE! Thanks for the recipe!