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Home Beef Recipes

Beef Steak Marinade

By:Nagi
Published:31 May '20Updated:8 Apr '21
210 Comments
Recipe v Video v Dozer v

This is just an excellent beef steak marinade that adds juiciness and flavour into steaks, transforming economical steaks from just ok to “wow!”. It injects extra flavour without overpowering the natural flavour of beef, and makes the meat tender.

Terrific for any type of steak – for grilling or pan searing!

Showing juicy inside of steak after using Steak Marinade

Beef Steak Marinade

Steaks are like wine – the more you spend, the better they are. Juicier, more flavour, more tender, no random bits of sinew throughout.

And as much as we’d all like to be able to splurge on premium quality beef every time we have a hankering for steak, the reality is that most of us cannot!

But you can turn every day beef steaks into something that tastes as good as a premium cut (in my humble opinion) by using a great beef steak marinade!

When should you marinate steak?

Use this marinade for economical steaks – it will make the flesh more tender and add flavour. Do not use this for expensive, prime grade beef steaks!

Beef Marinade - steak on plate ready to be eaten

This steak marinade makes steaks juicier and enhances the flavour rather than overpowering the natural flavour of beef!

Steak Marinade - A simple, magical marinade that truly tenderises, while adding flavour AND making the steak juicy. Genius! recipetineats.com

It’s actually easy to make marinades that infuse flavour into steaks. But it’s harder to make marinades that enhance without adding too much flavour into the steak. You want the steak to taste mainly of (gasp, shock horror!) BEEF. Not overwhelmed by marinade flavour!


What goes in Beef Steak Marinade

Here’s what you need for the Steak Marinade. Use this marinade for any economical steak – do not use for expensive steaks, that would be a waste!!

Ingredients for Steak Marinade

Here’s why this combination of ingredients makes your steak plump, juicy and adds flavour:

  • Balsamic vinegar – the tenderising ingredient, because it’s acidic (which breaks down meat fibres);

  • Soy sauce – the salty liquid to act as the brine so the steak retains moisture. It does not make this steak taste Asiany, we only use a bit!

  • Dijon Mustard – a touch of flavour and to thicken the marinade slightly so it coats the steak better (thus marinates it more effectively, rather than having to worry about turning the steak regularly);

  • Flavour – all the other ingredients! Worcestershire is pretty intense in flavour so you only need a bit to add savoury flavour into things.


How to marinate steak

I always marinate my steak in ziplock bags which I acknowledge is not environmentally friendly, but it is the most effective way to marinade steak because it keeps the steak evenly coated with a relatively small amount of marinade.

If you want to use a container instead, use a glass or other non reactive container and I would recommend doubling the marinade.

How long to marinate steak?

12 to 24 hours is best. You can also freeze it immediately – then it will marinate as it thaws!

How to marinate steak

Pan fry or grill it, and marvel at how JUICY and FLAVOURFUL your steak is!!

Close up of fork picking up slice of steak after using Steak Marinade

The steak marinade injects enough flavour into the steak such that you don’t need to serve this with a sauce. But I couldn’t resist adding a smidge of garlic butter on top!

You could also serve it with a Creamy Mushroom Sauce or Creamy Peppercorn Sauce, or even gravy.

As for sides, it’s pictured with buttered baby potatoes and a classic Rocket/Arugula Salad with Shaved Parmesan. Here are some more suggestions for great sides!

Sides for Steak Dinner

Close up of Paris Mash (Rich & Creamy Mashed Potato) being scooped up with a spoon
Paris Mash (Rich Creamy Mashed Potato)
Garlic Sautéed Spinach in a skillet, ready to be served
Garlic Sautéed Spinach
KFC Potato and Gravy recipe
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Cheesy Mini Potato Gratin Stacks (Muffin Tin)
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Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots
Potatoes au gratin (Dauphinoise Potatoes) fresh out of the oven
Potatoes au Gratin (Dauphinoise)
Close up of a spoon scooping up a serving of creamy garlic parmesan Broccoli Casserole
Creamy Broccoli Casserole (Gratin)
Close up of Balsamic Dressing being drizzled over rocket salad with shaved parmesan
Rocket Salad with Balsamic Dressing and Shaved Parmesan
These Roasted Sweet Potato Stacks have crispy edges, are buttery, salty and sweet with a hint of rosemary. Terrific Sweet Potato side dish! recipetineats.com
Roasted Sweet Potato Stacks
Close up photo of Red Potato Salad with bacon and corn
Red Potato Salad with Bacon and Corn (no mayo!)

So….who’s in the mood for a STEAK DINNER now? 🙂 – Nagi x


Watch how to make it

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Close up of slice of juicy marinated steak

Beef Steak Marinade

Author: Nagi | RecipeTin Eats
Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 5 mins
Marinating: 12 hrs
Total: 12 hrs 10 mins
Mains
Western
4.95 from 57 votes
Servings2 -4
Tap or hover to scale
Print
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Recipe video above. This is a marinade to transform good value steaks by making them juicier, more tender and adding a hint of flavour while not overpowering the flavour of the beef. With this marinade, you won't need a sauce for the beef, though I can never resist some garlic butter!

Ingredients

  • 2 steaks , economical (Note 1)

Marinade

  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 tsp minced garlic (1 large garlic clove)
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder (or sub with garlic powder)
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce (Note 2)
  • 1 tbsp oil (I use olive oil, but any oil is fine)
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • Black pepper

Instructions

  • Mix together mustard, garlic and onion powder. Then mix in remaining ingredients.
  • Place beef in a ziplock bag with Marinade and marinade overnight (12 - 24 hours).
  • Remove from the fridge 30 minutes before cooking to bring to room temperature - key for even cooking of steaks. Shake off excess marinade.
  • Brush BBQ Grills with oil, then heat on high heat until is really hot - you should see wisps of smoke. Or heat a heavy based skillet on high until very hot, then add oil - it will heat almost instantly.
  • Add steaks. For 2cm / 3/4" thick steaks, cook the first side for 2 minutes, then turn and cook the other side for 2 minutes (medium rare 52°C/125°F, chart below for other doneness temps). (Note 3)
  • Remove from skillet onto a WARM plate, cover loosely with foil and set aside for 5 minutes.
  • Serve! I couldn't resist garlic butter - see recipe in notes.

Recipe Notes:

1. Choosing steak: Use this for any good value cut of steak, not prime cuts. Typically, most steak cuts purchased in supermarkets are what I would consider good value steaks. Basically, the more you pay, the better the steak!
And remember, it's not just the steak cut that determine quality. There are different grades for the same cut of steak. Rib Eye at my butcher costs almost twice as much as it does at the supermarket. I would never marinade the one from the butcher!
Make sure you use a GRILLING steak. Any cut of steak suitable for grilling is great for this.
2. Soy sauce - use an all purpose, normal soy sauce. I use Kikkoman. Do not use light soy sauce (too salty), tamari or dark soy sauce (too much flavour)
3.Internal temperature of cooked steak. The most popular (and my personal preference) is medium rare. Cook times differ drastically depending on how thick your cut is.
Internal temperature cooked steak medium rare
4. Garlic butter: 100g / 1 stick unsalted softened butter, 1 small garlic clove very finely minced (using crusher is best), 3/4 tsp salt, 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley. Mix together, place on baking paper to form a log. Roll up then twist ends tightly repeatedly until it forms a neat log. Refrigerate until firm, cut to serve.
5. Nutrition per serving for a 400g/14oz bone in steak (T-bone, ~300g/10oz exc bone), excluding butter.

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 305gCalories: 584cal (29%)Carbohydrates: 3.8g (1%)Protein: 100.2g (200%)Fat: 15.6g (24%)Saturated Fat: 5g (31%)Cholesterol: 248mg (83%)Sodium: 687mg (30%)Potassium: 963mg (28%)Sugar: 2.1g (2%)Vitamin C: 0.8mg (1%)Calcium: 20mg (2%)Iron: 9.4mg (52%)
Keywords: beef steak marinade, steak marinade
Did you make this recipe?I love hearing how you went with my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @recipe_tin.

Originally published June 2016. Updated 2020 with new photos and brand new video! No change to recipe.

My favourite back-pocket marinades

These are the ones I use over and over again, made with pantry staples with lots of sub options!

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Just a great Chicken Marinade
Italian Marinated Grilled Chicken with Zucchini - using a marinade that doubles as a dressing is a nifty way to make midweek meals even faster!
Italian Dressing Chicken Marinade
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A Great Pork Chop Marinade
Rosemary Garlic Grilled Lamb Chops - A simple marinade infuses this with fantastic flavour! Use the marinade for any quick-cooking cut of lamb - chops or steaks. www.recipetineats.com
Rosemary Garlic Grilled Lamb Chops
I swear to you, my friends were actually speechless the first time I made this for them. It's that good! I BBQ'd it, but also make it on the stove and oven.
Asian Chicken Marinade
BEST Grilled Chicken marinades
BEST Grilled Chicken Marinades

And more steak recipes

Pan Seared Steak with garlic butter sauce on a plate with a side of crispy smashed potatoes and rocket salad
How to Cook Steak – like a chef!
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Carne Asada
Simple yet stunning Asian Steak with a sauce inspired by the great Tetsuya! All you need is 15 minutes, soy sauce, mirin, sake or sherry, butter, garlic and ginger. Amazing! www.recipetineats.com
Asian Steak
Close up of spoon scooping up Creamy Mushroom Sauce
A Mushroom Sauce for Everything!

Also try this Mushroom Gravy (this is a seared chicken recipe, just switch the chicken with steak) or the onion gravy in this sausage recipe (just directly switch the sausages with steak).


Life of Dozer

Suffice to say he didn’t stray too far the whole time I was photographing and filming this steak….😂

Dozer staring at steak

Previous Post
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Hi, I'm Nagi!

I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative!

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210 Comments

  1. Emily Chase says

    August 26, 2017 at 2:49 pm

    which one do you prefer?beef or porkchop???

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      August 27, 2017 at 3:26 pm

      Don’t make me choose! 😂

      Reply
  2. L.Swartz says

    July 23, 2017 at 5:52 pm

    5 stars
    I enjoyed your blog. A real sense of transparency and realism to your writing. Thank you. I hardly ever subscribe but I really like the way you came across.
    Thank you.

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      July 25, 2017 at 4:07 pm

      Thanks for the compliment! I’m very flattered 🙂 N xx

      Reply
  3. Becky says

    July 3, 2017 at 8:33 am

    This marinade is fantastic . I put my New York Strip steaks in the marinade 24 hours before we grilled and flavor was wonderful. Thank you for sharing.

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      July 5, 2017 at 7:34 pm

      That’s fantastic to hear Becky! Thank you for letting me know – N xx

      Reply
  4. me says

    June 12, 2017 at 1:15 am

    *********

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      June 12, 2017 at 8:31 pm

      I’m hoping that’s a five star rating! 😉

      Reply
  5. Katrina says

    May 29, 2017 at 8:06 pm

    5 stars
    Hi Nagi! Loved this one. The herb butter really takes it to the next level and should be compulsory… Did it with supermarket porterhouse and it really transformed it into something fantastic.

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      May 30, 2017 at 7:52 am

      WHOOT!! PS I am with you on that butter…. 🙂 N xx

      Reply
  6. Samantha says

    May 26, 2017 at 7:08 am

    Would this work for thick porkchops?

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      May 26, 2017 at 8:00 am

      Ooohhh YES!

      Reply
  7. Catherine Hall says

    May 5, 2017 at 6:39 am

    5 stars
    As a 60 year old who has never prepared her steak other than with some oil and a bit of seasoning before slapping it in the pan to cook, I can only say my eyes have been opened…. not to mention my tastebuds!!! This marinade is sensational!!!! My new favourite taste!! Thank you 😊😊😊

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      May 5, 2017 at 6:02 pm

      Whoot! 🙌🏻 So happy to hear that Catherine, thanks for letting me know! N xx

      Reply
  8. Brit says

    May 4, 2017 at 11:26 am

    What can I sub for soy sauce? I can’t have soy/MSG. Would coco aminos work?

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      May 5, 2017 at 5:52 pm

      Can you use tamari? 🙂

      Reply
      • SHARON SLOANE says

        May 7, 2017 at 12:48 pm

        She is not to use tamari, it has to much flavor and no dark soy either.Hope this helps

        Reply
  9. Moira Alfers says

    April 1, 2017 at 4:05 am

    4 stars
    Had to double the amount of sauce, and add an extra steak…I have 3 dogs! ?

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      April 3, 2017 at 8:52 am

      Your LUCKY DOGS!!!!!

      Reply
  10. Lira says

    February 26, 2017 at 11:59 pm

    Tried this last night and loved it. Hubby said this recipe is a keeper we no longer have to buy the marinade packet from the store.

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      February 27, 2017 at 6:31 pm

      AWESOME!!! I’m so glad to hear that Lira, thanks for letting me know! N xx

      Reply
    • Lira says

      February 27, 2017 at 12:00 am

      5 stars
      5 stars

      Reply
  11. Nicole says

    February 9, 2017 at 1:58 pm

    5 stars
    Just tried this recipe for “brunch”.. really gooooood! the taste was just perfect. not too overwhelming! I added a pinch of cayenne powder though, I LOVE IT! Will definitely do this again! Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply
    • Ana says

      March 31, 2019 at 1:41 pm

      When do u add the herb butter to the steaks? I’m gonna try this recipe tomorrow for my mom’s birthday dinner. Is this a good recipe for ribeye steaks? Got 12 steaks waiting for a yummy recipe. Wish me luck n TIA!

      Reply
    • Nagi says

      February 9, 2017 at 7:18 pm

      Awesome! I’m so glad you enjoyed it Nicole! N x

      Reply
  12. Rubina says

    September 10, 2016 at 1:54 pm

    Hi Nagi

    Can I use this marinade withFilet Minion????
    I have 4 to cook for tomorrows dinner!

    Help,

    Rubina

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      September 10, 2016 at 2:17 pm

      Yes you can! Definitely! 🙂

      Reply
  13. Shannon says

    September 6, 2016 at 6:36 am

    5 stars
    Absolutely delicious! They came out great, but did not get to marinate over night.

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      September 9, 2016 at 11:05 am

      I’m so glad you enjoyed this Shannon! Thanks for letting me know! N x

      Reply
  14. Tammey Boston says

    August 23, 2016 at 5:07 am

    5 stars
    I’ve made Nagi’s steak marinade a dozen times or more this summer for beef as well as elk steaks. It’s outstanding and recommend marinating overnight. It’s an amazing concotion of ingredients. Horseradish sauce as well as the blended herb butter also add a lot of flavor punch!

    Reply
  15. Lisa says

    August 8, 2016 at 12:26 am

    Thank you Nagi! Made this with sirloins and it was divine!! Even with a short marinating time, it still was delicious! Gonna try it again with an overnight soak!

    Reply
  16. Sabrina says

    August 7, 2016 at 1:38 am

    I am definitely craving steak right now. Your photos are amazing! It looks scrumptious 🙂

    Reply
  17. Hannah says

    August 5, 2016 at 6:39 pm

    Not many people can make me laugh early in the morning, Nagi, but as usual, your post gave am such a chuckle ? I haven’t cooked a steak in years because I never seem to be able to get them how my husband and I like them. This recipe has given me the confidence to try again – thank-you! Dozer is so gorgeous, by the way!

    Reply
    • Hannah says

      August 5, 2016 at 6:41 pm

      It’s only 8.30 in the morning here in the UK!

      Reply
  18. Jill says

    August 2, 2016 at 9:22 am

    5 stars
    Nagi – I tried this marinade on two Porterhouse steaks and they were so delicious.
    Swapped Dijon mustard for Seeded mustard (no Dijon in the pantry), marinaded for ten hours before pan frying and so good. Thank you.
    How do you think this would work on Chicken Fillets?

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      August 3, 2016 at 7:18 pm

      I’m thrilled you enjoyed this Jill! Thank you for letting me know! This works fabulously with chicken 🙂 And lamb too! N x

      Reply
  19. Arc says

    August 2, 2016 at 3:23 am

    The only soy sauces available here are light soy, dark soy and sweet thick soy sauce. What I did was use half light and half dark – and the result was fantastic. Yet another fantastic recipe – thanks Nagi 🙂

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      August 3, 2016 at 7:13 pm

      Woo hoo! So glad you enjoyed this Arc, THANK YOU for coming back to let me know! N x

      Reply
  20. Sarah says

    July 31, 2016 at 9:39 pm

    I’m a big fan of T-bone steaks, what a treat!

    Those marinade flavours all sound so great – I love the strong flavours of garlic, onion and Worcestershire sauce with beef!

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      August 1, 2016 at 2:27 pm

      I always feel so MANLY when I tuck into a T-Bone! 😉

      Reply
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Hi, I'm Nagi!

I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative! Read More

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