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This is the best steak marinade you’ll ever use. It’s rich and savory, creating a thick coating that guarantees an intensely flavorful, juicy steak every time.
This simple marinade for steak belongs to the “mud” marinades group, so it has a thick consistency that easily sticks to your steak. Every bite is well coated, which is why I’m convinced this is one of the best marinades out there.
Whether you’re cooking flank steak, sirloin steak, hanger steak, or even a New York strip, this marinade will take your steaks to a new level of deliciousness. I especially love it for grilled steak and steak salad.
Key Ingredients
- Steak Seasoning: I use our homemade steak seasoning, but feel free to use your favorite brand.
- Garlic: I love the fresh garlic in this marinade and prefer to finely grate it so it melts into the mixture. I use the same technique for our pork chop marinade.
- Lemon: Adds some acidity and brightens the flavors.
- Soy Sauce and Worcestershire sauce: These add umami, making the steak taste richer and more beefy.
- Oil: Any neutral oil with a higher heat tolerance works nicely. I usually use avocado oil.
Find the full recipe with measurements below.
My Tips for Using This Incredible Steak Marinade
Tip 1: Why you’ll love it. We recommend this mud-style marinade for steaks for two reasons: First, our umami-rich marinade enhances the natural beefy flavor of the steak, and second, since we spoon extra marinade over the steaks while they cook, it creates a caramelized crust and even juicier results.
Tip 2: How long to marinate steaks. We recommend marinating the steaks for 1 to 2 hours. This is because the lemon juice in the marinade can break down the steak’s exterior if left for too long. So, we keep the marinating time short to preserve the steak’s texture and flavor.
Tip 3: Cooking marinated steak. This thicker, mud-style marinade works wonders on the grill or in a grill pan (see our tips on how to grill steak). If you don’t want to grill them, you can cook the marinated steaks in a stainless-steel or cast-iron skillet.
More Marinade Recipes
The Best Steak Marinade
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This easy steak marinade is a surefire way to enhance the natural flavors of your steaks. We highly recommend our steak seasoning, but you can substitute your favorite store-bought seasoning blend. This marinade has a unique quality often referred to as “mud” due to its thicker consistency, which allows it to cling lovingly to your steaks.
Makes enough for two large or four small steaks
You Will Need
2 tablespoons steak seasoning, we love this homemade steak seasoning
2 tablespoons high-heat oil like avocado oil vegetable oil, or safflower oil
2 cloves garlic, grated or finely minced
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
Directions
- Marinating the Steak
1Combine the marinade ingredients and generously rub the mixture all over the steak. Allow the steak to marinate for up to 1 hour. While marinating for a bit longer is acceptable, we advise against exceeding two hours to achieve the best flavor, color, and texture.
- Grilling or Using a Grill Pan
1Place the marinated steaks on the grill over medium-high heat and cook until golden brown and slightly charred, 4 to 5 minutes.
2Turn the steaks over and continue to grill until your desired doneness. Use the suggested internal temperature guide below. As the steaks cook, spoon the leftover marinade over them to enhance the flavors. If using an open flame, watch out for flare-ups.
3After cooking, let the steak rest for 5 minutes before serving or slicing.
- Pan-Seared Steaks
1Preheat the skillet over medium-high heat (for 1 to 2 minutes), then add the marinated steaks to the pan. Cook the steaks, flipping them frequently, until they are well browned on all sides, including the edges. You can hold the steak sideways with tongs to sear any fat along the edges.
2Use the suggested internal temperature guide below to determine your preferred doneness. After cooking, allow the steak to rest for 5 minutes before serving or slicing.
Adam and Joanne’s Tips
- Internal temperatures and doneness: Keep in mind that steak continues to cook slightly after being removed from the heat.
- Steak doneness: Rare: 120-130°F, Medium Rare: 130-140°F, Medium: 140-150°F, Medium-Well: 150-160°F, and Well-Done: 160°F+.
- Gluten-free: Use certified GF soy sauce or tamari and Worcestershire sauce.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates and are only for the marinade, not the steak. We have used the USDA database to calculate approximate values.
Nutrition Per Serving
Serving Size
1/4 of the recipe, enough for 1 small steak
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Calories
84
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Total Fat
7.3g
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Saturated Fat
1g
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Cholesterol
0mg
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Sodium
785.9mg
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Carbohydrate
5.2g
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Dietary Fiber
1.5g
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Total Sugars
0.5g
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Protein
1g
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