Best Healthy Steak Marinade Recipe {So Easy!}

Elevate your dinner with this quick, easy and healthy steak marinade recipe. Made with just a few simple ingredients, this is an effortless way to serve up a restaurant quality steak for special occasions or just because it’s Wednesday! {Gluten-free friendly & Dairy-free}

Easy steak marinade in a glass jar with a spoon.

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Healthy Steak Marinade for Tender & Juicy Steak!

If you’re a steak lover, this is seriously the best steak marinade recipe ever! It’s so easy to prepare for the ultimate quick and flavorful steak!

Using a good marinade is one of my favourite healthy cooking strategies because it adds so much great flavor for not a whole lot of extra calories and also lends some additional moisture and tenderness to the meat for the ultimate juicy steak.

We love making up a big batch of this homemade healthy steak marinade in our Ninja, which is one of my FAVORITE kitchen tools for making sauces and dressings. You can basically whip it up, put the lid on the cup and store it in the fridge with no mess!

For a quick and easy meal, serve up the marinated meat along with a summer side salad and dinner is officially served!

Say buh-bye to that dry and flavorless steak!

While you’re at it, check out these other Easy Steak Marinades! And if you’re looking for more ways to flavor up your meals, be sure to also try my Healthy Chicken Marinades and Healthy Stir Fry Sauce!

Why We Love this Homemade Steak Marinade

Makes a large batch: Because it makes a fairly large batch, you can use it for different meals throughout the week. For us, this marinade recipe made about three meals worth of marinade. It’s perfect for busy families who don’t have a whole lot of time to meal prep but still want flavorful meals!

Quick and easy: It takes 5 minutes and only a handful of ingredients to make up a batch of this easy marinade. Just mix everything together and it’s ready to use.

So delicious: This is seriously the world’s best steak marinade. It adds so much flavor and really enhances the natural flavors of the beef. It’s also great with other meats too!

Ingredient Notes

Ingredients for the easy steak marinade.

Oil: It’s important to add fat to marinades as it helps transfer flavor to the meat in addition to retaining moisture. I use extra virgin olive oil when making this marinade, but you can also sub in canola or avocado oil.
Garlic: Garlic and steak pair so well together. Mince the garlic cloves for the best flavor. You can also sub in garlic powder if preferred.
Soy sauce: Incorporates a great umami flavor. I prefer to use a reduced sodium variety to lower the sodium content. If you have an intolerance to gluten, you can sub in Tamari or coconut aminos.
Lemon juice: Adds a bright, fresh flavor and the acid also helps to break down the proteins so that the steak is nice and tender. You can also sub in lime juice if that’s what you have on hand.
Sriracha: The sriracha is more for flavor than spice. It adds a very mild buzz and extra kick of flavor. You can add more if you want some extra heat.
Oregano: We typically use dried oregano but you could also use fresh. Alternatively, you could sub in other dried spices such as dried basil, parsley or Italian seasoning.

How to Make Homemade Marinade for Steak

Add all of the marinade ingredients to a large mason jar or blender and mix until well combined.

Place steak in a bowl or large resealable plastic bag. Use desired amount of sauce to marinate steak. For best results, marinate meat for at least 30 minutes.

The marinade being poured over the steak.

Cook meat using your favorite method to desired level of doneness.
Drizzle some additional sauce (that hasn’t been exposed to the raw meat) over the meat once it’s been cooked. This is optional, but highly recommended.

Keep scrolling to the recipe card below for the full printable recipe!

Marinaded steak served on a plate with a corn salad.

Tips for the Best Marinade

This marinade recipe makes about 2 cups, which is enough to marinate about 2-3 pounds worth of steak (or other meat). Make up the whole batch and use the marinade over the course of a couple weeks for quick and flavorful meals!

Although this steak marinade without worcestershire sauce works great for steak, you can also use it for other meat or poultry as well such as chicken breasts or thighs.

This marinade also doubles as a delicious steak sauce. I recommend saving a bit of the fresh marinade sauce (not the marinade that the raw meat has been sitting in) to drizzle over top of the meat once it’s been cooked to further enhance the flavor.

You can prepare the marinade in a bowl, mason jar or small blender (we love the Ninja). I tend to prefer making it in the blender since it makes it smoother and thicker, which is perfect for coating the meat and using as a sauce afterwards. But it’s a personal preference how you choose to prepare it.

I recommend marinating the meat for at least 30 minutes to let it absorb all of those delicious flavors. Simply place the meat in a bowl or ziploc bag, seal the bag, toss gently to coat, and place in the refrigerator to marinate. I suggest not marinating for more than 4 hours if using a tender cut of steak. For tougher cuts, marinate for at least 4 hours, but no longer than 24 hours.

Four steaks being marinated in a white bowl.

How to Store

Refrigerator: This marinade has a great shelf life. Store leftover marinade in a jar or airtight container in the fridge for up to two weeks.

To freeze: Freeze this marinade in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the fridge or at room temperature before using.

Recipe FAQs

Should I marinate steak?

Yes, I definitely recommend it! Marinating a steak takes a good steak dinner to the next level and can really help to tenderize tougher cuts of meat. It’s so effortless and hardly requires any extra time, so there are really no excuses!

What are the benefits of marinating steak?

There are two main reasons why you should be marinating steak. First, of course, is the flavor. It can transform even the cheapest cuts of meat and infuse lots of herby and umami flavors into the meat for a super tasty meal.

Secondly, the marinade helps to break down the tough muscle fibers meaning that you get a really nice juicy and tender steak.

What type of steak should I use with this marinade?

Any cut of meat works well. You can use this marinade on thick cuts like rib or sirloin steak, or thinner cuts like flank steak and skirt steak.

How long should I marinate steak?

I find that at least 30 minutes is enough time to get the flavour into the meat and start to tenderize it.

That being said, because there is acid in this steak marinade, it’s best not to leave it for more than 4 hours if using a tender cut of steak. For tougher cuts, marinate for at least 4 hours, but no longer than 24 hours. The acid can start to break down the meat too much and it can turn out quite tough if left for too long.

What’s the difference between marinade and sauce?

A marinade is used to flavor and tenderize meat before cooking, whereas a sauce is made during cooking or added on afterwards. Marinades add flavor right from the get go!

The great thing about this recipe is that it’s versatile enough that it can serve as both a marinade and a steak sauce!

What to Serve with Marinated Steak

The marinated steak can be served with all of your favorite side dishes. Salads, veggies and potatoes, in particular, are great options.

Try it with:

Recipe Variations

For extra tanginess: Add a splash of balsamic vinegar or worcestershire sauce.
For a touch of sweetness: Incorporate a bit of honey or brown sugar into the marinade.
For extra spice: Add additional sriracha or a dash of red pepper flakes.

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A jar of healthy steak marinade with a spoon in it.

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