Easy Steak Marinade

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

Get ready for a real treat — this is seriously the best steak marinade ever and it’s so easy to prepare for the ultimate quick and flavourful meal!

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

We love making up a big batch of this homemade steak marinade in our Ninja, which is one of my FAVOURITE 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 flavourless steak!

If you’re looking for more ways to flavour up your meals, be sure to also check out my 10 Healthy Chicken Marinades and Healthy Stir Fry Sauce!

Why you will love this recipe

• 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 flavourful meals!
• Quick and easy: It takes 5 minutes to make up a batch of this steak marinade. Just mix everything together and it’s ready to use.
• So delicious: This is seriously the best homemade marinade for steak. It adds so much flavour and really enhances the natural flavours of the beef. It’s also great with other meats too!

Ingredient Notes

• Oil: It’s important to add fat to marinades as it helps transfer flavour 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 for the best flavour.
• Soy sauce: Incorporates a great umami flavour. I prefer to use a reduced sodium variety to reduce the sodium content. If you have an intolerance to gluten, you can sub in Tamari or coconut aminos.
• Lemon juice: Adds a bright, fresh flavour 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 flavour than spice. It adds a very mild buzz and extra kick of flavour. 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 ingredients to a large mason jar or blender and mix until well combined.

• Use desired amount of sauce to marinate steak. For best results, marinate meat for at least 30 minutes.

• Cook meat using desired method.
• 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.

Recipe Tips

• 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 flavourful meals!
• Although this marinade 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 flavour.
• 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 flavours. Simply place the meat in a bowl or 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.

Recipe FAQs

How to store

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

Can I freeze this marinade?

Yes! When frozen, this marinade will keep well for up to 3 months, so be sure to make a double batch. Thaw it in the fridge or at room temperature before using.

Should I marinate steak?

Yes, I definitely recommend it! Marinating a steak takes it from just a good dinner to a great one. It’s so effortless and hardly requires any extra time, so there’s 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 flavour. It can transform even the cheapest cuts of meat and infuse lots of herby and umami flavours into the meat for a super tasty meal.

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

What type of steak should I use with this marinade?

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

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 flavour and tenderize meat before cooking, whereas a sauce is made during cooking or added on afterwards. Marinades add flavour 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 favourite side dishes. Salads, veggies and potatoes are all great options.

Try it with:

• Grilled Corn Salad
• Healthy Pasta Salad
• Oven Roasted Broccoli
• Curly Sweet Potato Fries
• Healthy Roasted Garlic Potatoes
• Pearl Couscous Salad

More similar recipes

• Curry Chicken Marinade
• Healthy BBQ Sauce
• Dairy-Free Pesto
• Steak and Avocado Salad

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Course condiment

Easy Steak Marinade

By: Elysia

Servings 2 cups

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

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Prep Time 5 mins

Total Time 5 mins

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 cup olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• ½ cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 1/3 cup lemon juice (or juice from about 1.5 lemons)
• 1 tbsp sriracha hot sauce
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

Instructions

• Add all of the ingredients to a large mason jar or blender and mix until well combined.
• Use desired amount of sauce to marinate steak. For best results, marinate meat for at least 30 minutes. Cook meat using desired method.
• Drizzle some additional sauce (that hasn't been exposed to the raw meat) over the meat once it's been cooked (optional, but highly recommended).

Notes

• The marinade makes about 2 cups, which is enough to marinate about 2-3 lbs 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 flavourful meals!
• Although this marinade 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. Save a bit of the fresh marinade (not the marinade that the raw meat has been sitting in) to drizzle over top of the meat once it's been cooked. 
• You can prepare the marinade in a bowl or small blender (we love the Ninja). I tend to prefer making it in the blender since it makes it more smooth and thick, 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 flavours. Simply place the meat in a bowl or 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.
• The nutritional information is based on the full 2 cups of marinade. The nutritional amount per serving will depend on how much marinade you use. 

Nutrition

Calories: 243kcalCarbohydrates: 30gProtein: 13gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 2gSodium: 2378mgPotassium: 1177mgFiber: 14gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 363IUVitamin C: 40mgCalcium: 768mgIron: 30mg

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This recipe was originally posted June 2018 and was updated in May 2021 to include better tips and photos.

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