Easy Steak Marinade Recipe | Juicy Grilled Steak Flavor Guide
This easy steak marinade balances salt, acid, umami, and a touch of sweetness for juicy, steakhouse-quality results with minimal effort. It mixes in minutes and works for ribeye, strip, sirloin, or flat iron on the grill, broiler, or skillet.
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup soy sauce (or tamari)
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (or red wine vinegar)
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar or honey
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (adjust to taste)
- 2 pounds steak, 1 to 1.5 inches thick (ribeye, New York strip, sirloin, or flat iron)
- High-heat oil for the grill grates (avocado or canola)
- Flaky salt, for finishing
- Extra black pepper, for finishing
Instructions
Instructions
- Whisk the soy sauce, olive oil, Worcestershire, vinegar, Dijon, brown sugar, garlic, black pepper, smoked paprika, and kosher salt in a bowl until smooth; taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
- Pat the steaks dry and place them in a zip-top bag or shallow dish, pour in the marinade, press out excess air, seal, and turn to coat evenly.
- Refrigerate and marinate for 30 minutes to 2 hours depending on thickness, then remove steaks from the fridge 30 minutes before cooking to come to room temperature.
- Preheat a gas grill to medium-high (450–500°F) or set up a two-zone fire on a charcoal grill; clean and lightly oil the grates.
- Let excess marinade drip off the steaks and place them on the hot side of the grill; sear 2–4 minutes per side, rotating once if desired for crosshatch marks.
- Move steaks to the cooler side to finish to desired doneness, using an instant-read thermometer and pulling them about 5°F before the target temperature.
- Rest the steaks on a plate or rack for 5–10 minutes, slice against the grain, and finish with flaky salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Notes
Marinade quantity is enough for about 2 pounds of steak. Avoid over-marinating to prevent mushy texture; cap at 2 hours for most cuts. For pan-searing, wipe off excess marinade, sear in cast iron 2–4 minutes per side, and finish in a 400°F oven if needed. Unused marinade that didn’t touch raw meat keeps 1 week refrigerated or 3 months frozen; if it touched raw beef, boil 3 minutes before using as a sauce. Leftover cooked steak keeps 3–4 days refrigerated or up to 2 months frozen. Flavor variations: add chipotle and lime, Italian herbs and garlic butter, coffee and extra brown sugar, Korean-style with rice vinegar, pear, and sesame oil, or bourbon with extra black pepper.