This is the BEST Steak Marinade! Easy, freezer friendly and so flavorful with lemon juice, garlic, soy sauce and herbs, it’s an essential recipe for summer.
I’ve been meaning to share my way of making steak marinade for about two years now, and I finally forced myself to photograph and publish raw steak in a plastic bag ?
My kids (and husband… and I!) love steak, especially when it has a lot of flavor from marinating in the fridge for a few hours. Or even better: I freeze steaks straight in the marinade, and then defrost them in the fridge overnight for extra easy dinner prep during those lazy summer months!
Watch the recipe video
Ingredients you’ll need
Here is a visual overview of the ingredients in the recipe. Scroll down to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for quantities!
Step by step photos
Recipe tips
- Use about 1.5 pounds of steak with this amount of marinade for best flavor intensity
- If you want to avoid single-use plastic, you can also marinate the steaks in a glass or stainless steel container with a lid. Just make sure the steaks are covered in marinade! You may need to double the marinade depending on the size of your container.
- You should always discard used marinade for food safety reasons, do not reuse it.
- If you’re using defrosted steaks from frozen, it is recommended you do not re-freeze them.
Best steak cuts to use
This marinade is versatile, so it’s great for a lot of different steak cuts!Flank steak, skirt steak, rib eye, strip… They all work great with this marinade!
Marinating time
Since most steak cuts are not tough cuts that need to be tenderized, you can get away with a relatively short time. This marinade is mainly meant to add flavor, there’s nothing much to tenderize in a good beef steak. The acid and salt in the marinade can actually start the cooking process of the proteins, so I recommend marinating for a couple of hours, and up to overnight.
You can get away with as little as 30 minutes if you’re in a hurry – there will just be less flavor soaked up by the meat, but it’s still better than nothing. But don’t worry if your plans suddenly change, I’ve even left steak in this marinade for a couple of days before, and it was still fine to eat.
Maximum marinating time: If you’re wondering about the maximum safe time you can leave marinated steaks in the fridge, according to the government’s food safety tips, you can marinate beef in the fridge for up to 5 days (I never do more than 2-3 though, because I’m a hygiene stickler). Read more here on food safety when it comes to marinating.
Freezer instructions
One caveat: You shouldn’t freeze meat you have already defrosted once – so if your steaks are defrosted, do not re-freeze them.
To freeze marinated steak, make sure to really get as much air as possible out of the ziploc bag with steak and marinade in it. Let the steaks marinate in the fridge for 2-3 hours, then label the bags with the name and use-by date (freeze the marinated steaks for up to three months).
To defrost the steaks in marinade, put them in the fridge overnight. If you made a large batch, they may need closer to 24 hours to defrost. Cook the defrosted steaks the same way you would freshly marinated steak.
Serving suggestions
Throwing some steaks on the grill for dinner is so easy – just prep an easy side (like a pasta salad) in the afternoon, and dinner will be a breeze. Marinating steak only takes a few extra minutes, and it’s so worth the extra flavor you get out of it.
We love these steaks with a side of Greek Pasta Salad or Creamy Dill Potato Salad. But they’re also terrific with a hunk of crusty bread and some Tomato Cucumber Avocado Salad, or Creamy Cucumber Salad!
We love this steak with potatoes (you can cook them on the grill, too!) and green beans – my easy sautéed green beans are another favorite we make again and again!
Cooking on the grill is one of our favorite things to do for easy summer meals. We often make grilled chicken or foil packets (the Sausage and Potato Foil Packets are a always hit!), but this grilled steak is definitely in the regular rotation – mainly because we’re so in love with this marinade! I hope you’ll enjoy it just as much as we do.
More steak recipes
PS If you try this recipe, please leave a review in the comment section and add a star rating in the recipe card – I appreciate your feedback! Follow along on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram.
Printable recipe
The Best Steak Marinade
Recipe details
Equipment
- Ziploc Bags
- Measuring Jug
Ingredients
- ¼ cup fresh parsley chopped
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme leaves removed
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon salt
- black pepper to taste
- 1.5 pounds steak
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients except for the steak in a measuring cup and stir well.
- Place the steaks in a large ziploc bag and pour the marinade on top. Close the bag, letting out as much air as you can. Shake and gently massage the bag to distribute the marinade – make sure there's marinade between the steaks, too! Chill in the fridge for a couple of hours or up to overnight. See notes below for freezer instructions.
- Cook the steaks your preferred way. Either in a skillet, in the oven, in a foil packet or directly on the grill. All methods work with this marinade!
Notes
Best Steak Cuts to Use:
This marinade is versatile, so it’s great for a lot of different steak cuts! Flank steak, skirt steak, rib eye, strip… They all work great with this marinade!Cooking Tips:
- Use about 1.5 pounds of steak with this amount of marinade for best flavor intensity
- Marinate the steaks in a glass or stainless steel container with a lid for a no plastic option. Just make sure the steaks are covered in marinade! You may need to double the marinade depending on the size of your container.
- Discard used marinade for food safety reasons, do not reuse it.
- If you’re using defrosted steaks from frozen, do not re-freeze.
Marinating Time:
This marinade is mainly meant to add flavor, there’s nothing much to tenderize in a good beef steak. The acid and salt in the marinade can actually start the cooking process of the proteins, so I recommend marinating for a couple of hours, and up to overnight. You can get away with as little as 30 minutes if you’re in a hurry – there will just be less flavor soaked up by the meat, but it’s still better than nothing. Maximum marinating time: If you’re wondering about the maximum safe time you can leave marinated steaks in the fridge, according to the government’s food safety tips, you can marinate beef in the fridge for up to 5 days (I never do more than 2-3 though, because I’m a hygiene stickler). Read more here on food safety when it comes to marinating.Freezer Instructions:
Don’t freeze meat you have already defrosted once. Let the steaks marinate in the fridge for 2-3 hours, then label the bags with the name and use-by date (freeze the marinated steaks for up to three months). To defrost the steaks in marinade, put them in the fridge overnight. If you made a large batch, they may need closer to 24 hours to defrost. Cook the defrosted steaks the same way you would freshly marinated steak.Nutrition
More recipe information
More marinades
I first published this post in July 2019. I updated it on 06/04/2020 to make it better for you.
Marlene says
I absolutely crave savoury and this marinade was so perfect!!!. I’m writing this post in the middle of enjoying my strip sirloin. I marinated the steaks all day. So amazing. Thank you for this recipe.
Vernon says
If you want to improve these steaks, sous vide them in the vacuum sealed bags, then pan fry them for 1-2 minutes per side
Nora says
Yep, sous vide steak is amazing for sure!
Sue says
I made this tonight for steak! This is the best marinade ever! The right balance of flavours. My family all agrees this is our go to from now on. I plan to try on chicken next!
Rob says
Amazing ! I also added fresh oregano but otherwise suck to the recipe, everyone raved about the great flavor!
Nora says
That’s great to hear, Rob! Thanks for the review – I appreciate your time.
Lala says
Was looking for a marinade on Pinterest and so glad I found this one! Used it on some sirloin steaks and turned out great! I let them marinade for 2h and the. Cooked on the grill.
Nora says
Glad to hear it! And thanks for the review – I appreciate it!