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Our favorite easy steak marinade requires only four ingredients and makes mouth-watering steak that tastes amazing!
This marinade is perfect for flavoring our favorite Flat Iron Steak Recipe, just add a Perfect Baked Potato and you’re set!
our favorite marinade!
Summer means grilling season is upon us, which means you can find us regularly cooking steak, Chicken, and our Hamburgers for dinner.
Decades ago, we got a steak marinade recipe from a neighbor, and we’ve been using it ever since. Not only is it super simple, but it makes our steak even more delicious and flavorful.
Why we love it:
- So easy. This simple recipe whips up in minutes and only requires 4 ingredients!!!
- Make it yours. You can easily change up the flavor profile or add a bit of spice, but we love this marinade just as it is.
- For all grilled dinner ideas. This works well with a variety of steak cuts, chicken, or even ribs!
Only 4 Ingredients!
- Italian dressing – I don’t have a favorite brand and have successfully made this recipe for steak marinade using whatever brand was on sale that week. Use 1 cup of the liquid dressing, not a powdered Italian seasoning mix.
- A1 sauce – the original flavor. A1 Sauce is a commonly found steak sauce in the US. A very similar product outside the US would be HP sauce. It is a bit tangier and spicier than A1 sauce, so you may wish to balance the flavor by adding a bit of sugar.
- Worcestershire sauce
- optional lemon juice – or lime juice to add a bit of a zesty layer of flavor
Best Cuts for the Grill
- My family loves flat iron steak or skirt steak, but other cuts of meat that are good for marinating and grilling include sirloin, t-bone, porterhouse, round steak, New York strip steak, and flank steak.
- Prime cuts like filet mignon, ribeye, or other premium aged beef are already flavorful and tender so pass on marinating those.
How to Marinate Steak
This steak marinade recipe is perfect for 2 whole steaks. If you are grilling more, then double the recipe for every two steaks added.
- MIX. Combine steak marinade ingredients into a gallon-sized Ziploc bag or small bowl and mix (Add any extra spices here like Italian seasoning or garlic powder). Once they’re mixed, add your steak.
- MARINATE. To get the benefits, I suggest marinating for at least 4 hours. I like to marinate my steak overnight, about 8-12 hours. Do not marinate for longer than 24 hours as it can break down the tissues in the meat.
- Marinate at room temperature for up to 1 hour. Any longer and you’ll need to use the refrigerator.
- GRILL. Once they have marinated enough, grill or cook them to your liking.
Simple Steak Marinade Tips
- Poke a few holes in the steak with a fork to allow the marinade to easily reach the center of the meat.
- Be sure that you have enough marinade for the amount of meat. Flip the steak halfway during the marinating time to ensure all sides get coated.
Key Marinating components
A great steak marinade has 3 key components. The components can be mixed and matched to create so many flavor combinations.
The components should be balanced and given ample time to marinate the beef.
- Fats enhance flavors and moisturize. Use coconut oil, olive oil, sesame oil, duck fat, butter, or an oil-based salad dressing.
- Acid to tenderize and flavor. Use vinegar, wine, citrus, or buttermilk.
- Flavor not only enhances the taste but aids caramelization. Try fresh herbs, spices, sauces, sugar, honey, garlic, onions, chilis, pepper, salt, or onion powder. Add spice with red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper.
Tips for THe Grill
- Oil. Start with a clean grill and add a little vegetable or olive oil to the grate before heating.
- Room temperature. Allow the steaks to come to room temperature before putting them on the grill (about 30 minutes).
- Cooking. Only flip the steak once. Let the meat rest after taking it off the grill. The steak will continue to cook a bit and the juices will distribute.
- Marinade. Never reuse this best steak marinade for steak once it has come in contact with raw meat. To use this best marinade for steak to baste the meat or to make a sauce, set some aside BEFORE adding raw meat.
- Cooking temperature. I heat my grill to between 450-550°F before grilling steak.
- Searing. Remember to sear the steak over direct heat.
- Thinner steaks will cook sufficiently with searing.
- For a thinker cut. once seared, move to indirect heat to finish cooking.
Additional Tips
- Other cooking methods. Grilled steak is my absolute favorite. Thankfully that’s not the only way to can cook a marinated steak. Use a cast-iron skillet or a grill pan to cook the steak on the stovetop.
- Serving suggestions. Steak goes great with many sides, but we especially love Oven Roasted Vegetables, Fried Zucchini, Roasted Brussel Sprouts, Baked Beans Recipe, and Best Mashed Potatoes.
- Leftover steak. Use leftovers in recipes like Baked Chicken Chimichangas, Chicken Quesadillas, Quick Caprese Salad, Best Breakfast Burrito Recipe, or Breakfast Tacos.
How to Tell When Steak is Done
- For steaks that are 1½ inches or thicker, use a meat thermometer. Start by charring them over HIGH heat then moving them to a section set to LOW heat to finish cooking.
- Rare: 120°F
- Medium Rare: 130°F
- Medium: 140°F
- For thinner steaks, use a timer and cook over high heat.
- Rare: 3 minutes on each side
- Medium Rare: 4 minutes on each side
- Medium: 5 minutes on each side
Storing info
- Freeze marinating meat. Freezing stops the marinating process so it is safe to add your meat to a marinade and then keep it in the freezer until ready to thaw and cook. For best results, do not freeze in this flavorful marinade for longer than 3 months. Thaw in the fridge.
- STORE. After cooking the meat in the homemade steak marinade, store it in a Ziploc bag and place it in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- FREEZE. Wrap the steak tightly and place it in a freezer bag for up to 3 months.
For More Recipes:
Steak Marinade
Our all-time favorite steak marinade requires only four ingredients and makes mouth-watering steak that tastes amazing!
Ingredients
- 1 cup Italian dressing
- ½ cup A.1. Original sauce
- ½ cup Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice, optional
- 1 pound steak of choice, (flat-iron, skirt, top sirloin or flank steak)
Instructions
- Combine dressing, A.1. sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and lemon juice in a large resealable plastic bag or airtight container. Mix well.
- Add steak to the marinade, making sure it is coated on all sides.
- Place in the refrigerator to marinate for at least 4 hours or up to –36 hours.
- When ready to cook, preheat the grill to 450–500°F. Allow steaks to come to room temperature.
- Place steaks on the grill and cook until golden brown and slightly charred (4–5 minutes). Flip steaks over and continue to grill to the desired doneness (see below; 5–7 minutes for medium).
- Let meat rest for 5 minutes before serving. The steak will continue to cook a bit and the juices will distribute.
Video
Notes
Grill prep. Start with a clean grill and add a little vegetable or olive oil to the grate before heating.
Doneness guide. For steaks that are 1½ inches or thicker, use a meat thermometer. Start by charring them on both sides over high heat, then move them to low heat to finish cooking to the desired temperature:
o Rare: 120°F
o Medium-Rare: 130°F
o Medium: 140°F
o Medium-Well: 150–160°F
o Well Done: over 160°F
Freeze marinating meat. Freezing stops the marinating process so it is safe to add your meat to a marinade and then keep it in the freezer until ready to thaw and cook. For best results, do not freeze in this flavorful marinade for longer than 3 months. Thaw in the fridge.
STORE. After cooking the meat in the homemade steak marinade, store it in a Ziploc bag and place it in the fridge for 3-4 days.
FREEZE. Wrap the steak tightly and place it in a freezer bag for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Serving: 1steak, Calories: 702kcal, Carbohydrates: 41g, Protein: 50g, Fat: 36g, Saturated Fat: 8g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 13g, Monounsaturated Fat: 11g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 136mg, Sodium: 3154mg, Potassium: 1609mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 25g, Vitamin A: 271IU, Vitamin C: 14mg, Calcium: 148mg, Iron: 8mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Sooooooo good! a weekly staple in our house!
Going yo try yhos recipe tonight.
This is the best marinade. Love it.
I love steak this was beautiful can’t wait to have it again
Thank you paula
Absolutely love this recipe and will be my go to for marinating whatever I bbq . It’s the best!
I love the flavor of grilled steak so much, but I can’t finish in one sitting. It never tastes as good the next day.
I am completely obsessed! My food aversions have been insane with this pregnancy & it has been such a relief to find something this tasty! Thank you☺️
We recently used this marinade when making copy cat deli style shaved beef sandwiches. We pulled the meat from cooking just before it was rare and tender enough to be shredded with two forks. We let the meat continue cooking until medium rare. Grabbed the meat with a slotted spoon and placed on sub buns with lots of banana peppers and pepper Jack cheese. This marinade was really zippy when combined with the peppers. The flavors were singing! Would recommend. I love that this recipe isn’t trying to be something it’s not. It’s simple and easy.
Oh my gosh! Don’t you just love Italian dressing as a marinade? This recipe makes the meat incredibly flavorful! In fact don’t wait till Memorial day! try it next time you have steak, you won’t be disappointed!!! Oh and I have even used grapefruit juice instead of lemon. Its the citrus that helps “break down” the meat to make it tender.
Definitely! That acid in the citrus does a great job with tenderizing the meat. So glad you love the marinade recipe!
I’m always looking for a new marinade recipe. This one looks delicious, thank you.