How To Marinade Steak - Method & Recipe

Last Updated on 20th July 2022 by

A proper steak marinade takes some work, but it can really enhance the flavor and make for an incredible dish.

I want to show you how to marinade steak the right way, giving you step by step instructions, and I also want to show you a recipe you can use to marinade steak.

How to Make a Steak Marinade

Making a marinade for the steak and then marinating it before you cook it is a good way to save yourself some time and add a lot of flavor.

Instead of trying to season the steak while it’s cooking or make up a marinade on the day you are going to cook the steak, you can infuse the meat with a lot more flavor by marinating it ahead of time.

How much marinade should you make? You want to have about 1/2 cup of marinade for every two pounds of steak. Make sure you are making enough marinade for all of your steak so that it doesn’t turn out unseasoned or dry.

What is a good marinade for steak? You can make marinade for your steak using all sorts of different ingredients. I’ll share a recipe with you in a moment, but let me first give you a few suggestions you can use if you want to make your own or if you want to look for a marinade recipe online using specific ingredients.

Some of the following items can be used on their own as a marinade or mixed with other ingredients for more flavoring:

Olive oil, to make a really juicy steak
Lemon juice, to enhance the flavor and make the meat more tender
Garlic, for a really powerful taste
Soy sauce, to make the steak saltier
Salt and pepper, essential seasonings no matter what other stuff you are marinating with
Italian seasoning, gives you a very standard but flavorful experience
Worcestershire sauce, for a powerful umami flavor
Butter, for a succulent and juicy steak that is packed with flavor
Parsley, for slight flavor and distinctive color

Steak Marinade Recipe

Now, I want to give you a really flavorful recipe to marinate your steak with. Feel free to leave some of these ingredients out or change them up as you like. I just want to give you something to work with, especially for those who have never made a steak marinade before and want a really excellent experience.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup of olive oil
1/3 cup of soy sauce
1/4 cup of Worcestershire sauce
1/3 cup of lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon of black pepper
1 tablespoon of minced garlic
1 pinch of red pepper
2 tablespoons of Italian seasoning
A few pinches of fresh chopped parsley
2 tablespoons of butter
1 1/2 pounds of steak

Directions:

Mix together salt, black pepper, soy sauce, red pepper, Italian seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, olive oil, lemon juice, and minced garlic in a small bowl. Use a whisk to ensure everything mixes evenly.
Put your steaks into a resealable plastic bag and pour the marinade over that. Let it rest in the refrigerator for at least two hours. You can leave it in the fridge overnight, if you like.

Then, you can use the butter to cook the steak up in a skillet, for a pan seared look. That way, you have a lovely combination of powerful flavors and diverse textures. You can top with parsley for color and flavor.

How Long Should you Marinate Steak

It doesn’t take too long to marinate steak, but how long it takes will depend on what you’re wanting to do with the steak. For example, if you just want to flavor the meat, it only needs to marinate for about 20 minutes.

That’s the minimum amount of time the steak should spend marinating, and I definitely recommend closer to an hour of marinade time for your steak. Two hours should probably be the maximum, unless you’re trying to tenderize the steak.

So, to tenderize the steak as it marinates, I suggest letting it marinate for up to six hours. This makes a really soft, succulent steal that’s really juicy as well.

What to Do If Your Steak is Dry

This is a pretty common problem people run into when they marinate and cook the steaks for themselves. You can avoid that by marinating in enough sauce to cover the steaks fully. Make sure there isn’t any leftover space or air in the bag when you put the steaks and marinade in there.

Seal the bag tightly and ensure the steak is fully covered on all sides with sauce. You may need to make up additional sauce for a proper marinate.

You may also not be letting the steak marinate for long enough. If it only marinates for a few minutes or even as long as an hour, that may not be long enough for the marinate to do its magic. I suggest a few hours at least for a really good soaking and to make the most of your marinade.

You may also be cooking the steaks for too long. If you over-cook steaks- cooking them for too much time or at too high for a heat- you can dry them out. Try a lower heat next time to see if that improves your results.

So, how do you tell if a steak is done cooking and is ready to be served? Here are some handy guidelines you can go by:

Steak is medium rare when it is somewhat pink on the inside and has an internal temperature of 130 degrees Fahrenheit.
Steak is medium when it achieves a slightly pink interior color and is about 140 degrees Fahrenheit inside.
Steak that is done will have only the smallest bit of pink inside and will be about 150 degrees inside.
Well done steak will be mostly brown and probably have no pink at all. it will have an internal temperature of around 160 degrees Fahrenheit

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Pauline

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I'm Pauline, a mother of four grown children, my passion for cooking stemmed from the joy i get cooking for my family. I love to try new dishes, especially when dining out but creating and sharing my own recipes is my favourite thing to do!