These 8 Best Ever Steak Marinades are perfect for freezer meal prep and each of the marinades only contain 5 easy ingredients.
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Why should I marinate steak?
The purpose of a steak marinade is to infuse the meat with flavor. Much more effective than seasoning during the cooking process, steak marinades impart all of their flavor throughout the cut of meat. Particularly important if the steak will be grilled, a steak marinade nearly eliminates the carcinogens created by grilling.
In my steak marinade recipes, the citrus and vinegar ingredients serve to tenderize the meat. This makes it not only easier to chew but also easier to digest. It locks in the moisture for a better meal all around.
How do you make steak marinades?
There are four essential ingredients you’ll need to make a fantastic steak marinade:
- an acid
- a flavouring
- cooking oil
- salt
Acid
The first ingredient is an acid. This can be vinegar, citrus (lemon and lime juice are what I use in most of my marinades) or wine. The acid tenderizes the meat to prepare it for cooking.
Flavouring
Next, we use flavouring. Below you will find eight of my very favorite flavour combinations for steak marinades. The garlic, mustard, Italian seasoning and other herbs and spices give each marinade a distinct flavor. Try them all and then find a favorite to use, or tweak them to make your own marinade. It will impress anyone who joins your dinner table!
Oil
The third ingredient in any steak marinade is oil. The oil holds all of the ingredients together and adds moisture to the meat. I like to use oil olive for its quality and taste, but really any type of cooking oil will work. By the way, sesame oil is what I use for the Asian steak marinade recipe because it adds a nice sesame flavour.
Salt
The final ingredient you need to use in any steak marinade recipe is salt. In addition to adding flavour, salt acts like a barrier, keeping the juices inside the steak. This helps to keep the steak from drying out.
What cuts of steak can be marinated?
The tougher the cut of meat, the longer it needs to be marinated. Tough cuts (such as sirloin, chuck and round cuts) are from the muscular parts of the body that do the most work. An animal’s legs are always working hard and therefore will produce a tougher cut of meat. Those steaks should be marinated between six and 24 hours.
More tender cuts of steak (such as ribeye, tenderloin and t-bone) are found where the animal carries less weight and work. Four-legged animals (such as cows), do almost no work with their back muscles. Those muscles then provide the tender meat that we look for when we’re going to be grilling.
Those tender cuts will only need to sit in steak marinades for 15 minutes to one hour but you could marinate them for longer if you wish.
What are the best cuts of steak to use?
Here are the top cuts that I recommend you use for steak marinades:
- Sirloin
- Ribeye
- Flank
- Tri-tip
- New York strip steak
- T-bone
- Filet mignon
- Tenderloin
- Skirt steak
Should you pound steak to tenderize it?
Some people pound their meat to tenderize it. Even poultry can be pounded, but people tend to do steak because it's tougher, and sometimes even use meat tenderizers to soften it up. Personally, I find a good marinade will serve to tenderize the meat enough, and then you don't have to go through any extra work so you can feel free to skip the pounding step.
Should you marinate steak in the fridge?
Any type of meat must always be marinated in the refrigerator. Bacteria grows quickly at room temperature, making the meat unsafe to eat.
How long should you marinate steak for?
The simple answer is that you can marinate a steak anywhere from 20 minutes to 48 hours. If you're in a hurry, choose a more tender cut of steak (see more info on that above) and marinate it for a shorter time. Sometimes you really want to lock in that flavour though, or are meal prepping ahead, and in that case you can leave your steak marinating up to 2 days.
Typically, I'd say that 4-8 hours is a happy medium. Get your steak marinating earlier in the day and then go to cook it later at night.
Freezing steak marinades
Absolutely! Any of these steak marinade recipes can be made in advance and frozen. Tightly seal a large Ziploc freezer bag to prevent leaking and the marinade will last in the freezer for about three months.
Having a variety of steak marinades ready in your freezer makes grilling on a weeknight easy and fast! Just make sure you defrost your steak in the fridge earlier in the day.
Can you make the marinades ahead of time?
You can make the marinades themselves and keep them in mason jars in the fridge up to one week in advance. I wouldn't recommend any longer than that, especially for marinades with fresh herbs as they can lose their flavour. But creating the marinades ahead of time is a great way to cut down on prep time if you like to do a little bit of meal prep earlier in the week before cooking.
8 steak marinade varieties
Pictured below are the 8 different marinade possibilities for steak. Don't be afraid to get creative but also keep in mind that you want the flavours of the steak to shine through! These marinades are delicious ideas for pan frying and summer grilling.
You'll find the all the recipes below in the recipe card ( ). Each marinade listed will marinate between 2 and 4 steaks, and the marinades themselves are made up of mostly pantry staples such as oils, vinegars and herbs & spices. I don't tend to use more than 4-5 ingredients in steak marinades in order to keep things simple and to focus on the steaks themselves.
Take a look at the pictures below then jump to the recipe below to make the recipe of your choice!
Cilantro lime marinade
Orange chili marinade
Mexican style marinade
Greek marinade
Balsamic marinade
Asian style marinade
Rosemary red wine marinade
Garlic herb marinade
Grilling vs pan frying steak
You can cook these steaks on the BBQ or on the stovetop. Using a cast iron skillet is best for pan frying as the heat is distributed more evenly and gives the steaks a better cook. Grilling is a great option as well to get that smoky flavour most people associate with steak. Either way, you're going to be looking at approximately the same amount of cook time and cooking on high heat for a short time period for best results.
How long should you cook steak for?
This depends on how you like your steak done, but 3-4 minutes per side for medium-rare is your best bet. This is assuming that your steak is about 1-inch in thickness and the temperature level of your appliances but this is a good rule of thumb. Here's a list of times for steak:
- 1-2 minutes per side for rare
- 3-4 minutes per side for medium-rare
- 5-6 minutes per side for medium
- 7-8 minutes per side for well-done
Hand test for doneness
Here's a great article that goes over the hand test for doneness. If in doubt, you should be looking at internal temperatures of 125-135 F for rare, 145 F for medium rare, 160F for medium and 170F for well done steak.
What to do with extra marinade
If you are planning to recycle the marinade, I'd recommend boiling it for about 10 minutes after you use it (assuming the marinade touched raw steak) then cool it completely in refrigerator before the next use. You'll likely lose some flavor, but it should still be delicious.
If you mixed the marinade in a bowl and reserved half of it (not ever touching the steak), then you can use it for other purposes such as a salad dressing or sauce for other dishes. I've even used leftover marinade in stir fries before!
What sides should you serve with steak?
Here are some great side dish ideas to go with these steaks:
- Roasted potatoes
- Grilled potatoes in foil
- Steamed or roasted veggies such as asparagus, broccoli, zucchini, red pepper, etc. (here's a recipe for spiced BBQ vegetables)
- Bacon brussels sprouts
- Caprese salad
More marinade recipes
Even though you can technically use these marinades for other types of meat and protein (even chicken and fish), I've got more marinade and spice rub recipes handy for you below.
- The best baked chicken breast (+ 6 marinades and spice rubs)
- 20+ chicken marinades
- Salmon marinades
Meal prep ideas for steak
There are so many ways to incorporate steak into your weekly meal prep! Here are some of my fave ideas:
- Steak flatbread
- Steak caprese sandwiches (use the balsamic marinade)
- Steak quinoa burrito bowls
- Carne asada fries (use the Mexican marinade for this one)
Meal prep tools for this recipe
- Grab some glass meal prep bowls if you plan on turning these steaks into your weekly lunches.
- I get all my grass-fed beef from Butcher Box, conveniently delivered to me frozen.
- Get a meat thermometer to make sure your steak is cooked through
- Use these Ziploc bag holders if you're marinating the steak then freezing it
8 Best Ever Steak Marinades
Ingredients
Rosemary Red Wine Marinade
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp red wine
- 1 tbsp dried rosemary
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp each salt & pepper
Asian Marinade
- 2 tbsp sesame oil
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp fresh gingerroot
Mexican Marinade
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp each salt & pepper
Greek Marinade
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp oregano
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp each salt & pepper
Balsamic Marinade
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp each salt & pepper
Cilantro Lime
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tbsp finely chopped cilantro
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp each salt & pepper
Orange Chili
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp orange juice
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tsp chili flakes
- 1/2 tsp each salt & pepper
Garlic Herb
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp white wine or lemon juice
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp each salt & pepper
For steak
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 8oz steaks (top sirloin, rib-eye, flank, tri-tip, or New York strip steak all work)
Instructions
- Mix together steak marinade of choice in a small bowl and pour over steak in a Ziploc bag. Marinate for 30 minutes or up to 24 hours.
- ON STOVETOP: Heat olive oil in a cast iron skillet over med-high heat until oil starts to smoke. Add steak and sear for 3-4 minutes per side for medium-rare (this is if your steak is 1-inch thick). The steak should have an internal temperature of 135 degrees F.
- ON BBQ: Preheat BBQ grill to 450 F. Add steak and sear for another 3-4 minutes per side for medium-rare (this is if your steak is 1-inch thick). The steak should have an internal temperature of 135 degrees F.
- Remove from heat and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing or chopping. Serve immediately with a side dish. Enjoy!
- To freeze steak: Mix marinade ingredients as instructed above and add to freezer-safe Ziploc bag along with steak. Freeze up to 3 months. Let defrost in the fridge for 24 hours before pan frying or grilling.
Video
Nutrition
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Judy V says
Hi, Taylor,
I know I will use your 8 steak marinades again again and again. Thank you so much for sharing!
Judy V
Taylor Stinson says
So happy you enjoyed Judy 🙂
Tracy says
I love having these on hand because the ingredients and the methodology are so similar, it becomes second nature. I have used probably five of these now, some repeatedly. A few of them are excellent for chicken and fish as well! It’s also easy to tweak a particular herb based on what you’re cooking anyhow, to stick with a theme. Thank you for these recipes!
Taylor Stinson says
I’m so happy you’ve enjoyed them! Thank you Tracy 🙂