How to Marinate Steak
On March 19, 2025
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When you know how to marinate steak, you’ve got an awesome tool in your BBQ belt to add flavor, texture, and even stretch those budget cuts. With this guide, you’ll learn how to build a marinade for steak, and how to use it to achieve the tastiest results.
Marinating Steak
A killer steak marinade is like a secret weapon for your grill game. It transforms tough cuts into tender, juicy perfection and adds a punch of bold flavor to every bite. Whether you’re working with a budget-friendly steak or want to amp up the taste of your favorite cut, the right marinade makes all the difference. In this guide, I break down everything you need to know: what to use, how long to marinate, and pro tips to get the best results. With some help from me, you can fire up the grill with confidence and serve up steaks you’ll be proud to share.
What tools do I need to make a marinade?
If you’re anything like me, you’ll want to know what kind of tools you’ll need before you start making marinades. The good news is, most steak marinades don’t require anything more than your ingredients, a gallon zip-top bag, your fridge, and a little bit of patience. There are some marinades (like the one for these jerk chicken legs) that might require the use of a blender or food processor, but you should be able to make and use most marinades with basic cooking tools.
The Best Steak to Marinate
Marinating is an awesome way to prepare all kinds of different steaks, from budget-friendly cuts to steakhouse favorites. If you’ve got a thinner, traditionally-tougher economy cut like flank, flap, or skirt steak, a good marinade will help you transform it into something tender and juicy. (Like these marinated and grilled flank steak tacos.)
You can also marinate fancier cuts of steak to give them a whole new depth of flavor. I’ve got a recipe for a marinated Delmonico steak that takes an already indulgent steak to a whole new level. In short, there’s no wrong steak when it comes to marinating. It all comes down to choosing the right ingredients and marinade time for your desired results.
How to Make a Marinade
Making a flavorful and effective marinade for steak (or anything for that matter) comes down to choosing the right ingredients. Here are the 5 elements I use in every marinade I create, including some examples for each:
- Fat: A good fat ensures your marinade not only clings to the surface of your steak, but also carries the flavors within. I usually go with a liquid fat like avocado oil or olive oil, but you can use canola or vegetable oil, or any cooking oil you prefer.
- Acid: This element helps to break down your meat, making it more tender and allowing it to better absorb flavors. I typically use some type of vinegar, lemon or lime juice, or a combination of both.
- Salt: Every good marinade (or recipe, really) starts with salt. Not only does salt enhance all the other marinade ingredients, it helps to tenderize the meat and allow it to absorb the marinade.
- Aromatics: This is the part where you get to be totally creative. You can add fresh or dried herbs to your marinade. Throw in some fresh garlic for an extra savory depth, or ginger or peppers for a little heat.
- Sweetener: A sweetener not only provides flavor balance, but also encourages browning when your steaks are cooking. You can use a liquid option like honey or maple syrup, or simply add some brown sugar to your marinade.
Once you understand the basic elements, you can craft a marinade that perfectly fits your needs and taste preferences.
How Long to Marinate Steak
How long you marinate your steak is just as important as the marinade itself. Too little time marinating and you’ll end up with tough steak lacking in flavor. If your steak marinates too long, it can start to break down. Knowing how long to marinate your steaks is key. Here’s a little breakdown, so you can plan your timeline for tender, juicy steaks.
- Less than 4 hours: If you’re in a hurry, you can technically get by marinating for just an hour or 2, but I don’t recommend it. You’ll still get some of the marinade flavor on the surface, but you won’t get the tenderize effects.
- 4-8 hours: Obviously, the longer you marinate your steak, the greater effect your marinade will have.
- Overnight: If you have the time, I highly recommend allowing your steaks to marinate in the fridge overnight, up to a full 24 hours. This gives all the marinade ingredients plenty of time to meld and penetrate the steak.
- Over 24 hours: You want to avoid going longer than 24 hours due to the acidity in the marinade. You want the meat to become tender, but not break down, so avoid marinating longer than 24 hours.
Just like choosing the ingredients for your marinade, don’t be afraid to experiment and find what works best for you. If you like a more tender steak, give yourself more time to marinate. If you want a more pronounced steak flavor, ease off the marinating window. Remember, how long to marinate steak ultimately comes down to how you like it best.
How to Marinate Steak
Alright, now that you know all the ins and outs of steak marinades, it’s time to make your own. Follow these simple steps, and you’ll achieve a perfect marinade every time:
- Make the marinade. First up, select the ingredients you want in your marinade. Remember to choose things that complement your steak, as well as one another. Toss everything into a gallon zip-top bag, then place your steaks inside. Seal the bag, removing any excess air, then massage the marinade gently into your steaks.
- Marinate the steak. This is the easy part. Place your marinade bag in the refrigerator, and let the ingredients get to work. While the oils and acids slowly tenderize your steak for a tender bite and the aromatics penetrate every morsel with flavor, all you have to do is be patient. Easy, right?
- Remove, cook, and enjoy. Once your steak is done marinating, remove it from the marinade and give it a good shake. Wipe off any excess marinade so you avoid flareups. After that, there’s nothing left to do but grill your marinated steaks and enjoy them with the people you love.
Steak Recipes Perfect for Marinating
Now that your mouth is watering at the thought of juicy, marinated steak, you’re probably ready to make something delicious to feed the people you love. Here are a few of our family’s favorite steak recipes that include a marinade, so you can get started:
Even More on Marinating Steaks
Alright, marinade masters, now that you know everything about how to marinate steak, I want to see what you create! Make sure you’re following my Instagram and Facebook pages, then snap a couple drool-worthy photos of your marinated steaks to share. You get to show off your skills, and we all get inspired to make something yummy in the backyard.
And remember, your Recipe Library and the Hey Grill Hey App are also loaded with all my marinade recipes, plus over 700 BBQ recipes to help you feel like a Backyard BBQ Hero.
