The 13 Best Steak Marinade Recipes to Improve Your Grilling Game

Add these flavorful marinades to your steaks, and impress everyone at your next backyard barbeque.

a picture of sliced steak with fries and a salad next to it on a white plate
Photo:

Allrecipes Magazine

Marinating your steak before grilling is the easiest thing you can do to ensure the most delicious flavors. Whether you want a savory, spicy, or sweet marinade these recipes will make you look like a grill master, and most of them only require a few ingredients that you already have on hand. Scroll through to find your new favorite steak marinade.

01 of 14

The Best Steak Marinade

steak and carrots
Trusted Brands

This marinade combines balsamic vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, Dijon mustard, and garlic. Recipe creator SweetCravings says they use this marinade with rib steaks, but it can work with any cut of beef. Marinate meat for at least two hours. "Wow. This marinade was fantastic! Don't let the simplicity of this recipe fool you. It really comes together," says reviewer FireGuysWife.

02 of 14

Grilled Coffee and Cola Skirt Steak

Grilled Coffee and Cola Skirt Steak

Chef John's smoky and sweet marinade starts with two drinks: coffee and cola. For best results, marinate your steaks for eight to 12 hours. "The flavors are balanced perfectly with the bitterness of the coffee in the grill marks," says Chef John.

03 of 14

Mojo Grilling Marinade

mojo grilling marinade
Ernestina Sanchez

This mojo marinade is a delicious blend of citrus flavors and hot pepper sauce. "I can't imagine how this recipe could be any better. Soak a gnarly slab of flank steak in it overnight, slap that bad boy on the grill, and pour yourself a Mojito, baby," says reviewer foodelicious.

04 of 14

Southwestern Flank Steak Marinade

flank steak
Soup Loving Nicole

This marinade has a Southwestern flair with a little bit of heat. Combine cilantro, lime juice, honey, cumin, and chipotle peppers and marinate your steak of choice for at least two hours.

05 of 14

Quick-and-Easy Steak Marinade

a picture of a grilled piece of steak

Bibi

Who doesn't love a recipe that's quick and easy? While some marinades take about a day to complete, this one will only take a few hours to prepare. "Delicious! It's cooked well, it's juicy, and has a great tang to the steak that I haven't had before!" said reviewer Kevin.

06 of 14

Marsala Marinated Skirt Steak

marinated steak with peas
Heidi H.

This simple marinade combines Marsala wine, ketchup, garlic, and rosemary. Marinate your skirt steak, or steak of choice, for eight hours to overnight. "Excellent flavor! I have to say I was skeptical about the ingredients for the marinade but Chef John nailed it," says reviewer Eliza Stevens Gow.

07 of 14

Spicy Garlicky Beef Marinade

spicy garlicky beef marinade
Chef Mo

Calling all spicy food fans: this marinade keeps its heat while cooking, so it's perfect for a little kick. "This wonderful marinade uses spicy jalapeños, olive oil, elephant garlic, and fresh cilantro! This is good for carne asada and makes enough marinade for approximately 2 lbs of meat," says recipe creator Traci-in-Cali.

08 of 14

Steak Tip Marinade

steak tips
cookin'mama

This four-ingredient marinade combines Worcestershire sauce, Italian-style salad dressing, garlic pepper, and barbeque sauce. While the recipe uses sirloin tip steaks, reviewers say the marinade works with any cut of meat. "This was a GREAT marinade. I was a little unsure with the BBQ sauce and the Italian dressing but truly when I smelled it all put together it was excellent. This marinade has the perfect amount of sweet and tangy and did not overwhelm the beef taste," says home cook LUVJEZUZ.

09 of 14

Stroka's Steak Marinade

steak
Happyschmoopies

The brown sugar and hot sauce in this marinade combine to create a sweet and spicy flavor for your steak. "Great marinade to really enhance the flavours of the meat without overpowering them. This recipe is the one for you if you're looking for something easy with a slightly different taste than your average marinade," says reviewer Julia Renaud.

10 of 14

Marinated Flank Steak

Marinated Flank Steak

This juicy, savory flank steak has marinated for over 2 hours in tangy Dijon mustard, salty Worcestershire sauce, refreshing lemon juice, and other delicious ingredients- with each bite, your taste buds will be left absolutely speechless. However, if you're interested in turning this meaty main course into a wholesome meal, explore our best side dishes for steak.

11 of 14

Best Steak Marinade in Existence

Best Steak Marinade in Existence
Allrecipes Magazine

Soy sauce, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, and hot pepper sauce combine to make this flavorful marinade. "I really wasn't sure about the ingredients (didn't want teriyaki type), and decided to take a chance based upon the ratings. Boy, was I glad I did. They were so tender, and the taste… fabulous. This marinade is very subtle, it really enhances the meat well," says home cook Debra Lundquist.

12 of 14

Northwest Steakhouse Steak Marinade

a picture of steak with different veggies next to it

 Cynthia LaFourcade

The secret to this Northwestern Steakhouse copycat marinade is Greek seasoning, butter, and chicken bouillon. "I stumbled across this searching for a steak marinade that didn't include Worcestershire sauce as we are out. WITHOUT prompting Mr. LTH said 'This is the best steak marinade we've had yet. Make it again. Please,'" says Allrecipes Allstar lovestohost.

13 of 14

Lisa's Favorite Carne Asada Marinade

closeup of sliced medium-rare flank steak
Lisa's Favorite Carne Asada Marinade.

The citrus flavor is the star of this carne asada marinade. It combines orange juice, lemon juice, and lime juice with chipotle peppers and chili powder to balance out the citrus. "The meat came out juicy, flavorful and tender, this marinade is very similar to what they use at carnicerias (Mexican butcher's shop)," says reviewer Elvira Silva.

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