Best Steak Marinade in Existence

We're not exaggerating with the title: This is truly the best steak marinade recipe in existence.

Why Marinate a Steak?

Marinating a steak before cooking serves two purposes: It helps tenderize the meat and adds just the right amount of flavor. Some top-quality steaks can go without a marinade, since they're already full of meaty flavor and, with the right prep, end up juicy and tender without any help from a marinade. Budget-friendly steaks, however, benefit tremendously from marination. You'll be shocked at the difference a good marinade makes!

Steak Marinade Ingredients

These are the ingredients you'll need to make homemade steak marinade — you may already have most of the ingredients you'll need:

· Oil: This top-rated steak marinade recipe starts with olive oil, which keeps the meat nice and moist.
· Sauces: You'll need Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce. Hot sauce is optional, but it's a great addition for people who appreciate a little heat.
· Lemon juice: The acidity from the lemon juice cuts through the other flavors, adding welcome brightness. The acid also helps tenderize the meat even further.
· Spices and seasonings: This flavorful marinade is seasoned with dried basil, garlic powder, dried parsley flakes, white pepper, and minced garlic.

How to Make Homemade Steak Marinade

To make this steak marinade recipe at home, simply blend all the ingredients together. That's it! You'll find the full, step-by-step recipe with more detailed instructions below.

How Long to Marinate a Steak?

How long to marinate your steak depends on the size and variety of the cut you're using.

· Thinner cuts, such as skirt or flanks steaks, should be marinated for 2-4 hours.
· Tougher cuts, such as top sirloin or sirloin tip, will benefit from marinating overnight (about 8 hours).

How to Use Steak Marinade

Pour the marinade into a resealable plastic bag. Add steak, coat with the marinade, squeeze out excess air, and seal the bag. Marinate in the refrigerator for up to 8 hours. Remove steak from the marinade and shake off excess. Discard the remaining marinade. Cook or grill steaks to desired doneness.

Tip from Kookie: Serve your steak with a wedge salad to complete the meal.

What to Do With Leftover Marinade

You may be tempted to re-use the marinade straight from the bag, but don't! A used marinade is not safe to use as-is. In fact, the bacteria from the raw meat could make you (and your dinner guests) very, very sick.

All that flavorful marinade doesn't have to go to waste, though: You can make it safe-to-eat by boiling the liquid for several minutes. This process will also reduce the liquid, resulting in a thick sauce that'll work well with your freshly cooked steak.

Learn more: How to Safely Reuse a Meat Marinade

Allrecipes Community Tips and Praise

"I didn't even have the Worcestershire sauce and it was amazing," raves Juliec. "Made the steak a little crispy on the outside and so tender on the inside with a great flavor."

"I marinated tri-tips for about 8 hours and it was fantastic," says Kenzie. "It made the meat very tender and the flavor was amazing. Family loved it and said it was better than the expensive steak restaurants we have splurged on."

"Made as is, no changes except doubling the recipe for the amount of sirloin steaks we were grilling," says Tammy Philips. "Marinated all the steaks for a little over 8 hours. They were amazing! Tender and juicy! Everyone raved about the flavor and how great their steak turned out!"

Editorial contributions by Corey Williams