How to Marinate Steak Without a Recipe

Photo by Chelsea Kyle

Master this basic marinating technique and you'll be grilling crowd-pleasing steaks all summer long.

For the grill, I always choose a thin, quick-cooking steak—I'm talking skirt, hanger, or flank steak; tri-tip, short ribs, faux hanger (aka bavette, sirloin tip, or flap meat), or entraña steak. These are all cut from large, strong, active muscles, which makes them more flavorful and great for serving a crowd. But those strong muscles are also naturally tougher. Which is why these steaks require a marinade.

Making a steak marinade is a lot like making a salad dressing—you can customize it depending on your mood, your menu, or whatever happens to be in your pantry. But unlike salad dressing, you want the flavors in your marinade to be extra strong—strong enough to infuse the meat with flavor that will linger long after the marinade is discarded.

Every steak marinade needs four elements—oil, acid, flavoring, and salt. Once you understand the basic ratio and timeline of how to marinate steak, you'll never need to look at another recipe again.

Let's dig in: here's how to marinate steak without a recipe:

1. Start your marinade with oil

Your marinade should be at least 1/2 oil. The oil helps emulsify the marinade into a thick sauce that coats the meat. It's also a flavor-carrier. And having a coating of an oil-based sauce on your steak before you grill it will help it cook better and more evenly.

You'll need 1/2 cup of marinade per pound of meat you're grilling, and you want that marinade to be at least half oil, so for two pounds of steak, start with 1/2 cup of oil. If you don't want to taste the oil, go for a neutral oil like grapeseed or canola. If you're open to a stronger flavor, try olive oil or sesame oil or even an infused oil. You can mix together a couple oils or stick with just one. And of course you can add more later if needed once you get all the other elements in play.

2. Add acid, but not too much

Acid helps tenderize tough connective tissues—which my favorite steaks have plenty of—but too much acid will actually cook and toughen the meat, turning it weird and chalky. To prevent this from happening, use equal parts or less acid to oil.

You can always add more acid later, but you can't take it away. So though you can add up to as much acid as oil, I like to start with less, just to be safe. For two pounds of steak I usually start by whisking together 1/4 cup of acid and 1/2 cup of oil. What kind of acid you use depends on how you want it to taste—you could use a fresh fruit juice such as lemon juice, orange juice, or pineapple juice, or you could use any kind of vinegar such as balsamic, apple cider, or rice vinegar. Your acid could also come in the form of wine, beer, buttermilk, yogurt, or even puréed onions and garlic. I love a classic combo of olive oil and balsamic on a juicy hanger steak.

3. Mix In Some Flavorings

The flavoring elements are simply that—flavor for the surface of your steak. So have fun and add whatever you think tastes good. Raid your condiment collection as well as your spice cupboard and herb garden. Try Worcestershire sauce or mustard, some miso or chili paste, sliced garlic or shallots or grated or pressed garlic, roughly chopped fresh herbs or herb sprigs (or a smooth purée of fresh herbs), fresh or dried chiles, whole or ground spices, ketchup or sriracha, or grated or sliced fresh ginger or citrus zest. (I add Dijon mustard, garlic, rosemary, thyme, and pepper to my balsamic marinade.)

Putting the final touches on my balsamic marinade for hanger steak.

Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell

4. Get Sweet and Salty

To balance out the flavor, just as you would a salad dressing, you need to also add something sweet and something salty to your marinade. The salt is essential as a tenderizer and moisture retainer for the meat, but it doesn't have to come from actual salt—you can also use a salty liquid such as soy sauce or fish sauce. Sugar is not as essential, but helps balance out the flavor. If one of your acids or flavorings is already naturally sweet, you can skip adding a sweetener entirely, otherwise try whisking in a pinch of brown sugar, a squirt of honey, or a splash of maple syrup. (Too much sugar will make the steak burn when you toss it on the grill, so go light with the sweetener—the marinade is not supposed to taste sweet, just well-rounded.)

Speaking of taste: This is the moment when you want to taste your marinade. Adjust your salt, sugar, flavoring, acid, and oil levels as needed. If you find you've made more than your needed amount of marinade, set the rest aside to use another time or turn it into a sauce or dressing.

5. Marinate for at least one hour, and up to 12

Pour your marinade over your steak and toss to coat. You want to have as much meat surface as possible in contact with the marinade, and the easiest way to do this is in a resealable plastic bag, where you can seal it up tight so the marinade is encircling the meat entirely. If you're not into plastic bags, use a glass or ceramic baking dish or wide shallow bowl and flip the meat every now and then. If you plan to cook the meat within one or two hours, leave it out on the counter to marinate; otherwise put it in the fridge. Just remember to remove the meat about an hour before grilling so it has a chance to come to room temperature.

Thin cuts of steak shouldn't marinate for more than 10 or 12 hours, so this is not so much of an overnight thing—more of a marinade it in the morning, grill it at night game. The shortest amount of time you can get away with is one hour. Any shorter and the marinade won't have a chance to work its magic.

6. Pat it down, then grill

When your grill is ready for cooking, remove the steak from the marinade and give it a good pat down with paper towels. Make sure no bulky flavorings like slices of jalapeño are stuck to the meat—they'll just burn on the grill.

Your cook time will depend on the heat of your grill and the cut of steak you're using, but generally speaking all thin cuts fare well cooked over high heat. They won't take long, so have your thermometer and tongs at the ready and keep flipping them over high heat and checking the internal temperature until your steak reaches your desired doneness. Aim to pull it off the grill at 120–125°F for medium-rare, or 130–135°F for medium. If you don't have a thermometer, simply slice into the steak a bit to have a peek at the color in the center to know if it's done to your liking.

Now that's a good summer supper.

Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell

7. Don't forget to rest, and slice against the grain

Give your grilled steak five minutes to rest—you don't need longer for thin cuts like these—and then slice it against the grain and serve.

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The Only Marinade You'll Ever Need

If I could use only one marinade for the rest of my life, it would be this one. Redolent with garlic, piquant with fresh lemon juice, and fragrant with extra virgin olive oil, it instantly transports you to the Mediterranean. I can't think of a single food that doesn't taste better bathed in it. You can use it as both a marinade and a basting sauce. If marinating poultry, meat, or seafood, simply set a portion aside for basting.

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Ingredients

- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon hot pepper flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt (kosher or sea), or to taste
- 4 strips of lemon zest
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed with the side of a cleaver or minced
- 1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh parsley
- 1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil, cilantro, dill, oregano, or a mix of all four
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Preparation

1. Combine the lemon juice, hot pepper flakes, cracked pepper, and salt in a nonreactive (glass, ceramic, or stainless steel) bowl and whisk until the salt crystals are dissolved. Add the lemon zest, garlic, parsley and basil. Stir or whisk in the olive oil. The virtue of this marinade is its freshness: Use it within 1 to 2 hours of making. Stir again before using.

Barbecue! Bible Sauces, Rubs and Marinades by Steven Raichlen

Nutritional Info

Calories 176
Carbohydrates 4 g(1%)
Fat 18 g(28%)
Protein 1 g(1%)
Saturated Fat 3 g(13%)
Sodium 88 mg(4%)
Polyunsaturated Fat 2 g
Fiber 2 g(8%)
Monounsaturated Fat 13 g

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loved it I used all fresh herbs from my garden I used about 8 different kinds. As others stated I added a teaspoon of sugar and some Dijon mustard . would even love to make this in to a salad dressing that's how good it was

I created an account on Epicurious just so I could leave a review for this recipe. It was absolutely delicious! Following the comments from other posts, I added a tbsp of sugar and 1 tbsp of red wine vinegar which added a subtle sweetness to the wonderful herb and lemony flavor. I am going to make it again today!

This marinade is delightfully fresh. I found it a bit too tart so I added a bit of turbanado sugar to balance it out. Scrumptious!

Delicious! Light, fresh, great for chicken and for veggies. I added a diced onion and a tablespoon of raw sugar (turbinado)to even out the taste. The end result was surprisingly flavorful for such a simple marinade. Delicious!

a classic marinade, not over powering, very subtitle and subdued but with remarkable notes of flavor. a note to the preparer: fresh garlic is a must. if you think you can get away with crushed prepared garlic you will be disappointed.

I add 1 tablespoon balsamic and a scoop of Dijon mustard for more zip and complexity, whisk til creamy, then use as a marinade atop grilled veges (zucchini, portabello mushrooms, Japanese egglplant, etc.) as well as for meat - try slathering a bit on salmon before covering with lemons and BBQing in foil. Delicious.

This is an exceptional marinade. I've used it twice now on the BBQ, once on sirloin steaks and again on chicken drumsticks. The steaks were perfectly tenderized and the chicken was crispy and juicy. So quick and easy to make with whatever herbs you have on hand - and best of all DELICIOUS results - that I'll definitely be making this over and over again.

Forgot to add the four forks. most important part! :)

Best damn piece of chicken I've ever had, and I've had lots of pieces of chicken. Four forks.

My family and our guests enjoyed this marinade on chicken and veggies that we grilled. One of our guests had a wheat allergy, and I had a difficult time finding a store bought marinade that didn't contain wheat. So I found this recipe and it was delicious! Nonetheless, my husband is from Nigeria and prefers bolder flavors -- this one is very light, summery, and wonderful, but not our all time favorite.

this is a wonderful change from the usual marinades that I use. This is very light, summery, and Mediterranean. I use a little extra lemon zest and lemon juice. It's excellent with chicken.

This recipe is very quick and easy to make, and everyone loved the steak I marinated in it.

It's true all about this one. Easy and i always get good reviews

The title says it all. Great tasting marinade that is siimple tomake.

all true things, this is the bomb. made the best marinade for salmon kabobs, overall party pleaser for my bbq party.

I love this marinade!! It's very versatile depending on what you are cooking and what herbs are handy. I sometimes use lime juice and zest with lots of cilantro and basil. FABULOUS.

I've been making this for over a year. I use it mostly on chicken breasts. I have an herb garden, so I grab parsley. and normally basil, oregano and rosemary. Whatever needs cutting! I have a Food Saver and use the marinating container. In just 1/2 hour it tastes like it's been marinating for hours.

We have used the marinade for over a year now. It is delicious and light. Our favorite use it to marinade a chicken breast, then grill it, and cut it up for chicken caesar salads.

This is an average marinade, similar to one I've used in the past. I marinated some boneless chicken breasts and some sirloin steaks for about three hours. The flavors didn't penetrate to the center of the meats and just lacked oomph. I looked up my other marinade and, in addition to the same ingredients for the Epicurious marinade, it calls for 1/2 c soy sauce, 2 T Worcestershire, 1 T dry mustard, and 1/4 c wine vinegar. I'll stick with the more flavorful one, even though it involves a bit more work.

Made this for chicken breasts and it was delicious. Definitely a taste of summer. Would make it again

thought it was a very good recipe. i recommend adding extra spices to it. my husband loved the lemon, but preferred extra salt. had already added extra salt, pepper, and threw in a touch of cayenne. we used it with chicken breasts. overall, would definitely use it again.

This was delicious and I will be making it again. However, I may have gotten the proportions wrong because the red pepper overpowered the other tastes. We don't mind hot pepper, but I was hoping to be able to taste more of the basil, oregano, and garlic.

Marinaded several chicken breasts to have on hand for a few easy dinners during the week. Light, crisp critrus flavor. Trying it again with fish.

Good, but nothing spectacular, and definatley NOT the only marinade I will ever need. I'll just stick to my old marinade recipe.

Pretty good marinade. I soaked some shish kebabs for an hour or so and they were delicious. I added a dash of balsamic vinegar and a healthy dose of cayenne pepper. Everything is better spicy.