If you want juicy, tender steaks at home, this versatile steak marinade is your ticket to a full steakhouse experience using budget-friendly cuts (like flank steak or skirt steak) or more expensive prime cuts (like rib-eye or tenderloin). With simple pantry ingredients like olive oil, soy sauce, Worcestershire, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, brown sugar, garlic, and fresh herbs, you can transform affordable steaks into restaurant-worthy mains.
Why I Always Marinate My Steaks
When I want a restaurant-worthy steak night at home, this steak marinade recipe is my secret weapon—especially for budget-friendly cuts that need a little extra love like top sirloin, hanger steak, flank steak, skirt steak, London broil, chuck eye steak, and round steaks. We're talking about turning those cheaper cuts into juicy restaurant-quality steaks soaking up big flavor from a bold, herby marinade, roasted garlic herb butter melting over the top, and a side of perfectly roasted asparagus. If you want to transform ordinary steaks into an epic, crowd-pleasing dinner, this is the recipe to bookmark. It is also a great marinade for expensive prime cuts like rib-eye or filet mignon (tenderloin). Serve these with my garlic Parmesan scalloped potatoes, family-favorite roasted garlic Parmesan mashed potatoes, the best garlic green beans, pillowy garlic butter dinner rolls, or comforting creamy garlic Parmesan orzo.
Pantry Staples, Steakhouse Results
- Steakhouse Flavor, Easy at Home: This marinade is loaded with olive oil, soy sauce, Worcestershire, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, and tons of garlic and fresh herbs. I swear, it makes steaks taste like they just came out of a fancy steakhouse kitchen. And, the recipe uses pantry staples!
- Tender & Juicy Every Time: Marinating the steaks for at least 2 hours (overnight is even better!) makes the meat super tender, flavorful, and juicy. It’s the trick for steakhouse-quality results at home. After cooking the steaks (on the stovetop or grill), dress them up with my creamy spinach mushroom and caramelized onion sauce and serve with balsamic roasted brussels sprouts (with pine nuts) or roasted asparagus with blue cheese and bacon.
Steak Marinade Ingredients
For this knockout steak marinade, you’ll need: ribeye steaks, olive oil, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar (or honey), Dijon mustard, loads of garlic, fresh thyme, fresh rosemary, salt, and pepper. These ingredients create a marinade that not only infuses the steak with deep umami and herb flavors but also tenderizes the meat for a melt-in-your-mouth texture. Note: All the ingredients are in this photo—screenshot for your shopping list:
Marinade Variations
- Soy Sauce or Tamari or Coconut Aminos: If you are avoiding soy or are allergic, you can always swap it out for tamari or coconut aminos instead.
- Herbs: I use fresh herbs like rosemary and thyme. If you prefer different herbs, you can easily use alternatives or add to the ones in this recipe. I recommend oregano, sage, and dill.
- Vinegar or Citrus: You can replace the balsamic vinegar with lemon or lime.
- Sugar substitutes: If you like, using fruit jams instead of sugar or honey works just as well! I recommend fig, orange marmalade, apple, pear, and apricot.
How long should I marinate the steak?
I recommend marinating your steaks for at least 2 hours to really let the flavors soak in, but overnight in the fridge is even better if you want extra tenderness and depth of flavor. Just don’t go beyond 24 hours—too much time can break down the meat, especially with fresh herbs and acids in the marinade.
Best Containers for Marinating
- Use glass or ceramic dishes, or resealable plastic bags (like Ziploc) for marinating steaks in the fridge. These non-reactive materials keep flavors pure and make cleanup easy.
- What to Avoid: Skip metal, aluminum, copper, or cheap plastic containers, as they can react with acidic marinades or leach chemicals, affecting taste and quality.
How to Store Steak Marinade
If you’ve mixed up extra steak marinade and haven’t added any meat to it yet, simply pour it into an airtight container or jar and store it in the refrigerator. If untouched by meat, the marinade will stay fresh for up to 5 days—just give it a quick stir before using.
How to Make Steak Marinade (Step-by-Step)
Full ingredients + instructions are in the recipe card below.
- Prep: Pat steaks dry, poke with a fork, season lightly with salt.
- Combine marinade ingredients: Mix olive oil, soy sauce, Worcestershire, balsamic, brown sugar (or honey), Dijon, garlic, thyme, rosemary, black pepper in a medium bowl.
- Add steaks and marinade to a ziploc bag, remove air, and chill at least 2 hours (overnight is best). Tip: Marinating longer = more flavor.
How to Sear Marinated Steaks on Stovetop
Full ingredients + instructions are in the recipe card below.
- Room Temp: Pull steaks from the fridge 30 min before cooking. Tip: Cold steak = uneven cooking.
- Roast Garlic: Slice tops off garlic bulbs, drizzle with oil, salt, and pepper. Cover with foil, roast at 425°F for 45–60 min until soft and golden. Tip: Roasting tames the sharpness and brings out sweetness.
- Make Roasted Garlic Herb Butter: Cool, then squeeze roasted cloves into a bowl. Mix with softened butter, chopped thyme and rosemary, salt, and pepper.
- Keep the cast iron skillet hot: After roasting garlic, wipe the skillet clean, put it back in the oven to get hot for searing the steaks. Tip: Hot pan = better sear.
- Roasted Asparagus: Toss asparagus with olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper. Spread on a sheet pan, roast at 425°F for 10–15 min until tender.
- Prepare the steaks: Remove the steaks from the marinade and let the excess drip off. Pat dry and remove any debris with paper towels.
- Sear: Heat skillet over medium-high with a splash of oil. Sear steaks 3–4 min per side for medium-rare (130–135°F). Let steaks rest 5–10 min before slicing.
- Optional: Reduce leftover marinade on stove for a sauce (bring to a boil, then simmer to thicken).
- Serve: Slice steaks against the grain. Plate with asparagus and top with garlic herb butter.
More Marinade Recipes
This steak marinade isn’t just for beef—it’s super versatile and works just as well with chicken, pork, and even seafood. If you love having one go-to marinade for all your proteins, this is it. And if you’re looking for even more options, here are a few other marinades that are great with steak, pork, chicken, lamb, or seafood:
The Steak Marinade of Your Dreams
Ingredients
Steak Marinade
- 2 ribeye steaks (16 ounces), trimmed. Or, use 4 steaks 8 oz each
- salt and pepper to taste
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar or honey
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 6 cloves garlic minced or pressed
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
Roasted Garlic Butter
- 6 bulbs garlic tops sliced off
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 cup butter (2 sticks), room temperature
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon fresh rosemary finely chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
Roasted Asparagus
- 2 bunches asparagus washed, dried, and trimmed
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ medium lemon juice
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Make Steak Marinade
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
- Pat steaks dry, poke all over gently with a fork, and season lightly with salt.
- In a medium bowl, mix olive oil, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar (or honey), Dijon mustard, garlic, thyme, rosemary, and black pepper.
- Pour the marinade into a gallon ziploc bag and add the steaks. Seal the bag, removing as much air as possible, and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, up to overnight.
- Remove the steaks from the fridge at least 30 minutes before cooking to bring to room temperature.
Roasted Garlic Butter
- While the steaks are marinating and the oven is preheating, place your garlic bulbs cut side up in a cast iron skillet. You can add the tops if you like or use them for another time.
- Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Cover with foil and roast for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until cooked through, soft and slightly golden brown. OPTIONAL: Flip the garlic over in the pan, and place back into the oven for 2-3 minutes to char and further brown the tops.
- Remove the garlic from the skillet and set aside to cool. Wipe the cast iron skillet completely clean with paper towels and return the empty skillet to the oven to stay hot for searing the steaks.
- Once the garlic is cool enough to handle, squeeze out the cloves or remove them with a fork into a small bowl with the softened butter, thyme, and rosemary. Mash and mix with a fork until well combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside.
Roast Asparagus
- While the garlic finishes roasting, toss asparagus with olive oil, juice from ½ a lemon, salt, and pepper.
- Spread the asparagus onto a baking sheet and roast in the oven as you begin to prepare the steaks for searing. Roast asparagus for 10-15 minutes, or until tender.
Cook the Steaks
- Remove the steaks from the marinade and let the excess drip off. Pat dry and remove any debris with paper towels.
- Optional: Pour the remaining marinade into a small saucepan and simmer over low heat to reduce into a sauce, or discard it (we recommend you make a sauce because it’s really delicious!)
- Carefully transfer the preheated cast iron skillet from the oven to the stovetop and heat over medium high. Add 1 tablespoon canola oil.
- Sear the steaks for 3–4 minutes per side for medium-rare (130–135°F internal temp), adjusting time based on thickness and preference.
- Transfer the steaks to a cutting board, cover with a paper towel or foil, and let rest for 5–10 minutes before slicing.
To Serve
- Slice the steaks against the grain and plate alongside the roasted asparagus. Add mashed potatoes, rice, or a side of your choice if you like. Top each serving with a generous dollop of garlic herb butter. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
- 4 steaks vs. 2 steaks: You can easily marinate 2 more steaks if you like (in the same amount of steak marinade and other ingredients)! You will need to cook them in batches or if you have another cast iron skillet you can cook them at the same time. Make sure to cook your garlic bulbs in 2 cast iron skillets instead of 1 so that when it comes time to cook the steaks, you have 2 prepared skillets ready to go!
- Room temperature steaks: Letting the steaks come to room temperature before cooking helps them cook more evenly—so you don’t end up with a charred outside and a cold, raw middle!
- Removing the marinade: It’s really important to remove as much of the marinade as you can from the steak. If you don’t, you can potentially burn the sugars in the marinade and impart an acrid burnt flavor into your steaks.
- Slicing against the grain: Slicing against the grain is better for texture and ease of eating.
Substitutions
- Steak: I use 2 ribeye steaks. You can sub out the rib eye for tenderloin or flank! Just remember that flank steak is much thinner and tougher than rib eye so it will require less time to sear. You will still need to use a hot pan, but adjust your time according to your preferred doneness.
- Chicken thighs or breasts: This recipe also works great with chicken thighs or breasts with either skin on or off! Follow the directions as written and adjust your cooking time accordingly.
- Veggies: You can sub the asparagus for zucchini, cauliflower florets, corn, sweet potatoes, bell peppers, Brussels sprouts, or even sauteed mushrooms.
- Seasoning Mixes: If you have a favorite seasoning mix you’d like to add to both the herb butter and/or asparagus, you are more than welcome to do so! Just be aware of the salt content to make sure you aren’t over salting your food.
Variations
- Grilled: You can cook every part of this on a grill! Just make sure you heat the grill prior to roasting the garlic and have enough coals to keep the grill hot for at least 2 hours to grill the asparagus and the steak.
- Vegan: You can use firm tofu instead of steak if you like! Follow the instructions as written. You can also switch out the butter for vegan butter, too.
- Citrus Herb Butter: If you want a touch of citrus, go ahead and zest either lemon or lime, and add some juice to the butter!
Storage Tips
- Fridge: You can store the cooled steak, asparagus, and butter in separate containers in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: I do not recommend freezing the steak and the asparagus. You can freeze the butter (untouched by steak meat) once it’s cooled by forming it into a cylindrical log and wrapping it tightly with plastic wrap.
Serving Ideas & Side Dishes
- Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
- Baked Asparagus with Cheese and Bacon
- Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Broccoli
- Cilantro-Lime Black Bean Rice
- Sun-Dried Tomato Risotto
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon, Pecans, and Dried Cranberries
- Sauteed Fresh Spinach
- Asparagus Salad with Garlic Herb Toast: After cooking, slice up the steak and asparagus and toss them with fresh greens and any veggies you like for a quick, hearty salad. Serve with toasted bread slathered in garlic herb butter for a super tasty, easy meal!
You will need these supplies
- knife
- cutting board
- measuring spoons
- measuring cups
- gallon zip lock bag
- cast iron skillet
- baking sheet
- tongs
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer:
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Thanks Julia!
I cooked them for lunch today, and the whole family loved it,
It was delicious!!!
Antonio
OS: I am planning to try the marinade pork next time
Hi Julia,
Quick question. Is it 1/2 tsp of chopped rosemary or one tsp of rosemary, chopped?
This is such an awesome recipe, plus the other enclosed ones.
Love the roasted Garlic Butter!!
Thank you Julia!!
Thank you, Catherine! I've put a lot of thought and planning into this one. 🙂