The Best Steak Marinade Recipe for Beef and Venison

Share it!

There’s something magical about a perfectly grilled steak. The char on the outside, the tender, juicy interior, and that depth of flavor make your taste buds sing. But here’s the secret: the best steak marinade can transform even economical steaks into something truly special.

I’ve been using this recipe for over 15 years and I’m convinced it’s the best way to prepare both beef and wild game.

Why This Steak Marinade Recipe Works

This homemade steak marinade combines simple ingredients you likely already have in your pantry to create something extraordinary. The combination of soy sauce, olive oil, and lemon juice creates the perfect balance of savory, rich, and bright flavors. The acidic ingredients like red wine vinegar, lemon juice, and Worcestershire sauce work to tenderize the muscle fibers in tougher cuts of meat while infusing them with incredible flavor.

What I love most about this marinade is its versatility. It works beautifully on everything from a premium ribeye steak to more economical steaks like flank steak, skirt steak, or even tougher cuts of steak that benefit from a little extra love. And if you’re a hunter like many in my family, this marinade is absolutely fantastic for venison. It complements the rich, earthy flavor of wild game without overpowering it.

The beauty of this recipe is that these are mostly pantry staples, making it an easy way to elevate any cut of steak without a special trip to the store.

Choosing Your Steak Cuts

This marinade works wonderfully on virtually any types of steak. Here are my recommendations:

Best for Marinating:

Flank steak, skirt steak, and London broil are excellent choices. Top sirloin, sirloin tip, and hanger steak also work beautifully. Eye of round and other tougher cuts of meat benefit greatly from the tenderizing effects of this marinade.

Also Excellent:

Sirloin steaks and New York strip steaks are fantastic with this marinade. Rib eye and filet mignon work wonderfully too, though tender cuts like these need less time in the marinade.

For Venison:

This marinade is exceptional with venison round steaks, backstrap, or any cut of wild game. The marinade ingredients help mellow the gamey flavor while keeping the meat tender and juicy.

How to Marinade Steak: Step by Step

1. Mix the Marinade

In a small bowl, combine all your marinade ingredients. Add the olive oil, soy sauce, red wine vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, crushed garlic, dry mustard, salt, black pepper, and parsley flakes. Whisk everything together until well combined.

2. Prepare Your Meat

If your steaks are already sliced, you can add them directly to the marinade. If you are working with venison that is not sliced into steaks yet, slice the meat into 1 inch thick slices.

3. Marinade Your Steak

Place your chosen cut of steak in a resealable plastic bag or airtight container. Pour the marinade over the meat, making sure it’s fully submerged. If using Ziploc bags, squeeze out as much air as possible before sealing.

4. Refrigerate

This is where patience pays off. The longer the better is my motto with this marinade. For tender steaks like filet mignon or ribeye steak, 2 to 4 hours is plenty.

For tougher cuts of steak or leaner cuts, I recommend marinating overnight. You can even marinade for a whole day if you have the time. For venison, overnight marinating is ideal.

5. Bring to Room Temperature

On the next day or whenever you’re ready to cook, remove the meat from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before grilling. Letting the steak come to room temperature ensures more even cooking.

Grilling Your Marinated Steak

Prepare Your Grill

Heat your grill to medium-high heat. You want a hot grill that will give you a good sear. If you’re using a charcoal grill, make sure you have both direct heat for searing and indirect heat for finishing thicker cuts.

Remove Excess Marinade

Take the steak out of the marinade and let excess drip off. You can discard the remaining marinade. Never reuse marinade that’s been in contact with raw meat for food safety reasons.

Grill to Perfection

Place your steak on the hot grill and cook to your desired doneness. Use an instant read thermometer to check the internal temperature. Rare is 125°F, medium rare is 135°F, medium is 145°F, medium well is 150°F, and well done is 160°F.

We prefer a medium rare to medium steak. This is especially important with venison steaks. Overcooking venison will result in a tougher texture.

For thicker cuts, you might want to use indirect heat after searing. This prevents burning the outside before the inside reaches your desired level of doneness.

Let It Rest

This is crucial! Once your steak reaches the desired temperature, remove it from the grill and let the steak rest for 5 to 10 minutes. This allows the juices to redistribute throughout the meat, ensuring every bite is juicy and flavorful. This works great if you cover the resting plate with aluminum foil to hold in the moisture while the meat is resting.

Tips for the Best Steaks Every Time

Don’t skip the marinating time. While you can use this as a quick marinade, giving it much time, especially overnight, produces the best results with tougher cuts of meat.

Use a good quality steak. This marinade enhances the natural flavor of the meat, so starting with a good quality steak makes a difference.

Don’t overcrowd the grill. Make sure there’s space between each piece of meat for even cooking.

For meal prep, this marinade works great if you want to prep ahead. Prep steaks and marinade the day before and then grill them to perfection in under 15 minutes on a busy weeknight.

Serving Suggestions

These marinated steaks are delicious served simply with fresh herbs sprinkled on top. They’re also wonderful alongside grilled vegetables and baked potatoes. Try them with a fresh garden salad, sourdough bread, or roasted asparagus.

Storage and Food Safety

If you have leftover cooked steak, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days. Never store raw meat that’s been marinating at room temperature for more than 2 hours. Proper refrigeration is essential for food safety.

You can prepare the marinade itself ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator for up to a week. You can also freeze it for longer storage.

Why I Love This Steak Marinade Recipe

Whether you’re grilling up beef from the local butcher or venison from your latest hunting trip, this marinade brings out the best in the meat. It’s become my go-to for everything from weeknight dinners to special occasions. I hope it becomes a staple in your kitchen too.

Have you tried this steak marinade recipe? I’d love to hear how it worked for you and what cut of steak you used! Leave a comment below and let me know how your steaks turned out.

Pin for Later

East Fork Growing LLC is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, and the NutriMill affiliate program. These affiliate advertising programs are designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com, NutriMill.com and affiliated sites. These products do not cost anymore to you, but we earn a small commission if you use our links. Thanks for your support!