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Raw beef steaks seasoned with pepper and herbs on foil, ready for a steak marinade
Chef Emma

Olive Oil Steak Marinade

An all-purpose olive oil steak marinade with soy sauce, Worcestershire, balsamic vinegar, Dijon, garlic, brown sugar and rosemary. Enough for 2 pounds of steak; marinate 2 to 8 hours for most cuts, then grill or sear.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Marinate (30 minutes to 12 hours) 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Calories: 430
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Marinade
  • ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil 80 ml
  • ¼ cup soy sauce 60 ml, low-sodium if you prefer
  • 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tbsp light brown sugar
  • 4 cloves garlic grated
  • 1 tsp coarse black pepper
  • 1 tbsp fresh rosemary or thyme chopped, or 1 tsp dried
Steak
  • 2 lb top sirloin, flank or other steak 900 g, about 1 inch thick

Equipment

  • Gallon zip-top bag or shallow glass dish
  • Whisk
  • Grill or cast iron skillet
  • Instant-read thermometer

Method
 

  1. Whisk the olive oil, soy sauce, Worcestershire, balsamic vinegar, Dijon, brown sugar, garlic, pepper and herbs. Set aside ¼ cup for serving before it touches raw meat, if you like.
  2. Pat the steak dry; lightly score thin cuts like flank in a crosshatch. Put it in a zip-top bag or glass dish with the marinade, turn to coat and seal.
  3. Refrigerate 2 to 8 hours (30 minutes to 4 hours for ribeye or strip, up to 12 hours for flank or sirloin tip), turning once or twice. Don't go past 24 hours.
  4. Take the steak out 20 to 30 minutes before cooking. Let the excess drip off, pat the surface lightly dry and discard the used marinade.
  5. Grill or sear over medium-high heat, 3 to 5 minutes per side for 1-inch steaks, to 130°F (54°C) for medium-rare or 145°F (63°C), the USDA minimum.
  6. Rest 5 to 10 minutes, then slice thinly across the grain.

Notes

3-ingredient version for 1 pound of steak: ¼ cup olive oil, 3 tablespoons soy sauce and 3 grated garlic cloves. Always marinate in the refrigerator. Don't use raw marinade as a sauce unless boiled for at least 1 minute. With lemon or lime juice as the acid, marinate under 8 hours. Steak and marinade can be frozen together in a freezer bag for up to 3 months and thawed in the fridge. Calories are an estimate per serving from USDA FoodData Central values, assuming about a quarter of the marinade stays on the steak.