The Best Lemon Garlic Steak Marinade In Existence

A lemon garlic steak marinade that’s perfect for tougher cuts of meat and only takes a few minutes to put together. Spicy and flavorful, this marinade is definitely a keeper. It's delicious!

When it comes to meat, I feel that marinating adds great flavor, and any acid in the meat tenderizes, which is also a good thing. To a point, that is. This lemon garlic steak marinade is loaded with flavor, and it's perfect for steak tips, flank, or skirt steak.

I would never, ever, ever tell you to marinate an expensive cut of meat such as a ribeye or filet mignon. Ever. Those cuts only require a sprinkle of salt and pepper to bring out the flavor of the meat.

Now, as for less expensive and/or tougher cuts of meat? Those are the ones that marinades were invented for. This marinade not only adds flavor, but also tenderizes the meat as it soaks.

You basically need at least a few hours to overnight to marinate. I recommend four to eight hours. The longer you marinate adds more flavor, but longer doesn’t necessarily mean better.

Since there’s acid in this lemon garlic marinade, the acid breaks down the fibers of the meat. That’s great to a point. If the fibers continue to break down because of longer marinating, the meat starts to become mushy. We don’t like mushy meat, so try to keep it no longer than 8 hours for large steaks or less if your meat is cut into chunks.

Using granulated garlic and fresh minced garlic delivers great flavor. I use low-sodium soy sauce, but I've found the need to add more. Adding fresh chopped parsley adds a nice herby flavor. The crushed red pepper and Dijon mustard add heat.

This lemon garlic steak marinade makes about 1 ¾ cups. A good rule of thumb is ½ cup of marinade per pound of meat.

There you have it. An incredibly simple and delicious marinade from me to you.

Life is too short for mediocre food.

Lemon Garlic Steak Marinade

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A lemon garlic steak marinade that’s perfect for tougher cuts of meat and only takes a few minutes to put together. Spicy and flavorful, this marinade is definitely a keeper. It’s delicious!

This makes approx. 1 ¾ cups of marinade, which is enough for 2 - 3 pounds of meat.

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes minutes

Author: Natalie Gregory

Ingredients

• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
• zest 1 lemon
• ½ cup fresh lemon juice
• ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
• ¼ cup soy sauce
• 4 garlic cloves minced
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons granulated garlic
• 1 - 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes See Notes
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt or more to taste
• 1 teaspoon pepper

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Instructions

• Whisk together all the ingredients in a 2-cup measure or small bowl. Place the meat in a zip-top bag and pour 1 ½ cups of the marinade into the bag. Save some to pour over the cooked meat, which gives great flavor.
• Squish around the meat in the bag to ensure it’s all covered. Remove all the air from the bag and seal. I do this by holding the top of the bag while the bottom is on the counter then I slowly roll the bag to remove the air. Be careful, as this pushes the marinade upward. You don’t want it to spill out. Once it gets close to the top, carefully remove remaining air and seal the bag. If done correctly, it should look like it has been vacuum sealed.
• Marinate for at least four hours to overnight, depending on your cut of meat.
• When ready to cook, remove meat from marinade and either broil or grill. Discard remaining marinade. If broiling the meat on a baking sheet, the juices that form in the pan make an excellent sauce.
• After grilling or broiling, place the meat on a platter and, if you saved some of the marinade, pour the reserved marinade over the meat.

Notes

I like to add up to two teaspoons of crushed red pepper because we like the heat. I recommend you start with one. You can also omit it if you don't like any heat.

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Nutritional Information

I don't post the nutritional value because I don't trust the accuracy of the nutritional apps. I’m not a nutritionist and don't want to post misinformation.

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