The Best Sirloin Steak Marinade
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It’s easy to make THE BEST sirloin steak marinade with just a few simple ingredients. Quickly whisk the marinade ingredients together, marinate the steak, then toss it on the grill for the best flavor!
The marinade not only imparts the steak with amazing flavor, but it’s also used as a tenderizer for the meat. Grill the steak whole or slice it into cubes to make AMAZING shish kabobs!
This steak marinade has been a family favorite for years. But it wasn’t until I served the marinated steak to a cattle rancher and the marketing team at California Beef Council that I knew I had to put the recipe on the blog!
They absolutely raved about this being the best sirloin they’ve ever had! It was at the moment I knew, this recipe had to be taken from my recipe notes and onto the blog.
It’s nothing fancy, just 7 simple ingredients whisked together and used to marinate steak. Why it works:
- Acid from the balsamic vinegar tenderizes the beef.
- Salt from the soy sauce flavors the beef.
- Sweetness from the honey balances out the acid and salt.
- Worcestershire sauce adds a wonderful layer of unami flavor.
- These all combine for a perfect balance of flavors!
I use this marinade on sirloin steaks, but you could use it on any steak. It makes enough marinade for two pounds of meat, but the recipe can easily be doubled for more!
Table of contents
Ingredients you’ll need
- Balsamic vinegar
- Low-sodium soy sauce – I like to salt my steaks at the end, so I use a low-sodium soy sauce to reduce the salt content in the marinade. If using traditional soy sauce in the marinade, I recommend tasting the steaks before adding more salt at the end.
- Olive oil – other vegetable oils can also be used, like avocado oil, sunflower oil, canola oil or peanut oil.
- Worcestershire sauce
- Honey – you can also use maple syrup or agave nectar to add sweetness to the marinade.
- Dried Italian seasoning – I like to use my homemade seasoning mixes whenever possible. Just click the link to the left. It’s easy to whip up in less than 5 minutes!
- Dried mustard – if you don’t have dried mustard on hand, 1 tablespoon of dijon or spicy brown mustard can be used in it’s place.
Step by step instructions
- Combine balsamic vinegar, low-sodium soy sauce, olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, honey, Italian seasoning and mustard in a gallon size zipper bag or large bowl.
- Add the steaks and marinade for 20 minutes, or up to 8 hours.
- Note: I do not recommend marinating for more than 8 hours, or the acidity of the marinade will start to break down the proteins in the meat and can cause the steak to become mushy.
That’s it, two simple steps and your steak is soaking in the best marinade ever!
How to grill sirloin steaks
Once the steaks are marinated, I highly recommend cooking them on a grill for the best flavor. To grill the perfect sirloin steak, follow these simple steps.
- Heat a grill over medium high heat, between 350-400 degrees Fahrenheit. Wait until the grill is hot before adding the steaks, to give them perfect sear marks.
- Remove the steaks from the marinade and discard the marinade. Add the steaks to a hot grill.
- For a perfect medium rare steak, grill a 1 inch thick steak for 4-5 minutes per side. For a steak that is 1 1/2 inches thick, add 1-2 minutes to the cooking time per side.
- Insert an instant read thermometer into the steak. Remove the steak once it reads 130°F for a medium rare steak. For a medium steak, wait until it reaches 140°F and for a medium well steak, wait until it reaches 150°F.
- Quick tip! A steak will rise approximately 5 degrees after you remove it from the grill and let it rest.
- Remove the steak from the grill and let it rest for 5-10 minutes. This ensures that the juices redistribute throughout the steak, leaving you with the most juicy steak!
- Sprinkle coarse kosher salt or sea salt flakes over the steak and optionally garnish with fresh chopped parsley before serving.
How to cook the steaks in a skillet
If you don’t have a grill handy, you can also cook these steaks in a hot skillet on the stove. I recommend a cast iron skillet, if you have one, but if not, any heavy-bottomed skillet will work.
- Place the skillet on the stove and turn the heat on the stove to high. Wait for the skillet to get hot before adding the steaks. Just like when cooking steaks on the grill, adding them to a hot skillet will ensure that perfect seared crust on the outside of the steaks.
- Add a small amount of oil to the skillet to prevent sticking and give the steaks a nice sear. Depending on how large the skillet is, 1-2 teaspoons will do.
- Pat the steaks dry before adding them to the skillet. When placing steaks on the grill, any excess marinade will drip through the grill grates. When cooking the steaks in a skillet, the marinade has no where to go, so it will stay in the skillet and you won’t get that beautiful sear on the outside of the steak.
- For a perfect medium rare steak, cook a 1 inch thick steak in the skillet for 4-5 minutes per side. For a steak that is 1 1/2 inches thick, add 1-2 minutes to the cooking time per side.
- Insert an instant read thermometer into the steak. Remove the steak once it reads 130°F for a medium rare steak. For a medium steak, wait until it reaches 140°F and for a medium well steak, wait until it reaches 150°F.
- Remove the steak from the skillet and let it rest for 5-10 minutes. This ensures that the juices redistribute throughout the steak, leaving you with the most juicy steak!
Can you use this marinade on other steaks?
Yes! Because this marinade contains vinegar, which is a steak tenderizer, you can use it to tenderize and flavor any of your favorite cuts of steak. I do not recommend marinating an already tender cut, like a filet mignon.
For more tender steaks, like the sirloin pictured throughout this post, a ribeye or New York steak, I recommend a quick marinade between 20 minutes and 2 hours. For a tougher cut of steak, like a flank or strip steak, I recommend marinating for 4-8 hours.
Try the marinade with any of these cuts of steak.
- Top Sirloin
- Ribeye
- New York Strip
- Flank Steak
- Skirt Steak
Can you make these steaks into shish kabobs?
Yes! Sirloin is one of the best cuts of steak for making shish kabobs. When using this marinade to make kabobs, I recommend cubing the steak, then adding it to the marinade. This means, more of the steak surface area gets to soak up the delicious marinade.
After marinating the cubes of steak for at least 20 minutes, skewer the steak by itself or with veggies like bell peppers and onions. Grill the steak shish kabobs over medium-high heat for 4-5 minutes, flip and continue grilling for an additional 4-5 minutes.
Frequently asked questions
- What can I substitute for soy sauce? If you have a soy allergy, gluten allergy or just don’t like the taste of soy sauce, I recommend using coconut aminos instead. This soy sauce alternative is soy-free, gluten-free and contains much less sodium. For this reason, I do recommend adding 1/2 teaspoon salt to the marinade if you replace the soy sauce with coconut aminos.
- How much steak can I marinate with this recipe? This recipe can be used to marinate up to 2 pounds of steak. You can cut the recipe in half for 1 pound of meat, or double it for 4 pounds of meat.
- Can you make the marinade ahead of time? Sure thing! Simply mix all of the marinade ingredients together and store them in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Just remember to avoid marinating the meat for more than 8 hours, so that it does not become mushy.
- Do you rinse marinade off steak before cooking? No, you do not want to rinse the marinade off of the steak. If you’re grilling the steak, it can go straight from the marinade onto the grill. If you’re cooking the steak in a skillet, I do recommend patting the steak dry before adding it to the skillet. When placing steaks on the grill, any excess marinade will drip through the grill grates. When cooking the steaks in a skillet, the marinade has no where to go, so it will stay in the skillet and you won’t get that beautiful sear on the outside of the steak.
What to serve with steak
Nothing pairs more perfectly with steak than potatoes and vegetables. Try this marinated steak recipe with any of these side dishes for a winning meal!
- Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
- Honey Roasted Sweet Potatoes
- Broccoli Cheese Casserole
- Grilled Brussels Sprouts
- Cheesy Grilled Potatoes
- 10 Minute Broccoli Salad
- Green Beans with Bacon & Blue Cheese
- Maple Bacon Brussels Sprouts
- Rosemary Blue Cheese Mashed Potatoes
More steak recipes to try
With over 100 beef recipes on the blog, I know you’ll find tons of delicious steak recipes to try! These 7 recipes are fan favorites and sure to be a hit in your kitchen!
- Steak Salad
- Cajun Steak Tacos
- Sous Vide Steak
- Steak Crostini
- Italian Flank Steak
- Grilled New York Strip Steak
- Ribeye Steak Kabobs
And if you love this sirloin steak marinade, be sure to check out my tri tip marinade recipe! Perfect for grilling up a larger cut of beef.
More recipes to grill
Don’t miss this epic post where I share my Top 10 Grilling Tips and be sure to check out these 5 popular recipes to toss on the grill!
- Buffalo Chicken Burgers
- Caprese Grilled Chicken Sandwich
- Chipotle Carne Asada Tacos
- Grilled Mahi Mahi Fish Tacos
- Bruschetta Grilled Chicken Zoodle Bowls
The Best Easy Steak Marinade
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup balsamic vinegar
- ⅓ cup low-sodium soy sauce
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, click link for homemade recipe
- 1 teaspoon dried mustard
- 2 pounds top sirloin steaks
Instructions
- Combine the balsamic vinegar, low-sodium soy sauce, olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, honey, Italian seasoning and dried mustard in a gallon size zipper bag or large bowl.
- Add the steaks and marinade for 20 minutes, or up to 8 hours.
- Heat a grill over medium high heat, between 350-400 degrees Fahrenheit. Wait until the grill is hot before adding the steaks, to give them perfect sear marks.
- Remove the steaks from the marinade and discard the marinade. Add the steaks to a hot grill.
- For a perfect medium rare steak, grill a 1 inch thick steak for 4-5 minutes per side. For a steak that is 1 1/2 inches thick, add 1-2 minutes to the cooking time per side.
- Insert an instant read thermometer into the steak. Remove the steak once it reads 130°F for a medium rare steak. For a medium steak, wait until it reaches 140°F and for a medium well steak, wait until it reaches 150°F.
- Remove the steak from the grill and let it rest for 5-10 minutes. This ensures that the juices redistribute throughout the steak, leaving you with the most juicy steak possible!
- Sprinkle coarse kosher salt or sea salt flakes over the steak and optionally garnish with fresh chopped parsley before serving.
Notes
- Remember that a steaks internal temperature will rise approximately 5 degrees after you remove it from the grill and let it rest. Be sure to take this into consideration when checking the temperature before removing the steaks from the grill.
- This recipe can be used to marinate steaks other than a top sirloin. Use it to marinate any of these cuts of steak:
- Top Sirloin
- Ribeye
- New York Strip
- Flank Steak
- Skirt Steak
- More tender cuts of steak, like the sirloin, ribeye and new york strip should marinade for 20 minutes, up to 2 hours.
- Tougher cuts, like a flank or strip steak should marinate for 4-8 hours.
- I do not recommend marinating for more than 8 hours. After then, the acidity of the marinade will start to break down the proteins and can cause the steak to become mushy.
- Coconut aminos can be substituted for soy sauce to make the marinade soy-free and gluten-free. Coconut aminos are much lower in sodium than soy sauce, so I do recommend adding 1/2 teaspoon salt to the marinade if you replace the soy sauce with coconut aminos.
Nutrition Facts
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21 Comments on “The Best Sirloin Steak Marinade”
Excited to try this recipe! Can you marinate it, remove the marinade and sous vide the steak before searing it on a grill or in a cast iron pan? Thanks!
Yes, you can definitely do that! Enjoy!
I made this tonight for dinner. It was so delicious, turned out perfect. I would give this 5 stars.
I made this recipe last night with a sirloin. I let marinade between 6-8 hours. Sadly I don’t have a grill right now so I used a cast iron. I cooked for 3 minutes each side. The sirloin came out perfect. I surprised myself. This recipe is like 100 stars, highly recommend!
Question though, how long to cook stew cubes medium rare?
I made this recipe last night with a sirloin. I let marinade between 6-8 hours. Sadly I don’t have a grill right now so I used a cast iron. I cooked for 3 minutes each side. The sirloin came out perfect. I surprised myself. This recipe is like 100 stars, highly recommend!
Question though, how long to cook stew cubes medium rare?
This is by far the best marinade for the lesser expensive meats like round. Must be really awesome for sirloin and London broil. I let our 2lb steak in the marinade for 4 hours. Turned out really tender. Really enjoyed it.
Love to hear it! Thanks for the review ML!
Loved this!! We used Sirloin butt steaks (I’m pretty sure that’s what they are called). Cooked 2min each side!! Turned out sooo tender and delicious!!
I made roasted potatoes with it. Boiled the marinade discard so I didn’t have to throw away and used as a sauce to drizzle over the steak and potatoes!!
I tried this on my ribeye and it was still as tough as the first one without the marinade.
Maybe don’t over cook it that’s how it becomes tough also use a tenderizer
Ribeye tough? What are you doing to it? A dash of Montreal Steak on either side of steak let sit for about 10 minutes while your grill heats up, or your cast iron skillet. Sear good on each side only flip once. Put on steakplate and serve with potato and toasted garlic bread. Salad first if people are waiting to be fed. Never had a tough ribeye ever!!!!!!
Very good flavor! Used it to marinade top sirloin beef for shish kabobs. Family loved it! Will use this recipe again! This will be my go to marinade! This is a keeper!
Love to hear that Janice! Thanks so much for the comment and 5 star review!
I have to admit I have not tried this yet, but already love the comments. I have a question. I like to prepare food for the freezer ( especially for my husband lol) when he goes to our property. Anyway my question is one I have marinated the steak can I freeze right away for later
Hi Tracy, yes you can freeze the steaks in the marinade. I recommend freezing them for no longer than 9 months, or the texture and flavor could be compromised. I can’t wait to hear what you and your husband think about the recipe! Enjoy!
My husband and I love this marinade for sirloin steaks! Have used it several times now and our steak turns out tender and delicious 😋 every time.
Best marinade ever…can’t stop using it…lol! Thank you bunches!!!
Woohoo, so happy to hear that Jaelea, thanks for sharing!
It would have been helpful to list the measurements for the ingredients. I’ve never seen a recipe that did not.
Hi BJ, the measurements for the ingredients are listed in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
So much wonderful flavors