The Best Sirloin Steak Marinade

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:

1. Acid from the balsamic vinegar tenderizes the beef.
2. Salt from the soy sauce flavors the beef.
3. Sweetness from the honey balances out the acid and salt.
4. Worcestershire sauce adds a wonderful layer of unami flavor.
5. 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

1. 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.
2. 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.

1. 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.
2. Remove the steaks from the marinade and discard the marinade. Add the steaks to a hot grill.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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!
6. 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.

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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!

1. Steak Salad
2. Cajun Steak Tacos
3. Sous Vide Steak
4. Steak Crostini
5. Italian Flank Steak
6. Grilled New York Strip Steak
7. 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!

1. Buffalo Chicken Burgers
2. Caprese Grilled Chicken Sandwich
3. Chipotle Carne Asada Tacos
4. Grilled Mahi Mahi Fish Tacos
5. 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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