Restaurant-Worthy Steak Marinades That Only Require 3 Ingredients

If you're making a steak dish at home, you may be looking for the perfect go-to marinade. After all, the right marinade will both tenderize the meat and enhance the flavor. But while you may know that a marinade is a good idea, you may not know where to start with the ingredients. Luckily, Daily Meal spoke with Sean Thompson, the executive chef at Porter House in New York City, to find his favorite three-ingredient marinades you need to make.

For the first suggestion, chef Thompson recommends "Worcestershire, olive oil, and Dijon mustard." For this marinade, the Worcestershire sauce will bring a strong umami flavor from anchovies, as well as sweet notes from molasses. Plus, the vinegar in Worcestershire sauce is essential in tenderizing the meat, thanks to the acetic acid in vinegar, which breaks down meat fibers. Meanwhile, the Dijon mustard will add a sharp and tangy flavor — and the condiment also has vinegar in it, so it too helps with tenderizing tougher cuts of steak. 

Chef Thompson's next marinade recommendation is "olive oil, rosemary, and garlic." This marinade is doesn't contain any acidic ingredients, so it won't tenderize the meat, making it ideal for cuts of steak such as ribeye and filet mignon, which are already quite tender. Rather, this marinade adds classic flavor, such as earthy notes from the rosemary and the signature strong, spicy notes of garlic. 

For a Mexican-inspired marinade, chef Sean Thompson shared his easy combo of "lime juice, olive oil, and chili powder — perfect for a quick carne asada." This one will be bright and zesty, thanks to the lime juice, which also works as a meat tenderizer because of its acidity. Because of the tenderizing element, this marinade is perfect for flank, skirt, and hanger steaks — all of which are used for carne asada and are cuts that benefit from a tenderizing marinade. The chili powder brings in a kick of heat and makes it spicy and flavorful — and you can customize just how spicy you'd like it to be by adjusting the amount of chili powder. Use this marinated carne asada for some tasty steak tacos and pair with a side of classic Mexican rice and refried beans. 

Meanwhile, for a Japanese-inspired marinade, Thompson told us "Soy sauce, sesame oil, and fresh grated ginger are classic, balanced, and umami-rich." The soy sauce will bring in that strong umami flavor, along with a subtle sweetness, while the sesame oil brings flavor notes that are a little nutty. Meanwhile, ginger contains zingibain, an enzyme that breaks down the proteins and connective tissue of meat, ultimately tenderizing it. 

As delicious as these marinades are, the chef emphasizes that you need to start with a good quality steak in order for the dish to be truly great. Sean Thompson explains, "[Marinades] can be a great starting point to enhance flavor and add some tenderness, especially for quicker marinades. But honestly, it begins and ends with the quality of the meat. Great steak doesn't need much — it just needs to be treated well." 

With this in mind, you'll want to make sure that you're confident about how to cook the steak to begin with. If you're looking for tips, you can check out our list of tips for cooking a perfect medium-rare steak every time, such as using the right salt and letting the steak rest. You'll also need to know exactly how long to marinate your steaks – it could be as little as 15 minutes if you're just looking to add flavor and up to eight hours if you need to tenderize the steak. 

Additionally, some cuts of steak work better with marinades than others — and it's important to know the difference. Chef Thompson told us, "Cuts like skirt and flank steak benefit most from marinades. They tend to be tougher, so the acid and oil in a marinade help tenderize the meat while infusing it with flavor." To learn more about this, you can reference our guide on which steak cuts should be marinated and which cuts absolutely shouldn't.