Best Grilled Ribeye Steaks (Recipe for Steak Marinade) (2024)

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This is the BEST Recipe for Steak Marinade; with only 7 ingredients, you can’t go wrong. Finishing over the grill makes for the best grilled ribeye steaks!

Best Grilled Ribeye Steaks (Recipe for Steak Marinade) (1)

I’m so happy it’s finally grilling season! Well, I do grill all year long, but you know what I mean. First on the list is our famous Recipe for Steak Marinade – so good.

This is seriously the best ribeye steak marinade I have ever tried, and it works on all cuts of steak (and pork!). You don’t even need any steak sauce.

Ribeye steak is one of our favorite cuts. They are extremely flavorful steak, and beingthat they are on the fatty side actually helps to keep them moist and tender.

This best steak marinade is simple and easy. Even though the ingredients are basic, they take an amazing meat cut to the next level and the end result is the best juicy steak!

This recipe is perfect for special-occasion meals or when you want a treat. Rib-eyes were on sale at my grocery store this past week, so I picked up a couple and had an epic Saturday meal.

This is my go-to easy steak marinade. Imaybe known to whip it out for dinners when I want to be extra sweet on Jeremy.

We prefer to use a charcoal grill when making these rib eyes but you can a gas grill, smoker, or even indoor grill pan for this Recipe for Steak Marinade, it’s very versatile for different cooking methods.

Some of our other favorite steakhouse-style recipes on our site include: Rustic Mashed Potatoes, Grilled Asparagus, and Roasted Mushrooms!

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WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:

Comes out perfectly every time with minimal ingredients needed.
Great for a make-ahead dinner option since it needs to marinate in the fridge.
Use the best steak marinade recipe on any cut of steak or pork chops!

INGREDIENTS NEEDED (SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS POST FOR THE FULL RECIPE CARD):

Ribeye steak
Unsalted butter
Flat leaf parsley
Marinade Ingredients:
Fresh black pepper
Light brown sugar
Montreal steak seasoning
Kosher salt
Worcestershire sauce

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HOW TO MAKE RECIPE FOR STEAK MARINADE:

Place the steak on a large plate or sheet tray. Season both sides with pepper, sugar, Montreal seasoning, and salt. Rub it in with your hands all over until coated evenly.
Sprinkle half of the Worcestershire sauce on one side, flip, and add the remaining sauce. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge to marinate for at least 3 hours or overnight.
Before grilling, take it out of the fridge 30 minutes in advance to come to room temperature.
Prepare grill; cook the steak over high heat for about 5 minutes on each side, making sure to get a very good char on it. Make sure you have a water bottle handy in case you get flare-ups!
Depending on the thickness of the steak, cooking time may vary. For medium, pull the steak off the grill when the internal temperature reaches 140°F degrees.
Place the butter on top of the steak, cover with foil, and let rest for 10 minutes. Serve with parsley garnish if desired.

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS RECIPE:

WHAT MAKES THE BEST STEAK MARINADE?

There are two major components to every marinade that has to be there to be the best. Some form of acid, and some form of sweetness.

The acid tenderizes the meat. Acids include citrus juice or vinegar. Worcestershire sauce has a high level of acid in it, being our tenderizer for this marinade.

The sweetness helps to get that caramelized flavor, or umami, that makes grilled meats extra flavorful. In this recipe for the best steak marinade, I use brown sugar as our sweet component.

However, you can also use honey, granulated sugar, or other natural forms of sweeteners in its place.

Now that we have our two crucial ingredients, acid, and sugar, other ingredients in the best steak marinade include seasonings of black pepper, Montreal steak seasoning, and salt, that’s it!

Super basic ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen.

DO I HAVE TO USE RIBEYE STEAK?

No, this marinade and method will work on any steaks or even pork chops.

ARE BONE-IN OR BONELESS STEAKS BETTER?

This is more of a personal preference.

I generally like to cook with bone-in steaks if I can get them. The bone enhances the steak with more flavor, and I like to gnaw on the bone, no shame here!

The downside to bone-in steaks is you are paying additional cost for the bone weight, which is a part of the steak you won’t be eating, so keep that in mind.

Boneless, in general, are easier to cook since you don’t have to cut around a bone when serving.

ALTERNATIVES OR SUBSTITUTIONS?

Use any steak as mentioned above or pork.

Some substitutions include:

Light brown sugar – use granulated sugar, dark brown sugar, honey, or agave nectar
Montreal steak seasoning – you will need to make up a spice blend consisting of garlic powder, paprika, onion powder, red pepper flakes
Worcestershire sauce – use soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, or lemon juice in its place

Add minced fresh garlic clove or chopped fresh herbs is a great way to add even more flavor.

WHAT TO SERVE THIS WITH?

A good steak is only enhanced with great sides! Here are my favorites:

Homemade French Fries
Loaded Potato Skins
Oven Sweet Potato Fries
Savory Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Dinner Roll Recipe
Smothered Potatoes
Crispy Baked Potatoes
Grilled Corn
Baked Asparagus Fries
Baked Macaroni and Cheese with Cornbread Crust

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Tongs are needed to flip the steak.
A sheet tray, I like to marinate on this or use it to take the steak off the grill.
Meat Thermometer, essential for the perfectly cooked steak
Grill pan if grilling indoors
Foil

HOW TO STORE:

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat, do so in the oven, stovetop, or microwave.

Note that reheating will cook the steak more, so it may become well done. Leftovers are also great cold, and I love to make a steak salad the next day!

Freeze for up to 3 months.

Place leftovers in the freezer in a freezer-safe container. To thaw, place the dish in the fridge overnight.

DANA’S TIPS AND TRICKS:

For this marinade, the steaks need a good three hours to soak in all that goodness. So make sure to get these babies prepped well ahead of time.
Let the steaks come to room temperature before grilling. Let them sit out for 30 minutes before cooking, this will make sure they even cook on the inside. You do not want to throw cold steaks on a hot grill, they just flat-out won’t cook evenly. Plus it will save you a few minutes as well.
Make sure the grill is SUPER hot before placing the steaks on. You want to get a nice sear like the photos here, that’s the flavor bomb!
You must let the steaks rest for at least 10 minutes before cutting into them. Don’t worry, add a pad of butter on each steak (oh, yeah!), cover with foil and let it rest, it won’t get cold!
The recipe below is for one 1-pound bone-in rib-eye. It can easily be doubled, tripled, quadrupled, whatever you need!
Make sure to add a tablespoon of butter on top of each steak, this will melt into all the crevices and make an instant sauce to pour over everything. But, you can take it up a notch and use a compound butter instead, YUM!

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Ready to step up your grill game?! This recipe for steak marinade is a must make, STAT.

If you like this recipe, you might also like:

Carne Asada Steak Kabobs
Steakhouse Mac and Cheese
Skirt Steak Tacos
Steakhouse Green Beans
Asian Steak Skewers
Cilantro-Lime Steak Salad

If you’ve tried this RECIPE FOR STEAK MARINADE, let me know how it turned out in the comments! You can follow me over on PINTEREST, INSTAGRAM OR FACEBOOK to find some more of our mouthwatering recipes!

Rate this Recipe

Recipe for Steak Marinade

4.95 from 54 votes

Created by Dana @ ThisSillyGirlsKitchen.com

Course Main Course

Servings 2 servings

This is the BEST Recipe for Steak Marinade; with only 7 ingredients, you can’t go wrong. Finishing over the grill makes for the best grilled ribeye steaks!

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 3 hours hrs 10 minutes mins

Ingredients

▢ 1 pound bone-in rib-eye steak
▢ 8 cracks fresh black pepper
▢ 2 teaspoons light brown sugar packed
▢ 1/2 teaspoon Montreal steak seasoning
▢ 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
▢ 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
▢ 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
▢ fresh parsley chopped fine for garnish, optional

Instructions

Place the steak on a large plate or sheet tray. Season both sides with pepper, sugar, Montreal seasoning, and salt. Rub it in with your hands all over until coated evenly.
Sprinkle half of the Worcestershire sauce on one side, flip, and add the remaining sauce. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge to marinate for at least 3 hours or overnight.
Before grilling, take it out of the fridge 30 minutes in advance to come to room temperature.
Prepare grill*; cook the steak over high heat for about 5 minutes on each side, making sure to get a very good char on it. Make sure you have a water bottle handy in case you get flare-ups!
Depending on the thickness of the steak, cooking time may vary. For medium, pull the steak off the grill when the internal temperature reaches 140°F degrees.
Place the butter on top of the steak, cover with foil, and let rest for 10 minutes. Serve with parsley garnish if desired.

Video

Notes

*I recommend a charcoal grill, but a gas grill or indoor grill pan works as well.

For this marinade, the steaks need a good three hours to soak in all that goodness. So make sure to get these babies prepped well ahead of time.
Let the steaks come to room temperature before grilling. Let them sit out for 30 minutes before cooking, this will make sure they even cook on the inside. You do not want to throw cold steaks on a hot grill, they just flat-out won’t cook evenly. Plus it will save you a few minutes as well.
Make sure the grill is SUPER hot before placing the steaks on. You want to get a nice sear like the photos here, that’s the flavor bomb!
You must let the steaks rest for at least 10 minutes before cutting into them. Don’t worry, add a pad of butter on each steak (oh, yeah!), cover with foil and let it rest, it won’t get cold!
The recipe below is for one 1-pound bone-in rib-eye. It can easily be doubled, tripled, quadrupled, whatever you need!
Make sure to add a tablespoon of butter on top of each steak, this will melt into all the crevices and make an instant sauce to pour over everything. But, you can take it up a notch and use acompound butterinstead, YUM!

Nutrition

Nutritional Disclaimer

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Originally Posted 05/25/2018

Updated copy and photos 04/2023