Red Wine Steak Marinade + Video
I love a good marinade, it takes no time to prepare and adds a ton of flavor. This red wine steak marinade is our go-to recipe during BBQ season. It truly is the best steak marinade that has been an easy family favorite barbecue recipe for years.
Red Wine Steak Marinade
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Last summer we lived on our newly built deck. It was a great summer filled with a lot of sun and BBQ – more specifically steak. We had steak every Friday to help kick off the weekend and every weekend we made it the same way.
This is our go-to steak marinade. I wish I could take full credit, but it was my husband who came up with it over six years ago.
This recipe (for years was always the same) a bit of red wine, a bit of soy sauce, and garlic. Today, I wanted to make it and update some of the old photos from the original post from 2013 and thought, hey? Why not switch it up a bit. So I added some oil and parsley and here we are.
How to Marinate Steak
I’m all for recipes that are quick and easy, and this is just that. For photo’s sake, I toss the marinade in a separate bowl, but I usually add the ingredients to resealable bag, shake it up and then add the steaks (or mix it in a bowl and add the steaks to it).
How long should I marinate for?
Wine acts as a natural meat tenderizer through a process called “denaturing”. It can break down some of the tough proteins before you get to the grill which makes the end result so tender and good!
I marinate steaks at minimum 2 hours, but it’s best if it’s overnight. Overnight allows the wine to really get further into the meat and soften some of those fibers. 2 hours gives you flavor, more time gives you more tender meat.
Pro tips for grilling steak
- Buy a slightly better cut of meat. It’s true, you can marinate and do all you can to season and cook right, but buying that cheaper cut of beef simply will never turn out the same as a well marbled rib-eye (as an example). Don’t be stingy….you deserve it!
- Sear first. Start your grill early and get it nice and hot. I prefer a temperature at least 400 when I first place the steak on. That high heat sears the meat and keeps all those juices in. After a couple of minutes on both sides, you can reduce the heat quite a bit to then allow the internal meet to come to temperature.
- Flip as many times as you want. There is a myth out there that says you should only turn a steak one time. There is simply no science behind it. I took a course from world renowned grill master Aaron Franklin who reaffirmed, turning the steak regularly helps to ensure you don’t get a crusty over done outside while the inside is coming to temperature. So don’t listen to those urban myths and flip away!
- Stop early. The best way to ensure a perfect steak is to measure with a meat thermometer. I always pull the steak from the grill about 10 degrees before my desired temperature. The meat will have a natural momentum that will continue to cook even after you have removed it. So take it off a bit early to keep it just right.
- Let it rest. Letting any meat rest after cooking is always a good idea. Give a steak at least 10-15 minutes to level it’s temperature and reabsorb it’s juices. Resting ensures you have the most tender and juicy steak around!
TBK’s Pro Tip: If I don’t have red wine on hand I substitute (and use a little less) with red wine vinegar. Vinegar helps it break down and makes it that much more tender.
Something I did this time around that was different than last was when I tossed the steaks on the grill, I took the marinade and reduced it over medium heat for a red wine sauce. The plan was to make a demi-glace, but it wasn’t thickening so I added a tiny bit of easy blend flour.
Note: the wine I used this time was a merlot, but it changes to whatever I have on hand. Each wine adds a different flavor.
What do you need for a steak marinade?
- Mixing Bowls or Resealable Bags
- Red wine (I linked to one of my favorites)
- Minced Garlic
Side dishes for steak
Here are a few recipes on TBK that go well with this marinade to create a delicious steak dinner.
- Foil Packet Potatoes
- Broccoli Ranch Twice Baked Potatoes
- Garlic Balsamic Roasted Asparagus
- 3 Pepper Salad
- Pesto Pasta Salad
- Fajita Pasta Salad
- One of my favorites is this lacinato sauteed kale from My Nourished Home
Red Wine Steak Marinade
This red wine steak marinade is incredibly easy to throw together. It’s my favorite grilled steak marinade, so whip this up and fire up the BBQ!
Servings 1 batch
Calories 550kcal
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup red wine
- 1/4 cup soy sauce I use low sodium
- 1 & 1/2 tbsps olive oil
- 1 & 1/2 tbsps toasted sesame oil
- 3 cloves garlic crushed
- 2 tsps parsley
- 1 tsp pepper
Instructions
- Combine the marinade ingredients in a bowl and add the steaks. I prefer using a Ziploc bag to put the marinade and steaks in.
- Marinade for as long as you can with a minimum of 2 hours. The longer the better though. I try to prepare it 24 hours in advance. The steak comes out tender and full of delicious flavor.
- Then add to your grill and cook to desired internal temperature.
Video
Nutrition
Serving: 1batch | Calories: 550kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 44g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Sodium: 3252mg | Potassium: 366mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 830IU | Vitamin C: 15.9mg | Calcium: 42mg | Iron: 2.7mg
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What a simple, in the cupboard, type of recipe! I love those kind! I’m a big Steak eater! I’ll have to try this when I can dig through the snow to get to my bbq.
So simple and I actually have steak in my freezer and these ingredients in my fridge. Thanks for tomorrows dinner idea!
This looks delicious! My hubby and I just came in from the outside and dreamed of having a steak on the barbecue!
Wow! Love it! What a simple recipe and yummy recipe! Bookmarking this now!
Hubby LOVES a good steak, this marinade sounds younny
LOVE the simplicity of this! THanks for sharing! 😀
such a simple recipe that even i could cook 🙂
Thank you for sharing! I love marinating but do not do it enough. It is so simple to do.
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I love marinades! I actually make something similar to this, but I also use honey.
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Perfect marinade to flavor steak quite deliciously, i always have to marinate our steaks, or any other meats, going to try this one next time we have steak.
Great idea for a Steak marinade! I will be doing this for the weekend. I bought red wine vinegar some time ago but never did know what to use it on! lol Now I do. I am not much of a red wine drinker so I very seldom have a bottle of red wine on had , glad to know that it can be substituted with the red wine vinegar… Can’t wait to try this…
I see only 3 ingredients in the directions?
Thank you for pointing that out! I just updated the recipe but forgot directions 🙂 Just dump them all in 😉
What cut of steak is the best for this???
I’m really picky with steak and tend to usually just buy sirloins. However, this is a great marinade for more inexpensive cuts (ie: flank) as it cuts down the toughness.
Was amazing, will definitely make againÂ
I used this marinate on ribeye steaks. About 4 hrs in the fridge.  Then hubby put them in the grill.  EXCELLENT flavor and the steaks were very tender.  I wish I could edit this post so I will be able to find it again.  Definitely a 5 star marinate. Â
Hey Sharon! If you save it to your bookmarks or pin it on Pinterest you’ll be able to find it 🙂 So glad you liked this recipe!
I eat steak about 4 times a week New York’s are my favorite I will definitely try this recipe and thank you..
Enjoy Marc!
I’m usually a teriyaki steak guy but congratulations i am impressed with this marinade. Made it with fresh and dried parsley. Used all wine or half vinegar and wine. All good! Thanks.
Yum! Now I want steak Ben haha! I’m so glad you liked it, I’m a teriyaki steak fan myself.
I have experimented with many steak marinades over the years including very similar ones to this one except I typically used Worcestershire sauce, not soy sauce. My most recent and I think most simple is nothing but Blue Diamond kosher salt, a small sheet pan and a cookie cooling rack that fits in the sheet pan. I have my steaks cut close to 2 inches thick, bring them home, salt both sides liberally and place on top of the rack in the sheet pan and leave exposed in the refrigerator for minimum of 24 hours and up to 72 hours, trying to flip every 12 hours. Remove from fridge at least an hour before beginning to cook. Add a little cracked pepper, maybe some garlic powder, a little oliive oil on both sides, and place in a preheated oven at 225 for about an hour until interior temperatureas 110 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove from oven and cover with aluminumfoil. Fire up the charcoal while steaks are warming. Let steaks rest at least 10 minutes, up to about 45 minutes. Just before placing on the coals, toss fresh Rosemary springs on the coals, char about 3 to 5 minutes per side. Remove to cutting board and slice into serving sizes. This will give you wonderful flavor of the meat. Salt does the same work as the wine but doesn’t change the flavor of the meat. Bon apatite!