This super tasty Worcestershire sauce steak marinade was first brought to my attention by an OGT reader, who reportedly heard about it from a top executive chef working on the Las Vegas Strip. According to the reader, the chef insisted that using Worcestershire sauce as a steak marinade led to tender, beautifully glazed steaks, which intrigued me enough to dig further into the topic to learn how it worked.
As it turns out, many of the components of a good marinade are present in Worcestershire sauce, including salt and vinegar for tenderness, sugar for sweetness and shine, and savory flavors like onion, garlic, tamarind, and anchovies. After trying this marinade for myself, I would rank this steak tip right up with my hack for making cheap steaks tender and delicious!
If you love rich, “umami” flavors and tender meat, you’ll definitely want to give this marinade a try the next time you fire up the grill! I think it’s one of the best steak marinade recipes ever — if you can even call it a recipe! :-)
How To Make Steaks With Worcestershire Sauce Marinade
You’ll need:
- Steaks
- Large ziplock bag (or a glass or ceramic bowl)
- 1/2-1 cup Worcestershire sauce
Directions:
Place the steaks in a ziplock bag, pour in 1/2 cup of Worcestershire sauce, then press the air out of the bag and seal it. (If you’re using a bowl, place the steaks in the bowl and pour 1 cup of Worcestershire sauce over them.)
Put the bag or bowl in your fridge, then let the steaks marinate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 2 hours. (See “How Long Should I Marinate Steaks?” below for more information.)
After marinating, remove the steaks and pat them dry on both sides with a paper towel.
Place the steaks on a hot skillet or grill, then cook to your desired doneness according to the table below. The best way to do this is with an instant read digital thermometer. (Bonus Tip: Take your steaks off the heat when the center is a few degrees below your target temperature, as they will continue to cook for a short time as they rest.)
Steak Doneness By Internal Temperature
| Medium rare | 130°F | Red center with pink edges |
| Medium | 145°F | Pink center |
| Well done | 160°F | No pink remaining |
Optional Ingredients For Added Flavor
Worcestershire sauce makes a delicious and flavorful marinade on its own, but you don’t have to stop there! Consider adding a splash of fresh lemon juice, a couple cloves of minced garlic, or even a few sprigs of fresh herbs for added flavor. Just toss it right in with the Worcestershire sauce!
What Kind Of Steak Should I Choose?
Not sure which cut to choose for your next steak dinner? Here are a few of my favorites:
- Tenderloin/Filet Mignon – This pricey cut is melt-in-your-mouth tender, so it’s great for special occasions. Sear it in a hot pan and finish it off in the oven to medium-rare perfection.
- New York Strip/Top Sirloin – This juicy cut has great marbling and flavor. It’s also pretty reasonable in terms of price, especially compared to fancier cuts!
- Flank Steak – Marinated flank steak is a favorite at our house, and quite affordable too. For maximum tenderness, cut it into thin strips across the grain before marinating.
How Long Should I Marinate Steaks?
In general, you should aim to marinate steaks for about 2 hours, or at least 30 minutes, to allow the marinade time to tenderize and flavor the meat.
If you’re in a hurry, a vacuum sealer makes it easy to marinate meats quickly. If you seal your steaks and marinade together in a vacuum sealed bag, you can get away with marinating them for as little as 15-20 minutes!
Have you tried marinating steaks in Worcestershire sauce?
More Ideas You'll Love
I have to ask, why pat the meat dry AFTER you marinate the meat . Sounds good, gonna give it a try tonight. Thanks for the recipe and do have a pleasant day.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.loaded with sugar and salt ???
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I can’t figure out “against the grain”. Any way I cut it, it looks like I’m going with the grain! Help!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.No apologies for being a purist when cooking steak as I am a ‘retired’ trained chef and lecturer; I always eat my steak rare, unless it is a Rib Eye, however have no objections to an accompanying sauce (blue cheese/ peppercorn et al).
Please log in or create a free account to comment.My question with such a strong tasting marinade is, how strong is the Worcestershire Sauce within the steak when eating it?
THere used to be commercials for that particular brand with a steak in it. However I don’t ‘worster’ sauce as I call it. I always thought they made it up where my pop pop lives which was in Worster NY.
I prefer my A-1 steak sauce if I ‘marinade’ something, or lo sodium Kikoman soy sauce. Now my next mention is not a marinade but a paste Ii love to put on my steaks (either while its cooking or after (or both)
I get it from our Asian food market but not sure of what the exact name or brand is I just know its ‘Crunchy Garlic and pepper’ a product of Japan
Thank goodness for barcode scanner apps! officially its called
s&b chili oil with crunchy garlic topping
here’s the front https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0561/3553/products/JP-150_Crunchy_Garlic_Topping_by_S_B_39583bb6-43c7-4f02-93ef-c04163bfff6d_grande.jpg?v=1459965744
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I love this stuff and use it A LOT!! I like to mix it with tomato sauce and put it on eggs with runny yolks or even omelettes…yum!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.My husband’s birthday is coming up in 10 days and I was thinking of marinating filet minions in cabernet sauvignon wine overnight, spiced with black pepper, salt, garlic powder and maybe some Italian seasoning. But maybe I’ll cut it with Worcestershire sauce as well! mmmm… Our oven isn’t working right now, though, so will have to cook in a fry pan. I’ve thought about cutting the steaks up into thin pieces, but if I don’t, I will score them criss-cross with a knife so the marinade really gets into the meat. What do you all think? Sound good?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I agree with the desire to get as much flavor out of the marinade and into the steaks. But overnight might be too long, especially if you cut them at all. You could end up with them being too tender, more like ground beef. Maybe poke them with a fork a few times, then marinate for up to 2 hours, but I wouldn’t do it any more than that.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Another cheap pre-made marinade option is salsa. Usually the cheaper the better, because that means a higher ratio of vinegar and tomatoes to other ingredients. Dump it in a ziploc bag, add steaks, and wait!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Yum! What a great idea!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.It’s also one of the main ingredients in used in making a great Jerky for all the same reasons listed.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.We used this for steaks, chicken & pork chops. We also buy in bulk & we’ll put them in freezer bags with the sauce & freeze them. Let the defrost in the sauce & they are ready to grill, bake or fry.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.How clever!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Just throwing in one more MUST :) I used to be so bad about not letting the steak rest, but once I tried it, I’ll never go back! Five little minutes, thats all it needs. I throw brussels sprouts in the pan I cooked the steak to keep me busy…delish!
Thanks for all you do Jillee!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Buy a good quality cut of meat and you shouldn’t need to worry. Tougher cuts cover both sides in sea salt and let sit in the refrigerator for an hour or two. Then take it out and rinse it off with cold water. It will tenderize the toughest meat.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.My favorite marinade for grilling pork is any Raspberry vinaigrette. It would probably be great for chicken also, but I prefer to save it for my pork chops!
I noticed that with the Worcestershire Sauce, you wipe off the excess marinade. Is that a good idea for all marinades when you are grilling?
I can’t eat beef, but bet that is a really good taste for steak. I wonder if it will be good on pork? I will try that this weekend.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I pat meat dry before cooking because it encourages a good sear. If the meat is wet with marinade, the meat sort of boil and steams for a while before it starts to brown :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I love Worchestershire sauce – it’s an awesome sauce for Dim Sum, too. When we go out for Dim Sum I’ve been known to bring a tiny travel size bottle in my purse…
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I prefer French’s brand. Everybody to their own taste, yes!! I use a fork and poke holes in my meat. I find this helps the flavoring soak into the meat better. I also add liquid smoke to my worchestershire sauce. Anyway you look at it, worchestershire sauce is good for many things. I always put it in my meatloaf. I buy it by the gallon as I use so much.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I love liquid smoke! It tastes EXACTLY like smoke without all the bother & smoke inhalation.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Hi Shirley, just wondering how much worchestershire sauce you put in your meatloaf? Sounds good, it is my favorite sauce, also, how much ground beef do you use for the meatloaf? I make, I think a really good meatloaf, have been asked numerous times for the recipe. I’ve never seen a meatloaf recipe that called for worchestershire. Would like to try it. Thanks… Gail
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I love Montreal Steak seasoning, but as I’ve been buying my beef grass-fed for some time and have found that it’s a bit tougher than storebought grain-fed beef for obvious reasons (i.e., the animals get to move around and use their muscles), maybe it’s time to give marinades another try. Otherwise, two useful tips I’ve come across are, 1)From Serious Eats(?), cook lean cuts like tenderloin in a hot cast iron skillet with butter and olive oil rather than on the grill. Sear it in the skillet and then transfer it, skillet and all, to a hot oven to finish. If you put it on the grill, leave it on only long enough to add grill marks for presentation. 2)From Cook’s Illustrated, cook your steak frozen! This sears the outside and leaves the interior pink and moist so that it doesn’t dry out.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I like my steaks medium rare. How do you judge the time?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.You are better off using temperature or feel as a guide. Time would depend on the size and cut of the meat. Hard to say. I grill my steaks on high for two to three minutes each side. I like it Medium rare too. If using the feel test it should feel like when you touch the tip of your nose. Rare would be like touching your cheek and well would be your forehead.
The only surefire way to know if you are uncooking or overcooking is to use a Thermapen Mk4. It’s the highest quality instant read thermometer which will COMPLETELY CHANGE your approach to cooking. The product has a fabulous blog truly worth cosulting. These instant read thermometers aren’t inexpensive, but they are essential and worth every penny! This is the website address for their excellent thermometer products. https://www.thermoworks.com
I’ve heard about the “cook frozen” thing before & I’ve always wanted to try it, but I’ve always done the opposite – leave it out to room temperature so the fat has a jump start on melting before you cook it – and it comes out good, so I’m afraid to try it. Is it chewier the frozen way?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I use a mixture of beer, Worcestershire, Dale’s, minced garlic, sliced onions, and a few seasonings! Liquid smoke sometimes.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Dale’s was my go to for many many years. Good stuff. I dislike Worchesterchire sauce unless it used in small %’s as an ingredient of a larger mixture. The Montreal Steak seasoning is good for all kinds of things, particularly Bloody Marys.
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