5 Of The Best Paleo Steak Marinades

When it comes to cooking a good steak, all you really need is a good quality cut of meat (grass-fed, preferably), salt and a good skillet. But, if you want to take that meat to the next level, a beautiful steak marinade can make it taste SO much better.

It today’s post, I want to share 5 of my personal favourite paleo steak marinades. These are most suitable to red meat like beef or lamb, but you can easily use these for chicken, pork and even fish.

Marinating a steak before grilling helps to tenderise the meat and enhance its flavour by taking you on an exotic taste trip. Red meat can take on some bold flavours, so it’s perfectly suited to hearty, strong herbs and spices and lots of garlic.

As a general rule, marinating is best suited for the tougher steak cuts like flank, skirt, sirloin, round and hanger and you should allow 24 hours for best results. If you want to spice up more expensive steaks like a fillet or rib-eye, I suggest to only marinate them for up to an hour or so. Make sure to pat the steaks dry with some paper towel to remove excess liquid that can dilute the marinade.

All of the below marinades can be prepared ahead of time and kept in the fridge for up to 1 week, in an airtight container.

To marinate, simply combine the steaks with enough marinade to coat the meat generously, and leave to soak in all the flavours for at least 1 hour before cooking. Make sure to bring the marinated meat to room temperature (about 15-20 minutes out of the fridge) before cooking.

Freezing marinated meat: combine the steaks with any of the below marinades and transfer to a ziplock bag or a freezer-proof container. Label and store in the freezer for 2-3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge or on the countertop and bring to room temperature before cooking. See cooking instructions below individual recipes.

Read this post about two methods for cooking a perfect steak.

1. Greek Herb & Garlic Meat Marinade

This marinade is great with lamb chops or cutlets, lamb or beef steaks, kebobs and skewers, and is also fantastic with poultry.

Makes 1 cup 

1/2 cup olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
2 cloves of garlic, finely diced or grated
1 tablespoon dried or fresh oregano
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary or dried rosemary
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Add the meat and rub the marinade all over. Store in a Tupperware container or a Ziplock bag for 1 hour or overnight; you can also freeze the marinated meat.

Shake the excess marinade off the steaks before cooking. Once the steaks are grilled, add the leftover marinade to a hot frying pan with a drizzle of olive oil or a dollop of butter, and cook off for 1-2 minutes, then pour over the steaks.

2. Red wine, mustard & onion marinade

This is great with any red meat – lamb or beef – and particularly good for marinating diced meat for skewers or kebobs to grill on a BBQ. The flavours would also work well with pork meat.

Makes 1 cup 

2/3 cup quality red wine
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper or peppercorns
1 large red or white onion, sliced into circles
1 teaspoon Dijon or yellow mustard

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Place the meat in a Tupperware container or in a deep dish and pour over the marinade, making sure the meat has the mixture under and on top of it. Spread the onions around the meat and cover with a lid or cling wrap. If marinating for an hour, turn the steaks over at least once to ensure even infusion. You can do the same if keeping the meat in the mixture overnight.

Shake the excess marinade off the steaks before cooking. Once the steaks are grilled, add the marinade together with the onions into a hot (empty) frying pan and cook over high heat for 5-10 minutes, until reduced and thickened. Add a dollop of butter or ghee to thicken the marinade sauce and pour over the meat or serve on the side.

3. Chinese-style Ginger Mushroom Marinade

Great for marinating lamb, beef or pork steaks that can be sliced and added to a stir-fry or served with cauliflower rice or over an Asian-style slaw salad. This marinade is also great with pork (especially pork ribs), chicken and chicken wings, duck and salmon or prawns.

Makes 1 cup 

5 dried shiitake mushrooms
1 cup boiling-hot water
5cm-piece fresh ginger, peeled and diced or grated
4 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced
1/4 cup coconut aminos (Tamari wheat-free soy sauce can also be used)
2 teaspoons fish sauce
2 teaspoons sesame oil
Juice of 1/2 lemon or 1 lime

Soak the dried shiitake mushrooms in a cup of hot water for 15-20 minutes, until rehydrated. Remove the mushrooms to a cutting board and dice finely.
Add the diced mushrooms and half a cup of the mushroom soaking liquid to a mixing bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Combine and rub all over the meat and marinate for 1 hour or overnight; you can also freeze the meat in the marinade in a Ziplock bag.

Shake the excess marinade off the steaks before cooking. Once the steaks are grilled, add the leftover marinade to a hot frying pan with a dollop of melted coconut oil, and cook off for 1-2 minutes until slightly caramelised, then pour over the steaks.

4. Port & Horseradish Marinade

Horseradish and red meat are a match made in heaven. The sweetness of the pork offsets the slight bitterness of the horseradish and mellows the sauce out a bit. It’s great with most types of red meat, pork and turkey.

Makes 1 cup

1/2 cup tawny port or cherry
2 tablespoons grated or minced horseradish
3 cloves of garlic, grated or finely diced
1/2 teaspoon of ground pepper or around 7-8 peppercorns
Zest of 1/2 lemon
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 teaspoon sea salt

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Add the meat and rub the marinade all over. Store in a Tupperware container or in a Ziplcock bag for 1 hour or overnight; you can also freeze the steaks for later.

Shake the excess sauce off the meat before cooking. Once the steaks are grilled, add the leftover marinade to a hot frying pan with a dollop of melted coconut oil, and cook off for 1-2 minutes until slightly caramelised, then pour over the steaks.

5. Mexican Coriander Chilli & Cumin Marinade

This marinade is great for all types of meat and for making sliced steak or chicken for taco bowls or Tex Mex inspired salads. It’s also lovely with fish and seafood.

Makes 1 cup

1/2 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander seed
2 cloves of garlic, finely diced
Handful of fresh coriander/cilantro leaves, finely chopped
Juice of 1 lime
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon, finely diced red chilli (I like to use a long red chilli that is not too hot and I remove the seeds, but you can add less or more chilli depending on the spice level you want)

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Add the steaks and rub the marinade all over the meat. Store in a Tupperware container or in a Ziplock bag for 1 hour or overnight; you can also freeze the steaks.

Shake the excess marinade off the steaks before cooking. Once the steaks are grilled, add the leftover marinade to a hot frying pan with a dollop of olive oil, and cook off for 1 minute, then sprinkle over the cooked steaks.

So there you go my friends, these are some of my go-to marinades for red meat. I often just use a little garlic, parsley and lemon juice but when I feel like getting fancy, I pull out a few more ingredients and get creative. Do you have a favourite way to marinate red meat? Share with me below in the comments!

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