Best Sous Vide Steak Marinade
on Oct 16, 2023, Updated Nov 21, 2023
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The only Sous Vide Steak Marinade you’ll ever need. It makes super juicy and flavorful steak every time! This marinade recipe uses staple ingredients you likely already have on hand, tenderizing the meat while adding so much flavor. It’s incredibly easy to make and great for any cut of beef.
Sous vide method produces the meat with a perfect texture, but it could be lack of flavor if it’s not marinated or seasoned properly. A good marinade is a great way to add flavors, especially for some tougher cuts.
Best ever sous vide steak marinade recipe
I’ve tried many different steak marinades and this is absolutely my favorite! It produces incredibly tender steak and adds the most amazing sweet, tangy and savory flavors.
The combination of balsamic vinegar, honey, and soy sauce creates the perfect balance. I’ve found that people of all ages love it. This recipe works for different cuts of meat from Skirt Steak, Rib Eye Steak, to London Broil.
What ingredients go into sous vide steak marinade?
- Soy Sauce: it acts as a brine to tenderize the meat while adding savory flavor.
- Balsamic Vinegar: the acid in vinegar helps to break down proteins and tenderize the meat. You can substitute red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar.
- Honey: it balances out the acidity of the vinegar while helping to create a caramelized crust when seared. You can substitute sugar if you prefer.
- Garlic: you can use freshly minced garlic or garlic powder.
- Olive Oil: also helps to make the meat tender. Regular refined olive oil works best and avoid extra virgin olive oil as it has a low smoke point.
- Ground Black Pepper: freshly grounded is the best.
How to make sous vide steak marinade?
- Combine the marinade ingredients in a medium bowl. Whisk until blended well.
- Place the steak in a zip-top bag, and pour the marinade over the steak. Seal the bag and let marinate in the refrigerator.
How long do you marinate the steak for sous vide cooking?
Tougher steaks such as skirt steak and round steak require at least 2 hours of marinating time to become tender, although 30 minutes is sufficient for tender cuts such as sirloin steak and ribeye steak. The maximum is 8 hours to avoid the meat becoming mushy.
Make sure to marinate the steak in the refrigerator to keep the meat fresh.
Can you sous vide steak in marinade?
It depends on the marinade and the type of steak you use. If you use strong acid or alcohol-based marinade, the meat needs to be removed from the marinade before sous vide cooking, as they will create a strong flavor overpowering the steak.
If you use tender cuts like ribeye or filet mignon steak, it’s better to remove the meat from the marinade before sous vide cooking.
If there’s no acid or alcohol and you are using tougher cuts such as flank steak, you can sous vide the steak in the marinade. For this recipe, the acidity from balsamic vinegar is relatively low, and you can cook the flank steak in this marinade.
How long to sous vide cook marinated steak?
Sous vide time will vary based on the thickness and type of the steak. For a 1-inch thick flank steak, it will take 2 hours to cook the meat.
Steak doneness and temperature
For flank steak or skirt steak, set the temperature between 130°F and 135°F for the best result. It will produce tender and juicy meat with medium rare doneness. Here is the guideline for steak doneness for different types of steak.
| Steak Doneness | Internal Temp |
| Rare steak | 125°F (52°C) |
| Medium rare steak | 130°F (54°C) |
| Medium steak | 140°F (60°C) |
| Well-done steak | 160°F (71°C) |
What’s the best cut of steak for this marinade?
I used flank steak for this recipe, but this marinade works very well with skirt steak, flat iron, and round steak. Although you can use it with tender cuts such as ribeye steak or filet mignon, these cuts usually don’t need a marinade. A simple dry rub seasoning works better for these tender cuts.
What to serve with sous vide steak?
Best Sous Vide Steak Marinade Recipe
Ingredients
Steak Marinade
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, (or red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar)
- 2 tablespoons honey, (or sugar)
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon garlic , minced (or garlic powder)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
Other Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds flank steak
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Make Steak Marinade: In a small bowl, whisk together balsamic vinegar, honey, soy sauce, garlic, black pepper, and olive oil.
- Marinade the Steak: Add the steak to a zip-top bag, and pour the marinade into the bag.
- Coat the meat thoroughly and vacuum seal the bag using “water displacement” technique: seal all but one corner of the bag, and slowly place it into a container with cold water. Make sure everything below the zip-line is covered by water. Then seal the rest of the bag.
- Let it marinate for 2 hours in the refrigerator.
- Sous Vide the Steak: Add water to the sous vide container or a large pot, set the Sous Vide Precision Cooker to 135°F (57°C) for medium rare doneness.
- When the steak is ready, place the vacuum-sealed bag in the water bath. Make sure the steak is completely submerged.
- Sous vide cook for 2 hours.
- When the timer goes off, remove the bag from the water bath.
- Sear the Steak: Wipe off any extra moisture from the cooked steak with paper towel.
- Place the skillet or grill on medium-high heat and add olive oil (if using grill, brush the oil on the steak). Once very hot, add your steak and sear about 1 minute per side.
- Slice your steak thinly against the grain and serve with your favorite sauce.
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate only and will vary based on ingredient brands and cooking methods used.
I did this (with garlic powder) and put it in a vacuum bag for about 4 hours. It turned out fantastic! The taste was as expected, nothing extraordinary, but the color of the meat after 2 hours at 53C – that was magnificent! Fantastic!