Gluten-free Garlic and Herb Steak Marinade

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This gluten-free garlic and herb steak marinade will give you the most flavorful steaks every time, no matter how you like to cook your steak.

I love using gluten-free marinades when I am grilling. I think it adds so much great flavor to whatever I am grilling with very minimal effort. I mean, really, all you are doing is letting your meat hang out in flavor while you do whatever else you need to do until it's time to cook.

Steak is one of my go-to easy dinners because they take very little time to cook on the grill or even inside in a skillet.

Ingredients to make a gluten-free steak marinade.

• Steak of Choice
• Coconut Aminos
• Lemon
• Olive Oil
• Garlic
• Oregano
• Thyme
• Sage
• Steak Seasoning - Use your favorite pre-mixed blend. Just make sure it is gluten-free since not all spice blends are gluten-free.

Not all pre-mixed spice rubs are gluten-free so I like to make my own steak spice rub to keep in the pantry to use whenever I want to make steak.

Steak Spice Rub Blend:

• 1 TBS Dried Garlic
• 1 TBS Onion Powder
• 2 teaspoon Coriander Seeds
• 1 ½ teaspoon Dill
• 1 ½ teaspoon Dried Mustard
• 1 TBS Black Peppercorns
• 1 TBS Peppercorn Meadly Blend
• 1 TBS Salt
• 1 teaspoon Dried Lemon Peel

1. Combine everything into a pedal and motor and grind it till the pieces are about equal in size. You can also pulse it in a small food processor.
2. Store the steak spice rub in an airtight container with the rest of your spices.

I like to double or triple this steak spice blend and keep it in the pantry.

Why should you marinate steaks?

Not all steaks are good for marinating. When you marinate steaks, you are aiming to do two things; increase the flavor profile and tenderize the steak. What makes the best marinade for steak?

• Steak needs fat: A fat like olive oil helps to bring out the flavors in fresh herbs. It also acts as a glue helping the steak spice rub and herbs stay on the steak.
• The acid in a steak marinade: In this case, we are using lemon and coconut aminos. It helps to tenderize the steak, so you don't end up with a tough steak that is hard to chew. Often steak is tenderized with vinegar but the combination of lemon and coconut aminos adds more flavor.
• Steak spices: In this garlic steak marinade, we are using fresh herbs and bold spices in our steak spice rub, that brings out the flavor and add brightness to what can be a heavy feeling piece of meat.

What are the best cuts of steak to marinate?

Steaks vary by toughness, depending on the cut. You will rarely see a filet mignon marinated because it is already a very tender cut of meat.

More course cuts of meat such as chuck steak, flank steak, thicker ribeye, sirloin, and New York strip steaks are perfect for using a marinade to help tenderize and add flavors.

This makes a really good chuck steak marinade, and it makes an easy skirt steak marinade.

How do you make a garlic and hearb steak marinade?

1. Combine everything into a bowl or a large ziplock bag.
2. Add your steak and let it sit. That's it!

The garlic steak marinade will do the rest of the work until it's time to cook the steak.

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How long should you marinate steaks?

When it comes to steak, you want to marinate long enough to get the flavor and tenderize without making the steak turn to complete mush.

I tend to aim for at least 30 minutes, but usually, 1 hour is enough time to get the meat full of flavor while keeping it moist.

Because this marinade does have lemon it, marinating it overnight or 24 hours would be the MAX I would let it go. You could end up with a much mushy and dry final steak letting it go so long.

Can you freeze steak in a marinade?

The simple answer is yes, I find the steaks have the best flavor after freezing if the steaks sat in the marinade for at least an hour in the fridge before freezing them.

I also find that vacuuming sealing steaks before freezing them in this garlic steak marinade keeps the steak sealed better and it is less likely to get freezer burned.

Marinated steaks will stay good in the freezer for up to nine months.

What is the best way to cook a steak?

You can cook steaks however you prefer. You can grill steak, pan-sear steak, or reverse-sear the steak, which is my personal favorite. I find everyone gets the perfectly done steak fast and easy with the nice sear since marinating steak can make it harder to get a crust on the outside of the steak. Reverse searing a steak is also the perfect way to get those thicker steaks perfectly cooked without them losing all their juice.

How do you reverse sear a steak?

1. Marinate your steak.
2. Preheat your oven to 275 degrees.
3. Place your steak onto a baking sheet topped with a baking rack.
4. Cook the steak until it reaches the desired temperature.

We are not fully cooking the steak to eat yet, so watch for the following temperatures to pull the steak from the oven.

• Remove the steak from the oven at about 90 degrees if you want a finished steak that is going to be medium-rare.
• If you want your finished steak closer to medium, remove the steak from the oven at about 95-100 degrees.

Once you remove the steak from the oven you can either pan-sear the steak or finish it on the grill. Keep an eye on the temperature of the steak so you know when to remove it from the heat.

Be sure not to flip your steak more than once at this point. You want to let the steak crust over on the outside. Flipping it a lot can make it harder to get that crust and the steak can lose moisture.

How do you know when steak is done?

The best way to tell when a steak is done to how you like it is to use a digital meat thermometer. Just stick it in the thickest part of the steak, you don't have to cut into them to determine if they are done.

Not sure what you are looking for?

• Rare: 125 degrees
• Medium Rare: 134 degrees
• Medium:140-145 degrees
• Medium Well: 150 Degrees
• Well Done: 160 degrees

Personally, I never cook a steak over 140 degrees. Rember to let your steak rest at least five minutes before you eat it. During this time, the steak will continue to cook a little more, so I recommend taking it off a few degrees before your desired temperature.

More gluten-free bbq recipes to enjoy.

Gluten-free Potato Salad

Gluten-free Coleslaw

Grilled Caesar Salad

Grilled Balsamic Bruschetta Chicken 

Homemade Burger Seasoning

If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #grainfreetable or @grainfreetable on Instagram. I’d love to see what you come up with!