The Only Steak Marinade You Need (Thai Marinated Steak)

Bold claim, I know, but once you try it you'll understand why (and hopefully agree!). Even though it is a classic Thai beef marinade for the grill, the flavour is not distinctly Asian.

It's just really fantastic, umami flavours that would pair well with any meal, and any side dish, Thai or not.

Classic Thai Marinade, Universally Delicious

When you see beef being grilled in Thailand, the marinade used is probably not all that different from one person to another. We have our tried-and-true combination of sauces that creates one of the most delicious steaks you'll ever have.

There's a reason why it's a classic. The main stars of this marinade are oyster sauce and soy sauce, with just a touch of sweetness added.

This combo creates intensely umami flavours that compliment the beef perfectly - and the little bit of sugar is the secret to balancing the salt and giving you those smokey-flavoured grill marks. These sauces are Asian, but they have relatively neutral flavours, so the steak will not clash with say, mashed potatoes, or whatever sides you decide to serve it with.

This is also endlessly customizable, so that if you do want it to have a distinct flavour of any particular herbs or spices, you can totally add them to this base marinade. So use what's given as the base ratio, then get creative from there!

Ingredients and Notes

Here are all the ingredients and important notes about them, for amounts, see the full recipe card below.

Ingredients for Thai Steak Marinade

• Black or white peppercorns. While in Thailand we mostly use white pepper, when it comes to beef, black pepper it my preferred pairing. But if you want to use white pepper instead, that's fine too.
• Garlic. You won't find any Thai marinade without garlic! In a pinch, garlic powder will also do.
• Soy sauce. I use Thai soy sauce (Healthy Boy Brand) but you can use any kind of soy sauce you regularly use. You can also use any gluten free soy sauce instead.
• Oyster sauce. While it's not crucial to use premium oyster sauce for this recipe, it's worth reading my post about how to choose high quality oyster sauce when you're at an Asian market.
• Sugar. Just a touch of sweetness to balance the saltiness of soy sauce and oyster sauce. You will be surprised how much of a different it makes. It will also help with browning on the grill.
• Lime juice. A little acidity helps sharping the flavour of the marinade, and tenderize the exterior of the steak a little.
• Neutral oil. Adding oil to the marinade will help disperse the fat-soluble flavour molecules in the garlic and the pepper, and once on the grill, the oil coating the steaks will help prevent moisture loss.

Ingredients for Nam Jim Jeaw

A grilled steak in Thailand would not be complete without a dipping sauce. And the classic sauce we would serve with a grilled steak, or any other grilled meats, is nam jim jeaw.

I have a more extensive post about nam jim jeaw with 3 different variations, but here are ingredients for the basic version.

• Tamarind paste. Tamarind gives acidity and a thick consistency to the sauce. You can buy ready-to-use tamarind paste sold in tubs or jars, often called "tamarind concentrate," or you can make your own tamarind paste from tamarind pulp which is sold in blocks. It's not hard to make your own and it tastes better! You can follow my DIY tamarind paste recipe here.
• Fish sauce. The most important salty seasoning in Thai cuisine. Learn more about this crucial ingredient in my guide to fish sauce.
• Lime juice.
• Palm sugar, or light brown or white sugar will also work here.
• Roasted chili flakes or some kind of spicy chili powder. The toasting adds smokiness, but in a pinch you can just add any kind of spicy chili flakes/powder you have. You can make your own roasted chili flakes from whole dried chilies, or toast store bought chili flakes in a dry skillet over medium high heat until it darkens slightly.
• Shallots or green onions.
• Mint and/or cilantro.
• Uncooked white rice. Just a small amount for making toasted rice powder. This adds thickness and a wonderful nutty aroma to the dip. It is an essential ingredient for nam jim jeaw so do not skip!

How to Make Thai Steak Marinade

Here's a bird's eye view of the steps, for the full instructions and the video tutorial, see the recipe card below!

• Pound garlic and peppercorns together into a fine paste. Alternatively grind the peppercorns with a grinder and mince or use a microplane to grate the garlic.
• Add all the liquid marinade ingredients and stir to mix well.
• Marinade your steaks of choice for at least 3 hours and up to 1 day.
• Bring the steaks out to room temp 1 hour before grilling and grill to your desired doneness.

The Marinade for Thai "Crying Tiger"

You might by now be reminded of a dish you've had in a Thai restaurant called "Crying Tiger," which is the English translated name of a dish that is essentially grilled steaks, sliced, and served with nam jim jaew dipping sauce. Sticky rice is usually served as a side.

On Thai restaurant menus, it can also be written as Tiger Cry, Weeping Tiger, or some variation on that theme. The Thai name is "seua rong hai;" seua means tiger, and rong hai means cry.

Originally seua rong hai used a specific cut of beef - the brisket. There are many stories explaining the origin of the name, but the one I like best is that the brisket is so chewy even the tiger cannot eat it ... so it cries!!

But the chewiness is why the steak is always very thinly sliced. Nowadays people make crying tiger using other cuts that don't involve any tears or jaw pain (and I don't recommend you use brisket for this), but the most important thing here is the marinade, and the dipping sauce if you want something very Thai.

FAQ About This Marinade Recipe

I am allergic to shellfish, what can I use instead of oyster sauce?

You can use an additional 1 tablespoon of soy sauce instead of the 1 ½ tablespoon of oyster sauce. You can also buy vegetarian oyster sauce which is usually labeled as "vegetarian stir fry sauce" and it should have a similar consistency to oyster sauce.

Can I change the amount of sugar in the marinade? Yes!

You can add another 1-2 teaspoons for a sweeter, more teriyaki-ish flavours. Or you can reduce it to 1 teaspoon if you prefer it less sweet, though I suggest not omitting it altogether because it helps with getting those nice grill marks.

Can I pan-sear the steak instead of grilling? Marinated steaks, especially one with sugar like this one, are better suited for the grill.

If you pan-sear, the marinade will more easily burn with full contact with the hot oil. So without a grill, I recommend doing a quick sear on the pan just to get it nice and browned, then finishing it off on a rack in the oven.

Can I use this marinade for other meats? Yep!

This definitely works with pork, chicken, lamb, and any other meats you would grill.

Marinated Steaks

• ½ teaspoon black peppercorns
• 2 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 ½ tablespoon oyster sauce
• 2 teaspoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 2 tablespoon neutral oil

Nam Jim Jeaw Dipping Sauce

• 2 tablespoon tamarind paste
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 tablespoon palm sugar, very finely chopped
• 2 tablespoon minced shallots or chopped green onion
• 1 tablespoon uncooked jasmine or sticky rice, (for toasted rice powder)

Notes

• Any cut of steaks you like for the grill will work. Keep in mind that for marinated steaks, you want to stick with something thin. I'm using flatiron in the video, but flank, skirt and hanger steaks are examples of great cuts for the grill.
• Sticky rice is a classic accompaniment to Thai steaks, but these would go with any sides, Thai or not.

FULL VIDEO TUTORIAL

All my recipes come with step-by-step video tutorials with extra tips not mentioned in the blog post, so make sure you watch the video to ensure success.

Thank you!

Instructions

• To make the marinade, pound the black pepper in a mortar and pestle into a powder, then add the garlic and pound into a fine paste. Add all remaining marinade ingredients and stir to mix well.½ tsp black peppercorns, 2 cloves garlic, 2 Tbsp soy sauce, 1 ½ Tbsp oyster sauce, 2 tsp sugar, 1 Tbsp lime juice, 2 Tbsp neutral oil
• Place the steaks into a dish just big enough to hold them in one layer, or put them in a freezer bag. Add the marinade and move the steaks around to ensure they're thoroughly coated.1.5 lb steaks

For the Nam Jim Jeaw dipping sauce

• In a small bowl, combine the tamarind, fish sauce, lime juice and palm sugar and stir until the sugar is mostly dissolved. Stir in the shallots and the chili flakes and set aside while you make the toasted rice powder; don't worry about any undissolved sugar chunks.2 Tbsp tamarind paste, 1 Tbsp fish sauce, 1 Tbsp lime juice, 1 Tbsp palm sugar, 2 Tbsp minced shallots or chopped green onion, ½ teaspoon roasted chili flakes
• Make the toasted rice powder: In a dry skillet, add the rice and toast it over medium high heat, stirring constantly, until the grains are deep brown (see video for the colour you're going for). Pour onto a plate to cool, then grind in a mortar and pestle or coffee grinder into a mostly-fine powder.1 Tbsp uncooked jasmine or sticky rice
• Close to serving time, stir the sauce; the sugar should now be completely dissolved, and if there are a few stubborn chunks, they can be easily smushed with the back of a spoon. Stir in the toasted rice powder and cilantro or mint.3 sprigs cilantro or mint