Originally published June 8, 2016. Last updated May 2, 2020.
If you are thinking about grilling or cooking a steak and want to add some extra to it, this Whole30 and Paleo steak marinade is for you! I hope seeing this easy marinade recipe will get you motivated to grab a good cut of meat from the store (or your local butcher), throw it in this marinade for a while, and sear it over a hot grill or cast iron pan.
Use this marinade for tougher cuts of steak
This is a go-to steak marinade for us. We use a version of this marinade to flavor a lot of our tougher cuts of steak like flank, skirt, hanger and flat iron. These are perfect cuts for a marinade because they are a little tougher and need some extra flavor. They also happen to absorb the marinade really well because they are a thinly cut steak – not to mention they are cheaper! If you are interested in learning a little more about these cuts of steak, head on over to this page for a nice little summary.
The essential Paleo steak marinade
Now, onto this easy Whole30 and Paleo steak marinade. It takes only about 5 minutes to put together and is a basic, flavorful marinade that you can use over and over. It uses only eight ingredients that most everyone has on hand in their pantry and spice cabinet. If you don’t have any of the ingredients (like coconut aminos or apple cider vinegar) you can substitute another type of vinegar or salty sauce or just add water in place of the missing ingredient to get the right consistency of the marinade. This marinade will work for a cut of meat up to two pounds and can also be used on chicken, pork, bison or fish.
An easy steak marinade that’s also Paleo + Whole30
Since this marinde is made with clean and simple ingredients and doesn’t have any added sugar, it’s the perfect Whole30 compliant steak marinade. Just mix up the ingredients in a zip top bag or shallow dish, add in your desired cut of meat and let it marinate for at least an hour. Then, your meat will be ready for tossing on hot grill or searing in a cast iron pan.
Some other grilling recipes
- KOREAN BBQ CHICKEN (PALEO + WHOLE30)
- 35 HEALTHY GRILLING RECIPES – PALEO + WHOLE30 OPTIONS FOR A HEALTHY BBQ
- EASY CHIMICHURRI STEAK RECIPE (PALEO, WHOLE30 + KETO)
- BUNLESS BURGER RECIPE (PALEO, WHOLE30 + KETO)
- GRILLED PINEAPPLE CHICKEN (PALEO + WHOLE30)
Your turn to try this recipe for your next steak
I hope that you give this easy steak marinade a try! It’s perfect for many cuts of steak and I have no doubt you will enjoy the flavor it imparts. If you do try it, let us know how you like it by leaving a comment below. Also, take a picture and tag us on Instagram @realsimplegood so we can check it out. We love to see what you’re cooking!
Like this Recipe?
SHARE IT NOW OR PIN IT FOR LATER!
Paleo Steak Marinade (Paleo, GF + Whole30)
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup coconut aminos (see recipe notes)
- 2 tbsp avocado or olive oil
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
Instructions
- Combine all of the ingredients in a zip top bag or shallow dish and mix well.
- Add in your steak (or other meat) and mix everything to get the meat coated well with the marinade.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours.
- Remove from the container and get to grilling!
Notes
- This recipe is made to marinate about 2 lbs of meat. It can easily be halved or doubled if needed.
- If you don’t have any coconut aminos on hand, you can make your own using our DIY coconut aminos substitute recipe.
Just wondering how many lbs of meat this recipe is for. Thanks! It looks great!
The marinade will work for a 2 pound cut of meat.
When you say use over & over are you saying to keep the mixture to use on another piece of meat?
Hi there – no you’d only use the marinade once, but it’s a recipe to use over and over. Does that make better sense?
I am halfway through dinner and had to stop to tell you this marinade is AMAZING!!!!! Thank you so much!
Aaaw! Yay! So happy you like it! Thanks so much for pausing to come back and tell us! Have a great weekend! 🙂
Tried this with Kangaroo steak. Delicious!
That’s amazing! We’ve never had Kangaroo steak, but love that it works well with our marinade recipe! Thanks so much for giving it a try! 🙂
This is tasty. We used it on a flat iron steak.
We’re so glad to hear you enjoyed it! Thanks so much for giving our marinade a try and taking the time to come back and share! 🙂
This marinade is awesome! I had a bbq last night and used this marinade for my steaks and it got so many good remarks! Can we bake this when we don’t feel like grilling?
So great to hear! Yes, you can use it anytime and for baking too. 🙂
How long would I bake it for? Do I have to flip it at a certain time?
Depending on how thick the steak is, you could bake it on a sheet pan at 450° for about 15 minutes, flipping halfway. Watch it carefully and remove it when it is cooked to your liking.
I won’t be cooking up all of my meat today. Do you think I can freeze the extra in the marinade so it will marinade as it thaws later?
Yes, that should be fine for steak.
This was delicious! I made it exactly as written and found the result to be lovely. I used it on sirloin and served it with roasted sweet potatoes and broccoli. The family loved it and I’m a happy camper.
This would be nice on salmon or halibut, too!
Let us know if you try it on salmon or halibut! Thanks for coming back to leave a review 🙂
Delicious! Was asked for the link so others can make it, too. Definitely a winner! Thank you!
You’re welcome, glad you enjoyed the recipe 🙂
What can I substitute for the coconut aminos? I can’t have sugar in any form. Thanks!
That’s a tough one. I’d probably just skip it and add a little more vinegar and some more salt to suit your taste.
Hi there!
Going to use this before we Sous vide tonight – can we keep the steaks in the marinade while we Sous vide or should we take them out due to the apple cider vinegar?
Thanks so much!
You should probably take them out of the marinade for cooking. Either way, I hope they turn out great!
Okay this marinade is better than ANY marinade I have used! I found it when I was doing whole30 but I’ve continued to use it after. The spices give it a great flavor on the outside. It’s not too spicy and the seasoning is the perfect ratio. We use this with all cuts of steaks and different cooking styles. Your steak will stay juicy. My favorite is eating the leftover steak because the marinade keeps the flavor even when reheated. Love it!
What a great review, thank you so much!
Super easy and very flavorful! Definitely making it again!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it and plan to make it again! Thanks for giving our recipe a try and coming back to share! We’re so grateful you’re here! 🙂
IT was amazing and my wife and picky daughter loved it!
Perfect, glad to hear that Mark.
This was amazing!! Omitted the Black Pepper and Paprika for AIP. Will definitely be using this recipe again!!
So glad you liked this Sheila!
We found flat iron steak at the store yesterday and this recipe was perfect! Thank you so much
You’re very welcome, glad you enjoyed the recipe :).
This was a simple recipe which utilized things I had readily available (no last minute trip to the store for me). I marinated the the steaks I had overnight, and cooked them the next day for dinner in a skillet on the stove. The marinade was very tasty, and helped tenderize the steaks. I used a cheap cut and they turned out perfect, you never would have known.
Glad your steaks turned out well with this marinade Tim.
This marinade is my go-to since last summer! It’s super easy to make and tastes delicious. I get compliments on it every time.
That’s so good to hear, thank you!
This is so good. I have made twice now and it is super tasty. Love it!
Yay!
Great recipe
Really great!
Yummy looks great cannot wait to try it !
This is our go to steak marinade!! Staple in our house!
So glad you like this one Emily!
Absolutely delish
This looks so delicious! Can’t wait to try this recipe.
My husband made this for Mother’s Day! It was delicious!
Love this
🙂
Delicious and healthy!
Easy excellent.
So yummy!
So good!!!
So simple and delicious!
Very excited to try this on our new grill! Thanks you guys! ?
Enjoy!
Yum
This looks delicious! Marking it and I will make it next time I buy a cut of beef! Which will probably be this weekend, because now I’m craving it. Haha
Enjoy!
So good! Thank you for sharing
So delicious!!!!
This sounds amazing and I can’t wait to try it.
Delish!
This was the perfect marinade for flank steak. So easy and I had everything in hand. And my family loved it! I will definitely make it again.
Gorgeous marinade!
Quick, easy and delicious!
Delicious ?
Yummy!
So good!
So easy and delicious with everything on hand! The perfect umami flavor you look for with steak.
Loved this marinade for Tri Tip steak. The combination of coconut amino‘s and soda vinegar edit a good kick and I love the addition of paprika! So flavorful!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks so much for sharing on IG and for coming back to share here! We really appreciate it! 🙂
My husband wanted a marinade for steak and I knew to look up Real Simple Good for the best. It did not disappoint! It was easy and absolutely delicious! My husband requested it again! ?
So happy to hear you liked this one Erica :).
Delicious flavor! And the steak was nice and tender but not mush like some marinades can make steak. I’ll use this recipe for sure.
This was so good! Husband kept saying how good the marinade was! Will definitely use it again, as we grill flank steak often!
I made this yesterday on a flat iron steak. It was DELISH!!
I will use this recipe over and over again!
Can’t wait to try it on chicken too!
I did not have coconut aminos, I used liquid aminos.
Thanks for sharing!!
You’re welcome, glad this one is a keeper!
This marinade could not be more perfectly delicious and simple! I’ve used it several times now – once with flank steak and a couple of times with tri tip and holy cow. Plus, coconut aminos are one of my absolute favorite ingredients so it’s hard to get much better thank this. Thanks for sharing!
You’re very welcome!
Fantastic recipe. Worked amazing on skirt steak last night. Must use…and on repeat!
Sooo delicious! Used it on top sirloin marinated for about 5 hours. This one is a keeper! Thank you! The leftovers will make a beautiful Whole 30 steak salad later this week.☺
So glad you liked the marinade Carrie 🙂
I made this last night for some sirloins we grilled. My husband and I have enjoyed it many times, but it was my 13-yr-old’s first time tasting it. He asked what marinade I used, and was very impressed to know I’d made it. (He’s become pretty convinced that if I can eat it [I’m Paleo], then he won’t like it. So, this was a huge win! Plus, it’s easy to mix up. It’s definitely going in my keeper file.
Glad this one was a win for you! Thanks for coming back to share :).
So easy, so good! The juiciest steak I’ve ever had. And can I have an amen for the calculator that allows you to change the recipe for the appropriate amount of meat!?!
Ha, glad the recipe and calculator worked well for you!
Question: Can you use the marinade, after marinading the steaks, as a braising liquid?
Yes, as long as you heat it to kill any bacteria.
My kids don’t care for steak and they said this was the best steak they have ever had. It was amazing.
We’re so glad to hear it was a hit for the whole fam! Thanks so much for giving it a try! 🙂