When you're craving steak but also want something a little different, look no further than this Grilled Teriyaki Steak. The homemade teriyaki marinade, which doubles as a glaze, perfectly pairs with the flavour of the steak to give you something you'll be happy to throw on the grill again and again. As always, you can find the recipe directly below, but you can keep reading after that for a more detailed explanation.
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Teriyaki Marinade
To start, we will make the marinade for the Teriyaki Steak. To make the marinade combine brown sugar, ground ginger, crushed red pepper flakes, minced garlic, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, and green onions. You can find all the measurements in the recipe above. Mix all the ingredients until the sugar dissolves. At this point, you could boil the sauce for a minute or two and make a delicious teriyaki glaze for chicken, fish, or anything else, but we will use it as-is for a marinade.
What makes a homemade teriyaki marinade so much better than store-bought is that you control the sweetness, the heat, and the depth of flavour. Most bottled teriyaki sauces are loaded with corn syrup and artificial ingredients. This version uses real brown sugar, fresh garlic, and a touch of ginger that gives it a warmth you simply cannot get from a bottle. If you enjoy Asian-inspired flavours, you might also love my Teriyaki Beef Jerky recipe, which uses a similar flavour profile in a completely different way.
Marinating the Steak
Take two New York Striploin about 200g each or a comparable steak, and put them in a ziptop bag with the marinade. Seal it and give the bag a shake to ensure the steaks are completely coated in the marinade. Open the bag a little bit and squeeze out all the excess air. Reseal the bag and put it in the fridge for at least an hour. You can marinate the steak in the Teriyaki marinade for up to 12 hours.
A quick tip on choosing your steak: New York Striploin works beautifully here because it has enough marbling to stay juicy on the grill, but it is lean enough that the teriyaki flavour really comes through. You could also use sirloin, flank steak, or even a rib-eye if you want something richer. Flank steak is especially nice because the loose grain absorbs the marinade deeply. Just remember to slice it against the grain when serving.
Boil the Marinade
Once the steaks have been in the marinade for at least an hour, take them out and set them aside. Pour the marinade into a small pot and bring it to a boil. Boil for at least 1 minute. The marinade is now safe to use as a glaze.
This step is essential for food safety. Since the marinade has been in contact with raw meat, boiling it kills any bacteria and makes it safe to brush directly onto your cooked steak. It also thickens the marinade slightly, turning it into a gorgeous, sticky glaze that caramelizes beautifully on the grill.
Grilling the Teriyaki Steak
Heat your grill on high for at least 10 minutes. You want to make sure the grate has enough time to absorb the heat so that you get the nice grill marks on your steak and so your steak doesn't stick. Put the steak on the grill at an angle, shut the lid and cook for 2 ½ to 3 minutes. Flip the steak and brush with half the marinade. Shut the lid, cook the steak for 1 ½ minutes, rotate it by 90 degrees, shut the lid, and cook it for another 1 ½ minutes. Finally, flip the steak, brush it with the remaining marinade and cook, lid down, for another minute. Remove the steak from the grill and allow it to rest for 4 to 5 minutes before serving.
The resting time is just as important as the grilling. When you pull a steak off the grill, the juices are pushed to the centre by the heat. Letting it rest allows those juices to redistribute throughout the meat, so every bite is juicy and flavourful. If you cut into it right away, those juices end up on your cutting board instead of in the steak. If you want to learn more about cooking steak to perfection, have a look at my Chef's Guide to Cooking Meat.
Serving the Grilled Teriyaki Steak
You can serve your steak with whatever you'd like, but I went for brown rice with nori and soy glazed bok choy and carrots. Of course, mashed potatoes and other vegetables will be just as good and go just as well with the steak.
Here are some other side dish ideas that pair wonderfully with teriyaki steak:
- Steamed jasmine rice with a sprinkle of sesame seeds and sliced green onions
- Grilled vegetables like zucchini, asparagus, or bell peppers
- A crisp Asian-style slaw with cabbage, carrots, and a rice vinegar dressing
- Simple cucumber salad with rice vinegar, sesame oil, and a touch of chili flakes
Why This Teriyaki Steak Will Become a Favourite
It is a rare occasion that I marinate a steak. I'm generally more of a purist and prefer the flavour of the meat with a little salt and pepper. Having said that, I will be using this marinade again to marinate steaks. It also works beautifully on chicken, salmon, or pork chops, so you can get a lot of mileage out of this one recipe.
The beauty of this dish is in its simplicity. The marinade takes about five minutes to throw together, and the grilling itself is quick. The longest part is the marinating time, and that is entirely passive. Pop the steaks in the fridge in the morning, and by dinner time, you are minutes away from something truly special.
If you are looking for more grilling inspiration, I highly recommend trying my Grilled Steak Fajitas for another fantastic way to enjoy steak off the grill. And for a completely different take on Asian-inspired grilling, my Grilled Tandoori Chicken Skewers are absolutely worth a try.
Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 2 teaspoon rice wine vinegar or white wine vinegar
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 2 scallions, diced
- 2 6 ounce New York Striploin steaks 200 g each
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the brown sugar, ground ginger, crushed red pepper flakes, garlic, vinegar, soy sauce, and scallions. Stir until the sugar has dissolved.
- Put the steaks in a large ziptop bag and pour in the marinade.
- Seal the bag and shake it to coat the steaks.
- Open the bag a little and squeeze out all the excess air. Then reseal the bag.
- Put the steak in the fridge to marinate for 1 hour or up to 6 hours.
- Remove the steak from the marinade and pour the marinade into a small pot. Bring the marinade to a boil over high heat and boil for 1 minute.
- Heat your grill on high for 10 minutes. Grill the steak for 2 minutes then flip it and brush on half the boiled marinade.
- Cook the steak for 1 minute 30 seconds, then rotate by 90°. Cook the steak for another 1 minute 30 seconds, then flip and pour over the remaining marinade. Cook for another two minutes, then remove the steak from the grill, let it rest for 4 minutes then serve.
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