Zesty Beer, Lemongrass, and Ginger Steak Marinade for Grilling Recipe

By
Daniel Gritzer
Daniel Gritzer
Daniel Gritzer
Editorial Director

Daniel is the editorial director of Serious Eats, where he leads the site's editorial strategy and oversees everything from recipe development to articles on food science, cooking techniques, and more. He's a former food editor at Food & Wine and has cooked in New York City restaurants.

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Updated March 26, 2025
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Vicky Wasik

Why It Works

  • Marinating is mostly a surface treatment, so even an hour is enough to get plenty of flavor onto the meat.
  • Salt in the marinade helps the beef retain moisture during grilling.

For this marinade, I popped a bottle of light lager, then infused it with fresh ginger, lemongrass, coriander seed, thyme, and lemon zest. Olive oil in the mixture helps extract some of the fat-soluble flavors of the aromatics. The result is a lightly funky and herbal flavor that pairs well with fatty steaks, like boneless short ribs.

Recipe Details

Zesty Beer, Lemongrass, and Ginger Steak Marinade for Grilling Recipe

Prep 5 mins
Active 10 mins
Marinating Time 60 mins
Total 65 mins
Serves 6 to 8 servings
Keep Screen Awake

Ingredients

  • 1 (12-ounce; 355 ml) bottle light lager beer

  • 3 tablespoons (45 ml) extra-virgin olive oil

  • 1 (6-inch) length fresh lemongrass, lightly bruised with the blunt side of a knife

  • 1 (2-inch) strip fresh lemon zest

  • 1 (1-inch) knob peeled fresh ginger, sliced

  • 1 teaspoon (5 g) toasted coriander seed

  • 4 sprigs fresh thyme

  • 1 teaspoon (5 g) kosher salt

  • About 2 to 3 pounds (900 g to 1.4 kg) steak of your choice

Directions

  1. In a large zipper-lock bag, combine beer, oil, lemongrass, lemon zest, ginger, coriander seed, thyme, and salt. Swish until salt is dissolved.

  2. Add steak to bag, press out air, and seal. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 12 hours. When ready to cook, remove steak from marinade, blot dry with paper towels, and grill as desired.

This Recipe Appears In

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
378 Calories
25g Fat
1g Carbs
34g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6 to 8
Amount per serving
Calories 378
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 25g 33%
Saturated Fat 10g 48%
Cholesterol 124mg 41%
Sodium 309mg 13%
Total Carbohydrate 1g 0%
Dietary Fiber 0g 1%
Total Sugars 0g
Protein 34g
Vitamin C 1mg 6%
Calcium 29mg 2%
Iron 2mg 14%
Potassium 422mg 9%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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