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This Jack Daniel’s steak marinade will transform your grilled steak this summer. I’m sharing my family’s favorite recipe for juicy, whiskey-marinated strip steaks grilled to lock in all those sweet-smoky flavors. It’s like bringing the steakhouse to your backyard!
May is National Barbecue Month, and if you need more reasons to hop on the grilling bandwagon, try my grilled chimichurri steak skewers and this grilled flank steak, next!
Jack Daniel’s steak is my family’s recipe for the BEST grilled steak. I can’t think of a better way to welcome summer than with a juicy, whiskey-marinated steak cooked over a charcoal grill, can you?
This recipe has New York strip steak, or any cut you’d like, soaked in a sweet and smoky blend with soy sauce, brown sugar, and good ol’ Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey. It’s super tasty and perfect for summertime grilling. I’ll take a backyard cookout over eating out any day, especially when it’s this easy to bring the steakhouse home.
Why You’ll Love This Jack Daniel’s Grilled Steak
- Quick to prep. Have your steaks prepped and in the marinade with less than 5 minutes of hands-on time. It takes a little planning since you’ll need to let your steak soak for a few hours, but who doesn’t love a make-ahead-friendly dinner?
- Flavor-packed. A good cut of steak doesn’t need much, so my Jack Daniel’s steak marinade keeps it simple. It uses easy ingredients that you can find in pretty much any pantry. The flavors are SO good: sweet, savory, garlicky, and a little smoky.
- Perfectly grilled. Grilling is one of our favorite things to do in the summer, mainly because of steak recipes like this one. This Jack Daniel’s steak turns out irresistibly seared, saucy, and tender on the charcoal grill in minutes. I’ll walk you through how to do it. One bite of these juicy steaks and you’ll taste the difference!
Marinade Ingredients
These are my notes on the super simple ingredients you’ll need to make a 100% flame-emoji-worthy steak marinade. Scroll to the recipe card for a printable list with amounts.
- Jack Daniel’s Whiskey – Jack Daniel’s is a Tennesse whiskey that tastes similar to bourbon. This marinade recipe works well with just about any whiskey, so use what you have. Try rye or Scotch whiskey for a drier, smokier flavor. You don’t have to use fancy top-shelf brands here, just something that you enjoy the taste of.
- Soy Sauce – I prefer low-sodium soy sauce. If needed, swap the soy sauce with an alternative like tamari or coconut aminos.
- Olive Oil – Or another mild-flavored oil, like avocado oil or vegetable oil.
- Mustard – I like the creaminess of Dijon mustard, but you can also use yellow or spicy brown mustard, whichever you prefer.
- Brown Sugar – Maple syrup or honey would also taste great. In a pinch, swap the brown sugar for granulated sugar. The flavor just won’t be quite as caramelized.
- Garlic and Black Pepper – I can’t resist giving my Jack Daniel’s marinade a garlicky kick, plus a few cracks of black pepper to round out the seasoning. Mince up some fresh garlic cloves, or you can substitute garlic powder (about ⅛ teaspoon per fresh clove).
Can I Use Another Kind of Alcohol?
Yes. In place of Jack Daniel’s, another alcohol like bourbon, brandy, spiced rum, or cognac will work in this marinade, too. Keep in mind that the flavor profile will be a bit different.
If you’d prefer to skip the alcohol altogether, you can opt for an alcohol-free spirit. Outside of that, it’s tricky replacing whiskey in large amounts. Instead, I’ll sometimes swap out this Jack Daniel’s marinade with the savory-sweet marinade from my churrasco steak. It’s also delicious, and booze-free.
The Best Steaks for Marinating
In my experience, the best cuts for marinating are boneless and not too thick. These are some of my favorite steak options that turn out great when marinated and grilled:
- New York strip. Boneless New York strip steak is what I use here. It’s lean, quick-cooking, and tender enough to soak up plenty of the delicious marinade. It’s great on and off the grill, too (see my pan-seared New York strip steak).
- Sirloin steak. Sirloin steaks have good fat marbling and aren’t usually too pricey, which is always a win. Flank steak is another good choice for this recipe.
- Bottom round steaks. This is another everyday cut with great value for money. It’s also lean and boneless, so it works well with marinades.
While bone-in cuts like rib-eye steak are wonderful for grilling, I don’t usually recommend them for marinating. If you’re looking for an easy recipe for a top-notch rib-eye, though, check out my rib-eye steak dinner.
How to Grill a Jack Daniel’s Steak
I love getting a headstart on this steak the night before. It takes a few minutes to whip together the Jack Daniel’s marinade and pop the meat into the fridge to let all those boozy flavors soak in overnight. You’ll find the full instructions in the recipe card below the post, but let’s start with a quick overview.
Marinate the Steak
All you need to do is whisk together the ingredients for the marinade and combine it with the steaks, turning them to coat. Afterward, cover and let the steaks marinade in the fridge anywhere between 4-8 hours.
I recommend flipping the steaks over about halfway through the marinating time. You’ll also want to take them out 30 minutes before you grill them. Room-temperature steaks cook more evenly.
Get It to the Grill
Cooking over direct heat is key to char-grilling a steakhouse-worthy steak. Make sure your coals are good and hot before you start. Move the steaks from the marinade to the hot grill (listen for the sizzle!). Cook until they’re done to your liking. I cook my steaks for about 6-8 minutes per side to get them medium-rare.
Afterward, let the steaks rest on a cutting board for a few minutes before you slice into them. Don’t skip this step! It’s important to let those juices redistribute for extra-tender steak.
Recipe Tips & Variations
- Turn the steaks as they marinate. I recommend flipping the steaks over about halfway through the marinating time. You’ll also want to take them out 30 minutes before you grill them. Room-temperature steaks cook more evenly.
- If there’s no sizzle, there’s no sear. You should hear a sizzle as your marinated steak hits the hot grill grates. If there’s no sizzle, it’s a sign that your grill temperature isn’t high enough to properly sear the meat. Take the steaks off, and let the coals preheat until a drop of water flicked over the grates sizzles and evaporates right away.
- Check the steaks for doneness. How long it takes for steaks to cook on the grill depends a lot on the cut and thickness of the steak you’re using. If you’re new to grilling steak, use an instant-read thermometer to check that the inside of the steak reaches 145ºF for medium-rare or 160ºF for well-done.
- If needed, move the steak off the direct heat. Once the outside of the steak is nicely seared, if you feel that the inside still needs more time, position the steak over indirect heat (as in, not right over the coals). This keeps the outside of the meat from burning. Close the lid and let the steak finish cooking.
- Choose good quality charcoal. You’ll want to get your hands on a bag of quality charcoal for grilling. The coals need to get hot enough to quickly sear the steak and lock in all those juicy flavors. Good charcoal makes all the difference!
- Discard leftover marinade. Once the marinade has come into contact with raw meat, you’ll want to make sure to chuck out any leftovers. Don’t reuse leftover steak marinade as it ups the chances of foodborne illness.
- Can I use a gas grill? If you don’t have a charcoal grill, you can cook these steaks on a gas grill instead. Preheat the grill as hot as it will go. The cooking times might vary if you’re cooking over gas, so keep an eye on the steaks for doneness.
- Off the grill. If you need to take your Jack Daniel’s steak indoors, you can marinate this steak as directed and follow the cooking method for my oven grilled steak instead. It still turns out amazing!
What to Serve With Grilled Steak
I include a quick recipe for grilled onions and zucchini that I love serving with this Jack Daniel’s steak (check out the recipe card for details). Choose any grilling veggies you’d like, toss them with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper, and add them to the grill while the coals are hot. Sometimes, I’ll throw everything together to make a grilled vegetable salad with halloumi to have on the side.
Nothing kicks off grilling season like a surf and turf dinner of Jack Daniel’s steak paired with buttery grilled scallops and a glass of white wine sangria. We also love more tasty cookout sides like grilled corn on the cob, this sweet-savory orzo salad with pears, or a Hawaiian macaroni salad.
Storing and Reheating Leftovers
- Fridge. Let your grilled steak cool to room temperature, and then refrigerate it in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Leftover steak slices taste great in sandwiches and wraps or served over a salad!
- Reheat. You’ll want to take the steak out of the fridge about 20-30 minutes before reheating. I like to heat my steak in the oven at 250ºF for 20-25 minutes until it’s warmed through.
- Freezer. If you have lots of leftovers on your hands, cooked steak is great to freeze for later meals. Store the steaks airtight and freeze them for up to 3 months. Defrost the steak in the fridge before reheating.
More Steak Dinner Ideas
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Jack Daniel’s Steak
Ingredients
- 4 (8 ounces each) New York Strip Steaks, boneless
- ½ cup Jack Daniel’s Whiskey
- ½ cup low sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- fresh ground pepper
Optional
- 4 whole sweet onions, cut into thin rings
- 4 zucchini, sliced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Place the steaks in a pan that is large enough to hold all four. Set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the whiskey, soy sauce, olive oil, mustard, brown sugar, garlic, and fresh ground pepper; whisk until thoroughly combined.
- Pour the marinade over the steaks, turning the steaks once or twice to coat evenly with the marinade.
- Cover with plastic wrap and marinade over night, or at least for 4 hours, in the refrigerator, turning it once while in the fridge.
- Remove steaks from fridge 30 minutes before you are ready to grill.
- Set up the charcoal grill for direct grilling.
- Fire up the grill and preheat to high. For steaks, you want the heat as high as possible.
- Right before you are ready to cook, pour cooking oil on a paper towel and oil the grate using long-handled tongs.
- Drain the marinade off the steak and discard the marinade.
- Place the steak on the hot grate and grill until cooked to taste, 6 to 8 minutes per side for medium-rare.
- After the steak is properly seared, if it’s not finished cooking, move it to the warm side of the grate (not directly over the coals), close the lid and continue to cook the steak until it’s at desired temperature for doneness.
- To test for doneness, insert an instant-read thermometer in the side of the steak. The internal temperature should be 145°F for medium-rare.
- Transfer the grilled steaks to a cutting board and let the steak rest for about 5 minutes before cutting.
In the meantime, prepare the vegetables.
- Season the onions and zucchini with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil.
- Working in batches, grill the vegetables until tender and lightly charred all over, about 6 to 7 minutes for the onions and zucchini.
- Remove from grill and serve with steaks.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
