Marinated Bottom Round Steak

Are you looking for a way to make bottom round steak tender? With a little advance preparation, you can turn this cheaper cut of beef into a tender, tasty meal.

Bottom round steak is a cut from the rump or hind legs, so it’s muscle meat. This cut tends to be leaner and also less tender, which makes it a perfect steak for marinating.

When you have time to marinate the meat for at least an hour before cooking, you can turn your cheaper cut into a very tasty meal. But longer is better. I like to give it the full 4 hours!

Benefits of using a marinade

At its simplest, a marinade is a mixture of an acid and spices for soaking food in. The acidic ingredient, usually some type of vinegar, starts to break down the meat, letting the spices soak in.

That’s the trick. Marinating the meat lets all the flavors from the sauces and spices you are using to get deep into the beef. Delicious!

Marinades are great for lean cuts like flank steaks.

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Why you will love this bottom round steak recipe

• You can turn a cheaper cut into a delicious meal.
• You can save money by buying cheaper cuts.
• It’s easy to make when you have time for marinating.
• You can change up the taste easily by adding different spices.

Gather ingredients

• 1/2 cup of soy sauce
• 1/4 cup of white wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce
• 2 cloves of fresh minced garlic

• 1 lb of thinly sliced bottom round steaks
• Cooking oil or butter

A few helpful supplies

• a small bowl
• a whisk
• a garlic press
• a one-gallon zippered bag
• metal tongs
• a wooden meat mallet and cutting board
• a 9″ cast iron skillet

How to make marinated bottom round steak

Part 1: Whisk up the marinade

Place the marinade ingredients into a small bowl and whisk together: soy sauce, white wine vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and fresh minced garlic. See the recipe card for exact measurements.

Depending on the thickness of your steaks, you may want to tenderize them with a wooden meat mallet. This softens the fibers for thicker-cut round steaks, making your meat more tender.

If you are using thicker steaks, just place them on a cutting board and pound the meat with the mallet. This can be an ideal task to keep little hands busy, if you have a helper.

Next, place the steak in the one-gallon zippered bag and pour in the marinade.

Then place the bag in the refrigerator for at least one hour. If the steaks are 1/2″ thick or less, a marinating time of between 1 and 4 hours works well.

For thicker steaks, you can leave the steak to marinate overnight.

Part 2: Sear your beef steaks in a cast iron skillet

When you are ready to cook, retrieve your marinating steak from the fridge. Remove the steak from the liquid and pat dry.

Heat a 9″ cast iron skillet just past medium heat and add a splash of cooking oil or a teaspoon of butter.

Once the oil is shimmering, use tongs to place the meat into the skillet. Do this carefully to avoid getting splashed with hot oil.

Sear both sides for 45 seconds. Because this cut is very lean, it’s best not overcooked. However, if your steaks are thicker than 1/2″, you could add a bit more time.

Remove from heat to rest before serving.

What to make with marinated bottom round steak

You have so many options to serve with steak. I often keep it simple with potato fries and green salad, but some days I want a side dish with more oomph.

My family loves our potato skillet recipe. To serve it as a side dish with marinated bottom round steak, just leave out the sliced steak in the recipe.

Another hearty side dish that goes well with marinated steak is our Garlic parmesan brussel sprouts. This recipe is so good; it can make anyone love brussel sprouts!

Tips and Variations

This recipe is perfect for all different round steaks. Just use a meat mallet to soften the fibers for thicker-cut round steaks and add a bit more time.

Once you know how to make a basic marinade, you can make changes to suit your tastes and side dishes.

Sometimes I add ginger and red pepper flakes to the marinade and serve the steak with rice and bok choy. This gives the meal an oriental flair with just a few changes. And my family loves it!

Or, if you prefer a dry rub, try this peppercorn steak recipe.

Storing and Reheating

Leftovers will keep for four days in an airtight container in the fridge.

When using your leftover bottom round steak, slice it thinly and add to a stir-fry with other leftovers. It’s delicious this way, so cook extra so you WILL have leftovers!

Wrapping up

If you’re looking for cheap and easy, this recipe ticks both boxes. And once you master the marinade, the flavor possibilities are endless.

Change the spices and sides, and you can introduce your little ones to flavors from around the world.

This dish works well on busy days. You can whisk together the marinade in the morning, and your steak will be tenderized by dinner time.

Let me know how this recipe worked for you. I’m so interested in your feedback! It helps get my creative juices going.

If you are ready to try something new, these recipes help you add more variety to your beef cooking playbook:

• Beef Ribs
• Garlic Butter Ribeye
• Fried Beef Tongue
• Pan Seared Beef Heart
• Reverse Seared T-bone
• Tender Picanha Steak