Portuguese Steak Marinade Recipe with Garlic and Wine

This Portuguese-inspired steak marinade combines dry white wine, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, paprika, and bay for savory, lightly tangy flavor. Marinate beef before searing it in a hot skillet, then make a quick pan sauce to serve alongside the steaks; recipes for Portuguese-style steak vary by region and household.

Ingredients

4 boneless beef steaks, about 6 oz (170 g) each and ¾ inch (2 cm) thick, such as sirloin, strip steak, or top sirloin
⅓ cup (80 ml) dry white wine
2 tbsp (30 ml) olive oil
1 tbsp (15 ml) red wine vinegar
4 garlic cloves, finely grated or minced, about 12 g
1 tsp (2 g) sweet paprika
¾ tsp (4.5 g) fine sea salt
½ tsp (1 g) freshly ground black pepper
1 dried bay leaf
1 tsp (5 ml) piri-piri sauce, optional, or ¼ tsp (0.5 g) crushed red pepper
⅓ cup (80 ml) low-sodium beef stock, for the pan sauce
2 tbsp (30 ml) dry white wine, for the pan sauce
1 tbsp (14 g) unsalted butter

Choose steaks of similar thickness so they finish cooking at about the same time. Sirloin is a practical, moderately lean choice; strip steak has a richer, more tender bite, while top sirloin is flavorful and generally less expensive. The marinade is sized for four steaks, and the wine gives it a gentle acidity without making the meat taste sharply sour.

Dry white wine such as vinho verde, if available, suits the Portuguese-inspired flavor, but any dry, crisp white wine works. Red wine vinegar provides a clean tang; white wine vinegar is a good substitute and makes the marinade a little softer in flavor. Piri-piri is a Portuguese-style chile sauce that may be hard to find. Use crushed red pepper instead for heat, though it will lack the sauce’s bright, vinegary character, or leave the chile out for a mild marinade.

Instructions

Mix the marinade. In a shallow glass or nonreactive dish, whisk together the white wine, olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, paprika, salt, black pepper, bay leaf, and piri-piri sauce, if using. A zip-top food-safe bag also works; press out excess air so the marinade can coat the meat. Avoid an aluminum dish, which can react with acidic ingredients.
Marinate the steaks. Add the steaks and turn them to coat all sides. Cover the dish or seal the bag and refrigerate for 2 hours, turning the steaks once after about 1 hour. Keep raw beef refrigerated rather than marinating it on the counter. Two hours gives the surface time to take on the garlic and wine flavor while preserving the steak’s texture.
Prepare the steaks and pan. Take the steaks out of the marinade and discard the used liquid and bay leaf. Pat the meat thoroughly dry with paper towels; a dry surface browns more effectively than a wet one. Let the steaks sit while you heat a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat for a few minutes. If your skillet is small, plan to cook in batches rather than crowding it.
Sear in batches. Add the steaks to the hot, dry skillet, leaving space between them. Cook for about 3 minutes on the first side, then turn and cook for about 3 minutes on the second side; adjust for thickness and your preferred doneness. For food safety, use a thermometer inserted into the thickest part: USDA FSIS sets 145°F (63°C) with a 3-minute rest as the safe minimum for whole cuts of beef. Transfer the first batch to a clean plate while you cook the remaining steaks. If the pan is smoking heavily, lower the heat slightly.
Make the pan sauce. Once the steaks are out of the skillet, reduce the heat to medium. Carefully add the 2 tablespoons of wine and scrape up the browned bits with a wooden spoon. Stir in the beef stock and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes, until the liquid is hot and slightly reduced. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the butter until it melts. Do not pour the raw steak marinade into the sauce; it has contacted uncooked meat.
Rest and serve. Rest the steaks for 3 minutes after they reach the safe temperature, then spoon the warm pan sauce over them or serve it at the table. Slice across the grain if you prefer to serve the steaks in strips. The recipe’s 15-minute cook estimate includes searing in batches and making the sauce; actual searing time depends on the steak and pan.

Tips

Dry the surface before searing. Marinade clinging to the steak can steam instead of brown, and garlic bits may burn in a very hot pan. Pat the meat dry and remove visible pieces of garlic before it goes into the skillet. The flavor is already in the surface, so you do not need to scrape the steaks aggressively.
Use a thermometer, not color alone. Steak thickness, starting temperature, and pan heat all affect the cooking time. Check the thickest part without touching bone or the pan, and allow the required 3-minute rest at 145°F (63°C). If you prefer steak cooked beyond that safe minimum, continue cooking and check again rather than guessing.
Keep the batches uncrowded. If the steaks sit close together, their moisture cools the pan and inhibits browning. Cook two at a time in a 12-inch skillet, or use a larger pan. Let the skillet heat back up between batches if it has lost much of its heat.
Adjust salt and heat thoughtfully. The marinade is deliberately moderate in salt because stock and pan reduction can concentrate seasoning. Taste the finished sauce before adding extra salt. Piri-piri sauces vary in intensity, so start with less if yours is particularly hot; you can always serve additional chile at the table.

Serving Suggestions

Serve the steak hot with its pan sauce and a side that can catch the garlicky juices. Portuguese-style fried potatoes or oven-roasted potatoes are natural companions, while rice, crusty bread, or buttery mashed potatoes also work well. For a lighter plate, add simply dressed greens, steamed green beans, or sautéed spinach. A salad with crisp lettuce, tomato, and a vinegar-forward dressing balances the richness of the beef and butter sauce.

For a more substantial meal, put a fried egg on top of each steak and add thinly sliced potatoes. That combination is often associated with Portuguese steakhouse-style plates, though the exact accompaniments and sauce differ from cook to cook. Keep the egg separate from the steak until serving so everyone can choose whether to add it. Spoon sauce around the plate rather than over crisp potatoes if you want them to stay crunchy.

Variations

Make it spicier: Increase the piri-piri sauce to 2 teaspoons (10 ml), or add a pinch of crushed red pepper to the marinade. For a milder version, omit the chile entirely; garlic, paprika, wine, and bay still give the beef plenty of character.

Use a grill: Remove the steaks from the marinade and pat them dry as directed, then grill over medium-high heat with clean, lightly oiled grates. Turn once and check the thickest steak with a thermometer. The stovetop pan sauce will not form on the grill, so warm the stock and wine in a small saucepan and finish with butter, or serve the steaks with olive oil and lemon instead.

Change the wine or vinegar: If you do not cook with wine, replace the marinade wine with an equal amount of beef stock and add an extra teaspoon (5 ml) of vinegar. The result will be less fruity and less rounded. For a gentler tang, use white wine vinegar instead of red wine vinegar. Avoid sweet wine, which can make the marinade taste sugary and may scorch during cooking.

Try another cut: Flank or skirt steak can work, but they are thinner and often need less time in the pan; monitor their internal temperature closely. Slice these cuts across the grain after resting to make them easier to chew. For a thicker ribeye, expect a longer cook and use the thermometer rather than relying on the times given for ¾-inch steaks.

Storage and Reheating

Refrigerate cooked steak within 2 hours of cooking, in a covered shallow container, and use it within 3 to 4 days. Store the sauce separately if possible so it is easier to portion and reheat. Do not save or reuse the marinade that touched raw beef. If you want to prepare the marinade ahead, mix it without the meat and refrigerate it in a covered container for up to 24 hours; add the steaks only when you are ready to marinate.

For longer storage, freeze cooked steak in an airtight freezer-safe container or wrap it well, ideally with a little sauce to help protect it from drying out. Use within 2 to 3 months for best quality, then thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Reheat leftovers gently in a covered skillet with a spoonful of stock or water, or in the microwave in short bursts, turning the pieces as needed. USDA FSIS recommends reheating leftovers to 165°F (74°C); thin slices will heat faster than a whole steak, so check carefully and avoid prolonged heating that can make the beef tough.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long should steak sit in this marinade?
Two hours in the refrigerator is the timing used for this recipe. You can marinate it for up to about 8 hours if you need to prepare ahead, but longer is not necessary and can make the surface texture softer because of the wine and vinegar. Do not leave raw steak at room temperature to speed up marinating.

Can I make the marinade without wine?
Yes. Replace the ⅓ cup (80 ml) of wine with the same amount of beef stock and add 1 extra teaspoon (5 ml) of red wine vinegar. The flavor will be less aromatic and fruity, but the garlic, paprika, bay, and olive oil still season the steak well. For the pan sauce, use stock in place of the extra wine too.

Can I use the marinade as a sauce?
Do not serve or reuse marinade that has contacted raw steak as-is. This recipe discards that liquid and makes a separate pan sauce from fresh wine, stock, and butter. If you specifically want to cook the used marinade, bring it to a full boil and simmer it thoroughly before serving, but a fresh sauce gives you better control over flavor and texture.

What steak cut works best?
Sirloin, strip steak, and top sirloin are all suitable at the stated thickness. Sirloin offers a good balance of flavor and price, strip steak is generally more tender, and top sirloin is a leaner option. Choose steaks with even thickness so they cook at a similar pace, and adjust the time for cuts that are thinner or thicker than ¾ inch.

Can I prepare this on the grill?
Yes. Pat the marinated steaks dry, grill over medium-high heat, and use a thermometer to check the thickest part. Grilling gives the beef a smoky, charred surface, but it does not leave browned pan bits for the sauce. Make the simple stock-and-wine sauce in a small saucepan, or skip it and serve the grilled steak with the juices from its resting plate.

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Safety notes: safe minimum internal temperatures from USDA FSIS; raw and undercooked fish guidance from the U.S. FDA. Food safety notes

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