How do you make London broil so it's not tough?

Our first secret weapon is baking soda , which gets mixed in with a few other simple marinade ingredients. It may seem unorthodox, but it plays a crucial role in tenderizing the steak by relaxing its protein network, which keeps it nice and juicy while it cooks.

Which cooking method is preferred for London broil?

Cooking Technique Thomason prefers to grilling the steak at high heat or sear it in a cast-iron pan until medium rare (your meat thermometer should read 130°F). Whether you broil or grill, let the steak rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing.

What is the secret to a marinade?

You simply need to follow this simple formula: an acidic ingredient to tenderize the meat (think vinegar, juice, yogurt, or mustard), fresh herbs and spices for added flavour, and a fatty ingredient, such as oil or butter .

How long to cook a London broil in the oven at 350 degrees?

Directions Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place London broil in a roasting pan. Pour stewed tomatoes over meat and sprinkle with garlic salt. Roast in the preheated oven until meat is fork tender, 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Let stand for about 10 minutes before carving and serving. Nov 18, 2022

What is the fastest way to tenderize a London broil?

Try this: Rub steak with the cut side of a halved garlic clove and liberally season both sides of your London broil with salt and pepper. Let it sit at room temperature on a rack set inside a rimmed baking tray for at least one hour.

Should you pierce London broil before marinating?

Piercing the meat is crucial as it helps the marinade to penetrate. Since London broil has so much muscle fiber and connective tissue, it also has very little fat marbling resulting in a tougher cut of meat.

Should I sear my London broil before baking?

Remove the meat from the marinade and pat it dry with paper towels. In a skillet over high heat, sear the steak for about 2 minutes. Flip and sear the other side of the steak for about 2 minutes. Place the skillet in the oven and cook for about 6 minutes.

How long to cook 2 inch thick London broil?

London Broil Grill Time Chart Cut Thickness Rare to Medium Rare (120- 135°) London Broil Steak 1 to 1.5 inches 10-15 minutes London Broil Steak 1.5 to 2 inches 15-17 minutes Jan 21, 2020

Why is my London broil so tough?

Since London broil has so much muscle fiber and connective tissue, it also has very little fat marbling resulting in a tougher cut of meat. Without the holes, the marinade won't be able to reach the inside of the meat which means the meat won't be tender.

Will London broil get more tender the longer it cooks?

If you take a less-than-tender cut of meat like London broil and slow cook it for several hours (4 hours on high 6-7 hours on low), you will be rewarded with a very tender, flavorful meat for dinner!

How do you tenderize already cooked London broil?

Tenderize a tough roast that's already cooked by pounding it, cutting it against the grain, adding some marinade or commercial tenderizing agents or braising the meat . Reheat cooked beef to at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit to reduce risk of harmful bacterial growth, as advised by the USDA.

How do you salvage an overcooked London broil?

There's no magic "fix it" button, but there are ways you can make it better. A simple fix for overcooked meat is to dump it in your food processor with some olive oil, purée it, and use it as a stuffing for everything from hand pies and empanadas to dumplings and ravioli.

Easy Marinated London Broil Recipe (2024)

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Learn how to make the juiciest, most tender London Broil with this easy recipe! A simple marinade makes the beef extra flavorful for a main dish that’s easy enough to make for a weeknight meal yet special enough to serve when you’re having friends over for dinner.

Who knew that showing off in the kitchen could be so easy? This recipe for London Broil has been one of my “wow” main dishes for years but the funny thing is that no one knows how easy it is to make. Until now.

This beautiful beef steak is tender, juicy, wonderfully seasoned, and is mouthwateringly delicious. A marinade of just a few pantry and fridge ingredients helps tenderize the meat while infusing amazing flavor. Cooking a London Broil is easy and takes just minutes. This is the perfect combination of simple ingredients along with an uncomplimented cooking method coming together for a praiseworthy recipe.

If all of that is not enough to coax you into making this London Broil recipe, then just wait to hear the finale. After cooking it to just the right temperature, I finish it off with a drizzle of olive oil, a sprinkle of salt, and a nice squeeze of juice from roasted lemons. This masterwork is sure to impress your family and friends whenever it’s served!

Ingredients For This Recipe

London Broil
Olive Oil
Soy Sauce
Balsamic Vinegar (Red Wine Vinegar is a great substitute here)
Lemon Juice
Worchestershire Sauce
Dijon Mustard
Montreal Steak Seasoning
Garlic
Dried Thyme
Salt and Pepper

What Is London Broil?

London Broil is actually the way this meat is cooked and not the official cut of beef. It can be a top-round roast, flank steak, or skirt steak and tends to be inexpensive. It’s a tougher cut of meat that’s why it’s important to marinate it before broiling it at a high temperature. This method produces a tender, juicy steak that’s not overcooked.

How To Cook London Broil

Cooking London Broil is super easy but there are a few tips to make this recipe successful.

Make sure to marinate the meat for at least 2 hours or even overnight. This helps to tenderize the beef and adds amazing flavor.
I like to use a cast-iron skillet when making London Broil. It helps sear the meat locking in all the delicious juices. If you don’t have a cast-iron skillet, use a broiler pan or metal sheet pan.
Make sure to let the meat rest after cooking. I recommend 10 minutes which allows the juices to redistribute into the beef.

How To Tell If The London Broil Is Done

Each cut of London Broil steak is different in thickness and size so the cooking times will be different. The BEST way to get the perfect “doneness” to suit your taste is by using an instant-read thermometer. It should read 125-130° F for rare/a cool red center, 135° F for medium-rare/a warm red center, or 145° F for medium/a warm pink center.

The Best Way To Slice London Broil Beef

After the meat has rested, slice the London Broil across the grain. I like to serve it on the cutting board with roasted lemons and red onion. Add a last drizzle of good olive oil, a sprinkle of salt and pepper and you’ll be ready to dig in!

What To Serve With Marinated London Broil

I think that this beautiful beef is so impressive and should be the star of the meal. When I serve it, I keep the sides classic and simple. Here are my favorite recipes to serve alongside London Broil:

Easy Caprese Salad
Green Bean Salad
Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes
Air Fryer Baked Potatoes
Scalloped Potatoes
Skillet Green Beans
Garlic Knots

More Main Dish Recipes You’ll Love!

Marinated Pork Tenderloin
Crock Pot Chicken Thighs
Garlic Honey Lime Shrimp
Slow Cooker Mexican Shredded Beef
Homemade Meatballs

5 from 3 votes

Easy Marinated London Broil Recipe

Author: Donya Mullins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Marinating Time: 2 hours hours

Total Time: 2 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 6

Calories: 299kcal

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Learn how to make the juiciest, most tender London Broil with this easy recipe! A simple marinade makes the beef extra flavorful for a main dish that's easy enough to make for a weeknight meal yet special enough to serve when you're having friends over for dinner.

Equipment

Ingredients

▢ 1 2-pound London Broil Beef Steak
▢ ½ cup olive oil
▢ ¼ cup soy sauce
▢ ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
▢ 1 lemon, juiced
▢ 2 tablespoons Worchestershire sauce
▢ 1 ½ tablespoons dijon mustard
▢ 1 tablespoon Montreal steak seasoning
▢ 1 clove minced garlic
▢ 1 teaspoon dried thyme
▢ salt and pepper to taste
▢ 1 lemon quartered
▢ 1 small red onion, quartered

Instructions

▢
To a mixing bowl, add olive oil, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, Worchestershire sauce, dijon mustard, Montreal steak seasoning, garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper. Whisk together. Add the beef steak to a gallon-size ziplock plastic bag and pour marinade over. Seal and place in the fridge to marinate for 2 hours or overnight.
▢
Take London Broil out of the marinade and let rest on the counter for 30 minutes. Heat oven broiler to 500 degrees. Take the beef out of the marinade and pat dry with paper towels. Discard the marinade. Place meat in a cast-iron skillet or broiler pan. Broil for 12 minutes, flip and broil for another 8 to 10 minutes.
▢
Remove meat from pan, place on a cutting board, and rest for 10 minutes. Slice beef against the grain. Season with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and fresh cracked pepper. Serve with roasted red onions and a drizzle of lemon juice from seared lemons.

Meat Temperatures

▢
125 – 130 Rare, 135 Medium Rare, 145 Medium

Seared Lemons and Onions

▢
While meat is resting on the cutting board, place lemons and onions in the bottom of the cast-iron skillet or roasting pan. Place under broiler and cook for 3-5 minutes until charred.

Nutrition

Did you make my Easy Marinated London Broil Recipe?I’d love to see! Share on Instagram, tag @asouthernsoul, and use the hashtag #asouthernsoul!

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Reader Interactions

Comments

Rate & Comment

Diana
August 17, 2022 at 4:27 pm
Should I heat my cast iron first?
Reply
- Donya
  August 18, 2022 at 8:20 am
  Hey there Diana!
  Thank you for your interest in this recipe, that’s a terrific question! I don’t typically heat my pan before placing the London Broil in it, but you can if you want to, it’s all about personal preference. I hope this helps, let me know how everything turns out if you give it a try, I’d love to hear what you think!
  ~Donya
  Reply
Jackie B.
June 17, 2022 at 9:35 pm

Mmmarvelous, Donya, such appealing flavor! The meat ended up soaking for 2 days in the marinade and wow! Hard to stop stuffing ourselves, haha! I threw it on the grill plate of our Ninja foodi (still hot hot hot here in NM for running ovens/broilers) and it came out great. Had with your air fryer baked potatoes; a terrific dinner with a glass of Cabernet. We really enjoy your recipes and are thankful that you share them. Thank you, Donya!
Reply
- Donya
  June 27, 2022 at 8:53 am
  Hey there Jackie!
  Wow! I am absolutely thrilled to hear that y’all enjoyed this recipe, I completely agree with you that the marinade makes all the difference. I’ve never actually let it marinate that long, but I bet it gave the dish wonderful deep flavors. Thank you so much for your kind words and phenomenal rating, I really appreciate all your support! If you ever have any questions about a recipe, I’d be more than happy to help out!
  ~Donya
  Reply
Eurasia
October 28, 2021 at 8:07 pm
You say to put it under the broiler but not how far from the heat source. Any tips ? Just marinating for the ver night now.
Reply
- Donya
  October 29, 2021 at 8:02 am
  Hey there Eurasia!
  Thank you for your interest in this recipe, that’s a good question! I would recommend placing your oven rack somewhere between the middle and the highest level, you don’t want it right under the broiler but still relatively close. I hope this helps, let me know how it turns out! I appreciate your support!
  ~Donya
  Reply
Barbara
October 7, 2021 at 1:43 pm
How would this marinade do on a grill instead of the broiler?
Reply
- Donya
  October 8, 2021 at 8:47 am
  Hey there Barbara!
  That’s a great question! I think this marinade would taste fantastic on any meat you grill. I will say, I’ve never personally made a London Broil on a grill instead of in the oven broiler, so I am not sure about the timing. I would heat the grill to 500 degrees and follow the same process that is detailed in the recipe. Let me know how it turns out, I’m curious. Thank you for your support, have a great day!
  ~Donya
  Reply
Caroline
June 23, 2021 at 3:47 pm

This was so good and sooo easy! I overbooked just barely (I lost more of my pink middle) because I waited an until 10-11 minutes on the second side. The marinade is definitely what made this meal! Made this for Father’s Day as a step up from burgers and paired it with some mashed potatoes and your honey drizzled carrots. I find so many great recipes from you!!
Reply
- Donya
  June 24, 2021 at 3:15 pm
  Hey there Caroline!
  Wow! What a heart warming comment to read! Thank you so much for your kind words and your fantastic rating. I am so glad to hear your family enjoyed this on Fathers Day, it sounds like y’all had a beautiful meal. I really appreciate all your support, have a great day!
  ~Donya
  Reply
Diana
April 16, 2021 at 1:20 pm
I made this with a round steak, maybe not quite an inch thick, and under the broiler. The marinade is probably one of the best I have ever had, and I will use this again and again! I don’t have much luck cooking steak the “normal” way, so I will try this marinade on my tried and true way of cooking steak. The steak was tasty, and not hard as a rock, but definitely too thin. Oh, and I didn’t get to the onions and lemons because I was already running late for dinner. I will have to try them next time!
Reply
- Donya
  April 16, 2021 at 9:55 pm
  Hey Diane!
  Wow! Thank you so very much for that incredibly kind comment, “best one I’ve ever had” is an incredible compliment so thank you for that! I am so happy you tried this recipe, it’s one of my favorites, so I’m glad you enjoyed it as well! Thank you for your support Diane!
  ~Donya
  Reply
Tammie
April 14, 2021 at 6:16 pm

I made this for dinner tonight. It was delicious! The marinade added a lot of great flavor.
Reply
- Donya
  April 16, 2021 at 9:45 pm
  Hey there Tammie!
  I am so glad you tried this recipe, it’s been my new favorite too. I completely agree that the marinade adds a fantastic flavor. Thank you so much for your support and your rating!
  ~Donya
  Reply
Mary Eman
March 20, 2021 at 6:06 pm
I look forward to trying this (it looks absolutely delicious!), I love London broil.
Reply
- Donya
  March 21, 2021 at 9:48 am
  Hey Mary!
  Thank you so much, what a lovely comment! I’m so glad to hear it, I hope you like the recipe. Let me know how it turns out, enjoy!
  ~Donya
  Reply