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Fire up the grill for these mouthwatering Grilled Bourbon Steaks! Marinated in a blend of whiskey, brown sugar, and savory spices, these steaks are sure to be a hit at your next barbecue.

It’s grilling season, and I couldn’t be more excited! Make this a complete meal by serving this steak with some delicious grilled sides like grilled corn, grilled vegetable kabobs and watermelon for your next BBQ.

Sliced bourbon steak on a plate. Sliced bourbon steak on a plate.

Reasons You Will Love This Recipe

  • Quick and Simple: Making grilled bourbon steak is so easy! Once these have marinated, they can be ready to serve in less than 15 minutes.
  • Perfectly Tender and Juicy: This bourbon marinade will tenderize the ribeyes, so that they are super moist with incredible flavor.
  • Balanced Flavor: The marinade is deliciously balanced with sweet, savory and tangy flavors. Even if you’re not a fan of drinking bourbon, you will LOVE the marinade!
  • Great for Summer BBQs: Serve this with a delicious summer salad, veggies and some fruit for a backyard BBQ meal everyone will love!

Ingredients Needed

This grilled bourbon steak recipe only requires a handful of simple ingredients. Once you whip up the marinade and let your steak marinate for 1-4 hours, then you are on your way to juicy, flavorful ribeyes! Check out the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact measurements.

  • Ribeye Steaks: Choose ribeye steaks with plenty of marbling. This will ensure that they are nice and tender after being cooked. If you want to know about other cuts of meat and substitutions, see my post about that here.
  • Bourbon Whiskey: Any brand will work to add flavor and break down the enzymes in the meat, yielding a tender, juicy steak!
  • Brown Sugar: Balances the tanginess of the bourbon, vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce with a hint of sweetness.
  • Apple Cider Vinegar: Adds bright flavor and also helps to tenderize the meat.
  • Worcestershire Sauce: Includes a blend of vinegar, garlic, chiles, molasses and more for a wonderful umami taste.
  • Garlic: 3 cloves of freshly minced garlic will infuse the steak with savory flavor.
  • Salt and Pepper: To taste!
A top view of all of the ingredients individually laid out on a counter and labeled. A top view of all of the ingredients individually laid out on a counter and labeled.

How to Make Grilled Bourbon Steak

Grilled bourbon steaks are really simple to make, and they are loaded with a big punch of flavor! Just be sure to plan enough time for the marinating and resting time. You will want to make these grilled ribeye steaks all season long!

  1. Make the Marinade: In a medium bowl, whisk together the whiskey, brown sugar, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, salt and pepper.
  2. Marinate the Steaks: Pour the marinade into a sealable bag, add the steaks to the bag and seal it shut. Allow the steaks to marinate for between 1-4 hours in the fridge.
  3. Heat the Grill: While the steak is marinating, heat a grill up to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. When the steaks have marinated, remove them from the fridge and allow them to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. Remove the steaks from the bag and discard the marinade.
  4. Grill the Steaks: Brush the grill with oil and grill the steaks about 4-5 minutes per side. The internal temperature should reach between 120-155 degrees fahrenheit, depending on how rare you’d like the steak to be.
  5. Let Rest and Serve: Remove the grilled steaks from the grill and place on a clean plate to cool for at least 5 minutes before serving.
Marinade in a glass bowl. Marinade in a glass bowl.
Mix the marinade.
Steak added to the marinade in a ziplock bag. Steak added to the marinade in a ziplock bag.
Marinate the steak.
Raw meat added to the grill. Raw meat added to the grill.
Heat the grill and grill the steak for 4-5 minutes.
Bourbon steak being cooked on the grill. Bourbon steak being cooked on the grill.
Flip the steak and cook to the desired doneness.

Tips for the Best Grilled Bourbon Steak

  • Other Steak Varieties: You can also use strip steak or New York steak for this recipe.
  • Cooking the Steak: Pay attention to how long you cook your steak to have it cooked to your preferred doneness. My steaks were 1-inch thick and I ended up cooking them for 4 minutes on each side at 400 degrees on the grill and they came out medium.
  • Use a Meat Thermometer: Using a thermometer is the best way to know when the steak has reached your desired temperature. Refer to my graphic in this guide for how to ribeye for temperatures of each level of steak doneness. You’ll also find more tips and tricks listed!
  • Allow Steak to Rest: For the juiciest, most tender steak, be sure to rest the ribeye after cooking. This allows the juices to reabsorb and distribute throughout the meat.

A close up of grilled bourbon steak on a plate. A close up of grilled bourbon steak on a plate.

Storing and Reheating Leftover Ribeye Steak

Grilled bourbon steak stores and reheats really well for an easy lunch or dinner the next day! You can even freeze it for later!

  • In the Refrigerator: Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container.
  • In the Freezer: You can either wrap your steak in plastic wrap or keep it in an airtight container. It will stay good for up to 2 months.
  • Reheating: First, thaw your steak overnight in the fridge. Next, let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. You can then warm it up in a skillet until internal temperatures reach at least 120 degrees Fahrenheit.

Steak and potatoes on a plate, ready to eat. Steak and potatoes on a plate, ready to eat.

More Irresistible Steak Recipes

Looking for more perfectly cooked, flavorful steak recipes? You are going to love these other juicy, incredible steaks. They are all so easy to make and are all tried and true recipes that my family enjoys all the time!

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  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the whiskey, brown sugar, vinegar, worcestershire sauce, garlic, salt and pepper.

  • Pour the marinade into a sealable bag, add the steaks to the bag and seal it shut. Allow the steaks to marinate for between 1-4 hours in the fridge.

  • While the steak is marinating, heat a grill up to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. When the steaks have marinated, remove them from the fridge and allow them to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. Remove the steaks from the bag and discard the marinade.

  • Brush the grill with oil and grill the steaks about 4-5 minutes per side. The internal temperature should reach between 120-155 degrees fahrenheit, depending on how rare you’d like the steak to be.

  • Remove the grilled steaks from the grill and place on a clean plate to cool for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Calories: 642kcalCarbohydrates: 116gProtein: 0.4gFat: 0.03gSaturated Fat: 0.01gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.01gSodium: 481mgPotassium: 463mgFiber: 0.1gSugar: 110gVitamin A: 28IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 138mgIron: 3mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.