London Broil Marinade

Most people have heard the term London Broil. Do they really know what London Broil is? Read on to learn how to grill London Broil and a few tremendous ingredients for a London Broil marinade. So fire up the grill and put down the balsamic vinegar and teriyaki and learn about a unique and delicious London Broil Marinade.

What is London Broil?

There is some confusion out there about London Broil. It’s not an actual cut of meat. Supermarkets sometimes mark a piece of beef as London Broil, however it’s a cooking technique not an actual cut.

London Broil is taking a inexpensive tough muscle of beef and marinating it. Once tender from the marinade, the beef is either broiled at high temperatures or grilled.

Sliced London Broil on a cutting board.

What cuts of beef are used for London Broil. 

The two main cuts that are often used to make London Broil are either Flank Steak or the oyster cut of Top Round steak. Both cuts are heavily worked muscles of the cow and benefit from a great marinade.

For this London Broil recipe, Top Round will be used.

What ingredients go into a London Broil Marinade?

Marinated London Broil on the Grill.

Apple Cider – Brings a little bit of sweetness to the marinade which helps caramelize the beef and promote grill marks. A little bit of char is great for flavor.

Ginger Juice – Ginger is great for beef marinades. It really helps break down the fibers in the beef and helps a tougher cut of beef like top round become tender.

Chili Sauce – Very similar to ketchup as it’s a tomato base. It also brings some acidity to the marinade because vinegar is one of the main ingredients in chili sauce. The vinegar also helps break down the beef muscle which will help make it more tender.

Sweet Soy Sauce – Sweet Soy Sauce is not the same as soy sauce. It is much sweeter, not as salty, and a little bit thicker compared to soy sauce. It almost has a molasses type flavor because of all the sugar. Again, another ingredient that will promote grill marks when the top round goes on the grill.

How long should you marinate Top Round?

It’s best to marinate top round for 24 hours. This cut of beef really needs a l lot of time to break down the muscle fibers and become tender.

Sliced Top Round.

Grilling London Broil

• Bring the temp of your gas grill up to a temp of 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Put your top round beef on the grill grates directly over medium heat. Lower the grill lid.
• After 5 minutes rotate the beef 30 degrees and lower the lid again.
• Pick up the lid after another 5 minutes and flip the London broil with a pair of tongs. Lower the heat to medium low.
• Lower the lid and grill for another 5 minutes. 
• Check the internal temperature of the London Broil.

How long should grill London Broil?

Grilling London Broil should take about 17 minutes over direct heat on a gas grill until it reaches an internal temperature of 130 degrees Fahrenheit. This cut of beef will be extremely tough if you serve above medium doneness. Take off at 130 degrees Fahrenheit and let the beef sit for 5 minutes. The internal temp will continue to rise to 135 degrees Fahrenheit. However, the U.S. Department of Agriculture suggests an internal temp of 145 degrees Fahrenheit for beef. That’s a little too high for this cut.

• Once the London Broil comes up to a medium rare internal temp take off the grill.
• Let sit on a cutting board for 5 minutes before slicing.

Grilled London Broil.

Tips for Grilled Marinated London Broil

• Start with a clean grill. No one wants a piece of beef grilled on dirty grill grates.
• Marinate the beef overnight. 24 hours would be best.
• Pat the beef dry before going on the grill. Extra moisture will steam the beef on the grill which won’t promote grill marks.
• Medium Rare or less is best for London Broil. Too high of an internal temp will turn the beef into a tough piece of shoe leather.
• Let the steak rest for ten minutes after grilling. Slice open a steak too soon will ensure a tough cut of meat.

Grilled Marinated London Broil.

So there you have it. Top Round becoming a tender piece of London Broil and it was done without any of the usual boring same old marinade ingredients. So, go ahead and try something new and give these marinade suggestions a try.

If you like this recipe from Sear Marks, check out these other grilling recipe suggestions below….

Coulotte Steak

Grilled Octopus  

Print Recipe

London Broil Marinade

By Drew – Serves: 4

Prep Time: 24 hours – Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Most people have heard the term London Broil. Do they really know what London Broil is? Read on to learn how to grill London Broil and a few tremendous ingredients for a London Broil marinade. So fire up the grill and put down the balsamic vinegar and teriyaki and learn about a unique and delicious London Broil Marinade.

Ingredients

• 4 cups apple cider
• 8 tablespoons ginger juice
• 1/2 cup sweet soy sauce
• 1 bottle chili sauce
• 2 two pound top rounds
• salt

Instructions

1

Take all marinade ingredients and put into a zip lock bag along with the top round.

2

Seal the bag and put into the refrigerator for at least 6 hours, but for best results 24 hours.

3

Grilling London Broil

4

Take beef out of the zip lock bags and pat dry.

5

Heat gas grill to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.

6

Put your top round beef on the grill grates directly over medium heat. Lower the grill lid.

7

After 5 minutes rotate the beef 30 degrees and lower the lid again.

8

After another 5 minutes, pick up the lid and flip the London broil with a pair of tongs. Lower the heat to medium low.

9

Lower the lid and grill for another 5 minutes. 

10

Check the internal temperature of the London Broil.

11

You want an internal temp of 130 degrees Fahrenheit.

12

Once the London Broil comes up to a medium rare internal temp take off the grill.

13

Let sit on a cutting board for 5 minutes before slicing.