Save It
Saved
What is Flank Steak
Flank steak is a lean, somewhat tough but flavorful cut of beef that benefits from the tenderizing effects of a marinade. It is best cooked medium rare and thinly sliced at an angle across the grain of the meat.
Prepared this way, marinated, cooked quickly at high heat, and thinly sliced, flank steak practically melts in your mouth. This recipe calls for grilling the steak, but if you don’t have a grill, you can prepare the steak in a large cast iron frying pan as well.
Video! How to Grill Flank Steak
What’s in the Marinade?
The flank steak marinade in this recipe calls for a lovely blend of soy sauce, honey, and garlic. It works wonderfully for this cut of meat.
For more Southwestern flavors, see our carne asada recipe. Do you have a favorite flank steak marinade? Or a grilling trick for flank steak? If so, please let us know in the comments.
Love flank steak? Try These Recipes
- Grilled Chili Lime Flank Steak
- Rolled Stuffed Flank Steak
- Grilled Flank Steak with Mushrooms
- Flank Steak with Orange and Avocado Salsa
- Flank Steak Stir-Fry with Asparagus and Red Bell Pepper
Grilled Marinated Flank Steak Recipe
Ingredients
Marinade Ingredients
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1/3 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Other ingredients
- 2 pounds flank steak
Method
1 Marinate the steak: Combine the marinade ingredients in a large non-reactive bowl.
Place steak in the bowl and turn so that it is completely coated with the marinade. (You can also place the steak and marinade in a freezer bag and place it in a bowl.)
Chill and marinate for at least 2 hours and up to overnight.
2 Prepare your grill for high, direct heat with one part of the grill for lower, indirect heat. The grill is hot enough when you hold your hand about an inch over the hot side and you can only hold it there for about a second.
3 Grill the steak: Remove the steak from the marinade and gently shake off the excess marinade from the steak (but make sure there is still a coating of it, you'll want the oil on it to help keep the steak from sticking to the grill).
If you want, sprinkle generously on all sides with coarse salt and freshly ground pepper. The salt and pepper will help form a savory crust on the steak.
Place steak on the hot side of the grill. Grill for a minute or two on each side to get a good sear, then move the steak to the cooler side of the grill, cover and cook a few minutes more until done to your liking.
How do you know when the steak is done? One way to tell is to poke it with your fingertips. While the steak is still raw, test it with your fingers; it will be quite squishy. That's what a very rare steak feels like. Touch the tip of your nose and that's what a very well done steak feels like. Here's a visual guide, the finger test to check the doneness of steak.
Otherwise use a good meat thermometer (I recommend a thermapen.)
4 Rest the steak: When the steak has cooked to your preferred level of doneness, remove from the grill and place on a cutting board. Cover with aluminum foil to hold in the heat while the steak rests for 10 to 15 minutes.
5 Slice across the grain: Notice the direction of the muscle fibers of the steak; this is called the grain of the meat. Flank steak is a very lean cut that will be tough and chewy unless you cut it in a way that breaks up the muscle fibers.
So, cut the steak across the grain of the meat, at a steep diagonal, so that the slices are wide. I find it easiest to use a long serrated bread knife for this, but any long sharp knife will do.
If you want, you can take the excess marinade and bring it to a boil, simmer for several minutes, and serve with the flank steak. Great also with salsa or horseradish sauce.
Hello! All photos and content are copyright protected. Please do not use our photos without prior written permission. Thank you!
Products We Love
This post may contain links to Amazon or other partners; your purchases via these links can benefit Simply Recipes. Read more about our affiliate linking policy.
Links:
Flank Steak Carne Asada here on Simply Recipes
Chimichurri Sauce here on Simply Recipes
Grilled Flank Steak with Black Beans, Corn, and Tomatoes from Skinny Taste
Beer Marinated Flank Steak with Avocado Cilantro Cream Sauce from the Beeroness
Flank Steak Tacos from Not Without Salt
Elise Bauer is the founder of Simply Recipes. Elise launched Simply Recipes in 2003 as a way to keep track of her family's recipes, and along the way grew it into one of the most popular cooking websites in the world. Elise is dedicated to helping home cooks be successful in the kitchen. Elise is a graduate of Stanford University, and lives in Sacramento, California.
Grilled Marinated Flank Steak
I have been using this recipe for flank steaks since it was printed in the magazine! How long ago was that!? 10 years?! Happy to find it online so I can throw away my very dirty paper copy!! I go back and forth between honey and brown sugar depending on which is available in my pantry and both options work great.
xxxxxyyyyy
Hi Angie, hmm, I’m not aware of this recipe being printed in any magazine. I first published the recipe here in 2007. So glad you like the recipe!
Great recipe, I make it often!
xxxxxyyyyy
I make this all the time. It is simple and the marinade really helps to break down and tenderize the steak. We usually roast some red potatoes with a liberal amount of Olive oil, Garlic and minced onions for about an hour at 350 as a side dish.
xxxxxyyyyy
I love this recipe! Does anyone have any great side dish ideas to compliment the flavor? I have stuck to the typical rice and beans, but my husband likes potatoes. Any ideas??
xxxxxyyyyy
How about twice baked potatoes, Chrissy? Or fingerling potatoes in an herb vinaigrette? Glad you like this!
OMGolly!!! Absolutely off the charts delicious! Steak was melt in your mouth tender. I used low sodium soy sauce and it was perfectly seasoned for my palate. I didn’t have any red wine vinegar but used white wine vinegar and a splash of red wine. I reduced the remaining marinade and also grilled mini new potatoes that were halved, drizzled in olive oil, rosemary and some seasonings. The marinade drizzled over the steak and potatoes is seriously the best thing I’ve ever made. Now I know what to make for a show stopping dinner for guests that took very little time. THANK YOU!!!
xxxxxyyyyy