Grilled Flank Steak is such an easy delicious dinner. Our perfect flank steak marinade makes this tender, juicy, and absolutely mouthwatering.
With grilling season upon us, I wanted to update an old flank steak recipe for you. This amazing grilled flank steak comes together with the marinade used in my Steak Kabobs to perfectly tenderize the meat. It makes for a very fast dinner that everyone is going to love.
It is great for throwing on the grill outside and enjoying a summer dinner on the patio. That said, we have an indoor grill pan, so this is a recipe that I enjoy all year long!
What is Flank Steak
A flank steak is a lean or non fatty cut of beef. It is a thin cut, and is best when marinated, then grilled. After grilling, you want to cut thin pieces against the grain. It is wonderful served as pieces of meat but also makes great flank steak tacos.
Skirt Steak vs Flank Steak
There are recipes out there that call for flank steak and skirt steak interchangeably – like my steak fajitas. This often works, but they are two different cuts of meat, from two different parts of the underside of the cow.
Skirt Steak has a stronger beef flavor, and takes marinade better than a flank steak. On the other hand, it has tougher muscles and should only be cooked to rare or medium rare.
Both cuts should be cooked over high heat for a short amount of time, watching the internal temperature of the meat closely.
Flank Steak Marinade
As mentioned above, flank steak needs to be marinated before cooking. It is important to marinate your steak for long enough that the acid in the lemon juice and the salt in the soy sauce start to tenderize the meat.
That said, it is possible to marinate your meat for too long, making it chewy. Marinate the flank steak between 6 and 24 hours. Do not marinate for more than 24 hours.
This recipes brings together a really simple marinade with ingredients you probably already have on hand.
- Olive Oil
- Soy Sauce
- Brown Sugar
- Lemon Juice
- Worcestershire Sauce
- Garlic
- Black Pepper
I like to use a reusable container when I marinate meat. Cover it and put it in the refrigerator until it is ready to grill.
How To Grill Flank Steak
After you marinate the flank steak, it is ready to throw on the grill. The total grill time for flank steak is about 10 to 16 minutes, making this a great fast dinner.
- Preheat your grill to medium high heat.
- Remove the steak from the marinade, discarding the extra.
- Place the meat on the grill, and grill for 5 to 8 minutes on each side or until desired doneness. Thicker flank steaks will need closer to 8 minutes on each side, like the piece you see here.
- Cut against the grain in thin slices.
As this is a flank steak, it can handle being cooked anywhere from rare (120) to well done (160).
FAQ
Yes! If you marinate flank steak it will become extremely tender. The key to this though is marinating it for at least six hours, grilling it over medium high heat for a short amount of time, and slicing it against the grain.
Flank steak should be grilled for approximately 5 to 8 minutes on each side. But the time greatly depends on the thickness of the meat. You are better off monitoring the internal temperature of the meat with an instant read thermometer.
Flank steak should be cut against the grain. Look for lines running in the meat, and cut across them. If you can’t find these grains, gently bend the grilled meat and they will be easier to see. Make sure to use a very sharp knife to slice it. I love this one.
I would recommend searing this is in a cast iron pan on both sides, before transferring it to a very hot oven for just a few minutes.
Recipes to Make to Serve with Grilled Flank Steak
You can see my flank steak here topped with grilled pineapple salsa. The two are amazing together! Some great recipes to serve along side it are:
If you make this Grilled Flank Steak Recipe or any of my other recipes, leave me a comment and let me know what you think!
Grilled Flank Steak
Ingredients
- 2 pounds flank steak
Flank Steak Marinade
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/3 cup soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar packed
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Combine the ingredients for the marinade in a small bowl. Whisk until smooth. Pour the marinade over the flank steak. Toss to combine. Cover and refrigerate for between 6 and 24 hours.
- After the meat has marniated, preheat your grill to medium heat.
- Place the meat on the grill, discarding the left over marinade. Grill for 5 to 8 minutes on each side or until desired doneness.
- Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing against the grain and enjoying.
Lynn Rice says
How long would I do this on a George Foreman?
I don’t know how hot a George Foreman grill gets, but assuming you can get it 400 degrees, it would be about the same time. Your best bet is to get an instant read thermometer and go off of that.
Patricia says
What if you don’t have a grill? Can I use a grill pan?
Absolutely! I do that all the time.
Trudy says
Need salt free Recipes r low salt
Thanks
I’m so sorry, Trudy. I don’t have any salt free recipes. I do, however, do almost all from scratch cooking, so you can adjust them in your own kitchen. You can buy low sodium ingredients – like diced tomatoes and chicken stock – and then cut added salt out of the recipe.