Grilled Flank Steak

Here’s our absolute favorite recipe for Grilled Flank Steak. It marinates in a simple blend of ingredients focused on maximizing flavor and tenderness, and then gets a quick rub of spices before being grilled to perfection. If you like, top this delicious flank steak with the simple chimichurri herb sauce included in this recipe.

Keep the grill going and pair Grilled Flank Steak with our favorite grilled Corn Salad.

The best-ever Grilled Flank Steak

I make Grilled Flank Steak all summer long and have for years now. It’s a family favorite and a hit with anyone that gives it a try.

The steak starts in a simple marinade of just six ingredients, and then after it’s marinated, we add a quick four-ingredient spice rub to maximize flavor. And while this grilled flank steak can certainly stand on its own, it’s truly out of this world when paired with an easy herb sauce — my (inauthentic) take on chimichurri. A lot of the ingredients overlap from the marinade to the herb sauce, so why not whip that up too?!

What is flank steak?

Flank steak is cut from the bottom abdominal area of the cow, so it contains a lot of hard-working muscles. A flank steak has a lot of tough fibers running throughout it and is a fairly lean piece of meat. It’s also slightly thicker and wider than skirt steak (read about the differences between skirt and flank steak here). 

QUICK TIP

Sometimes a grocery store will label a flank steak under a different name such as a London Broil, Flank Steak Fillet, and/or Jiffy Steak. When in doubt, ask the person at the meat counter. If you can’t find a flank steak, look for flat iron steak, hanger steak, or skirt steak–they will all work similarly with this recipe.

Is flank steak tough or tender?

Since flank steak is lean with tough fibers, it benefits from the tenderizing effects of a marinade. The acids in the marinade help break down the string-like muscle fibers, so it becomes more tender.

Flank steak is going to be most tender when it is thinly sliced against the grain and cooked to  medium rare. By using this marinade recipe and following a few tips I’ll share in this post, you’ll end up with the absolute best flank steak — it practically melts in your mouth, it’s so tender.

Grilled Flank Steak will end up tough if it’s not marinated (or marinated too long), not cooked at a high temperature, over-cooked, or sliced in the same direction of the muscle fibers.

How do you cook flank steak so it’s not tough?

• Make sure the grill is completely heated before you add the steak to the grates. High heat sears the surface of the meat, resulting in a juicier steak with an amazing char.
• Cut the cooked steak against the grain and sliced on the bias. Here’s more on that! It’s especially important to cut against the grain (at a steep diagonal so slices are wide) because of all the tough muscle fibers. By cutting against the grain, it reduces the length of those muscle fibers to make chewing easier. 
• Slicing on the bias means holding the knife at a 45-degree angle instead of the standard bread slicing angle.
• We like to use a long serrated, sharp bread knife to cut a grilled flank steak. However, any sharp knife will work.
• Use a meat thermometer to ensure the meat is perfectly cooked to your personal preference (more on this below).

QUICK TIP

Flank steak is very lean and will be tough and chewy if it is cut in the same direction of the muscle fibers.

How long does it take to grill a flank steak?

One of the best things about flank steak is how quickly it cooks on the grill! It takes about 8-10 minutes to grill to medium rare.

I prefer grilled flank steak at medium rare and find it loses flavor and texture when cooked beyond medium.  A high grill temperature and short grilling time will keep a flank steak tender. 

That said, cook the steak exactly how you like it!  Below are the temperatures for cooking flank steak to your personal preference.

Fully preheat the grill to 450 degrees F. Aim to keep the grill that consistent temperature throughout the grilling process.

• Rare: 120-125 degrees F
• Medium-Rare: 135 degrees F (about 4-5 minutes on one side and another 4-5 minutes on the other side)
• Medium: 140 degrees F (about 5-7 minutes on one side and another 3-5 minutes on the other side)
• Medium-Well: 150 degrees F (about 8-10 minutes on one side and another 3-5 minutes on the other side)
• Well-Done: 160-175 degrees F.

**Time depends on the steak’s thickness, your grill, and actual temperature of your grill**

QUICK TIP

Pull the steaks off about 5 degrees below the desired temperature — the flank steak will “cook” those last 5 degrees from carryover heat as it rests tented under foil.

Sauce tips

The chimichurri sauce that tops this Grilled Flank Steak isn’t complicated to make but can be a little time consuming if made by hand. Personally, I think it’s best with hand-chopped herbs (hand chopping creates a more coarse and textured sauce), but you can save time by using a food processor or small blender. Here are a few other tips:

• Make the sauce ahead of time. I recommend making the sauce right after making the marinade. This herb sauce just gets more and more flavorful as it sits! 
• Make sure to completely dry the herbs. After washing the cilantro and parsley, take the time to fully dry them (a salad spinner makes this process go fast). If you use wet herbs, the sauce will taste watery.
• Use good quality, extra-virgin olive oil. The better your olive oil, the better the flavor of the sauce. 

More recipes to grill

• Grilled Peaches with a graham cracker crumble
• Flank Steak with Corn Salsa spice-rubbed steak with a fresh salsa
• Chicken Tacos Mexican street corn style
• Cilantro Lime Chicken with a mango salsa
• Burger Recipe with our favorite burger sauce

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Grilled Flank Steak

4.70 from 10 votes

- Review this recipe

Here's our absolute favorite recipe for Grilled Flank Steak. This steak starts in a simple marinade and then gets a quick rub of spices before being grilled to perfection. If desired, top this delicious steak with simple chimichurri herb sauce included in this recipe.

SAVE TO RECIPE BOX

Print Recipe

Grilled Flank Steak

4.70 from 10 votes

- Review this recipe

SAVE TO RECIPE BOX

Print Recipe

Here's our absolute favorite recipe for Grilled Flank Steak. This steak starts in a simple marinade and then gets a quick rub of spices before being grilled to perfection. If desired, top this delicious steak with simple chimichurri herb sauce included in this recipe.

Course Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword grilled flank steak

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Marinating Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes

Servings 4 servings

Calories 1074kcal

Author Chelsea Lords

Cost $19.75

Ingredients

Steak & Marinade

• ▢ 1.5 - 2 pounds (907g) flank steak
• ▢ 1/4 cup (52g) olive oil
• ▢ 2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
• ▢ 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• ▢ 1/4 cup EACH: honey (84g) and soy sauce (65g)
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• ▢ 1 tablespoon finely chopped Italian parsley

Quick Spices

• ▢ 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon EACH: ground cumin, ground coriander seed
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Chimmichurri

• ▢ 3-4 cloves finely chopped garlic
• ▢ 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• ▢ 1 large lime (2 tablespoons juice)
• ▢ 1/2 cup (30g) finely chopped cilantro (~1 full bunch)
• ▢ 1/2 cup (33g) finely chopped fresh flat leaf parsley (~1 full bunch)
• ▢ 1/2 cup (104g) good-quality olive oil
• ▢ 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• ▢ 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• ▢ 1 tablespoon honey
• ▢ fine sea salt and freshly cracked pepper

US - Metric

USMetric

Instructions

• PREP: Remove flank steak from packaging and pat dry with paper towels. Place in a large resealable bag.
• MARINADE: Combine the olive oil, minced garlic, red wine vinegar, honey, soy sauce, pepper, and 1 tablespoon coarsely chopped Italian parsley in a bowl. Whisk together and pour over the flank steak. Seal and place in the fridge for at least 1 hour and preferably 4-6 hours. Flip the steak in the bag halfway through the marinating time.
• CHIMICHURRI SAUCE: I like to make the sauce at the same time I'm marinating the meat, because it gets more flavorful as it sits. In a large jar, add the finely chopped garlic cloves (2-3 cloves if sensitive to garlic, or 4 cloves for garlic lover!), red wine vinegar and freshly squeezed lime juice. Stir and set aside. Finely chop a bunch of parsley to get a full 1/2 cup, gently packed (you should use most, if not all of a good sized bunch; some stems are fine -- I just remove the bulk of large stems and then chop the rest). Chop the cilantro and measure to get a lightly packed 1/2 cup. Add the parsley and cilantro to the jar along with the olive oil, dried oregano, red pepper flakes, and honey. Season to taste with salt and pepper (I use 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper). Stir thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate while the meat marinates.
• GRILL PREP: Preheat the grill to 450 degrees F. Once heated, clean the grill grates with a wire brush. Liberally oil the grill (I do this by drenching a paper towel in canola or vegetable oil and, holding tongs, rub the paper towel over the grill). This will ensure the meat doesn't stick to the grates and gets a great char (char = flavor!).
• QUICK SPICES: Stir together 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin, 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander seed, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.
• STEAK: Remove from marinade and discard remaining marinade. Sprinkle half the rub on top of the steak. Place on fully heated grill (rub side down) and quickly sprinkle the rub on top. Close grill lid. Cook for 4-5 minutes per side, or until the internal temperature is 130-135 degrees F for medium rare or 145 degrees for medium. (I use a meat thermometer here. My grill takes exactly 4 minutes per side at 450 degrees F.) Remove the steak from the grill to a cutting board. Tent with foil and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Once the steak has rested, slice it very thinly against the grain (See Note 1). Serve with chimichurri herb sauce.

Recipe Notes

Note 1: Slicing the steak: Find the fibers on the steak and determine how they are running along the steak. Once you find that grain, slice perpendicular (here's a visual). This will keep the meat juicier and much more tender. It's easier to chew when cut against the grain.

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 1074kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 87g | Fat: 65g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 40g | Cholesterol: 238mg | Sodium: 828mg | Potassium: 1737mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 29g | Vitamin A: 4522IU | Vitamin C: 54mg | Calcium: 167mg | Iron: 9mg

We do our best to provide accurate nutritional analysis for our recipes. Our nutritional data is calculated using a third-party algorithm and may vary, based on individual cooking styles, measurements, and ingredient sizes. Please use this information for comparison purposes and consult a health professional for nutrition guidance as needed.

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