Marinated Grilled Flank Steaks are juicy, tender and full of flavor after being marinated in a soy-balsamic Italian marinade. Grilled to perfection and topped with an Easy Herb Butter for a delicious easy BBQ meal.
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Marinated Grilled Flank Steaks
These grilled flank steaks were marinated overnight and are almost so tender you can cut it with a fork. The secret is in the special marinade. If you throw on a few sliced onions and peppers or our Grilled Chili Lime Okra on the grill at the same time, you can have dinner ready in a jiffy.
Our grilled flank steaks are delicious on our Seared Steak Salad with Strawberry Cucumber Dressing , in a fajitas or even in a Thai Beef Salad. Maybe, Dad would just like a plain steak with a baked potato on the side. The choice is yours. We like to make our Healthy Alternative Zip Sauce to serve on the side as a dipping sauce.
How to make flank steaks tender
The Flank steak is a cut of beef taken from the abdominal muscles or lower chest of the steer. This steak comes from the well-exercised part of the cow and it can be tough. Who knows why this part of the cow gets so much exercise maybe they do sit ups and crunches? (smiling) Therefore, there are a few things that need to be done to keep this cut of meat tender and delicious.
- Remove any tough fascia from the flank steak before marinating.
- Marinate your flank steak in the refrigerator. The longer you marinate it the better. We like to marinate our steaks the night before so that they have about 24 hours to do their thing. However, you can also marinate them for just 2 hours, but they are not as tender as when you do it overnight.
- Be sure to take your flank steaks out of the refrigerator at least 20 - 30 minutes before grilling to allow the steaks to come to room temperature. Don’t be putting a cold steak on a hot grill! If you put a cold steak on a hot grill they want to shrivel, and it won’t cook evenly. The goal is to cook your steaks quickly over a higher heat to get a nice sear and keep them tender and let them cook evenly.
- Do not overcook the steaks. Cook to a medium rare. Do not cut your steak until after it is cooked.
- Let your flank steak rest for about 10 minutes under aluminum foil before carving and slice very thin. This helps keep the juices in your steak.
- Make sure you cut against the grain of the steak and not with the grain of the steak.
Best Steak Marinade
Just a handful of pantry ingredients make this marinade extra special. Ok, the secret is out! This savory flank steak marinade is fantastic for meat but is also fantastic for mushrooms and grilled veggies too. Just to note, vegetables and mushrooms only need to be marinated for about 15 minutes unlike a steak that needs at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours. For about a 1.5 pound flank steak we marinate our flank steaks with the following ingredients…
- Olive oil
- Soy sauce or Tamari sauce for gluten-free
- Aged balsamico from Mie Radici – it is naturally sweet from the aging process so there is no need to add a sweetener to this recipe as some do.
- Fresh garlic
- Fresh minced onion
- Italian dried herbs
- Fresh ground pepper
How long to cook a flank steak?
That depends on how you like your steaks. If you want to keep your flank steaks tender, be sure to keep them to no more than medium for the best outcome and the most tender steak. You can check the doneness of your flank steak by internal temperature or the finger touch method. Don’t be cutting into your steak to take a look or you will lose all that delicious juice.
- Rare: 125 to 130 degrees F (51 - 54 degrees C)
- Medium rare: 130 to 140 degrees F (54 – 60 degrees C)- our favorite way to grill flank steaks!
- Medium: 140 to 150 degrees F (60 - 65 degrees C)
- Medium well- not recommended
- Well- not recommended
Finger touch method
The finger touch method is great, especially if you do not own a meat thermometer. Check out this helpful infographic from the Furious Grill.
Infographic by FuriousGrill.Com
How long does it take to grill flank steaks to medium rare?
As for a time estimate, we cooked our 1.5 pound (680 grams) for about 4-5 minutes on each side. However, everyone’s heat level can be different depending on if you have a gas grill or coals, etc. So, it is best to go by internal temperature or finger test for best results. Maybe some guys out there will say, by the time I’m finish my first cold beer, their steak is ready… (smiling) It is not an exact science, but hey whatever works for you.
If you like this Marinated Grilled Flank Steaks recipe, you are going to want to try our Grilled Flank Steak with Thai Style Chimichurri Sauce, Wasabi Bloody Married Flank Steak , Herb Marinated Grilled Rack of Lamb and our delicious Caramelized Red Pepper Pesto Steak too.
What to serve with grilled steaks?
A delicious topping that takes your marinated grilled flanks steaks from delicious to epic is our Easy Herb Butter. Slather on a dollop upon serving to allow it to melt and it really kicks up this recipe.
If you already have the grilled fired up, you might as well add a few of our easy sides like our Best Grilled Asparagus, Feta Stuffed Portabella Mushrooms and grilled shishito peppers.
To keep the hungry family and friends happy while we are grilling, be sure to serve an Easy Bruschetta Bread or a Chargrilled Halloumi Prosciutto Wrapped Nectarines and Balsamic Glaze or spicy Firecracker Grilled Shrimp.
For dessert try our light and easy Grilled Nectarines with Coconut Cream.
Frequent Asked Questions (FAQ's)
Flank steak is a very lean piece of meat. It needs to be cut super thin and across the grain to keep it tender. This process helps cut though those tough fibers lending it to a tender bite. Look at the flank steak and look to see what way the long muscle fibers are running. Then, line your knife up to cut perpendicular though the fibers and across the grain. Do not cut parallel with the muscle fibers but across or perpendicular the muscle fibers. This method ensures a tender bite.
It is best to marinade flank steaks for at least 2 hours, but it is optimal to marinade overnight to ensure tenderness. Marinating your steak with acid (balsamic vinegar), fat (olive oil), Italian seasoning and fresh herbs and spices not only tenderizes the meat but also makes it extra delicious and gives the steak extra flavor.
Flank steak is from the bottom abdominal area of the cow. This area of the cow gets quite a workout. This cut of meat has a lot of tough fibers running through it and a very lean cut of beef. A flank steak is thicker, and wider compared to a skirt steak. In addition, generally the muscle fibers run lengthwise.
Skirt steak is from the diaphragm muscles of the cow. The cut of meat is much thinner compared to a flank steak and is much longer. In addition, it is very lean cut of meat. We think it has even more tough muscle fibers than a flank steak. The muscle fibers run horizontally across a skirt steak.
Either a flank steak or skirt steak can be used in our Marinated Grilled Flank Steak recipe.
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Marinated Grilled Flank Steaks
Equipment
- Grill or Grill pan
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds flank steak whole (trimmed of fascia)
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cup onion peeled and minced
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning dried (mixture basil, oregano, thyme, etc)
- 1 teaspoon black pepper freshly grated
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar we used an aged thick Mie Radici organic balsamic
- 2 cloves garlic peeled and minced
- salt and pepper to taste or a steak seasoning for grilling
Instructions
- In a sealed plastic bag or plastic container place your flank steak, olive oil, onion, Italian seasoning, black pepper, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, garlic. Sealed and rub the steak to make sure the marinade is all over the steak.
- Marinate steak for 2 hours or up to 24 hours. The longer you let your steak marinade, the more tender it will be. We like to marinate our steak the day before in the evening and by the next evening it is ready to go.
- Preheat you grill to medium high heat. Prep and clean your grill. Remove your flank steaks from the marinade but leave on the attached onions and garlic as these are flavorful when they cook. Salt and Pepper Flank Steaks well on both sides or use a grill spice like McCormick's Montreal Steak Seasoning before placing the steak on the grill.
- Grill flank steaks about 4-5 minutes on each side for medium rare steak.
- Rare: 125 to 130 degrees F (51 - 54 degrees C)Medium rare: 130 to 140 degrees F (54 – 60 degrees C)- our favorite way to grill flank steaks! (perfectly juicy and tender)Medium: 140 to 150 degrees F (60 - 65 degrees C)Medium well - not recommendedWell done - not recommended
- You may also use the finger method to determine when you flank steak is cooked. Refer to the infographic above in the post for details.
- Remove your steak from the grill and let it rest, tented with aluminum foil for about 10 minutes.
- Slice Flank Steak across the grain and thin. Serve with Easy Herb Butter or our Healthy Alternative Sip Sauce, if desired. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Remove any tough fascia from the flank steak before marinating.
- Marinate your flank steak in the refrigerator. The longer you marinate it the better. We like to marinate our steaks the night before so that they have about 24 hours to do their thing. However, you can also marinate them for just 2 hours, but they are not as tender as when you do it overnight.
- Be sure to take your flank steaks out of the refrigerator at least 20 - 30 minutes before grilling to allow the steaks to come to room temperature. Don’t be putting a cold steak on a hot grill! If you put a cold steak on a hot grill they want to shrivel, and it won’t cook evenly. The goal is to cook your steaks quickly over a higher heat to get a nice sear and keep them tender and let them cook evenly.
- Do not overcook the steaks. Cook to a medium rare. Do not cut your steak until after it is cooked.
- Let your flank steak rest for about 10 minutes under aluminum foil before carving and slice very thin. This helps keep the juices in your steak.
- Make sure you cut against the grain of the steak and not with the grain of the steak.
Heidi | The Frugal Girls says
I totally agree, marinating overnight is definitely best. And I am loving your marinade recipe, the flavors are perfect!
HWC Magazine says
Thanks Heidi - so glad you liked the balsamic steak marinade! An overnight marinade is always referred as it allows the flavors to mingle and makes for a more tender steak - don't you think? Take care
Jake says
I suggest to cut and marinate before cooking.
HWC Magazine says
Hi there Jake, actually we would not do that if we were you as this will make the flank steak dry. It is best to marinate whole, grill whole, let it rest and then slice super thin.
Jimmy G says
Great idea to make this cut of meat more tender
HWC Magazine says
Yes, it is always best practice to cut against the grain of the meat and slice thin to keep this cut of meat tender. Thanks for stopping by to leave a comment.
Fenby, Gerald & Linda says
Wow....I will admit that I had serious doubts about just how good a flank steak could be...I mean, I think of flank steak as a very tough cut of meat. Having said all that, it was absolutely fantastic.
HWC Magazine says
Marinating overnight, cooking until just about medium rare and cutting thinly against the grain all work well for keeping your flank steaks tender. So happy that you are enjoying our recipes. Stay well and take care
Karen (Back Road Journal) says
Your steak is beautifully cooked. The marinade has to make it tender and delicious.
Hannah says
That marinade is pure gold. I'd happily bathe any sort of protein or vegetable in such a savory mixture!
HWC Magazine says
Thank you Hannah. This special marinade is delicious on mushrooms, eggplant, peppers or any veggies you want to throw on the grill. Take Care
John / Kitchen Riffs says
Although we love thick steaks, flank and skirt steaks really have the flavor we crave. Both take so well to a nice marinade, and yours looks particularly super. Perfect recipe for grilling season! Thanks. 🙂
HWC Magazine says
Thank you John. Flank steak and skirt steaks are so delicious but need that special marinade to get them tender. Happy grilling!
[email protected] is How I Cook says
We used to eat a lot of flank steak until I gave up beef. This looks fabulous and I think Father's Day would be a perfect time to serve this to Manservant. He really misses his beef. Your posts are always so informational. Love the finger temperature test! Take care.
HWC Magazine says
Thanks so much Abbe! Time is flying and Father's Day will be here before you know it. Stay well and take care
Yi says
OMG that flank steak looks so tender and flavorful! Once I am able to shop at grocery store again I'll certain get myself a big slap of steak to feast. Thanks for sharing!
HWC Magazine says
Hiya Yi, thanks so much. I know it must be very difficult for you and praying this confinement in NY can lighten up soon with everyone staying well. Please take care.
John / Kitchen Riffs says
Flank steak is wonderful! One of my favorite cuts of beef for grilling. SO much flavor. Yours looks perfectly done -- thanks.
HWC Magazine says
Thank you John, thanks so much. Grab your beef at the markets whilst you can. Take Care
Eha says
Brilliant ! 'Flank steak; is not a nomenclature I have oft met in the Australian marketplace but shall look ! Love your Asian/European marinade approach. Thank you for accepting 'blue-rare' as this is the way I best love to cook and enjoy a good steak but one of the best-on-line bloggers genuinely believed I had 'made up' the term 🙂 ! When we again have more choices shall see where I am ignorant . . .
HWC Magazine says
Hiya Eha! Hope this note finds you well. I bet you have something like a flank steak in the land of OZ, but maybe they just call it something different. This cut of meat is a bit cheaper and really best marinated for some time. However, it is really worth the wait as the flavor is amazing. Yes, "blue rare" or as some call it, "a good vet could bring it back" (smiling) is just what the term is. We are also a firm believer of not overcooking a steak or you just ruin it. However, everyone has their unique preferences and that is what makes the world so interesting. Sending positive thoughts across the big pond. Take Care
Eha says
Could not leave it - could i . . . ? Alright - Down Under it is called 'skirt' or 'hangar' steak and one usually cannot buy it from a supermarket but from the butcher who loves ya' . . . 🙂 !! Actually methinks I have bought it some time some where . . . love . . .
HWC Magazine says
Hiya Eha, these groupings of beef are all delicious in their own way. Found this great little article showing the different cuts of meat. https://www.goodfoodstories.com/hanger-skirt-flank-flatiron-steaks/. The shanks and on the bottom of the cow closer to the legs and these are tougher than the flank steak as they get used more by the steer. All are delicious but need to be cooked as we discussed rare or medium at most and need a bit of marinating time. Thanks for responding as we love learning. Take Care
Katerina says
You made me really hungry with this steak! It looks incredibly juicy and delicious!
HWC Magazine says
Thanks so much Katerina. that is the effect we were going for... lol Hoping you are staying well. Take Care