How Long To Grill Flank Steak
Lean cuts of meat like flank steak are really best when served medium rare. If you cook it to the medium stage or beyond, the meat is tough and chewy rather than juicy and succulent, so shoot for medium rare even if its not your normal range.
Remember, too, that time is variable. To get a perfectly cooked steak every time, insert a meat thermometer through the side of the thickest part of the steak.
- Medium: 8 minutes per side
- Medium Rare: 6 to 7 minutes per side
- Rare: 5 to 6 minutes per side
These times are based on cooking the steak with the two-zone method, not the method of pounding the meat thinner. The cooking times may be faster if you used the pounding method.
Is Flank Steak The Same As Skirt Steak
Though theyre sometimes used interchangeably in recipes, skirt steak is different from flank steak. Flank steak is cut from the flank or abdominal muscles. Skirt steak is cut from the plate or diaphragm muscles. Flank steak is thicker, wider, and has a slightly less beefy flavor than skirt steak. Both should be cut against the grain, and either take to marinades well.
What Cut Of Steak Is Flank Steak
Flank steak is cut from abdominal muscles. Its located directly underneath the short loin and bottom sirloin, and behind the plate. Since cows use these muscles frequently, flank steak is known for having tough muscle fibers. That doesnt mean flank steak cant be tender, it just means you need to take some extra care while prepping and cooking it.
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How Much Should You Cook Your Flank Steak
If you ask anyone that knows even anything vaguely related to steak, they will probably tell you that you have to cook your steak to a perfect medium-rare.
Well, dont be shocked, but this isnt always the case, especially so with flank steak.
While medium rare is the right temperature to go for when it comes to other steak cuts, you CAN go a little hotter for flank steak if you like!
Shoot for a good medium temperature, which is usually around 140 Fahrenheit. If you pull your steak from the grill at 140, let it rest for at least 10 minutes so it can gradually come up to 145, and then cut it going against the grain. This will result in the most tenderness and juiciness and no unpleasant chew.
Thanks to the marinade however, you can still enjoy this rare, and if you make sure to marinate it for the 24 hours you will have a tender, juicy rare steak!
Grilled Marinade Flank Steak Recipe
Ingredients
- Red wine vinegar: 2 tbsp.
- Freshly ground black pepper: ½ tsp.
- Garlic: 2 cloves
- Kosher salt
Preparation
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How To Make Flank Steak Marinade
- Combine all of the marinade ingredients in a mixing bowl. Whisk until blended well.
- Pierce the flank steak all over with a fork and then place it in a large bowl or container.
- Add in the marinade, turning several times to coat all sides thoroughly. Cover with plastic wrap.
- Let marinate in the refrigerator.
How Long Do You Cook A Flank Steak
We will be cooking this Alton Brown flank steak for about 2 minutes per side which will lead to having meat that is cooked on the outside yet still pink in the center.
However, the cooking time may vary a bit as it depends on many reasons that we wont discuss here, but in order to gauge for doneness, you need to use a meat thermometer, for medium-rare the internal temperature should reach 130°-140°F.
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How To Serve Marinated Flank Steak
The most common way to serve marinated flank steak is as the main entree with sides. Just pick any of the aforementioned sides and call it dinner! That being said, flank steak is also a chameleon and delicious in salads, pastas, fajitas, etc. Here are some fun ideas to mix up how you serve grilled flank steak:
Other Recipes For The Grill
If you love grilling as much as I do, then you should check out my Grilled Flank Steak with Mexican Corn Salad. Topping this recipe off with a corn salsa is delicious! I even like to eat it as a snack! These Asian Steak Roll Ups are healthy and keep me full for several hours. I also love making kabobs on the grill. These Italian Marinade Steak and Vegetable Kabobs are perfect for any lunch or dinner. And this Greek Marinated Chicken is hands down the most flavorful and juicy chicken dish! The secret is in the marinade!
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Make A Sauce With The Leftover Marinade
After taking your steak out of the marinade, there is a strange temptation to throw out the grizzly, slightly pink marinade left in the bag or container. After all, it has served its purpose in life and is now garbage, right?
Well, as any meat lover will tell you, it is a crime to discard any and all leftover juices, especially those coming from a marinade.
You obviously can’t just eat the marinade, though it’s been mixing with raw beef. So what should you do?
Stirring frequently, turn the heat down to low and simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened to your liking. Taste for seasoning and serve drizzled over your steak you basically just made a sophisticated pan sauce!
Take a small sauce and empty the container of leftover marinade directly into it and bring it to a boil.
To really make it fancy and luxurious, once the heat is off, quickly stir in a small pat of butter. This is known as mounting the sauce and gives it a really great texture that stands out really well against the richness of the steak.
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Can You Marinate And Freeze Flank Steak
Feel free to freeze this steak with the marinade! Make the marinade in a zip top bag, add the steak and turn to coat. Squeeze as much air out as possible, then store it in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Take the steak out of the freezer and thaw it in a bowl of water a couple of hours before you want to grill it or the morning before you plan to grill it.
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Flank Steak Marinade Ingredients:
- Olive oil: use quality extra virgin olive oil for the best flavor.
- Soy sauce: use reduced sodium soy sauce or your grilled flank steak will be too salty.
- Balsamic vinegar: quality balsamic vinegar for the best flavor.
- Worcestershire sauce: adds a depth of complex umami, slightly tangy flavor.
- Lemon juice: freshly squeezed is best but you can use bottled.
- Brown sugar: balances the tangy lime juice and umami of the soy
- Dijon mustard: I promise it wont make your flank steak taste like mustard! It adds a depth of tanginess.
- Seasonings: you will need common seasonings such as paprika, pepper, red pepper flakes, dried oregano, dried rosemary and then dried dill weed and ground coriander to round out he flavor profile. If you dont keep dried dill weed and ground coriander stocked, you can skip them, but I use them in a lot of other recipes so they are worth keeping stocked.
Can You Marinate Skirt Steak Too Long
What Makes Marinades So Effective! The acid in the marinade for the skirt steak comes from the lemon juice. It will soften the rough fibers of the meat while also improving the taste. Creating soft, delicious meat is not difficult. Keep in mind that if you marinate meat for an excessive amount of time, the flesh can become mushy, dry, and even rough.
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Tips For The Best Marinated Flank Steak Recipe
- for at least 2 hours, but not more than 24 hours.
- Pat the meat dry after removing it from the marinade. This will help the steak get a nice char on the outside.
- Let the beef come to room temperature for 20-30 minutes before grilling. This will help it cook evenly.
- Use a meat thermometer to know when your flank steak is done. The total cooking time will depend on the size and thickness of your meat. For a medium rare finish, the beef should reach an internal temperature of 135°F.
- Allow the meat to rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing, giving the juices a chance to redistribute. Remember that temperature of the meat will continue to rise as it sits , so pull the meat off the grill a little bit sooner than you think you need to.
Simple Broiled Flank Steak With Herb Oil
Flank steak is a relatively lean cut of meat but full of flavor. This preparation is low on the fussiness factor: Put your seasoned steak on a preheated broiler pan and cook, no flipping needed. Just be sure to cut the meat against the grain-across, not parallel with, the visible lines of muscle fibers-so the steak will be tender, not chewy.
Get the Recipe: Simple Broiled Flank Steak with Herb Oil
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How To Marinate Flank Steaks To Make It Tender
What is the best way to tenderize flank steak? How do you cook flank steak so it’s not tough? The answer to this lies in few common practises.
- Score the flank steaks in a criss cross pattern before marinating it. Make sure you use a sharp knife and make a cut that is at least 1/8″ deep but less than 1/4″ .
- Let the steak marinate for few hours before grilling. This gives time to the enzyme to break the protein, which tenderize the meat.
- Before grilling make sure you season your steaks with salt and pepper.
- Get it out of the grill few minutes before it reaches an internal temperature of 130F. This is because the steak will continue to cook even when you take it out. And, eventually, it will reach that temperature. So ideally, get it out at 130 degrees.
- Allow the meat to rest before slicing it.
Variations On The Best Flank Steak Marinade
This recipe is absolutely fantastic, but once youve nailed it, try playing around with new and interesting flavors. Here are some ideas!
Use a different citrus Try lime juice, or grapefruit juice instead of lemon juice.
Make it tropical Blend a mango into the marinade for a sweet tropical flavor.
Try another vinegar We use balsamic, but how about apple cider vinegar, red wine vinegar, or even classic white vinegar.
Put it in a dish so there are no leaks.
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How To Cook Flank Steak On The Stove
You may pan sear flank steak but unless you have a large grill pan, your steak will not fit and will need to be cut in half and cooked in two batches.
STOVETOP: Heat one tablespoon olive oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Cook for 6-8 minutes per side or until it reaches desired temperature.
How Do You Make Flank Steak Marinade
This marinade is a salty-sweet mixture of olive oil, soy sauce, brown sugar, Dijon mustard, garlic and Worcestershire sauce. Everything gets whisked together, then you can place the meat in a bowl with the marinade, or instead make the marinade in a gallon sized freezer bag and add the meat to the bag. Using a freezer bag saves on clean up time later on!
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Juicy Flank Steak Recipe
Yall. Make room on this weeks meal plan, because you absolutely do not want to miss out on this Juicy Flank Steak recipe. I mean, just look at that picture! Dont tell me Im the only one whose mouth is watering
Anyway, its now summertime, which means its grilling time. And, when the grill comes out, so do the steak recipes. Dont get me wrong, we do steak year-round in this household, but grilled steak is different from pan-seared steak, you know?
This tender flank steak will have you wishing grilling season lasted all year long. The meat turns out so juicy, a touch crispy on the outside, and its filled with citrusy, smoky flavor. Serve it with your favorite side salad, some mac n cheese, alongside coleslaw, etc. Whatever you like!
Also, one more thing: This whole meal only takes about 20 minutes to prepare . So, even if its a fairly busy weeknight, steak dinner can still be on the table!
How Do I Know When Flank Steak Is Done
Flank steak is a lean cut of beef, so it is best not cooked above medium or else it can be tough and chewy instead of juicy. I would aim for medium, meaning it will be pink in the middle. That being said, the marinade gives you a little wiggle room, but I wouldnt push it.
Most steaks will take 5-6 minutes per side but this can vary depending on thickness of your steak and desired level of doneness. The best way to see if your flank steak is cooked properly without overcooking is to use an instant read thermometer.
Insert the instant read thermometer into thickest part of the steak to check the temperature. You want the temperature to register 5°F lower than the desired doneness temperature because the steaks will continue to cook while resting.
- Rare steak: 125 degrees F
- Medium rare: 135 degrees F
- Medium: 145 degrees F *RECOMMENDED*
- Medium well: 155 degrees F
- Medium Well
- Well done: 165 degrees F
NOTE: The USDA recommends steaks and roasts be cooked to 145°F and then rested for at least 3 minutes for safety.
If you like rare or medium-rare steak, then grill steak on high heat so its hot enough to get some color on the outside in a short amount of time
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Flank Steak Marinade Tips
- I typically grill my marinated flank steak, either outdoors on a charcoal grill or inside on a grill pan. You can also bake, pan sear or broil your meat if you prefer.
- This recipe makes enough marinade for about 1 1/2 2 pounds of meat. If youre cooking for a larger crowd, simply double the marinade amount.
- Youll want to scrape the pieces of garlic off the meat before you cook it so that the garlic doesnt burn on the grill.
- I like to reserve a few tablespoons of marinade before the meat goes in, then drizzle that marinade over the top of the cooked steak for added flavor.
- Serve your flank steak over mashed potatoes or rice with a steamed vegetable on the side. This steak is also great for salads or as a taco filling!
While this marinade pairs perfectly with flank steak, its also fabulous when used with New York strip steak, sirloin, filet mignon or ribeye steak. Its a recipe youll find yourself using all summer long!
How Long Should You Marinate A London Broil
You can marinate your London broil for as little as 30 minutes, but this does not provide sufficient time to truly tenderize the meat. A few hours will yield better results but about 6 hours is best if time allows. You can leave your steak in the marinade for up to 24 hours, but any more the acid will break down the meat and give it an undesirable texture.
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How To Tell When Flank Steak Is Done
The total cooking time will vary depending on the size, thickness, and temperature of your meat when you cook it, as well as on your preferred level of doneness. A meat thermometer is always the best way to know when your flank steak is ready to come off the grill or out from under the broiler. Here’s what you’re looking for:
- Rare : 125°F – 130°F
- Medium-rare : 135°F
- Medium : 145°F
How To Cook Steak
If you love a good steak then you have to check out my cookbook How to Cook Steak: Techniques to Master Selecting, Preparing, and Cooking Steak. Not only are you going to get 65 delicious recipes but this essential steak cookbook teaches you to:
- Know your cutsCheck out at-a-glance steak cut profiles with defining characteristics and ideal cooking methods for various cuts of beef, from flat iron to flank. And, learn the difference between Prime, Choice, and Select grades.
- Prep and storeFind out how to store and prepare the meat before cooking, and discover the best ways to preserve and reheat those delicious leftovers.
- Talk like a butcherLearn how to shop for meat, understand different grades of beef, and decipher vocabulary like dry aging and grain-fed vs. grass-fed beef.
- Follow step 1-3 in the grilling instructions above.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Cook uncovered in an oven safe dish for 20 minutes or until desired doneness.
- Once removed from the oven, let it rest for 3-5 minutes before slicing.
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