Easy Grilled Flank Steak
This Easy Grilled Flank Steak starts with a flavorful marinade made with pantry ingredients before grilling it to perfection!
A simple, 6 ingredient marinade makes this one of the tastiest and best flank steak recipes. The complexity of the flavor palate cannot be rivaled!
Why You Must Make
- This is a quick, delicious, flavorful marinade.
- It’s perfect for marinating flank steak before grilling.
- It’s made with kitchen staples, so you may already have everything on hand!
Have you ever had a marinade in mind, but were short just one ingredient? Like the ginger root that’s shriveled in your vegetable drawer? The green onions that were on your shopping list but you forgot to purchase? That’s why I am a huge fan of this Easy Grilled Flank Steak Recipe.
I’m never without one of the essential components of this recipe, so as long as there’s a flank steak in my fridge or freezer, this dinner will happen! Soy sauce? Check. Red wine vinegar, ground ginger, fresh garlic, and vegetable oil? More checks. And it’s one of the best ways to enjoy a flank steak—I guarantee!
Easy Grilled Flank Steak
Besides being chocoholics, the hubby and sons are beefaholics. When one of the boys had a birthday or was heading back to college, I prepared “steak.” They became beef lovers as tots, and always lumped flank steak in with filet mignon, strip steaks, and ribeyes when discussing our entree.
It was another steak–and they enjoyed it as much as those latter options as long as it was cooked rare. Or just short of mooing as Bill would phrase it. We grill all year long, and there was the time I was out of town and the boys and their dad lugged the Big Green Egg into the house because the lid was frozen on and it needed to defrost! Or the times a golf umbrella was secured with duct tape to allow grilling during a summer monsoon.
If you’re like us, try this old favorite flank steak marinade recipe, and let your beef steep in the flavorful mixture overnight before grilling. I hope you’ll give one of my favorite flank steak recipes a shot before your grilling season is over!
Expert Tips
Once I started grilling flank steak for the family, it became a regular on our menu rotation. I varied the marinades, but otherwise used the same technique for cooking. Here are a few pointers if you’re new to grilling this cut of meat.
- Before you marinate your flank steak, “score” or carefully cut into the meat against the grain (perpendicular to the lines you see running across the meat). I make shallow cuts about an inch and a half apart from one long side to the other, on a slight diagonal. Or you can have your butcher score your beef for you.
- PRO-Tip: Besides helping prevent the beef from curling while on the BBQ, scoring also helps the marinade permeate the beef.
- Beef can take a longer marinating time than chicken or seafood. Marinate overnight or place the flank steak in the marinade early in the day you’re planning to grill for the best results.
- I like to marinate in a well-sealed Ziploc bag to avoid spilling marinade into the fridge. Been there, done that! It also makes it super easy to flip the bag a few times throughout the day for even marinade distribution.
- PRO-Tip: Flank steak is best grilled to medium-rare. If it’s overcooked, it could be tough and/or chewy. My family prefers rare, but I prefer it a little more done.
- PRO-Tip: Slice the meat thinly across the grain (this is from one long side to the other). This makes for tender slices.
Frequently Asked Questions
Flank steak is a cut of beef from the abdominal or “flank” region of the steer. It’s also known as London Broil. It’s a thin, long cut of beef that is well-exercised, so can be tough if not cooked or sliced properly.
I recommend grilling your flank steak to medium-rare, but my husband prefers rare and my dad always liked it medium or more well done. So cook to your desired doneness.
Here are some guidelines:
When grilling, pull your beef off the grill when it’s 5-10º less than the desired doneness. Cover with foil and let rest 5-10 minutes. The juices will redistribute and the temperature will increase up to the desired temperature.
RARE beef will have a Cool Red Center. The goal is 125º but pull the meat off at 120º.
MEDIUM RARE beef will have a Warm Red Center. The goal is 135º but pull the meat off at 130º.
MEDIUM beef will have a Warm Pink Center. The goal is 145º but pull the meat off at 140º.
MEDIUM WELL beef will have a Slightly Pink Center. The goal temperature is 150º but pull the meat off at 145º.
WELL DONE beef will have a Little or No Pink in the Center. The goal temperature is 160º but pull the meat off at 155º.
Yes. Most marinades contain an acid like lemon juice or vinegar that tenderizes by denaturing or breaking down the protein in the meat. If left in the marinade too long, too much of the protein will break down, making the meat mushy.
We prefer grilling as the heat creates the Maillard reaction, a chemical reaction that gives browned food its delicious, distinctive flavor. But broiling works well. Cook to medium rare for the best results.
You May Also Like:
- Red Wine, Soy Marinated Flank Steak
- Flank Steak with Chimichurri
- Korean Grilled Flank Steak
- 30 Marinades for Grilling
- Plus, all my Favorite Main Dish Recipes.
What’s your favorite cut of beef to grill? Let me know in the comments!
Easy Grilled Flank Steak
An easy, flavorful marinade for your flank or tri-tip. Adapted from my friend, Becky.
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 pounds flank steak, scored if desired*
Instructions
- Score both sides of your flank steak by making shallow diagonal slashes over the surface. This will allow the marinade to penetrate a little deeper.
- Combine all marinade ingredients in a large ziplock bag. Add flank steak, seal, and chill for 6-8 hours (turning occasionally) or overnight.
- Bring to room temp before grilling to the desired doneness.
Notes
* Cut very shallow slits perpendicular to the grain the whole length of the steak, flip and repeat. This helps the marinade permeate the meat.
Total time does not include marinating time.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 530Total Fat: 26gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 179mgSodium: 1285mgCarbohydrates: 7gFiber: 0gSugar: 5gProtein: 65g
Thatskinnychickcanbake.com occasionally offers nutritional information for recipes contained on this site. This information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although thatskinnychickcanbake.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased can change the nutritional information in any given recipe. Also, many recipes on thatskinnychickcanbake.com recommend toppings, which may or may not be listed as optional and nutritional information for these added toppings is not listed. Other factors may change the nutritional information such as when the salt amount is listed “to taste,” it is not calculated into the recipe as the amount will vary. Also, different online calculators can provide different results. To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in any given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information obtained is accurate.
22 Comments on “Easy Grilled Flank Steak”
I come from a beef-loving family but have scaled back a bit. When I do have a steak or hamburger, I also prefer to hear a MOO or two.
I have flank steak that I have taken in and out of the freezer several times. Hopefully, it’s still edible so that I can try your recipe.
Lovely recipe! I love marinades. My flank steak is cooked a bit more rare than yours, but that’s just me.
This marinade is so flavorful! This will be our go-to from now on!
This was really a huge hit at my house!! It is so easy to make and tastes so good!
I’m actually making this again tonight! It’s our favorite marinade! Thanks so much for the recipe!
Flank steak is a favorite at our house! I love this easy marinade. It is a go-to for steak for me. Easy, no fuss, and adds so much flavor!
Grilling season is in full steam down here and I’d love one of these steaks but with just a tad less moo. My father-in-law eats his steak blue – too raw for me. I know I’ll like this marinade.
Lizzy,
I haven’t had flank steak in eons. Your recipe looks delicious.
Annamaria
Sounds delish!
Good luck to Nick! Your steak looks great, and I always have those ingredients on hand too.
Looks like an amazing dinner! I know my hubby will love this. 🙂
We grill flank steak often and I must try your marinade next time – so easy and it sounds so flavorful!
Senior year is something to celebrate! Hope he has a fantastic one! (I freeze my ginger root and it is always ready to go and keeps virtually forever—or until I use it all!)
What a nice juicy steak!
The steak is so perfectly grilled! I am jealous that you can still find green asparagus at this time of year.
This steak looks so pretty in pink! Perfectly cooked and love easy and delicious recipes like this one – that marinade sounds great and handy to have these ingredients.
I have never had this kind of steak it sure sounds very flavorful!
Grilling by season is never over unless the Q is covered in shoulder-high snow! Flank steak is one of our favourites, so tender when grilled as perfectly as your was. We just had a Wagu flank at Sopra in Lake Geneva that was excellent.
I keep ginger in the freezer, no need to peel, just grate using a microplane and you’re good to go. It really is an excellent way to always have fresh ginger around.
Sounds like a great marinade, it truly does use items that are always on hand:@)
Liz, I LOVE nothing more than some grilled steak. Yours looks delicious! And perfect, as asparagus is in season downunder! xx
Ooh this steak looks delicious. I love the easy marinade. I’ve never actually cooked flank steak. In fact steak, well beef actually is kind of my nemesis. For years AND years I’ve struggled to cook a decent beef roast, although that is now improving. My poor hubby has had to put up with a few well done steaks, he prefers them medium-rare! I’m getting better though. This recipe is a must try, I’m not sure I could achieve rare, medium-rare is more likely! Great post as always. Sammie x