This delicious flank steak marinade incorporates soy sauce, honey, citrus, aromatics and more, to leave you with a tender and juicy grilled flank steak. Paired with an easy basil cilantro chimichurri recipe, this marinated flank steak recipe will be your go-to all summer long.
Marinade ingredients
I don’t ever marinate other cuts of red meat such as filets or new york strips, because they are beautifully tender and delicious on their own. Flank steak and skirt steak benefit from being marinated, by tenderizing as well as absorbing marinade flavors so well.
Why this steak marinade works
The base of the marinade is low sodium soy sauce, soy sauce enhances the flavor of the beef as well as salting it at the same time. Also in the marinade is: honey, which adds a nice glaze to the outside of the steak. Lemon, acid is key in marinades to help tenderize beef. Also in the marinade is fresh oregano, red pepper flakes, Worcestershire sauce, olive oil, and roughly chopped garlic.
What is flank steak
Flank steak comes from the chest of the cow, also referred to as the ‘bib’. Flank stead is very lean, so you have to take care not to overcook/dry it out when grilling. Marinating the flank steak will assist keeping it tender and moist. For the flank steak since it’s pretty thick, I take a fork to it and stab it a few times to allow the marinade to penetrate deeply into the meat. This marinade recipe can also be used with skirt steak as well.
How long to marinade flank steak
I recommend marinating the flank steak for minimum 2 hours, up to 24 hours. The longer you marinate the flank steak, the more tender and flavorful it will be. If your marinade doesn’t cover the entire steak, flip it over halfway through so both sides get submerged in the marinade.
Chimichurri
Chimichurri is an uncooked sauce, typically served over meat. Traditionally it is parsley based, but you can use any combination of fresh herbs. I used a combination of basil and cilantro. With the fresh herbs is: garlic, fresno chiles, olive oil, red wine vinegar, and a splash of lemon.
The chimichurri is bright, acidic, and tastes amazing over any grilled meat or even vegetables. Set aside until the meat is ready.
Grilling and flank steak temperature
Since flank steak is so lean, you want to aim for medium rare when cooking it or medium at most. For medium rare you are looking for a temperature of 130F-135F. A lot of elements play into cook time, so save yourself the guessing and use a meat thermometer. Our temp was 135F degrees Fahrenheit (medium would be 140F-145F).
Let your steak rest
Let the flank steak rest for 10 minutes before you start cutting it. If you cut into it immediately, all the juices will flow out of the steak. Resting it allows these juices to settle within the steak.
Slicing “against the grain”
When cutting flank steak or skirt steak, you want to slice against the grain. “The Grain” are the muscle fibers in the meat, if you cut with it then the meat will be very tough. By cutting through it, the meat will be tender. As you can see in the picture above, the grain are those lines you see in the meat.
Top with the Chimichurri sauce and enjoy! The combination of the two merry perfectly to create a flavorful dish.
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Marinated Flank Steak with Chimichurri
This delicious flank steak marinade incorporates soy sauce, honey, citrus, aromatics and more to leave you with a tender and juicy grilled flank steak. Paired with an easy basil cilantro chimichurri recipe, this marinated flank steak recipe will be your go-to all summer long.
Ingredients
Marinade
- 1 flank steak (about 1 ½-2 pounds)
- 1 cup low sodium soy sauce
- ½ cup olive oil
- 8 cloves garlic, smashed and roughly chopped
- 3 tbsp low sodium Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
- handful of fresh oregano, roughly chopped
- 2 tsp red pepper flakes
Basil Cilantro Chimichurri
- 1 cup chopped fresh basil (or can use traditional parsley)
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp of lemon juice
- 1 fresno chile, seeded and chopped
- pinch of kosher salt
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine all the marinade ingredients and whisk together to combine. Take the flank steak and using a fork, stab it a few times on both sides to ensure marinade penetrates deeply. In a large Tupperware that fits the steak, place the flank steak and then pour the marinade in. Spoon marinade over the top of the steak. Place in fridge and marinate for minimum 2 hours to 24 hours, flipping the steak halfway through.
- Once the steak is done marinating, preheat your grill to 450F for 15 minutes.
- Cook the flank steak on each side for 4-6 minutes, depending on the temperature you desire. Flank steak is recommended to be cooked to medium rare (130F-135F) or most medium (140-145F). Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the middle thickest part.
- Once cooked, remove from grill and allow to rest for 10 minutes before cutting. While the flank steak rests, make the chimichurri. In a small bowl, whisk together all the chimichurri ingredients, taste and adjust salt or acid if needed.
- Slice the flank steak against the grain (see notes) and serve with chimichurri over the top.
Notes
- For medium rare internal temperature should be 130F-135F. For medium temperature should be 140F-145F.
- When cutting flank steak or skirt steak, you want to slice against the grain. "The Grain" are the muscle fibers in the meat, if you cut with it then the meat will be very tough. By cutting through it, the meat will be tender. As you can see in the picture above, the grain are those lines you see in the meat.
- This recipe can also be used with skirt steak, the cook time will be cut in half due to it's thinner nature of the beef.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 354Total Fat: 27gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 7mgSodium: 89mgCarbohydrates: 18gFiber: 4gSugar: 11gProtein: 14g
*Note: Nutrition information is an estimate. Values vary based on different brands and ingredients*
Almost correctly guessed your preparation for the Flank Steak compared to my earlier guess!
❤️ Love what ya doing, keep up the great work GWTIC ?