Marinade for Grilled Flank Steak

👨‍🍳How to marinade and grill flank steak

Start by trimming the flank steak of any visible fat.

Mix marinade in a 1-gallon ZipLock bag or non-reactive container. Add steak and refrigerate—marinade for a minimum of 2 hours for flavor. For tenderness, you want 6-8 hours minimum, but up to 12 hours is best.

Cut cross-grain about ¼ inch thick. Serve hot over greens, in steak fajitas, or tacos.

Use on a salad, in a taco, or fajitas.

For more details, keep reading. See the Recipe Card below for complete instructions and to print.

✔️Tips

• Due to the vinegar, the maximum marinade is 12 hours, or the meat may be mushy from over-marinading.
• Flank steak needs to be cooked to a rare or medium-rare level and no higher than 135°. If you want your beef not to be red, don't buy flank steak.
• You must use an instant-read or meat thermometer to not overcook the flank steak.
• Be sure to let the steak rest for 5-10 minutes after grilling before cutting.
• Cutting cross-grain is a must, or you will be chewing a lot. Slice to a thickness of ¼ inch.
• You need about ⅓ pound of meat per serving.

🥣About Marinades

Marinades are used for two things: to add flavors to the meat. But more importantly, the acid in the marinade will break down the meat's muscle fibers, giving more tender results even for tougher lean beef, like flank steak.

A marinade will add flavor to the surface of the meat, and the salt will help pull fluid with it to add great flavor to the meat. Water-soluble flavors like garlic and soy work exceptionally well for this. Other flavors like ginger and rosemary can also be added.

Sugars like honey or brown sugar frequently will help intensify the browning of the meat, adding a Maillard reaction for even more flavors.

Related recipes

For other ways to flavor steaks, check out simple beef kabob marinade or the more complex Steak Kabob Marinade. And don't miss the change of pace coffee steak rub.

Check out other grilled steak recipes, like Grilled NY Strip Steaks, Grilled Porterhouse Steaks, Grilled Filet, and Grilled Ribeyes.

🍴How to Serve Marinaded Grilled Flank Steak

This is great on a salad due to the intense flavor. Serving with fries, potato salad, or pasta like mac and cheese are popular choices. But also grilled side dishes, like Grilled Mixed Vegetables, Grilled Baked Potatoes with No Foil, and Grilled Pineapple.

If used for Mexican, like fajitas or tacos, serve with fresh cilantro, some lime juice

What to do with leftover flank steak

Store leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for 4 days or freeze for 3 months. Reheat in the oven on a tray covered with aluminum foil.

❓FAQs

🐄About Flank Steak

Flank steak is located on the belly of the cow near the rear legs. The skirt steak is located just in front of the flank. The flank is leaner and has a finer grain than the skirt steak. While often confused, they are not the same. Flank steak is also occasionally called “London Broil.”

Flank is a very lean cut of meat and is generally used for grilling, roasting, or broiling. It can become tough rapidly if overcooked and should never be cooked more than medium.

It is usually cooked by searing at high temperatures to rare or slightly more and cut across the grain to help tenderness. If cooked correctly, it is a tender and delicious cut of beef.

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