Who doesn’t love a good steak? I know I do! For a leaner cut, I absolutely love flank steak. It’s such a great one to grill up and enjoy in salads, sandwiches, or chopped up for tacos. This marinated flank steak is by far one of the tastiest ones we’ve made to date. You get all the juicy flavor of a good steak that fits well within your macros.
Best Marinated Flank Steak
Flank steak is one of those meals that seems kind of fancy, and yet it’s one of the easiest to make. Flank steak is a great cut of meat when you’re counting macros. It’s super lean and super tasty when prepped in a flavorful marinade. I’ve made a few flank steaks in my day, and I’m pretty positive that this one is the BEST. No lie. It comes out super delish and I just love it for a variety of meals.
Flank Steak Marinade
This flank steak marinade is the shining star of the recipe. Flank steak is super lean, meaning it can be a bit tough or chewy if not prepared correctly. One of the best ways to add flavor and to tenderize the meat is by marinating it! And this marinade for flank steak is the best of the best. Here’s what you need to make it:
- Parsley
- Cilantro
- Red or white onion
- Minced garlic (I love using Dorot frozen garlic cubes to quickly grab and go!)
- Red wine vinegar
- Grainy dijon mustard
- Worcestershire sauce
- Brown sugar
- Olive oil
- Ground cumin
- Chili powder
- Onion powder
- Kosher salt
How to Marinate Flank Steak
Let’s start out by talking about this marinade and how to get your steak perfectly marinated.
Grab everything you’ll need to make this marinade. Snag your parsley, cilantro, onion (you can use either red or white), garlic, red wine vinegar, grainy Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, olive oil, ground cumin, chili powder, onion powder, and kosher salt.
Once you’ve gathered everything, add all the marinade ingredients to a small food processor or blender and process until pretty smooth. I really love my small food processor from Cuisinart. If you don’t have a food processor, don’t worry. You can also make this marinade in a blender.
From there, you just add the tenderized steak and blended marinade to a large dish or resealable bag to marinate! Marinating the steak in a large dish ensures that the meat is entirely covered while in the fridge, but using a reusable bag makes things easier to clean up. Either way, just make sure to work the marinade around so it’s covering the entire steak.
How Long to Marinate Flank Steak
I recommend marinating the flank steak in the fridge for 2-12 hours. The longer the better, but I understand that sometimes you’re in a pinch and you just need dinner on the table NOW. If you don’t have a ton of time to let this steak marinate, try to give it at least 2 hours in the marinade. The longer it’s in the marinade the more tender the meat is (plus it gives it extra time to get the steak good and flavorful!)
How to Cook Marinated Flank Steak
Okay, time to chat about cooking this tasty marinated flank steak! Here’s how to do it:
- Make the marinade. Follow the instructions above to make the marinade.
- Trim and tenderize the steak. Trim your steak of any excess fat and place the meat between two pieces of plastic wrap or inside a resealable bag. Pound the steak until it is an even thickness using a meat mallet.
- Take the meat out of the fridge. Remove meat from the fridge about 30 minutes before grilling (or while you’re preheating your grill) to bring it closer to room temperature. This really helps it to be more tender after cooking.
- Preheat the grill. Preheat your outdoor OR indoor grill to medium-high heat, (450° F). Before cooking the flank steak, carefully oil your grill. I recommend using oil and paper towels on the grill.
- Season with extra salt and pepper. Right before putting the steak on the grill, sprinkle the meat with a little pepper and a good generous pinch of kosher salt on both sides. Like GENEROUS. (Don’t forget this step!) It helps make more of a crust on your meat and of course adds FLAVOR.
- Grill the flank steak. Place the marinated flank steak on the preheated and oiled grill grates. Grill the steak for about 4-6 minutes per side, or until an internal thermometer reads 130-135° F for medium-rare or around 140° for medium. At our house, we like to pull it off the grill at 130° since it will continue to cook a little as it rests. Grill time will vary depending on the thickness of your steak and the desired level of doneness.
- Rest and enjoy. Remove the steak from the grill to a cutting board. Let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing to make sure you don’t lose any juices when cutting. Make sure you slice your steak into thin strips against the grain (perpendicular to the long strands). This helps your strips to be tender rather than tough and chewy!
Serving Suggestions
This marinated flank steak is great with a side of veggies. I especially love it drizzled with my new favorite dairy-free green sauce or some creamy chimichurri. I already have a few macro-friendly flank steak recipes, but we’re calling this one the best. Ha!
I also love my marinated flank steak in salads and bowls! It’s also perfect in a sandwich with a crispy bun or a fresh veggie-packed wrap. You could also enjoy it with a few yummy sides to make a full dinner. Here are a few sides that would be perfect with this steak:
- Smashed Potatoes With Creamy Chimichurri
- Spring Asparagus Grain Salad
- Spicy Carrot Fries with Lemon Yogurt Sauce
More Flank Steak Recipes
I know this is officially the best marinated flank steak recipe, but if you are interested in other recipes with flank steak here are some of my favorites:
- Sweet Garlic Spiced Grilled Flank Steak
- Rosemary Garlic Flank Steak
- Balsamic Grilled Flank Steak
- Steak Pitas with Romesco and Whipped Herb Feta
- Steak and Arugula Salad
Marinated Flank Steak Recipe
If you end up making this marinated flank steak recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram @lillieeatsandtells. I love seeing how everyone adds their own personality to these dishes!
If you are looking for more quick and easy recipes you can also check out my cookbooks. They’re filled with macro-friendly recipes that your whole family will love.
Best Marinated Flank Steak
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lb flank steak, trimmed of fat (650g)
- kosher salt and pepper to taste (add right before grilling)
Flank Steak Marinade
- ¼ cup fresh parsley (20g)
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro (20g)
- 1 inch chunk red or white onion (50g)
- 6 cloves of garlic, minced (or frozen cubes of Dorot which is always my choice!)
- 3 Tbsp red wine vinegar (45g)
- 2 Tbsp grainy dijon mustard (30g)
- 2 Tbsp Worchestire sauce (30g)
- 2 Tbsp brown sugar (30g)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil (15g)
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 2 tsp kosher salt
Instructions
- Add all flank steak marinade ingredients to a small food processor or blender and process until smooth.
- Trim steak of any excess fat and place between two pieces of plastic wrap or inside a resealable bag. Pound into an even thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin to tenderize the meat.
- Add the tenderized steak and marinade to a large dish or resealable bag and marinate in the fridge for 2-12 hours. Make sure to work the marinade around so it covers the entire steak.
- Remove the meat from the fridge about 30 minutes before grilling (or while preheating the grill) to bring it closer to room temperature. This helps it to be more tender after cooking.
- Preheat your outdoor grill (or indoor grill pan) to medium-high heat, (450 degrees F when lid is closed). Carefully oil your grill using oil and paper towels, or spraying cautiously!
- Sprinkle meat with a little pepper and a generous pinch of kosher salt on both sides. (Don’t forget this step!) Place the steak on the oiled grill grates, and grill for about 4-6 minutes per side, or until an internal thermometer reads 130-135 degrees F for medium rare or around 140 degrees for medium. We like to pull it at 130 since it will continue to cook a little as it rests. Grill time will vary depending on thickness of your steak and desired level of doneness.
- Remove the steak to a cutting board and let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing. Make sure you slice your steak into thin strips against the grain (perpendicular to the long strands). This helps your strips to be tender rather than tough and chewy!
Notes
Nutrition
Tried this recipe?
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I’ve made this multiple times and it’s always a hit. There are times I’ve made it with the Doro frozen caramelized onions or skipped the cilantro or used dried instead of fresh herbs (less than what’s called for to adjust for strength) it’s a flexible and forgiving recipe. I’ve also marinated the steak and frozen it to grill later. No matter what, it’s so good. And the grilling instructions are perfect. I didn’t know I could be a grill master! I cook so much chicken that it’s nice to have a lean beef recipe. My husband loves it.
So flavorful!
Absolutely AMAZING!! I fixed it while family was in town for Christmas and it was a huge hit from the youngest to the oldest.
Was way too sweet 😔 kind of took away from the steak flavor
If no grill is available, can an air fryer or oven be used?
Hi, I’m wondering if you can make this marinade the night before, and then put the steaks in it the next day? Or do you have to make it the same day you will put it on the steak? Thank you!
Yes!
This is my favorite go to marinade for whatever meat I am cooking. Tried it first on flank steak – delicious, and especially love it on chicken thighs too. Really you can’t go wrong using it anywhere. Lillie always has great flavor combinations.
This was delicious!! I didn’t have cilantro/parsley or worchester sauce and the marinade still made this the best flank steak I’ve ever had! It sat in the fridge for about 5 hours before grilling. This is the only way to marinade it – highly recommend!
First time making flank steak and it was delicious!
Made this last night and I can confirm it really is Lillie’s best ever! Will be a rotating staple in my house for sure. The only work is in the marinade but its WORHT IT. Stop thinking about it and just make it.