Grilled Flat Iron Steak with Chimichurri Sauce
Grilled Flat Iron Steak with Chimichurri Sauce is a fun twist on steak cooked on the grill and we loved this for a tasty dinner! And if you haven’t tried serving grilled steak with Chimichurri, you have to try this herb-loaded sauce for beef; see tips if you don’t want to use cilantro!
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Grilled Flat Iron Steak with Chimichurri Sauce is an easy but impressive recipe that would be a treat to make for Father’s Day! And this tasty steak with the perfect herb sauce for beef is a dish that will impress anyone you make it for.
It was my butcher who first recommended I try Flat Iron Steak, telling me he was sure I’d like it. And I got interested when the butcher told me this cut of beef didn’t need to be marinated and was perfect for grilling. At that time Flat Iron Steak wasn’t that well-known, but now I see it at Costco during the summer months! And I know steak is more expensive these days. But flat iron steak is less expensive than premium cuts of beef that are usually cooked on the grill.
I’ve been making Grilled Flat Iron steak for years now! And steak with Chimichurri Sauce is one of my go-to recipes to make for dinner guests. I hope you try it soon if you like the sound of this dish!
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What ingredients do you need for this recipe?
(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe with ingredient amounts.)
- Flat Iron Steak
- Szeged Steak Rub (affiliate link) or Sugar-Free Montreal Steak Seasoning
- finely chopped cilantro leaves (about 1 cup before chopping)
- finely chopped flat leaf parsley leaves (about 1 cup before chopping)
- Minced Garlic (affiliate link)
- fresh-squeezed lemon juice, I used my fresh-frozen lemon juice
- Red Wine Vinegar (affiliate link)
- Aleppo Pepper (affiliate link) or other hot red pepper flakes
- ground cumin (affiliate link)
- Olive Oil (affiliate link)
What is Flat Iron Steak?
The Flat Iron Steak is a long thin piece of meat, sometimes called a top blade steak because it comes from the top of the blade chuck roast. Under the label on the piece of meat I bought the first time I tried it, it said, “You have just purchased a great new steak! The Flat Iron is cut from sections of larger roasts using a new cutting method. It is so tender, other than the tenderloin, you won’t find a more tender steak.”
Is Flat Iron Steak expensive?
I discovered this cut of meat back when it wasn’t as well known or expensive as it is now, but it’s still a good buy compared to most steak that’s suitable for grilling. And if you shop at Costco, you can find it there!
What is the Chimichurri Sauce we served with Flat Iron Steak?
Chimichurri Sauce is a South American condiment for beef that’s based on fresh herbs, garlic, and lemon juice or vinegar. It’s sometimes called Argentinian Pesto. In our version of Chimichurri we started with a generous amount of chopped cilantro and chopped flat-leaf parsley. Then we added several tablespoons of finely-minced fresh garlic. This sauce is good on any kind of grilled meat, but it’s traditionally served on beef.
Can you make Chimichurri Sauce without cilantro?
I know a green herby sauce that has a lot of cilantro won’t appeal to some people. But Chimichurri Sauce can be made to taste, so just use the herbs you prefer. I think mint or basil could replace the cilantro, or use all parsley if you like.
How to make Grilled Flat Iron Steak without an outdoor grill:
If you don’t have an outdoor grill, this can be cooked on a Stovetop Grill Pan (affiliate link) or a George Foreman Grill (affiliate link) with good results. (Remember the George Foreman Grill cooks both sides at once, so adjust the cooking time.)
How low in carbs is Grilled Flat Iron Steak?
This tasty grilled steak with fresh herb sauce has only 3 net carbs per serving with 44 grams of protein!
How to Make Grilled Flat Iron Steak with Chimichurri Sauce:
(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)
- These nicely chopped herbs and garlic show that Jake has great chopping skills, but you could also use a Food Processor (affiliate link) to make the Chimichurri Sauce.
- We mixed the sauce ingredients together and let flavors blend while we cooked the meat.
- I used Szeged Steak Rub (affiliate link) to season the steak, but my homemade Montreal Steak Seasoning would also be great.
- Let the steak come to room temperature while you pre-heat the grill.
- Cooking time will depend on the thickness of the meat, and how well done you like it. I cooked mine not quite 12 minutes for medium rare.
- If you have one, I recommend using an Instant Read Meat Thermometer (affiliate link) to check the temperature of meat on the grill.
- Here are the recommended temperatures for beef: Rare (Cool red center) 125 F/51C,; Medium-Rare (Warm red center) 135F/54C, Medium (Rosy pink center) 145F62C.
- Be sure to let the meat rest for a few minutes before you cut it.
- Slice the Grilled Flat Iron Steak against the grain and serve the sliced meat with Chimichurri Sauce.
Make it a Low-Carb Meal:
For a tasty low-carb meal, you could serve Grilled Flatiron Steak with Chimichurri with any of these low-carb side dishes:
- Grilled Zucchini
- Marinated Fresh Mozzarella with Herbs
- Sugar Snap Pea Salad
- Spinach Salad with Bacon and Feta
- Cucumber Salad with Balsamic Dressing.
More ideas for Beef on the Grill:
Check out Grilling Recipes for Beef, Pork, or Lamb to see lots more ideas for cooking meat on the grill!
Grilled Flat Iron Steak with Chimichurri Sauce
Grilled Flatiron Steak with Chimichurri Sauce is wonderful for a special meal cooked on the grill.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lb. piece Flat Iron Steak
- 1 T Steak Rub (see notes)
Chimichurri Sauce Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro leaves (about 1 cup before chopping)
- 1/2 cup finely chopped flat leaf parsley leaves (about 1 cup before chopping)
- 2 T minced garlic
- 3 T fresh lemon juice
- 2 tsp. red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp. Aleppo pepper flakes (see notes)
- 1 tsp. ground cumin
- 1/2 cup olive oil
Instructions
- Take the steak out of the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before cooking, rub with steak rub, and let it come to room temperature.
- Wash cilantro leaves and parsley leaves and dry with paper towel or spin dry in salad spinner.
- Finely chop the cilantro, parsley, and garlic, either by hand or in a food processor with steel blade.
- Put ingredients into a bowl and add lemon juice, red wine vinegar, Aleppo Pepper (affiliate link)Â and cumin and stir to combine.
- Then stir in olive oil until mixture is well blended, and let sit at room temperature at least 15 minutes before serving.
- To cook steak, preheat gas or charcoal grill to medium-high heat. (You can only hold your hand there for 2-3 seconds at that temperature.)
- Put steak on grill at an angle. After about 3-4 minutes, or when you see nice grill marks starting, rotate 45 degrees and cook 3-4 minutes more on first side.
- Turn steak over and cook on the second side until the meat is done to your liking.
- I cooked my steak just under 12 minutes total for medium rare, but cooking time will depend on the heat of your grill, the temperature of the meat, and even the weather.
- If you have one, I recommend using an Instant Read Meat Thermometer (affiliate link) to check the temperature of meat on the grill.
- Here are the recommended temperatures: Rare (Cool red center) 125 F/51C, Medium-Rare (Warm red center) 135F/54C, Medium (Rosy pink center) 145F62C
- When meat is done to your liking, remove from grill and let rest for 5 minutes, then cut into thin slices across the grain
- Serve the Grilled Flat Iron Steak hot, with Chimichurri sauce spooned over or on the side.
Notes
I'm a fan of Szeged Steak Rub (affiliate link).
If you don't want to buy steak rub, make my Sugar-Free Montreal Steak Seasoning.
If you don't have Aleppo Pepper (affiliate link), just use a smaller amount of cayenne pepper.
Recipe created by Kalyn. The grilling instructions came from the meat package and the Chimichurri Sauce was inspired by many other recipes around the web.
Nutrition Information
Yield
4Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 645Total Fat 50gSaturated Fat 13gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 33gCholesterol 145mgSodium 145mgCarbohydrates 4gFiber 1gSugar 1gProtein 44g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.
Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
Grilled Flat Iron Steak with Chimichurri Sauce is a perfect main dish for low-carb or Keto diets, or for any phase of the original South Beach Diet. For the South Beach Diet, they recommend choosing meat with not more than 10% fat; other diets won’t care about that.
Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Grilling Recipes to find more recipes like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find more recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.
Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This recipe for Grilled Flatiron Steak was first posted in 2007 when Flat Iron Steak was a new thing on the grilling scene. Since then I have made it many, many times! It was updated with better photos in 2013 and last updated with more information in 2026.
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43 Comments on “Grilled Flat Iron Steak with Chimichurri Sauce”
This is really a very good site for spicy food. I follow your site. I like it very much. These are very tasty food. Give the gift of better food in front.
Thank you so much for this recipe! We tried it with our grass fed flat iron steaks and it was delicious! I’m going to share this recipe in our next newsletter! I’ll link it back to here. Thanks again!
So glad you enjoyed it. I’m a huge fan of flat-iron steak!
Heidi, I have to admit, I don't take especially good care of them! I have some oil I bought at Ikea especially for cutting boards, but I only use it on them once or twice a year!
Kayln, I've tried searching, but can't find anything….could you tell me how you care for your wooden cutting boards? I see that Jake chopped garlic on one in this post, plus you have the steak on one….how exactly do you care for yours? Thanks in advance! Heidi
Toni, you could cook this on a stove-top grill pan with ridges (highly recommended; I love it for winter) or under the broiler. You'd have to experiment to see how the timing would be different, but I don't think it would take much longer than the grill.
Hello!
I was wondering if there are alliterative options from cooking it on a grill? I don't have a grill but would love to try this recipe! Anyone have suggestions?
Thank you!
Thanks Anne! I am a huge fan of flat-iron steak, and not just for the lower price. It's such a delicious cut. And when I have a good recipe like this with a sub-par photo it's such a great feeling to be able to improve it!
(That was Anne, by the way, heh!)
Just found this gem – love the info on flat-iron steak (I'm still somewhat new to red meat, so this is really helpful!), and also have to add a heartfelt WOW on the photography growth! Truly gorgeous . . . and inspiring.
We make flat iron steak regularly. Can't wait to try your Chimichurri sauce.
This is awesome – chimichurri is one of our favorite ways to dress a steak. It's funny – it was one of the first posts we did as well, and I don't think the pictures really showed it off that great either. May be time to do it again.
Flank steak is a great option – but when we do this we usually use skirt steak. If you've never had it, definitely give it a try! I think it's got a slightly meatier flavor that really blends well with the chimichurri.
Thanks Susan. I am better, but still not feeling great, ugh.
This looks so good, Kalyn. The new photos are great. I pinned one yesterday and people immediately started repinning it like crazy. Hope you're feeling better. 🙂
I love to make chimichurri sauce in the summer, when my garden parsley is abundant, and I'm a sucker for pretty much any beef cooked on the grill. Love seeing the old photos!
I am going to have to look for one. It sounds delicious!
Sam, we were writing comments at the same time! I do think you can make this sauce in a variety of ways. And even though I am such a cilantro lover, this is one sauce where I agree that it would be optional.
I am so tired of being sick; really getting stir-crazy! Thanks for the good wishes.
Hi Anna,
Not sure why that is because I've made it many times, always with good results. I wonder if you're starting out with the grill too hot. I wouldn't use heat above medium-high, or even medium if your grill runs hot. I think starting with the meat at room temperature is also important. Hope that helps!
PS – I always use parsley not cilantro, as I have a cilantro-hater in the house!
we have an approximation of this dish regularly at home. I used to follow a recipe for the sauce but now I just make a version with whatever I have to hand. It's always great with steak. I usually use skirt steak for mine. Cheap, quick and easy to grill and always tasty. I hope you feel better soon, Kalyn, sorry this illness is being so persistent.
That looks great, but there must be some secret to it because I literally can't make a flat-iron steak that doesn't end up with the texture of shoe leather.
Anne, welcome. Glad you like the blog. Not sure what this cut might be called in other places, but it's excellent.
hmm… this looks really delicious. Sad to say "flat iron steak" isn't available here, or maybe it has a different name, I've got to look for this and try to make this recipe. Thanks for sharing. This is my first visit to your blog and I like it.
I bought the flatiron steak at Smith’s Food King (Kroger) in Salt Lake. I’ve seen it there regularly since then and have cooked it a few more times, always with good results. I never thought about it until now, but I don’t think I’ve seen it at Albertson’s or Costco, the other two places I buy meat.
i have been looking for the flat iorn steak that you used and i have not been able to find it. do you mind me asking where you purchased it?
I haven’t tried chimichurri sauce with cilantro. I make my chimichurri steak marinade with most of the ingredients you use except I use oregano instead of cilantro. I marinate a one to two pound sirloin steak. I find this to be more tender than flank steak. Try this Chimichurri Flank Steak Avacado Sandwich Recipe. The first time my wife and I ate this we felt like we were being served gourmet sandwiches, and we had made them. We liked them so much that we made them at a party for our family and they all liked the recipe too.
Eliza, I liked it a lot. I’d definitely buy it again.
Hi Kaylin,
my grocery store just had an ad for this & I’d like to try this type of steak, seems like it’s fairly new in the market.
Cherri, how cool! And I’m very happy to hear people are learning things from what I’m also learning myself. (I am a teacher, remember, so it’s perfect!)
My local store had these on sale the day you posted your recipe. What luck!! Great recipe and great meat find.
You educate me all the time.
Kelly, this Chimichurri with the cilantro isn’t traditional, but I loved it.
Kirsten, I loved it too.
Kristen,I think you’d like it. It was so tender, especially for the price.
Lisa, you have hit the big time. (What a laugh, as if a link on my blog was the big time.) Let me know how you like your Flat Iron Steak when you try it.
Bert, good to know. We’re getting Whole Foods in Utah sometime in the near future.
Whole Foods here in Virginia has flat iron steaks.
Hey, thanks for another link to CT! I feel like I’ve hit the big time!
Coincidentally, I’m pretty sure I have a flat iron steak from Stan, our local farmer, in the freezer. Two weeks ago I noticed it on his list at the market and asked about it, then ended up buying one. I’m happy to hear it was tender and nice.
This cut of meat has really been in a lot of cooking magazines lately. I must give it a try.
This recipe looks so good!
My boyfriend and I can’t get enough of the flat iron steaks – but oddly, only a few stores carry them in Arizona, and when traveling we often can’t find it at all.
It is SO lean and tender (and affordable), it does cause us to eat red meat a lot more often. 🙂
The chimichurri is beautiful and looks delicious!
I’m always happy to find more ways to use cilantro. It’s such a great herb, but I have a had time using a single bunch.
Jeanne, thanks. This was the first time I’ve noticed it here too.
Katerina, I think traditional Chimichurri sauce only has parsley, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, and hot pepper sauce. The cilantro is a variation. I loved it, and it’s been on my “must make” list for a long time now.
Lydia, it was really good.
CC – Maybe I can pick up that magazine in the airport. It’s something I definitely don’t know much about. BTW, I did see the recipe for Chimol and thought it sounded fantastic. I even included it in a piece I wrote for Blogher about radishes.
Mrs. L, they are all a little different, but I think they could be used in similar ways. I do think the Flat Iron Steak is more tender than the other two. If you read the Wikipedia entries on skirt steak and hanger steak, they both come from the same part of the cow, but Flat Iron Steak comes from the chuck.
Cooking Ninja, it was great. Do try it, and let us know what you think.
mmm…that looks delicious. The sauce looks yummy. I’ll have to try it out.
Flat Iron Steak. Hanger Steak. Skirt Steak. Are they all similar and can you substitute one for the other? We have skirt steak all the time and the sauce sounds like it would go well with it.
Take a look at this month’s Saveur for a tutorial on the various steak cuts. I learned a lot.
Looks like you grilled your meat perfectly, Kalyn.
(Oh, and for another steak “salsa,” check out the Chimol at Tea and Cookies.)
I don’t think I’ve seen Flat Iron Steak in the markets here — or maybe I just haven’t noticed. Anyway, I’m going to look for it now — this recipe sounds delicious.
Thats funny, the first thing I thought when I read this title was – Flank Steak?
I can’t believe I have yet to make chimichurri sauce. It is based on cilantro! This is going on the to do list.
Mmmmm. This looks wonderful and the salsa sounds gorgeous. I have only ever seen a flatiron steak on US menus and definitely not in the supermarkets here in England. I might go and ask a proper butcher (or maybe it goes under a different name here!) as my husband would love to try one 🙂