Marinated Grilled Flank Steak

Marinated Grilled Flank Steak is a dinner that will please any beef lover, and this tasty marinated steak recipe is easy to make. And flank steak is extra low in carbs; enjoy!

PIN the marinated grilled flank steak to try it later!

I first made this Marinated Grilled Flank Steak many years ago when a teacher at my school asked for more beef recipes on the blog. Since then I’ve made this quite a few times, changing the marinade ingredients slightly each time.

Now it’s summer grilling season and this recipe was definitely in need of a photo update, so I’m also updating the post with those photos and a switch to the easier marinade that’s now my favorite for using on flank steak. (If anyone was a fan of the original version, you can still see that recipe here.)

Flank steak is best when it’s cooked medium-rare or less, so if you like your beef well-done this may not be the recipe you want to try. But for anyone who enjoys a good medium-rare steak, this is a real treat for a dinner cooked on the grill. And if you want to duplicate the dinner you see in these new photos, we ate our grilled flank steak with simple Cucumbers Caesar on the side!

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.)

• flank steak
• Szeged Steak Rub (affiliate link), Sugar-Free Montreal Steak Seasoning, or other steak rub of your choice
• Balsamic Vinegar (affiliate link)
• fresh lime juice, I used my fresh-frozen lime juice
• Worcestershire sauce or Gluten-Free Worcestershire Sauce (affiliate link)
• Garlic Powder (affiliate link)
• fresh-ground black pepper
• salt
• Olive Oil (affiliate link)

What is Flank Steak?

Although some people confuse flank steak with Skirt Steak, they are not the same thing. Flank Steak comes from the back abdominal area of the beef, while skirt steak is found closer to the front. Flank steak is a grainy and relatively relatively lean cut of beef that’s best when it’s been marinated, and it’s usually preferred rare or medium rare.

Does grilled flank steak have to be marinated?

Flank steak that’s going to be grilled with greatly benefit from a long marinating time, and we marinated the meat in these pictures over night and cooked it mid-day for about 14 hours total marinating time.

More tips for cooking and serving flank steak:

• Cook flank steak quickly at high or medium-high heat.
• Use an Instant Read Meat Thermometer (affiliate link) and remove the meat from the grill when it reaches about 130F/55C for medium rare. (If you like your meat well-done, then this might not be the recipe for you. Flank steak tastes best and is most tender when it’s cooked rare or medium-rare.)
• Put cooked steak on a plate and cover with foil and let it “rest” for 5-10 minutes.
• Use a sharp serrated or chef’s knife to cut the flank steak into thin slices, cut it on a downward angle.
• Serve hot.

Can you make Marinated Grilled Flank Steak without an Outdoor Grill?

If it’s not quite grilling weather where you live or you don’t have an outdoor grill, you can also cook flank steak on a Stovetop Grill Pan (affiliate link) or a George Foreman Grill (affiliate link) with good results.

How to Make Marinated Grilled Flank Steak:

(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.)

1. The first photo shows the flank steak I bought for $8.99 a pound at my local Kroger store.
2. For the marinade I used the Easy Steak Marinade I got from my former neighbor Carol. Stir together balsamic vinegar, fresh lime juice, Worcestershire sauce (or Gluten-Free Worcestershire Sauce), garlic powder, coarse-ground black pepper, salt, and olive oil.
3. Trim fat if, or if you prefer to keep some fat make small slits in the fat that’s on the edges.
4. Rub meat on both sides with Szeged Steak Rub, Sugar-Free Montreal Steak Seasoning, or other steak rub.
5. Put meat in Ziploc bag, add the marinade, and marinate in refrigerator for at least 8 hours.
6. When you want to cook, drain the meat in a colander, catching the marinade in a bowl if you don’t want it to go down the sink.
7. Let flank steak come to room temperature while you preheat the grill to high heat, about 450-500F or 230-260C.
8. Criss-cross grill marks are not going to show when you cut the flank, but I can’t resist them. Lay the steak on an angle across the grates, and turn heat down to medium-high.
9. Cook steak 3 minutes or until you see grill marks; then rotate and cook about 3 minutes at the opposite angle.
10. Turn steak and cook about 4-5 minutes on the second side, or until meat reaches 130F/55C (for medium rare) on an instant read meat thermometer. If you don’t have a meat thermometer, use the finger test. If you want it quite rare, take it off the grill a bit sooner.
11. When meat reaches the temperature you want, take off the grill and place on a plate, cover with foil, and let rest 5-10 minutes.
12. Then put the steak on a cutting board and use a large serrated knive or chef’s knife to cut thin slices, cutting on a diagonal against the grain.
13. Serve hot. Flank Steak would be great served with Chimichurri Sauce or olive sauce for steak.

Make it a low-carb Meal:

Marinated Grilled Flank Steak would taste great with Asparagus with Gorgonzola, Twice-Baked Cauliflower, Grilled Mushrooms, Air Fryer Artichoke Hearts, or Green Beans with Lemon, Parmesan, and Pine Nuts.

More Steak You Might Like:

• Cuban Flank Steak
• Grilled Flat Iron Steak with Chimichurri
• Pan-Grilled Steak with Olive Sauce

Continue to Content

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Yield: 6 servings

Marinated Grilled Flank Steak

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 11 minutes

Additional Time 15 minutes

Total Time 46 minutes

This Marinated and Grilled Flank Steak dinner is a low-carb meal that will please any beef lover.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs. flank steak (see notes)
• 1-2 T Steak Rub (see notes)
• 2 T balsamic vinegar
• 2 T fresh-squeezed juice (see notes)
• 1 T Worcestershire sauce (gluten-free if needed)
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 2 T olive oil
• more salt and fresh-ground black pepper to season cooked steak

Instructions

1. We bought a piece of flank steak that was just over 1 1/2 lbs. for this recipe, but you can use a slightly bigger piece if you prefer.
2. For the marinade combine balsamic vinegar, fresh lime juice, Worcestershire sauce or Gluten-Free Worcestershire Sauce, garlic powder, coarse-ground black pepper, salt, and olive oil.
3. Trim fat on the edges of the flank steak if needed, or if you prefer to keep some fat make small slits in the fat pieces so the edges don’t curl up on the grill.
4. Rub meat on both sides with Szeged Steak Rub, Sugar-Free Montreal Steak Seasoning, or other steak rub of your choice.
5. Put meat in Ziploc bag, add the marinade, and marinate in refrigerator for at least 8 hours. (I sometimes put it in the fridge at night before I go to bed, then cook for dinner the next day.)
6. When you’re ready to cook drain the meat in a colander, catching the marinade in a bowl if you don’t want it to go down the sink.
7. Let flank steak come to room temperature while you preheat the grill to high heat, about 450-500F or 230-260C.
8. If you want grill marks, lay the steak on an angle across the grill grates, and turn heat down to medium-high if you can adjust it.
9. Cook steak about 3 minutes or until you see grill marks when you lift the edge; then rotate and cook about 3 minutes at the opposite angle.
10. Turn steak over and cook about 4-5 minutes on the second side, or until the meat reaches 130F/55C for medium rare when you test with an instant read meat thermometer. If you don’t have a meat thermometer, use the finger test. (The meat will continue to cook while it rests so if you want it quite rare, take it off the grill a bit sooner.
11. When meat reaches the temperature you want, take it off the grill and place on a plate, cover with foil, and let rest 5-10 minutes
12. Then put the steak on a cutting board and use a large serrated knife or chef’s knife to cut thin slices, cutting on a diagonal against the grain.
13. Serve hot. Flank Steak would be great served with Chimichurri Sauce or olive sauce for steak.

Notes

You can use Szeged Steak Rub (affiliate link), Sugar-Free Montreal Steak Seasoning, or other steak rub of your choice.

I used my fresh-frozen lime juice.

This recipe was updated with Easy Steak Marinade to marinate the flank steak, which is the one I have preferred for many years now.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 385Total Fat: 22gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 130mgSodium: 309mgCarbohydrates: 3gFiber: 0gSugar: 2gProtein: 42g

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.

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Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
Marinated Grilled Flank Steak is great for any type of low-carb or Keto eating plan. I would eat this for any phase of the original South Beach Diet, but for the South Beach Diet the fat should be trimmed.

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 was first posted in 2005! The photos were updated in 2009, and the recipe was updated with my now-preferred easier marinade and new photos in 2023.

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