Grilled Chili Lime Flank Steak

Flank steak is an unusual cut of beef. I don’t care what anyone says. It’s fairly lean, relatively affordable, and its texture has a coarse, chewy appearance. At first glance, you might say, “No thanks, I’ll take the New York Strip!”

But the flank steak, also known as London Broil, is a delicious cut of meat. It cooks quickly, picks up marinades beautifully, and is easy to serve in front of a crowd! You’ve probably eaten it before and never realized it because it’s the most common cut used in fajitas.

You really need a three-pronged approach.

1. Use acid in your marinade. It helps break down proteins in the meat, making it more tender.
2. Flank steak is lean. Like most lean meats, it needs to be prepared quickly and hot!
3. Finally, slice it thinly across the grain of meat, which shortens the muscle fibers and creates a more tender meat bite.

That’s it!

What makes a good flank steak marinade?

Flank steak needs a little acidity to soften the fibrous muscle and add flavor. When you do this, you end up with tender, juicy slices of beef. Skip this step and there’s a good chance you’re chewing shoe leather.

Vinegar and lime juice both go great with flank steaks. I also tested this recipe with buttermilk, but I personally didn’t like it and found the vinegar and lime juice to flavor and tenderize the beef better.

How Long Should I Marinate Flank Steak?

I came across some research that said you shouldn’t marinate flank steaks for more than two hours as it could “burn” or make the meat tough. This is because acid breaks down proteins, and when those proteins break down, too much water is released and the muscle becomes tough.

Marinades in firmer cuts of meat like flank steak really don’t penetrate the tissues as deeply as they do with fish, so you have a little more wiggle room.

I tested this marinade at two hours, and again at eight hours. Both times the meat was tender and flavorful. I tried it after 24 hours too and found the meat a bit tough compared to the others. To be on the safe side, I wouldn’t marinate this overnight.

Can you marinate and freeze flank steak?

Feel free to freeze this steak with the marinade! Prepare the marinade in a ziplock bag, add the steak and flip to coat. Squeeze out as much air as possible, then store in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Remove the steak from the freezer and thaw in a bowl of water a few hours before grilling or the morning before you plan to grill.

How to grill flank steak

Flank steak is an unusually shaped cut, with one end typically up to an inch thicker than the other. This alone can make cooking a challenge, but this is actually a simple problem that can be solved using one of two methods.

• Method 1: Pat it thin. Cover the surface of the steak with parchment or plastic wrap. Then use either a meat mallet or a heavy skillet to pound the thickest part of the steak until it’s closer in size to the thinner parts. Then marinate as directed.
• Method 2: Cook it over two heating zones. Create a hot and warm zone in your gas or charcoal grill. Place the thickest part of the steak on the hot zone and the thinner part on the warm zone. This is my preferred method.

How long to grill flank steak

Lean cuts of meat like flank steak really do taste best when served medium rare. If you cook it to medium-high or beyond, the meat will be tough and chewy rather than juicy and juicy, so reach for Medium Rare even if it’s not your normal range.

Also remember that time is variable. To get a perfectly cooked steak every time, run a meat thermometer through the side of the thickest part of the steak.

• Medium: 8 minutes per side (145°F)
• Medium Rare: 6 to 7 minutes per side (135°F)
• Rare: 5 to 6 minutes per side (125°F)

These times refer to the cooking of the steak in the two-zone process, Not the method of beating the meat thinner. Cooking times may be shorter if you used the pounding method.

Need more grilled meat? Try these!

• This flank steak uses soy sauce.
• Quick and easy grilled steak skewers.
• Grilled Ribeye with Herb Butter Sauce is always a win!
• Looking for a good burger? Try this!
• Burger with mushrooms and Swiss cheese? Yes, please!