Marinated Flank Steak

Make the best steak of your life with this top-rated recipe. A complex, savory flank steak marinade ensures perfectly tender and juicy beef every time.

What Is Flank Steak?

Flank steak is a lean cut of beef that comes from the cow's lower abdominal muscles. It's a relatively tough cut that's low in fat, which means a few things: Flank steak doesn't need to be trimmed, it's inexpensive compared to other cuts, and it benefits greatly from marination.

Flank Steak vs. Skirt Steak

Flank and skirt steaks are similar in a lot of ways, but they do have notable differences. Skirt steak comes from the diaphragm of the cow, while flank steak comes from the lower abdomen. Also, skirt steak is fattier and has more marbling than flank steak. Flank steak is thicker and wider.

Flank Steak Substitute

No flank steak? No problem. Skirt steak is a great substitute. Top round and hanger steak are also excellent options.

Flank Steak Marinade

This crowd-pleasing flank steak marinade consists of the following ingredients: vegetable oil, soy sauce, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, garlic, and ground black pepper.

As long as you marinate the flank steak in the fridge for two to six hours, you'll have great results. However, for the absolute best results, marinate overnight or up to 12 hours.

How to Cook Flank Steak

There are plenty of ways to perfectly cook a flank steak. In this recipe, the steak is grilled — we love the bold, smoky flavor the grill gives the meat. But you can also easily cook your flank steak in the oven or on the stove. You'll find the step-by-step recipe for marinated and grilled flank steak below, but here are some rough guidelines for three different flank steak cooking methods:

• On the grill: Season and marinate the steak according to your recipe. Preheat a lightly oiled outdoor grill to medium-high heat. Remove the steak from the marinade, shake off excess liquid, and grill on each side to desired doneness. The steak is done when a meat thermometer inserted into the center reads between 130 degrees F and 145 degrees F.
• In the oven: Season and marinate the steak according to your recipe. Remove the steak from the marinade, shake off excess liquid, and arrange the steaks in a baking dish lined with aluminum foil. Bake until a meat thermometer inserted into the center of the steak reads between 130 degrees F and 145 degrees F.
• On the stove: Season and marinate the steak according to your recipe. Sear the steaks in a cast-iron skillet until lightly browned on the bottom, then flip to the other side and repeat. Finish the steaks in a preheated oven. Bake until a meat thermometer inserted into the center of the steak reads between 130 degrees F and 145 degrees F.

How Long to Cook a Flank Steak

It depends on the degree of doneness you're after. This marinated flank steak should be totally cooked after about 5 minutes of grilling time on each side. Of course, tastes and preferences will vary.

What to Serve With Marinated Flank Steak

Pair your marinated flank steak with a side salad, grilled or roasted veggies, or something starchy (such as mashed potatoes or French fries). In need of a little inspiration? Check out our collection of the 20 Best Side Dishes for Steak. Here are a few of the recipes you’ll find:

• Wedge Salad With Elegant Blue Cheese Dressing
• Grilled Sweet Potato Wedges
• Saut?ed Swiss Chard with Parmesan Cheese

Cookdap Community Tips and Praise

"I’ve made this twice and it was wonderful both times," says gertrong. "Each time I marinated the meat for 24 hours and ended up with a wonderful flavor and very tender meat."

"Easy to prepare and pretty tender," according to one Cookdap community member. "As another reviewer suggested, I boiled the remaining marinade until it thickened into a nice sauce and drizzled a little over the meat and added some butter sauteed mushrooms. Looked fancy and tasted wonderful!"

"This recipe was so easy and tasted FANTASTIC," raves DUBYANGE. "I always love to marinade meat in Italian dressing but this takes the cake. Luckily we ate it all because if there was any left, I would have kept eating it. Way to go on this easy, great tasting recipe. I wouldn’t change a thing."