Tender Marinated Flank Steak
An easy soy sauce marinade plus quick, hot cooking and proper slicing turns affordable flank steak into a tender, flavorful dinner that's easy enough for a weeknight and good enough for company.
Servings: 6
Calories: 230kcal
Cost: Varies
Equipment
- Large zip-top bag or covered nonreactive dish
- Outdoor grill
- Instant-read meat thermometer
- Cutting board
- Sharp knife
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cloves fresh garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon minced onion
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 beef flank steak 1 1/2 to 2 pounds, or cut of choice
Instructions
- In a bowl, mix the soy sauce, brown sugar, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, onion, ginger and pepper. If you want some marinade for a sauce later, set a portion aside now, before the raw steak goes in.
- Put the steak in a large zip-top bag or covered nonreactive dish. Pour the marinade over it and seal or cover.
- Refrigerate for several hours or overnight, turning once or twice if you think of it. Overnight is plenty.
- Take the steak out and let the excess marinade drip off. Throw out the used marinade.
Grill:
- Heat the grill to high. Grill the steak, turning once, about 7 to 8 minutes per side, until a thermometer reads at least 145°F. Thickness varies, so go by the thermometer, not the clock.
Broiler:
- Set an oven rack a few inches below the broiler and preheat. Cook on a broiler-safe pan, turning once, until it reaches 145°F. Stay close, because flank cooks fast.
Skillet:
- Heat a heavy skillet over medium-high to high heat. Pat the steak lightly so it isn’t dripping, then cook, turning once, until browned and 145°F inside. Cut a large steak in half so it doesn’t crowd the pan.
- Rest the steak for at least 3 minutes. Don’t skip this one.
- Find the long lines of muscle fiber. Slice thinly across them, on a slight diagonal.
Notes
Yield: About 1 cup of marinade.
Don’t overdo the marinating. Longer isn’t better. Marinade works near the surface, and too long in acid leaves the outside mushy.
The slicing matters most. Cutting against the grain turns long, chewy fibers into short ones.
Soy allergy? Bragg Liquid Aminos is a good swap. It isn’t soy, but it looks and tastes a lot like soy sauce. I get mine at Costco, and Coco Aminos is also available on Amazon.
Other swaps: Worcestershire sauce works in place of soy sauce (thanks, John L.). It changes the saltiness, so taste and adjust.
Safety tip: Marinade that touched raw meat must be brought to a full boil before you use it as a sauce. Easier fix: set some aside before the steak goes in.
More marinades: How to Make Flank Steak Tender, Juicy and Delicious
Nutrition
Serving: 2tbsp | Calories: 230kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 68mg | Sodium: 1142mg | Potassium: 462mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 2IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 2mg
