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Tender, juicy, and flavorful, this simple Grilled Flank Steak recipe is a family-favorite dinner! A Southern-style bourbon glaze finishes off the sweet-and-savory meat with a nice, crisp, sear. You’ll love the unique marinated flank steak that’s seasoned with Dijon, molasses, and Worcestershire sauce. It’s delicious enough for entertaining, but also easy enough for a quick weeknight dinner!
Marinated Flank Steak
Flank steak might be considered less desirable than pricier cuts like filet mignon and New York strip, but I love this humble beef! It’s ideal for quick family dinners because it’s relatively affordable and easy to work with. It’s thin, so it cooks fast, and it can be prepared in advance. After a few hours in a simple blend of molasses, Dijon mustard, and Worcestershire sauce, the marinated flank steak becomes tender, juicy, and full of flavor!
What is flank steak?
Flank steak is a cut of beef taken from the abdominal muscles or lower chest of a steer. It’s a relatively long and flat piece of meat, which is used in a variety of dishes including London Broil, Asian stir-fries, or as an alternative to skirt steak for fajitas and tacos. While flank steak is an affordable and incredibly lean cut that can be tough when prepared incorrectly, proper treatment and cooking methods transform it into a delicious, tender, juicy piece of beef.
How to Marinate Flank Steak for Tenderness
This marinade, seasoning and bourbon glaze is actually the same treatment that we use for our family’s favorite beef tenderloin on Christmas each year. The kids devour that meat, so I finally realized that I don’t need to wait until we have a fancy, expensive cut like tenderloin to enjoy the flavorful dish. Instead, I can use the same easy marinade, seasoning and glaze on flank steak any day of the year — and the kids just go crazy for it!
Flank steak typically requires additional tenderizing in order to achieve the best flavor, and an acidic marinade is one way to accomplish this. This grilled flank steak marinade is a combination of molasses, Dijon mustard and Worcestershire sauce, which gives the meat a lovely sweet-and-savory flavor. The marinade has just enough acid to tenderize the meat, but not so much that you can’t leave the meat in the marinade overnight. I recommend marinating the flank steak for at least 30 minutes, but longer is really best — and up to 24 hours will be fine.
Ingredients
This is just a quick overview of the ingredients that you’ll need for the grilled flank steak. As always, specific measurements and complete cooking instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post.
- Flank steak: typically weighs about 1 ½ – 2 lbs. and serves about 4-6 people.
- Worcestershire sauce, molasses and Dijon mustard: for the marinade.
- Garlic powder, kosher salt and pepper: for the simple dry rub.
- Bourbon, Dijon mustard and light brown sugar: for the glaze.
- Oil: for brushing onto the meat to prevent sticking. I recommend a neutral-tasting oil with a high smoke point, such as canola oil or vegetable oil.
How to Grill Flank Steak
The best grilled flank steak involves four simple steps: a marinade, a dry rub, a hot grill and a sweet glaze at the end. You’ll want to allow plenty of time for the meat to marinate, but the actual cooking process is incredibly quick!
- Marinate the flank steak in a combination of Worcestershire sauce, molasses and Dijon mustard for at least 30 minutes (or up to 24 hours).
- Prepare the dry rub by combining the garlic powder, salt and pepper.
- Wipe the excess marinade off of the meat.
- Press the dry rub into the meat on both sides.
- Let the flank steak sit at room temperature for at least 20-30 minutes before grilling. This will help it cook more evenly.
- Lightly brush or spray the steak with oil on both sides.
- Grill the steak (covered) over high direct heat (about 450° F) for about 5 minutes. Flip the steak over and continue to grill for about 3-4 more minutes (covered).
- Baste with the bourbon glaze during the final few minutes.
- Let the meat rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing and serving.
How to Cut
When you look at a flank steak, you’ll notice long, thin fibers running through the meat. For tender meat, it’s important to slice the flank steak thinly “against the grain,” or perpendicular to these long thin lines. Otherwise, if you slice in the same direction as the long, thin fibers, you’ll end up with unpleasantly chewy steak.
What to Serve with Grilled Flank Steak
This versatile meat pairs nicely with just about any of your favorite sides. Taking a cue from the Southern-inspired bourbon glaze, here are a few of our top picks:
- Buttermilk Biscuits, Cheese Biscuits or Drop Biscuits
- Hoe Cakes or Hush Puppies
- Crusty French Baguette, No-Knead Dutch Oven Bread, Soft Dinner Rolls or Homemade Crescent Rolls
- 3-Ingredient Cheesy Potato Casserole, Party Potatoes or Mashed Potatoes
- Creamy Baked Macaroni and Cheese or Creamy Stovetop Mac and Cheese
- Skillet Cornbread, Corn Muffins or Honey Cornbread
- Pumpkin Bread or Pumpkin Muffins
- Southern Macaroni Salad
- Coleslaw or Braised Red Cabbage
- Easy Potato Salad
- Arkansas Green Beans with Bacon or Amish Green Beans with Brown Butter
- Broccoli Cauliflower Salad
- Fried Apples
- Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows
- Southern Pineapple Casserole
- Ambrosia Salad
- Watergate Salad
- Easy Creamed Spinach Casserole
- Creamed Peas
Storage
Store uncooked flank steak in the refrigerator for up to three days. Grilled flank steak will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. You can also freeze leftover grilled flank steak wrapped tightly for up to 3 months.
Tips for the Best Grilled Flank Steak Recipe
- Prepare the marinade, rub, and glaze in advance. You will not need the rub or the glaze until you’re ready to cook the beef, but having it all ready to go ahead of time will eliminate any last-minute stress.
- Marinate the steak for at least 30 minutes, but if you have the time, it’s best to use the flank steak marinade overnight. This will give the marinade more time to penetrate the meat, which helps to break down the tough fibers for a more tender and flavorful piece of steak.
- Allow the marinated flank steak to sit on the counter and come to room temperature before grilling. This will ensure that it cooks more evenly.
- The total grilling time will vary depending on the size, thickness and temperature of your flank steak when it goes onto the grill. Use a thermometer to know when your meat is done. For a medium-rare finish, the beef should reach an internal temperature of 130-140°F.
- Allow the grilled flank steak to rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing. This will give the juices time to redistribute through the meat so that they don’t all run out onto your cutting board.
- Always slice flank steak thinly against the grain (perpendicular to those long fibers that you see). This will result in tender (rather than chewy) steak.
More Flank Steak Recipes to Try
- Guinness Flank Steak Marinade
- Easy Marinated Flank Steak
- Flank Steak Fajitas or Tacos
- Asparagus and Beef Stir Fry
- Carne Asada
Grilled Flank Steak
Ingredients
- 1 flank steak (about 1 ½ – 2 lbs.)
FOR THE MARINADE:
- ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons molasses
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
FOR THE RUB:
- 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
FOR THE GLAZE:
- 2 tablespoons bourbon
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
- Canola oil or vegetable oil, for brushing
Instructions
PREPARE THE MARINADE:
- In a small bowl, whisk together Worcestershire sauce, molasses, and 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard.
- Place the steak in a large zip-top plastic bag or shallow dish and pour marinade over top. Squeeze air out of the bag and seal to close or cover the dish. Gently toss to coat the beef in the marinade. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 24 hours.
PREPARE THE RUB:
- In a small bowl, stir together garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
PREPARE THE GLAZE:
- In a small bowl, whisk together bourbon, 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard, and brown sugar until sugar dissolves.
- After at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator, remove the steak and discard the marinade.
- Wipe excess marinade off of the steak by patting it with paper towels.
- Press the dry rub into the steak on both sides and allow to stand at room temperature for 20-30 minutes before grilling.
- Lightly brush or spray the steak with oil.
GRILL THE STEAK:
- Preheat your grill for high direct heat (about 450° F). Grill the steak covered for about 5 minutes. Turn and cook covered for about 3-4 more minutes, or until the meat reaches the desired level of doneness. Baste with the glaze during the final few minutes. Pull the steak off the grill at 120 to 125°F for rare, 130-140°F for medium rare, and 145°F for medium. Allow to rest for 10-15 minutes. Slice thinly against the grain and serve.
Notes
- Prepare the marinade, rub, and glaze in advance. You will not need the rub or the glaze until you’re ready to cook the beef, but having it all ready to go ahead of time will eliminate any last-minute stress.
- Marinate the steak for at least 30 minutes, but if you have the time, it’s best to use the flank steak marinade overnight. This will give the marinade more time to penetrate the meat, which helps to break down the tough fibers for a more tender and flavorful piece of steak.
- Allow the marinated flank steak to sit on the counter and come to room temperature before grilling. This will ensure that it cooks more evenly.
- The total grilling time will vary depending on the size, thickness and temperature of your flank steak when it goes onto the grill. Use a thermometer to know when your meat is done. For a medium-rare finish, the beef should reach an internal temperature of 130-140°F.
- Allow the grilled flank steak to rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing. This will give the juices time to redistribute through the meat so that they don’t all run out onto your cutting board.
- Always slice flank steak thinly against the grain (perpendicular to those long fibers that you see). This will result in tender (rather than chewy) steak.
