Marinated Flank Steak

My mom's easy marinated flank steak is a childhood favorite that's stood the test of time! Whether you grill your beef outside, use an indoor grill pan, or broil the meat in the oven, this simple marinade of soy sauce, rice vinegar, ginger, honey, garlic, and green onions, creates a tender and juicy steak that children and adults adore! Serve the sliced flank steak with rice, cornbread, biscuits, ramen noodle salad, or roasted broccoli for a quick, family-friendly meal.

How to Make Marinated Flank Steak | 1-Minute Video

Flank Steak Marinade

In spite of all of the "fancier" steak recipes out there -- from filet mignon to beef tenderloin -- this humble marinated flank steak recipe remains one of our absolute favorites! I still have vivid memories of loving this recipe as a child, and that has not changed one bit now that I'm serving it to my own family. You just can't beat an easy dinner that's full of flavor and cooks in about 10 minutes!

This particular marinade has delicious sweet, savory, tangy, umami flavor, thanks to the combination of soy sauce, honey, garlic, ginger, green onion, and rice vinegar. It's simple to whisk together, and it delivers the best results: tender and juicy flank steak!

What is flank steak?

Flank steak is technically not a steak at all. Instead, this affordable cut of beef comes from the cow's lower chest or abdominal muscle. It’s about a foot long and one inch thick, and cooked whole rather than divided into smaller individual steaks. Also known as jiffy steak, bavette (in French), and in some regions, London broil, flank steak can be identified by the visible direction of the meat’s cross-grain.

This cut of beef is flavorful but very lean, containing almost no fat. Even though it's naturally tough, the meat becomes nice and tender when prepared properly. This cut benefits from marinating, and is best enjoyed grilled over high heat or slow-braised.

How to Marinate Flank Steak for Tenderness

A good marinade is one way to bring out the best flavor and texture in flank steak. This tough cut of beef generally does well with some extra tenderizing, which can be accomplished by hand with a meat tenderizing mallet, chemically using an acidic marinade, or by cooking the steak “low and slow” to gradually break down its dense connective tissue and muscle fibers. Here we're using a marinade that includes acidic rice vinegar as a tenderizing agent, along with soy sauce that helps to break down the proteins in the meat, while also infusing the steak with tons of rich flavor.

You'll need to give the flank steak plenty of time to sit in the marinade so that it becomes nice and tender before cooking. I recommend marinating the meat for at least 2 hours, or up to overnight.

Ingredients for Flank Steak Marinade

This is just an overview of the simple ingredients that you'll need for our favorite flank steak marinade. As always, specific measurements and step-by-step instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post.

• Soy sauce: adds rich, salty, umami flavor.
• Seasoned rice vinegar: the acidic component that helps to tenderize the meat.
• Honey: to sweeten the marinade. The sugars in the honey will also caramelize over the heat of the grill, helping the outside of the steak brown. Brown sugar is a fine substitute for the honey in this recipe.
• Ginger: use dried ginger powder for convenience, or substitute with grated fresh gingerroot when available.
• Garlic powder: adds savory flavor to the marinade. You can sub with 2-3 cloves garlic.
• Vegetable oil: or another neutral oil with a high smoke point, such as canola oil or avocado oil. Olive oil will also work fine here.
• Green onions: for bright, mild onion flavor.
• Flank steak: this recipe calls for one flank steak (which typically weighs about 2 lbs.), but you can double the marinade ingredients and grill two flank steaks at the same time to feed a larger family.

How to Cook Flank Steak

Allow enough time for the steak to marinate in the flavorful mixture. It will be tender and juicy, and will cook in just minutes!

1. Whisk together the marinade.
2. Marinate the flank steak in a large Ziploc bag or in a dish covered with plastic wrap in the fridge for at least 2 hours, or overnight.
3. Grill over high heat (or broil in the oven) for about 4-6 minutes per side.
4. Let the meat rest for 5-10 minutes.
5. Slice diagonally against the grain, and serve!

How to Tell When Flank Steak is Done

The total cooking time will vary depending on the size, thickness, and temperature of your meat when you cook it, as well as on your preferred level of doneness. A meat thermometer is always the best way to know when your flank steak is ready to come off the grill or out from under the broiler. Here's what you're looking for:

• Rare (a cool red center): 125°F - 130°F
• Medium-rare (a warm red center): 135°F
• Medium (a warm pink center): 145°F

What to Serve with Marinated Flank Steak

This versatile meat pairs well with a variety of sides. We like to complete the meal with a starch (like pasta, rice, bread, or potatoes), as well as vegetables or salad. You might also like to make flank steak tacos or wraps with soft flour tortillas, salsa, cheese, guacamole, and fresh cilantro. Here are a few sides that go well with the marinated flank steak:

• Homemade Crescent Rolls or Soft Dinner Rolls
• Aunt Bee's 3-Ingredient Buttermilk Biscuits, Flaky Biscuits, Southern Buttermilk Biscuits, Cheese Biscuits or Drop Biscuits
• Skillet Cornbread, Jiffy Cornbread with Creamed Corn, Honey Cornbread, Old-Fashioned Corn Sticks, Sweet Cornbread Muffins, or Corn Muffins
• Cheddar Chive Beer Bread {No Knead, No Yeast!}
• Pumpkin Bread or Pumpkin Muffins
• Dutch Oven No-Knead Bread or Easy Baguette
• Cranberry Orange Sauce
• Cranberry Muffins or Mom's Cranberry Orange Bread
• Wedge Salad, Classic Caesar Salad, House Salad with Candied Pecans, or a Green Salad with Red Wine Vinaigrette
• Roasted Cabbage
• Homemade Applesauce
• Mac and Cheese or Shells and Cheese
• Charleston Red Rice or Rice Pilaf
• 3-Ingredient Sour Cream Muffins
• Coleslaw or Vinegar Coleslaw
• Southern Collard Greens
• 3-Ingredient Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes, Baked Potato Wedges, Mashed Potatoes with Sour Cream and Chives, Skin On Mashed Red Potatoes
• Rosemary Roasted Potatoes
• Arkansas Green Beans with Bacon, Southern-Style Green Beans or Roasted Green Beans
• Broccoli Cauliflower Salad, Broccoli Rice Casserole, Broccoli and Cheese, Roasted Cauliflower with Parmesan, or Roasted Broccoli
• Fried Apples or Baked Apple Slices
• Southern Succotash
• Jiffy Corn Casserole or Fried Corn
• Classic Pasta Salad or Southern Macaroni Salad
• Southern Potato Salad or Easy Potato Salad
• Sauteed Spinach, Creamed Spinach or Creamed Spinach Casserole
• Creamed Peas
• Ramen Noodle Salad
• Bacon Wrapped Asparagus

Storage

Store uncooked flank steak in the refrigerator for up to three days (do not marinate for more than 24 hours). Cooked marinated flank steak will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. You can also freeze leftovers wrapped tightly for up to 3 months.

Recipe Variations

• To serve a larger family, double the marinade and cook two flank steaks instead of just one.
• Instead of grilling the meat outside, use an indoor grill pan or broil the steak in the oven. Those instructions are provided below.
• Swap out the honey and substitute with brown sugar instead.
• Use fresh ginger and fresh cloves of garlic rather than dried ginger and garlic powder. You'll need more of the fresh ingredients, so those measurements are included in the recipe below.
• Seasoned rice vinegar has a great flavor that pairs really well with the soy sauce. In a pinch, you can substitute with balsamic vinegar or even red wine vinegar.
• Make it spicy by adding crushed red pepper flakes to the marinade.
• Herbs such as rosemary, thyme, or oregano add even more flavor. A couple tablespoons Worcestershire sauce in the marinade would also be good.
• Taste and season the meat with a little bit of kosher salt and ground black pepper at the end, if necessary. The soy sauce adds a good amount of salt to the steak, though, so you don't want to add too much before tasting.

Tips for the Best Marinated Flank Steak Recipe

• Marinate the flank steak for at least 2 hours, but not more than 24 hours.
• Pat the meat dry after removing it from the marinade. This will help the steak get a nice char on the outside.
• Let the beef come to room temperature for 20-30 minutes before grilling. This will help it cook evenly.
• Use a meat thermometer to know when your flank steak is done. The total cooking time will depend on the size and thickness of your meat. For a medium rare finish, the beef should reach an internal temperature of 135°F.
• Allow the meat to rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing, giving the juices a chance to redistribute. Remember that temperature of the meat will continue to rise as it sits (thanks to carryover cooking), so pull the meat off the grill a little bit sooner than you think you need to.

More Flank Steak Recipes to Try

• Grilled Flank Steak
• Guinness Flank Steak Marinade
• Flank Steak Fajitas or Tacos
• Asparagus and Beef Stir Fry
• Carne Asada
• Steak Salad

This recipe was originally published in January, 2016. The photos were updated in May, 2022.