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Citrus-marinated grilled flank steak is a tender, flavorful, and juicy way to grill this tough cut of beef for a buttery, fork-tender, inexpensive meal. The marinade is used again in a basting liquid and finishing sauce so each bite is bursting with flavor!
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I like to serve the steak with Sweet And Sour Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad, Southern Potato Salad, and Rosemary Garlic Grilled Vegetables. It’s a meal that my family often requests.
What Is Flank Steak?
Flank steak is a very lean and muscular cut with minimal fat. It is an extended, flat cut of beef from the abdominal muscle. It is about an inch thick with very distinct grain.
This cut of beef is tough and chewy yet offers an intense, rich flavor. It should be marinated and cooked over high heat until it’s medium rare to tenderize the meat.
What Is The Difference Between Flank And Skirt Steak?
In recipes like fajitas, you will often see flank steak and skirt steak used interchangeably, but they are different cuts and should be handled differently for the best results.
- Skirt steak is cut from the diaphragm area, which contains more muscle fibers, thus making it tougher than a flank steak. Skirt steak is also longer and thinner, so cooking it to rare or medium rare will take less time.
- Flank steak is more dense than skirt steak and will take longer to marinate.
- Both cuts should be pounded and marinated to ensure tenderness.
- Both flank and skirt steak benefit from high-heat cooking and should only be served rare or medium rare. Skirt steak should be cooked for about 3 minutes per side. A flank steak will take 4 or 5 minutes per side.
- Slice both cuts against the grain on a bias. This will make them easier to chew. Skirt steak will create long, skinny slices, while flank steak will produce flat, wide slices.
- Skirt steak, because it contains more fat, is more flavorful than flank steak.
Tips For Cooking A Perfect Flank Steak
- Use fresh or thoroughly thawed flank steak. Marinating a partially thawed steak will result in a mushy surface on the steak.
- Pound your flank steak with a meat mallet or a meat tenderizer to begin to break down the protein fibers.
- Marinate, marinate, marinate. A good marinade adds flavor and helps tenderize the meat. It’s essential to a tender, buttery steak.
- Make sure that your grill grates are clean. You also want to oil the grates before cooking the steak.
- Preheat the grill for at least 10 minutes.
- Flank steak is cooked over high heat. It will require a watchful eye so that it doesn’t overcook.
- Use a meat thermometer to check for doneness. Take the meat off the grill when it is 5 degrees below doneness. It will continue to cook after it’s off of the heat source.
Rare:125 degrees / Remove from the grill at 120 degrees
Medium-Rare:135 degrees / Remove from the grill at 130 degrees
Medium: 145 degrees / Remove from the grill at 140 degrees
Is It Safe To Reuse The Marinade?
You CAN reuse the marinade your meat’s been soaking in for hours. Why waste all that delicious flavor? In about 10 minutes and a couple of steps, you can safely turn the marinade into a flavorful sauce.
During marinating, pathogens such as Salmonella and E. coli transfer from the meat into the marinade. You must boil your marinade to eliminate the bacteria and make the sauce safe for consumption. Here is how to do it:
- Pour the marinade into a saucepan.
- Bring the mixture to a boil and continue for at least 5 minutes.
- Use a meat thermometer to ensure the liquid is at least 212 degrees.
Afterward, your marinade will be thicker, perfect for basting or as a dipping sauce. If it’s too thick, you can stir in a bit of broth, juice, or water. Turn the thickened marinade into a finishing sauce by swirling in butter. The result will be the pretty, glossy sauces seen on restaurant steaks.
More Beefy Recipes To Enjoy
- Valentine’s Surf And Turf
- Authentic Italian Beef Sandwiches
- Baked Italian Meatballs
- Roasted Beef Tenderloin
- Perfect Filet Mignon
- Cabernet Braised Beef Short Ribs
- Perfect Oven Roasted Beef Brisket
- Ultimate Tomahawk Steak
Citrus Marinated Flank Steak
- Total Time: 23 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
Citrus-marinated grilled flank steak is a tender, flavorful, and juicy way to grill this tough cut of beef for a buttery, fork-tender, inexpensive meal. The marinade is used again in a basting liquid and finishing sauce so each bite is bursting with flavor!
Ingredients
2 pound flank steak
½ cup vegetable oil
4 large cloves garlic, chopped
½ cup freshly squeezed lime juice (4-5 large limes)
½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (3-4 large lemons)
½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice (2 large navel oranges)
½ teaspoon lime zest
½ teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon orange zest
¼ cup tightly packed cilantro leaves
¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
¼ cup light soy sauce
1 small jalapeno pepper, seeded and roughly chopped
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon coriander
2 ½ teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons Mexican oregano
¼ cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter, room temperature
Instructions
Use a meat mallet or a tenderizer to pound and poke tiny holes into both sides of the flank steak. Be sure to tenderize in all directions (up/down and side to side). Set aside.
Combine all of the marinade ingredients (except the steak and the butter) in a blender, food processor, or large glass bowl.
Blend, process or use an immersion blender to blend the mixture until smooth.
Place the meat into an extra-large zip-top bag.
Pour the marinade into the bag and carefully zip the top.
Lightly massage the meat with the marinade, place it in the refrigerator, and allow it to marinate for at least four or up to 24 hours.
Flip the bag over occasionally.
When ready to grill, remove the meat from the marinade (reserve it) and allow it to sit for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, pour the marinade into a medium saucepan set over high heat.
Bring the mixture to a full rolling boil and allow it to boil for 8-9 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Divide the liquid into two small bowls. This will be used as a basting liquid and finishing sauce.
Preheat your gas grill to high and allow it to preheat for 15 minutes.
Oil the grates and place the steak on the grill.
Close the lid and allow the steak to cook for 1-2 minutes, depending on how thick the steak is.
Brush the meat with the basting sauce and then flip the steak.
Grill on high for another 1-2 minutes.
Brush the basting liquid onto the top of the steak, flip again, and close the grill lid.
Reduce the heat to medium.
Cook the steak for 3-4 minutes, baste the meat, flip, and continue to cook another 3-4 minutes.
Remove the meat from the grill when a meat thermometer registers 130 degrees (medium-rare).
Place on a serving dish, lightly tent the platter with foil, and allow the meat to rest for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, melt the butter and the 2nd bowl of the reduced marinade together.
Slice the steak against the grain, on the bias (diagonally), into ¼-inch thick slices.
Place the meat back onto the serving platter, slightly fanned out to expose the slices.
Lightly spoon the butter sauce over the sliced meat.
Serve hot.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- marinating time: 12 hours
- Cook Time: 8 minutes
- Category: Main Dish – Beef
- Method: Grill
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: citrus marinated flank steak, grilling recipes, beef recipes, citrus, easy dinner recipes, flank steak, Father’s Day dinner ideas, Father’s Day dinner, healthy dinner
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