Flank steak is a popular and affordable cut of beef that you’ve probably enjoyed in stir fry, fajitas, and on its own. It’s versatile and well suited for any recipe that calls for long, thin strips of beef.

Cooking flank steak is an essential skill for any budding grillmaster to learn. It’s a lean cut of meat which means it lacks that fatty marbling that makes other steaks naturally tender. But if you learn how to cook beef flank steak the right way, your flank steak can be tender and flavorful, too.

How to Cook Flank Steak

Understanding flank steak is key to learning how to cook it. You have to use a preparation and cooking method that will enable you to break down those tough muscle fibers. Here are some tips and tricks for cooking flank steak.

How to Prepare Flank Steak? Seasoning and Marinade

The best way to prepare flank steak is to marinate it. Marinating your flank steak for a few hours or overnight will help tenderize the meat. If you don’t have time for a marinade, you can use a rub of spices. However, you may want to use a meat tenderizer to soften the muscle fibers before applying a rub.

Generally, a marinade will provide all the flavor your flank steak needs. You can craft your marinade so it has the flavors you want. We recommend using an acid element like lime juice, a salt element like soy sauce, and olive or vegetable oil to keep the meat juicy. You could alternatively use a rub to season your flank steak.

For our Smoke 'N Grill Flank Steak recipe, we recommend marinating your flank steak for eight hours.

• 1/4 cup red wine
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/8 cup soy sauce
• 1/8 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 5 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 whole limes, squeezed

Do You Have to Marinate Flank Steak?

You don’t have to marinate flank steak, but many recipes recommend it. It has the dual benefit of making your steak both tender and flavorful. You could achieve both flavor and tenderness with a rub and a little extra work with a meat tenderizer, though. You can also cook your flank steak low and slow in a smoker, or braise it to get tender flank steak.

How Should Flank Steak Be Cooked?

It’s typically recommended you cook flank steak to rare, medium-rare, or medium.

Flank steak is typically grilled over high heat for a short amount of time. It’s a thin cut, so it doesn’t need as much grill time as a thicker steak. You can also braise your flank steak to help break down those muscle fibers.

We prefer to essentially reverse sear flank steak. We suggest smoking the flank steak for three hours at 225 degrees Fahrenheit, then searing for three minutes per side over 450 degrees.

Flank Steak Internal Temperatures

• For rare, aim for 120-130 °F internally.
• For medium-rare, aim for 130-135 °F internally.
• For medium, aim for 135-145 °F internally.
• For medium-well, aim for 145-155 °F internally.
• For well-done, aim for 155-165 °F internally.

How Do You Cook Flank Steak So It's Not Tough?

The biggest key to cooking flank steak so it’s not tough is to not overcook it. Marinating helps but if you cook your flank steak to medium-well or well-done, it’s not going to be as tender. Smoking for a few hours, and then reverse searing at a higher temperature, will ensure your flank steak is cooked and tender.

How Long Should You Grill Flank Steak?

Since flank steak is a thin cut of beef, it doesn’t need more than a few minutes per side on the grill. In our Cocoa Crusted Grilled Flank Steak recipe, we recommend grilling your flank steaks 3 to 5 minutes per side at 500 degrees Fahrenheit or until internal temperature reaches 135 degrees. The best way to track the internal temperature of your steak is with a MEATER wireless meat thermometer

How Do You Cut Flank Steak?

Flank steak should always be cut against the grain at a 45-degree angle. Thankfully, there isn’t a lot of guesswork involved in finding the grain on flank steak. The grain is apparent by looking at it from above. After your flank steak rests, find the lines running parallel across the flank, and cut at an offset angle. This will maximize the tenderness in your mouth and keep you from feeling like you’re chewing on the same piece of steak for too long.

Our Smoke 'N Grill Flank Steak recipe is an easy flank steak recipe. If you’re new to grilling flank steak, try this recipe first.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup red wine
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/8 cup soy sauce
• 1/8 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 5 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 whole limes, squeezed
• 2 pounds flank steak
• 1 bunch cilantro, finely chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, crushed
• 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 tablespoon diced red onion
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Step 1: Make the marinade

Combine your red wine, vegetable oil, pepper, salt, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, and lime juice in a bowl and mix well.

Step 2: Marinate your flank steak

Pour your marinade mixture into a large resealable bag with your flank steak. Squeeze to remove as much air as possible and make sure the marinade is well distributed across the flank steak. Let it marinate for eight hours, turning occasionally.

Step 3: Smoking your flank steak

Let your Traeger preheat to 225 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes with the lid closed. Once your grill has preheated, smoke your flank steak for three hours. After three hours, pull your steak from the grill, wrap it in aluminum foil, and let it sit for 15 minutes.

Step 4: Make your sauce

You can make your sauce either while your flank steak is smoking or while it’s resting after grilling. Combine your cilantro, remaining garlic, olive oil, red wine vinegar, lime juice from your third lime, red onion, pepper, and salt in a blender and pulse until combined.

Step 5: Searing your flank steak

While your flank steak is resting, preheat your Traeger to 450 degrees. Once the grill is ready, unwrap the steak from the foil and transfer your flank steak back to the grill. Grill for about three minutes per side. Try to get a nice sear and some clear grill marks.

Step 6: Cut and sauce

Let your flank steak rest for 10 minutes. Then cut it in pencil-thin slices against the grain. Serve with your chimichurri sauce and choice of sides.

Ingredients

• 3 pounds flank steak
• 6 slices prosciutto ham
• 5 ounces goat cheese
• As needed spinach, fresh
• 1 jar roasted red peppers, sliced
• As needed extra-virgin olive oil
• As needed Traeger Prime Rib Rub

Serves: 4

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Summary

How to Cook Flank Steak on a Pellet Grill:

1. Marinade or season the steak.
2. Set your grill to 225 °F.
3. Smoke for 3 hours.
4. Pull steak from the grill.
5. Increase temperature to 500 °F.
6. Sear for 3 minutes per side.
7. Remove from the grill when the internal temperature is between 135-145 °F.