This simple flank steak marinade recipe is easy to whip together with pantry ingredients for perfect grilled flank steak every time. Fire up the grill! Perfect for skirt steak, too. I love steak topped with cowboy butter!
Flank Steak Marinade Recipe
It's time for one of my favorite recipes on the grill, my friends. Are you ready to get grilling? We're talking Grilled Flank Steak, and it is seriously fantastic.
Flank steak is easy to make and always satisfies. Because it is a thinner cut of beef, it grills up in minutes. I've made so many flank steaks over the years I've lost count, but one thing that makes the biggest difference is the marinade.
Yes, the best Flank Steak Marinade will make the best grilled flank steak, period.
My flank steak marinade is easy to whisk together from mostly pantry ingredients - like soy sauce, olive oil, vinegar - along with a mix of some of my favorite spices. And hot sauce, of course!
It's just the right amount of spicy and the perfect flavor building combination to give you the most satisfying, perfectly grilled flank steak every time. I love this marinade!
It's also very easy to adjust to your own personal tastes, so feel free to use it as your new base recipe. If you love flank steak, I think you're going to love this dish.
It works perfectly with a nice skirt steak as well.
Let's talk about how we make grilled marinated flank steak, shall we?
Flank Steak Marinade Ingredients
- Liquids. Soy Sauce, Olive Oil, Vinegar (white or apple cider), Honey (or use brown sugar), Spicy Brown Mustard, Hot Sauce.
- Seasonings. Fresh Garlic (garlic powder is good, too), Cayenne, Paprika, Red Pepper Flakes, Dried Oregano, Cumin. Salt and Pepper.
- For the Steak. 1.5 to 2 pound Flank Steak. This recipe is great for skirt steak as well, or other cuts of meat.
How to Make Flank Steak Marinade & Grilled Flank Steak - the Recipe Method
Make the Flank Steak Marinade. Whisk together the soy sauce, olive oil, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, honey, mustard, garlic, hot sauce and seasonings in a small bowl. Whisk until smooth.
Marinate the Flank Steak. Add the flank steak to a wide pan or into a large plastic baggie and pour the marinade over it. A baking dish works great for this. Be sure to cover the steak.
Massage the marinade into the steak with your hands.
Marinating Times. Marinate the flank steak for at least 1 hour, or overnight for more flavor penetration. You can marinate for 24 hours.
Marinating overnight will give you a lot more flavor and will better tenderize the muscle fibers of the meat. Highly suggested.
For Grilled Flank Steak.
Heat the Grill. Heat a grill to medium-high heat and lightly oil the grates.
Grill the Flank Steak. Remove the flank steak from the marinade and discard the marinade. Cook the flank steak for 3-4 minutes, then flip and grill another 3-5 minutes, or until done to your desired doneness.
See below for temperatures. You're really grilling for only a few minutes per side.
Rest the Flank Steak. Remove the flank steak from the grill and add the steak to a plate or cutting board. Cover with aluminum foil and let it rest for 10 minutes.
Slice and Serve. Slice against the grain and serve.
Boom! Done! Your perfectly grilled flank steak is ready to serve. Thinly sliced! The flank steak marinade is key here to infuse all that wonderful flavor. Looks delicious, doesn't it?
Recipe Tips & Notes
- Flank Steak Serving Temps. Serving temps for flank steak are as follows: Rare: 125 degrees F. - Medium Rare: 135 degrees F. - Medium: 145 degrees F. - Medium Well: 155 degrees F. - Well Done: 165 degrees F. - Flank steak will rise in temperature as it rests, so remove the steaks from the grill 5 degrees below your target temperature, then rest.
- Additional Marinade Ingredients. You can easily adjust the ratios of your flank steak marinade, and also include other ingredients to your preference. Other ingredients I've seen include balsamic vinegar, lime juice or lemon juice, fresh chopped herbs and other seasonings.
- What to Serve with Grilled Flank Steak. So many options! I love to top my flank steak with a fresh herbaceous sauce like chimichurri, chimichurri rojo, zhug or chermoula. For side dishes, a simple veggie dish is always welcomed for us, like calabacitas, cajun fries, jerk rubbed grilled corn, or a refreshing vinegar coleslaw.
Storage Information
This flank steak marinade will last for 5 days in the refrigerator in a sealed container. You can also freeze it for 3 months or longer.
If you'd like to make it ahead of time but plan on keeping it more than 5 days, it is best to freeze it, then thaw later when you want to marinate your flank steak or skirt steaks.
That's it, my friends. I hope you enjoy my flank steak marinade recipe. Let me know if you make it. I'd love to hear how it turned out for you. Keep it spicy!
Recommended Cookbook & Products
If you enjoy spicy cooking, I hope you'll check out my cookbook! 75 easy recipes with big, bold flavor.
- The Spicy Food Lovers' Cookbook, by Mike Hultquist (affiliate link, my friends!)
Meat Thermometer
I recommend the Thermoworks Thermapen ONE thermometer (affiliate link, my friends!).
Try Some of My Other Marinade Recipes
Got any questions? Ask away! I’m happy to help. If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you’ll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I’ll be sure to share! Thanks! — Mike H.
Flank Steak Marinade Recipe (for Grilled Flank Steak)
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons white vinegar or use apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon honey or use brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon spicy brown mustard or use Dijon mustard
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce or more to taste
- 1 teaspoon cayenne
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1.5 pound flank steak
Instructions
For the Flank Steak Marinade
- Whisk together the soy sauce, olive oil, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, honey, mustard, garlic, hot sauce and seasonings in a small bowl. Whisk until smooth.
- Add the flank steak to a wide pan or into a large plastic baggie and pour the marinade over it. Be sure to cover the steak. Massage the marinade into the steak with your hands.
- Marinate the flank steak for at least 1 hour, or overnight for more flavor penetration. You can marinate for 24 hours.
For Grilled Flank Steak.
- Heat a grill to medium-high heat and lightly oil the grates.
- Remove the flank steak from the marinade and discard the marinade. Grill the flank steak for 3-4 minutes, then flip and grill another 3-5 minutes, or until done to your desired doneness. See below for temperatures.
- Remove the flank steak from the grill and set onto a plate or cutting board. Cover with aluminum foil and let it rest for 10 minutes.
- Slice against the grain and serve.
Video
Notes
Medium Rare: 135 degrees F.
Medium: 145 degrees F.
Medium Well: 155 degrees F.
Well Done: 165 degrees F. Flank steak will rise in temperature as it rests, so remove the steaks from the grill 5 degrees below your target temperature, then rest.
Nutrition Information
NOTE: This recipe was updated on 7/14/23 to include new information and video. It was originally published on 9/15/21.
Alex says
I have this marinade recipe saved to my favorites, and I use it for every cut of steak. So so so so SOO good! I omit the cayenne and red pepper flakes, but otherwise follow it exactly. Always a crowd pleaser!
Mike H. says
Happy to hear, Alex. Enjoy!
Tara Krieger says
I mad this recipe using flap steak. It came out great! The ere was a lot of ingredients that provided a lot of depth in the flavor. I served it with roasted asparagus, blistered balsamic cherry tomatoes and sautéed mushrooms. I stumbled upon this site and added it to my home screen. Looking forward to trying more of the recipes.
Mike H. says
Fantastic. Thank you, Tara!
Nia says
This is an awesome recipe! Dont let the spicy name fool you, it is flavorful and not just hot. We dialed back on any extra salt, but otherwise it is perfect and easy to put together with pantry staples.
Mike H. says
Fantastic. Thank you, Nia!
Kim says
Made this today. Best testing flank steak ever. I used hot honey as that is what I had and it was great!
Mike Hultquist says
Perfection!! Thanks so much, Kim!
Sandee says
I am so happy I stumbled upon this recipe for flank steak. this by far is the best recipe I have ever tried. Being that this was my first time cooking flank steak I have the confidence to cook it for my friends. My husband even enjoyed it cold. I’ll definitely be making it again with the cowboy butter.
Mike H. says
Super happy to read this, Sandee. Thank you and enjoy!
cj says
Excellent recipe! It did seem a little on the salty side. I only added 1/8 tsp salt. Other than not adding any salt, any other changes I should make to adjust the salt content?
Mike Hultquist says
CJ, it's likely from the soy sauce, which typically has lots of salt. You can try a low salt brand next time, or use a soy sauce alternative that is less salty.
David Schauer says
I've tried numerous flank steak marinade recipes. This one is the best... by a long shot. Actually prefer to keep the timing to 6 - 8 hours instead of overnight.
Mike H. says
I appreciate the review, David!
Eric says
How spicy does this end up? I like some heat but my wife is a bit sensitive. A teaspoon of cayenne seems like a lot but of course not much marinade actually stays on the meat.
Mike Hultquist says
Eric, it's not super spicy, though you can skip the cayenne and still get LOTS of flavor here. Let me know how it goes. Enjoy!