Sweet and Spicy Grilled Flank Steak

By Melissa Clark

Updated August 6, 2015

  • Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
30 minutes, plus marinating time
Rating
5(1,175)
Comments
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There are some steaks that need nothing more than a little salt and pepper to bring out their beefy goodness. Flank steak is not one of them. This bold marinade is just the sort of seasoning the brawny cut begs for: lime juice and zest add brightness, brown sugar sweetness, and jalapeño and sriracha a complex heat. Just whiz it all together in a food processor and slather it on the meat. Marinate overnight (or 20 minutes if that's all the time you have) before tossing it on the grill. Lastly, always make more flank steak that you think you want. Leftovers are the best part.

Featured in: Steak Marinades: Don’t Leave Your Flank Uncovered

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings

  • 3 tablespoons coarsely chopped scallions

  • 1 tablespoon peeled and finely chopped ginger

  • 1 fresh jalapeño, seeded if desired, coarsely chopped

  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

  • 1 tablespoon light brown sugar

  • Zest of ½ lime

  • 2 teaspoons lime juice

  • 1 teaspoon sriracha or other hot sauce (or to taste)

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

  • 1 ½ teaspoons coarse kosher salt

  • 1 ½ pounds flank steak

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 to 6 servings)

3 grams carbs; 77 milligrams cholesterol; 239 calories; 7 grams monosaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 14 grams fat; 314 milligrams sodium; 24 grams protein; 2 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a food processor, pulse together scallion, ginger, jalapeño, garlic, sugar, lime zest and juice, and sriracha. With the motor running, pour in oil until smooth.

  2. Step 2

    Season steak with salt. Place in a large bowl and pour marinade over meat. Turn to coat well with the mixture. Cover tightly and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

  3. Step 3

    When you are ready to cook the steak, heat the grill to medium-high heat, or heat the broiler with the rack set 4 inches from the heat source. Transfer meat to the grill and cook, covered, until it reaches the desired doneness (about 5 minutes per side for medium-rare), or broil until charred and done to taste, 4 to 6 minutes per side. Let rest on a cutting board for 5 minutes, then slice thinly.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
1,175 user ratings
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Comments

raquel

I have made this before as stated and loved it. After reading the comments, I added fish sauce the next time I made this. However I found the fish sauce to overpower the other flavors, and would not include it again next time. Overall, great marinade for flank steak. I used the cooked steak for fajitas.

Denise

Excellent! Added 1/4 cup of bourbon and a little Worcestershire.

John

We love this recipe. I use Flat Iron Steak cut from Whole Foods. I've played with it a bit too using garlic scapes in the marinade. Don't worry - it's not spicy. Everyone loves it from my 10 year old to my mother-in-law.

Lisa

A tasty alternative to the often asian-inspired or balsamic-based flank steak marinades. We really enjoyed the flavor.

Corbett Cooks

The marinade was superb. We followed the recipe exactly as it's written and did not find it lacking in flavor in any way - as others indicated. However, we think next time, we'll start with a super hot grill and just sear the steak. Our steak was somewhat thin and tenderized and cooked quicker than we anticipated.

AF. Just ok

The marinade tasted great on its own so I was excited to cook the dish. But we were disappointed with the final grilled steak. I had cut down the salt after reading other comments but It definitely needed it. Maybe I’ll just make the marinade as a sauce from now on.

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