this flank steak recipe is so easy, so delicious, and you’ll get these absolutely amazing slices of tender steak to add to any meal!
I’ve finally accomplished cooking flank steak so it’s perfectly medium rare and melt-in-your-mouth delicious. I wish I would have researched this sooner, but alas, here we are! Previously, I was a big proponent of slow cooking flank steak (and I do have a recipe for that method, it’s still delicious, but this is my new favourite for sure), but that’s mostly because I literally did not know how to grill or pan-sear flank steak so that you would get that nice pink interior and that perfect tenderness.
Well, I finally started doing some googles, and eventually began testing my own little recipe. It’s got the carne asada influence to it, as I do allow the flank steak to marinate in some lime juice, but you don’t need to go full-out carne asada with this steak (although, if you want to do tacos and guacamole using this steak, it would be delicious).
I’ve been getting 1 lb to 1.5 lb of flank steak, which may come in two cuts of flank steak or in one large chunk, and then marinading it in the morning and allowing it to sit in the juices all day, before taking it out in time for dinner. I pat it dry with a piece of paper towel just to remove some excess juice before throwing it on a cast iron frying pan (that’s just my preferred method of cooking, especially for something like this where you do want a crust on the outside – or at least, I do!).
This steak is super easy to make though, the most-time consuming aspect is really just prepping the marinade (and that’s pretty easy, everything gets mixed together in one small bowl) and then letting it marinade (the longest aspect of this recipe)– while you don’t need to do a full day, even just three to four hours is amazing for the flavour, it really does make a difference.
Once you have a hot frying pan ready to go though, you’ll have your meal ready in no time. I’ve found the perfect cooking time for perfectly medium-rare flank steak is six minutes per side. You want the pan to be a hot enough that it sizzles when you put the flank steak on and allows it to get that nice browned exterior. Once the six minute timer rings, flip it and repeat – if you find one side isn’t browned enough, you can always do an extra flip for a couple of minutes and press it down to really get it browned.
Finally, when you remove your flank steak from the frying pan, place it onto a cutting board and allow it to sit for a couple of minutes before you slice it up. I’ve included some recommendations of what you can serve this flank steak with, and even a photo of my complete plate, which included potatoes (a new thing for me, and not SCD legal!) and an amazing salad. I think flank steak does pair really well with any type of salad.
Find the full recipe and instructions below. Drop me a comment or review below if you try making this perfectly pan-seared flank steak, I’d love to know what you think! Follow me on IG for more daily grain free inspo @grainfreee.
A few more recipes if you’re looking for some more delicious dinner ideas:
- HONEY GARLIC CHICKEN WINGS
- THE BEST TURKEY WINGS EVER
- FIGGY PAN FRIED CHICKEN, WITH PROSCIUTTO & PARMESAN AVOCADO SALAD
- HOMEMADE BBQ PULLED PORK
- PARMESAN & SUN-DRIED TOMATO CRUSTED CHICKEN THIGHS
flank steak: ingredients
- 1 – 1.5 lb flank steak
- 4-5 cloves garlic
- 1 lime, juiced (sub in 1 small lemon)
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp salt
- dash black pepper and cayenne pepper
flank steak: how to
- mix your marinade ingredients all together in a shallow dish, including the spices.
- pour over the flank steak in a glass tupperware or in a ziploc bag, and allow the steak marinade for 5-24 hours.
- once ready to cook, remove from fridge and allow the meat to get to room temperature if desired.
- heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat with a bit of extra olive oil in the pan.
- pat dry your flank steak with a paper towel before placing the steak in the hot skillet, allowing to cook for 6 minutes, before flipping, and cooking for another 6 minutes.
- remove from heat and place on cutting board, allowing it to sit for a few minutes before slicing and serving.
- serving options: if you’re not SCD (or strict SCD), feel free to serve these with roasted potatoes. A salad and flank steak is also fantastic, as is a side of roasted cauliflower or broccoli!
the easiest perfect pan-seared flank steak
Ingredients
- 1 – 1.5 lb flank steak
- 4-5 cloves garlic
- 1 lime, juiced sub in 1 small lemon
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp salt
- dash black pepper and cayenne pepper
Instructions
- mix your marinade ingredients all together in a shallow dish, including the spices.
- pour over the flank steak in a glass tupperware or in a ziploc bag, and allow the steak marinade for 5-24 hours.
- once ready to cook, remove from fridge and allow the meat to get to room temperature if desired.
- heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat with a bit of extra olive oil in the pan.
- pat dry your flank steak with a paper towel before placing the steak in the hot skillet, allowing to cook for 6 minutes, before flipping, and cooking for another 6 minutes.
- remove from heat and place on cutting board, allowing it to sit for a few minutes before slicing and serving.
- serving options: if you're not SCD (or strict SCD), feel free to serve these with roasted potatoes. A salad and flank steak is also fantastic, as is a side of roasted cauliflower or broccoli!