My kids have their backpacks packed, their lunches made, and their alarm clocks set...they are so excited for school to start! I have to admit, I am ready for a sense of normalcy and routine after a super long, hard summer. But with the kids back in school and sports, that means it's time for me to lean on my easy and quick weeknight recipes.
So I thought I would share this fast but really tasty recipe for grilled flank steak with chimichuri sauce. This cooks up in a jiffy and can be used in a variety of ways. Think salads, quesadillas, sandwiches...
How to Grill Flank Steak
Flank steak is a lean, flavorful cut of beef that is best cooked medium rare and sliced against the grain. It is typically a less expensive cut of meat and tastes great marinated or with a simple rub.
For this recipe, use a 2 pound flank steak and cover both sides in Kosher salt and black pepper. Use your fingers to press the salt and pepper into the meat and make sure every part is covered.
Set it on the counter and let it come to room temperature before cooking. Heat your oven to 350 degrees.
Using a cast iron skillet, pour in a 1-2 tablespoons of vegetable oil to coat the pan. If you don't have a cast iron skillet, a large, oven-safe frying pan or an outside grill can work too.
Once the pan is hot, sear the steak for 2-3 minutes on each side. If you have an extra thick cut of meat, you may need to grill the flank steak longer on each side. Once seared with grill marks on each side, place the entire cast iron skillet into the oven for 5 minutes.
The searing holds the juices in and baking it in the oven for a few minutes ensures the inside is cooked. Flank steak should be cooked to 130-140 degrees for medium rare. I highly recommend using a digital thermometer at this stage.
Once the flank steak is finished, remove it from the hot pan and let it set out for a few minutes. Cut the flank steak against the grain (that means the opposite direction of the natural muscle fibers) in very thin strips.
How to Make Chimichuri Sauce
Start by chopping up a cup of fresh, flat leaf Italian parsley.
Then, using a zester, zest a lemon. You need about 1 tablespoon.
Place the parsley and lemon zest into a food processor along with the following ingredients:
1/2 cup loose mint leaves
1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 cup olive oil
Pinch of Kosher salt
Puree everything in the food processor until the chimichuri sauce is smooth. Go ahead a taste the sauce, adjusting the acidity or sweetness as needed.
Pour it out into a small bowl and add a pinch of red pepper flakes.
Drizzle the chimichuri sauce over the flank steak and watch your family drool! This is a beautiful entree to place in the middle of the table or you can divide the steak and serve the chimichuri sauce on the side.
The chimichuri sauce will stay good in an air tight container in the refrigerator for 3 days.
An Easy Weeknight Meal
When I make this easy grilled flank steak with chimichuri sauce, I usually add a few sides to make it a complete meal. I often use my Easy Roasted Potatoes Recipe and steam some asparagus. Or sometimes I make the 10 Minute Roasted Asparagus Recipe too. Both are really easy, have hardly any clean up, and can cook while you are working on the steak.
Save or share this image so you can reference it for later. I promise you will love it and find all sorts of fun ways to eat it. Happy cooking y'all!
Grilled Flank Steak with Chimichurri Sauce
Equipment
- food processor
- grill or fry pan
Ingredients
Flank Steak
- 2 lb flank steak
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
Chimichurri Sauce
- 1 cup chopped flat leaf Italian parsley
- 1/2 cup loosely packed mint leaves
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- 1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- Kosher salt to taste
- Red Pepper to taste
Instructions
Grilled Flank Steak
- Heat oven to 350 degrees if you are not using an outside grill or grill pan.
- Cover flank steak with salt and pepper on both sides. Rub all over the meat and then let it sit until it comes to room temperature.
- Heat grill, grill pan, or fry pan. Brush on oil.
- Once fully heated, sear the flank steak for 2-3 minutes on each side. If your flank steak is extra thick, you may need to add an extra minute to each side.
- Pull steak off the grill and set in a glass pan. Pop it in the oven for 3 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 130-135 degrees for medium rare. You can skip this step and just grill the steak for extra time on the grill but it may be more well done or tough.
- Remove from oven and let sit 5 minutes. Slice the flank steak against the grain and drizzle chimichurri sauce on top.
Chimichurri sauce
- Place all ingredients in a food processor and puree until smooth.
- Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
- Drizzle on top of flank steak or store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.