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    Home » Recipes » Beef & Pork

    Asian Ginger Flank Steak

    Published: Sep 5, 2011 · Modified: May 10, 2022 by Sally Cameron · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

    7565 shares
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    When you’re in the mood for Asian flavors, don’t head for takeout. Try this recipe for flank steak with ginger balsamic marinade. It’s a favorite with my clients and family.

    Glazed ginger flank steak plate with snap peas.
    Glazed ginger flank steak plate with snap peas.

    I’m a big fan of Asian flavors, and anything with ginger tops the list. After slicing the meat into thin strips and a short marinade in ginger, soy sauce, sake, agave syrup, garlic and balsamic vinegar, this ginger flank steak is ready in just minutes.

    Jump to:
    • About Flank Steak
    • Marinade Ingredients
    • Swaps and Tips
    • Buying Meat
    • The Marinade
    • Slicing Tips
    • Instructions
    • Side Dish Ideas
    • Related Recipes
    • 📖 Recipe

    About Flank Steak

    Flank steak is a lean choice for beef lovers. It’s not really a steak, but a single piece of muscle. Flank comes in one long, sort of oval shaped piece that is wider at one end and tapering at the other.

    It’s easily identifiable by the long grain that runs the length of the muscle. When cooked, it’s a little chewy and has great flavor. Marinating adds flavor and also tenderizes the meat.

    Marinade Ingredients

    You need low sodium soy sauce or tamari, dry sake, honey or agave syrup, ginger puree from a jar, balsamic vinegar, and garlic.

    Swaps and Tips

    • Swap coconut aminos for no soy or if you eat Paleo or for histamine friendly
    • Buy low sodium and organic soy only, or it will be crazy high in sodium and GMO
    • Swap Tamari (organic only), a no-wheat soy, for gluten-free
    • Buy single serving dry sake (the airline size) for cooking
    • Finely grate fresh peeled ginger or use the ginger puree in a jar

    Buying Meat

    Flank steaks usually run around 1¼ – 2 pounds each. Figure about 6 ounces per person for a serving. As you buy a whole piece of flank steak and not a cut, you can’t always get just the amount you need. Leftovers make a great lunch the next day. Just pile leftover flank steak on fresh salad greens and dress with Balsamic vinaigrette.

    Slicing flank steak.
    Slicing flank steak.

    The Marinade

    For the marinade combine soy sauce, dry sake, honey or agave syrup, ginger, Balsamic vinegar, garlic and chives. If you want extra marinade to serve as a sauce, make a double batch.

    Slicing Tips

    Slice flank steak across the grain into ½” thin strips with a sharp knife. Place in a covered bowl or plastic zip bag and add the marinade. Allow to stand for 30 to 60 minutes at room temperature to soak up great flavor. You can also marinate over night in the refrigerator.

    ginger flank steak | afoodcentriclife.com
    Marinating flank steak strips.

    Instructions

    After marinating, drain marinade and cook strips quickly in a hot pan. As flank steak is lean, don’t overcook it to maintain tenderness.

    Another cooking idea: Leave the flank steak in a whole piece and marinade overnight, drain and grill, then slice and serve with fresh clean marinade as sauce.

    Serve with rice and steamed sugar snap peas for a healthy, Asian-inspired dinner with big flavors.

    Flank steak cooking in pan.
    Flank steak cooking in pan.
    Finished cooked flank steak strips.
    Finished cooked flank steak strips.

    Side Dish Ideas

    Drop sugar snap peas into boiling, salted water for 3 minutes, drain and serve. If you have snap peas left over, add them to a steak salad the next day. I

    This flank steak is also delicious served with mushrooms. I like to use shitakes with this recipe. Slice and cook in the same pan as the flank steak to pick up the flavors. You may need a little oil (try coconut oil) in the pan to cook the mushrooms.

    Sometimes I’ll add a tablespoon of finely chopped shallots towards the end of cooking for extra flavor.

    Related Recipes

    For another flank steak recipe, try this Mexican version and fire up your grill!

    Asian ginger flank steak piled on a plate.
    Plate of ginger flank steak strips.

    📖 Recipe

    ginger flank steak | afoodcentriclife.com

    Asian Flank Steak with Ginger Balsamic Marinade

    Sally Cameron
    Slice the flank steak across the grain into thin strips, marinate and cook quickly in hot pan. Add steamed brown rice and sugar snap peas for a healthy dinner with tasty Asian flavors. Leftovers make a great steak salad the next day. Halve this recipe for 2 servings or double for a bigger group. Sake can be purchased in small bottles if its something you don’t often use. For a substitution try dry vermouth or for no alcohol, beef broth. Inspired by a recipe in Bon Appétit, March 2002.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 1 hr
    Cook Time 10 mins
    Total Time 1 hr 10 mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Asian
    Servings 4 servings
    Calories 362 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    Flank Steak Marinade

    • ½ cup low sodium soy sauce or tamari
    • ½ cup sake
    • 3 tablespoons honey or agave syrup
    • 2 tablespoons ginger puree from a jar
    • ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
    • 3 large garlic cloves chopped fine
    • 1½ tablespoons finely chopped chives

    Flank Steak

    • 1 ½ -2 pounds flank steak

    Instructions
     

    • Make the marinade by combining soy sauce through chives.
    • Slice the flank steak across the grain into ½” (1 ½ cm) wide strips. If the steak is very wide, you can slice it in half lengthwise with the grain first, then cross grain into strips. Place steak in a bowl, mix with marinade, then cover with plastic and allow to stand 45-60 minutes at room temperature. You can also mix it in a zip bag, press out the air and marinate.
    • Heat a large non-stick sauté or fry pan over medium heat. Drain marinade from steak through a sieve and set aside. Lay steak strips flat in the hot pan; don’t crowd them. Cook until one side is a browned and getting caramelized edges. Flip the pieces over and cook just briefly, then remove to a rimmed baking sheet or plate. Repeat with the other pieces until done.

    Notes

    Note – If you want extra sauce to drizzle over the steak, make more fresh marinade and cook it down until it's thickened in a small pan.
     

    Nutrition

    Calories: 362kcalCarbohydrates: 22gProtein: 39gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 102mgSodium: 1159mgPotassium: 714mgFiber: 1gSugar: 16gVitamin A: 49IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 54mgIron: 4mg
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Tiffany says

      January 28, 2013 at 7:28 am

      the whole piece

      Reply
    2. Tiffany says

      January 27, 2013 at 3:11 pm

      Well we just tried both and it was agreed that we liked the one that marinated over night the best. The flavors were amazing.

      Reply
      • Sally says

        January 27, 2013 at 4:43 pm

        Thanks for reporting back Tiffany. Did you do strips or marinate the whole piece of flank?

        Reply
    3. Tiffany says

      January 26, 2013 at 12:15 pm

      I'll do that!

      Reply
    4. Tiffany says

      January 26, 2013 at 12:06 pm

      Can you let it marinate overnight or would that make it too tangy?

      Reply
      • Sally says

        January 26, 2013 at 12:12 pm

        Hi Tiffany. You could probably marinate it overnight. You might also marinate the whole piece of flank steak rather than the strips. The nice thing about marinating the strips an hour at room temp is its quick yet provides lots of flavor. You could do a test. Cut the flank into strips. Marinate half overnight, and do the other half for the hour. Cook them both and see how they differ. Then report back of course!

        Reply
    5. GregB from Austin says

      November 05, 2011 at 7:36 am

      Delicious! We made this for some out-of-state visitors, and it was a huge success. Such a success, in fact, that we had none of the anticipated leftovers for the next day's steak salad. With the idea of "if you wouldn't drink it, don't cook with it", we used a high-quality sake for the recipe, and served the same with dinner, which worked out very well.

      Thanks, Sally, for another great recipe!

      Reply
    6. Michele says

      October 22, 2011 at 8:50 pm

      I have a lot of beef eaters in my home so this one I know is going to go over quite well! I can't wait to try it out on my gang and see how they like it. The Flank steak is a great choice to use because it is lean and the marinade looks great - I'm making myself hungry now!

      Reply
    7. Jeff says

      September 13, 2011 at 7:53 am

      Wow. That is an awesome looking steak. And the photos look absolutely amazing!!

      Reply
    8. sara says

      September 09, 2011 at 7:54 am

      Lovely! This dish looks absolutely delicious - and way better than takeout! 🙂

      Reply
    9. Suzanne says

      September 07, 2011 at 5:04 am

      Sally this recipe looks great. Looks like a lot of fun, congrats on getting in the Ying & Yang Living magazine. Love your kitchen too what a great place to cook.

      Reply
    10. Rivki Locker says

      September 06, 2011 at 6:49 pm

      This looks marvelous. So packed with flavor. And I love the fact that you can put the leftovers to good use.

      Reply

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