A great flank steak marinade should do two things: add flavor and help tenderize the meat. This easy marinade creates a balanced blend of savory, tangy, and slightly sweet flavors that make flank steak juicy and delicious on the grill. It's simple to make with a handful of pantry ingredients and perfect for weeknight dinners, cookouts, and summer entertaining.
This marinade for flank steak gets its flavor from balsamic vinegar, tamari, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, garlic, and fresh herbs. Dijon helps the marinade cling to the steak, tamari adds umami, balsamic brings gentle sweetness and tang, and garlic and herbs add depth. Simple ingredients, big flavor.
Flank Steak Marinade Recipe Snapshot
- Flavorful, juicy steak - Adds savory, tangy flavor to lean flank steak.
- Easy pantry ingredients - Made with balsamic vinegar, tamari, Dijon, garlic, and herbs.
- Perfect for grilling - Great for cookouts, BBQs, and weeknight dinners.
- Make-ahead friendly - Mix in minutes, then let the refrigerator and the grill do the work.
Ingredients You'll Need
- Oil - Extra virgin olive oil adds richness; avocado oil works too.
- Balsamic vinegar - Adds sweetness, acidity, and depth to the marinade.
- Soy sauce or tamari - Use low-sodium soy sauce, or tamari for gluten-free.
- Worcestershire sauce - Adds savory depth and classic steakhouse flavor.
- Dijon mustard - Helps the marinade emulsify and cling to the steak.
- Garlic - Fresh garlic cloves give the best flavor.
- Herbs - Fresh thyme or rosemary both work well. Use dried herbs if needed.
- Red pepper flakes - Optional, for a little kick.
- Steak - I buy flank steak but this marinade works with other cuts as well, see below.
Substitutions and Variations
- Vinegar - Fig balsamic is terrific here, and red wine vinegar works too for a sharper, less sweet marinade.
- Soy-free option - Use soy-free tamari if needed. Coconut aminos should work, though I have not tested this marinade with it.
- Other cuts of beef - This marinade also works with skirt steak, flat iron steak, flap steak, hanger steak, or sirloin. Slice thinly across the grain for the best texture.
- Make beef kabobs - Use top sirloin for flavorful, tender kabobs. Cut into even 1½-inch cubes and marinate 2-4 hours before skewering and grilling.
Please see the recipe card for measurements, and pepper. No salt is needed.
How to Make Flank Steak Marinade
- Add all of the ingredients to a blender and blend smooth, or shake well in a tight-lidded jar.
- The Dijon makes a creamy emulsion when you use a blender and helps the marinade cling to the steak.
- With a meat fork, pierce holes in the flank steak for marinade access and to tenderize.
- Cover both sides of the steak well with about ½ of the marinade. Refrigerate for 2-3 hours or up to 8 hours, removing from the refrigerator the last 45-60 minutes.
- Wipe off excess marinade and grill on hot, clean grill grates, 10-11 minutes in total. I spray the meat lightly with avocado oil to help it release from the grill.
- Allow the flank steak to rest for 10 minutes, then slice thinly across the grain for tender meat.
Serving Suggestions
Serve sliced flank steak with:
- Red potato salad.
- Side green salad or make a steak salad.
- Grilled vegetables.
- Rice, quinoa, or cheesy cauliflower rice.
- In tortillas for tacos with avocado, salsa, and slaw.
- Bowls with greens, vegetables, and a drizzle of extra clean marinade.
- Sandwiches or lettuce wraps.
- Eggs the next morning, if you have leftovers.
For a serving sauce, try my Argentinian chimichurri sauce, or use the recipe and swap out the oregano for tarragon and the onion for shallot for a more French-style herb sauce.
More Marinade Recipes
Try these marinade to infuse flavor, help keep proteins moist during high-heat cooking like grilling, and tenderize tougher cuts of meat. And extra, clean most marinades make a great sauce for serving.
📖 Recipe
Flank Steak Marinade
Ingredients
Flank steak marinade (makes 1 cup)
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar regular or fig balsamic
- 2 tablespoons low sodium tamari (GF) or soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire
- 1 tablespoon Dijon
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon fresh chopped thyme or rosemary
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes optional
Steak
- 1 ¾-2 pounds flank steak
Would you like to save this recipe?
Never lose a recipe! We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later.
Instructions
Make the marinadae
- Add the marinade ingredients to a jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake until smooth, or blend briefly to emulsify.
Marinate the steak
- Place the flank steak in a rectangular casserole dish or similar shallow dish. Pierce the steak all over with a meat fork to help tenderize and allow the marinade to penetrate a little more. Pour half of the marinade over the steak and turn to coat both sides. Cover and refrigerate for 2-3 hours, or up to 8 hours.About 45–60 minutes before grilling, remove the steak from the refrigerator to take off the chill.
Grill the steak
- Heat the grill to high and make sure the grates are clean and oiled. Remove the steak from the marinade and pat off the excess so it grills instead of steams.Place the steak on the grill with one end pointing toward 2 o’clock. Grill 4 minutes. Rotate the steak to 10 o’clock and grill 4 minutes more. Turn the steak over and grill another 2–3 minutes, or until done to your preference.
Rest and slice
- Transfer the steak to a clean platter or sheet pan. Brush with some of the reserved clean marinade, if desired. Rest for 10 minutes, then slice thinly across the grain. Serve with extra reserved marinade as a sauce if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Would you like to save this recipe?
Never lose a recipe! We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later.
Comments
No Comments