Fire up your grill for this grilled balsamic marinated flank steak! This recipe uses a marinade with balsamic vinegar, garlic, herbs, and spices to create a super tender and juicy steak. With step-by-step photos and instructions to help you along the way, making this recipe is a breeze. Marinate the steak in the morning then when meal time comes you can have dinner on the table in under 30 minutes.
Simple. Easy. Juicy. Delicious.
That’s how I would describe this recipe. And who doesn’t want flank steak that is all of those things?
It starts with a simple marinade that includes ingredients you probably already have on hand.
You put the flank steak in with those ingredients, let it sit for awhile, then you grill it up and serve.
It really is as straight-forward as that.
The first time my husband tried it he said this might be his favorite flank steak I’ve done yet – and I’ve done several, including an Asian-inspired flank steak, a dry rubbed flank steak, and a lime and garlic flank steak.
So if your family loves tender juicy steak as much as mine does, keep reading to get the detailed instructions – including helpful photos – to make this super flavorful meal.
Grab these ingredients
(Note: the full ingredients list, including measurements, is provided in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.)
- Flank steak – get one that’s around 2 pounds, though up or down a little bit will be fine. You can use skirt steak in this recipe but the marinating time will be less as skirt steak is a much thinner cut – around 2 hours.
- Balsamic vinegar – Any type of dark balsamic vinegar works here. If it’s an aged balsamic it will give a slightly sweeter flavor. I would not use a white balsamic or other flavored balsamic as it will likely be too sweet.
- Garlic – fresh garlic absolutely makes a difference. I like to use a garlic press instead of mincing it to get the most flavor. If you love garlic be sure and use large cloves, or even increase the amount used to 3 cloves.
- Herbs – dried thyme and dried rosemary are used in this recipe. You can use fresh if you have it, just increase the amount by to 1.5 teaspoons of each instead of half a teaspoon.
- Kosher salt – I used Diamond Crystal kosher salt in this recipe. It is less salty by volume than many other salts, so if you are using a different type of salt (kosher or otherwise), you’ll want to use this salt conversion chart from Epicurious to determine how much salt to use.
- Pepper – freshly ground black pepper is great, but you could also switch it up with white or pink pepper.
- Oil – If you’re going to be cooking with this marinade at a high temperature, like on a grill, use a mild, high heat oil. I like to use avocado oil.
How to make balsamic flank steak
There’s three pretty easy steps to this recipe:
- make the marinade,
- marinate the steak, and
- grill the steak.
While the second step takes the longest, they’re all really easy to do. Scroll through the photos to see how it’s done!
Making the marinade
Marinating the steak
Grilling the steak
*Meal Prep Tip*
Make the marinade the night before and store in the refrigerator in a lidded container. Pour it over the steak in the morning and come home ready to a marinated steak ready to throw on the grill.
How important is internal temperature?
The short answer is VERY.
Typically, all meat should be cooked to a specific internal temperature to ensure it’s not underdone.
Steak is a little different as it can be cooked more to preference than other types of meat, anywhere between 115 degrees F for very rare to 160 degrees F for well done.
But you have to measure it to know what temperature it’s at, and therefore how done your steak is.
If you’re curious to find out more, read this post I wrote all about internal temperatures for meat – and never deal with overcooked meat again!
We LOVE our Thermoworks Thermapen ONE meat thermometer to quickly and easily check the internal temperatures of meats. We’ve used a Thermapen for years and they are AMAZING. Get one for yourself here (affiliate link).
What to eat with flank steak
We love to eat this flank steak with other veggies and potato sides, or on top of a salad. Specific side dishes we’ve had with flank steak are:
- Potatoes: grilled potatoes, mashed potatoes, or roasted potatoes are all delicious.
- Veggies: lots of options here, including green beans with shallots, grilled onions, and zucchini and mushrooms. Or try some balsamic grilled vegetables too!
- Salads: a simple green side salad or something sweet like a blueberry spinach salad both work well.
If you make this grilled balsamic flank steak, then don’t forget to leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below!
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Juicy Grilled Balsamic Marinated Flank Steak
Equipment
- A garlic press
- A small whisk (or other utensil)
- A sealable plastic bag (or flat dish with lid)
- Grilling tongs
Ingredients
- A 2 lb flank steak
- 1.5 oz balsamic vinegar
- 3 oz mild oil like avocado oil
- ½ tsp dried rosemary
- ½ tsp dried fresh thyme
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper and
- 2 cloves garlic pressed or minced
Instructions
- Measure out the balsamic vinegar and oil into a measuring cup (or other container), then measure out the remaining ingredients and add them into the cup as well. Use a small whisk or other utensil to combine everything together.
- Place the raw flank steak into a sealable plastic bag (you can also use a shallow 9×13 casserole dish with a lid, or use plastic wrap as a cover). Pour the marinade into the bag over the flank, then use your hands to press the air out of the bag and seal it. Manipulate the bag to help cover the steak in the marinade, then store it flat in the fridge for 8 to 10 hours, flipping the bag over halfway through.
- Take the bag out of the fridge 15 to 20 minutes before putting the steak on the grill. Preheat the grill to between 450 and 500 degrees F to get the grill grates hot.
- Use tongs to place the steak directly on the grill then immediately turn the heat down to have it settle around 350 to 375 degrees F. Close the lid and cook the steak for 6 minutes on the first side, then use the tongs to flip it and cook another 5 minutes on the second side, again with the lid closed.
- At this point, use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the steak and cook another 5-15 minutes depending on what internal temp you want your steak at (I like to cook it to between 135 and 140 degrees F). The time will vary depending on how thick your steak is, what your outdoor temperature is, and how well your grill maintains heats.
- Once the steak reaches a couple degrees below your desired temperature, remove it from the grill to rest for around 10 minutes – it will continue to rise in temperature a bit as it rests before cooling down. Then use a large sharp knife and cutting board to slice the steak and serve.
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