How to Cook Flank Steak
Flank steak (also called Bavette steak) is a specialty cut, famous for its intense flavor and for how tough it can be if improperly cooked. However, it is a wonderfully versatile cut of beef and can melt in your mouth with tenderness when you choose a great Flank steak recipe or incorporate a flavor-filled Flank steak marinade. Grilling is perhaps the best way to cook Flank steak, but you can also pan-sear it in a skillet, broil it in your oven, or even use a specialty cooking method like an instant pot. The real trick is to keep your Flank steak grill time to a minimum. This lean cut is best cooked rare, medium-rare, or medium and can be used to create wonderful meals like Flank steak tacos, Flank steak fajitas, and chimichurri Flank steak. Everything you need to know is in the instructions below. Use these techniques along with a meat thermometer and soon you'll be famous for cooking your own amazing Flank steak!
How to Cook Flank Steak on the Grill
Grilling Flank steak is a popular cooking method and one that can be used for a wide variety of Flank steak marinade recipes and those with traditional seasonings.
If you choose to use a marinade, place your steak in a bowl or resealable plastic bag and add the marinade. Use enough marinade to cover the meat completely or and be sure to turn the steak a few times while marinating. Your marinade recipe should tell you how long to marinate your Flank steak. For the sake of food safety, always refrigerate the meat while marinating. Before cooking, remove your Flank steak from the marinade and allow excess marinade to drain away.
Grilled Flank steak can be prepared with either of the following grill methods:
- Charcoal Grilling
- Gas Grilling
Regardless of which method you choose, be sure your meat is completely thawed before placing your Flank steak on the grill. We recommend thawing in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours. If you have a marinade recipe you would like to use, it's best to wait until your Flank steak is fully thawed. Marinating while defrosting can make the surface texture of the meat mushy. Once thawed, remove your steak from the refrigerator approximately 30–40 minutes before cooking to allow the steak to come to room temperature. Lastly, if you choose not to marinade your Flank steak, season it to taste with Kansas City Steak Original Steak Seasoning, which will enhance the flavor.
How to Cook Flank Steak on a Charcoal Grill
Preheat your grill on high. Place steaks over the hottest part of the grill, and sear both sides for 1–2 minutes. Then move to medium, ash-covered coals and continue to grill for the times listed in the Cooking Times Chart below. Turn about 1 minute prior to the halfway point.
How to Cook Flank Steak on a Gas Grill
Preheat your grill on high. Sear both sides for 1–2 minutes, then, reduce to medium heat and continue to grill for the times listed in the Cooking Times Chart below. Turn about 1 minute prior to the halfway point.
- Follow the directions for how long to grill Flank steak. For the perfect medium-rare Flank steak, grill for 9–12 minutes, turning about 1 minute before the halfway point. A meat thermometer should read 130°F.
- Rest your Flank steak for 5 minutes before serving, covering lightly with foil. The temperature of the meat will continue to rise about 5°F during this time (this is called "carryover cooking"). The final temperature will read 135°F.
- To check the degree of doneness, use a meat thermometer to measure the Flank steak’s internal temperature.
- Resting Flank steak is important because the heat of cooking pulls the juices in the meat toward the surface; if you slice into it immediately after cooking, those flavorful juices will end up on your plate, not in your steak. Allowing your steak to rest will give the juices time to sink back in and throughout the meat, keeping it moist and flavorful.
- Make sure your carving knife is sharp (See our Expert Tips for How to Sharpen a Knife and Expert Tips for How to Carve a Steak).
- Take a good look at your Flank steak and note which direction the fibers are running. Slide your knife back and forth across those fibers – across the grain – cutting your Flank steak into slices. Keep each slice no more than ¼ inch thick.
- To make each bite extra tender, hold your knife blade at a 45° angle; this is called "cutting on the bias." Cutting against the grain this way exposes more surface area in each fiber and keeps the fibers from being stacked directly on top of each other in each slice of meat, further weakening the bonds that hold them together.
How to Cook Flank Steak in the Oven
Learning how to broil Flank steak in your oven is considered by many to be the best way to cook Flank steak indoors, as it delivers similar results to grilling. Choose your favorite recipe for Flank steak in the oven to create a delicious meal! Flank steak is also a terrific cut for marinating. If you have a marinade recipe you would like to use, it's best to wait until your Flank steak is thawed. Marinating while defrosting can make the surface texture of the meat mushy. We recommend thawing in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours. Once thawed, remove your steak from the refrigerator approximately 30–40 minutes before cooking to allow the steak to come to room temperature.
If you choose to use a marinade, place your steak in a bowl or resealable plastic bag and add the marinade. Use enough marinade to cover the meat completely or and be sure to turn the steak a few times while marinating. Your marinade recipe should tell you how long to marinate your Flank steak. For the sake of food safety, always refrigerate the meat while marinating. Before cooking, remove your Flank steak from the marinade and allow excess marinade to drain away. If you do not want to marinate your Flank steak, season it as desired; we recommend using Kansas City Steak Original Steak Seasoning. For more information, visit our How to Cook Steak in the Oven page.
Set your oven to "broil" and preheat for 10 minutes.
Once you have marinated your Flank steak or seasoned them to taste, broil your meat in the oven to your desired cook time:
- Place your Flank steak in the oven to broil on the rack of a broiler pan, and position the broiler pan in the oven so that the surface of the steak is 3–4 inches from the heat. Broil to desired doneness, according to the Measuring Doneness Chart and Cooking Times Chart listed below.
- For the perfect medium-rare Flank steak (recommended) broil in the oven for 11–14 minutes, turning about 1 minute before the halfway point. A meat thermometer should read 130°F.
- After removing from the oven, rest your Flank steak for 5 minutes before serving, covering lightly with foil. The temperature of the meat will continue to rise for as much as 5°F during this time (this is called "carryover cooking"). The final temperature will read 135°F.
- To check the degree of doneness, use a meat thermometer to measure the internal temperature of your Flank steak.
- Resting Flank steak is important because the heat of cooking pulls the juices in the meat toward the surface; if you slice into it immediately after cooking, those flavorful juices will end up on your plate, not in your steak. Allowing your steak to rest will give the juices time to sink back in and throughout the meat, keeping it moist and flavorful.
- Make sure your carving knife is sharp (See our Expert Tips for How to Sharpen a Knife and Expert Tips for How to Carve a Steak).
- Take a good look at your Flank steak and note which direction the fibers are running. Slide your knife back and forth across those fibers – across the grain – cutting your Flank steak into slices. Keep each slice no more than ¼ inch thick.
- To make each bite extra tender, hold your knife blade at a 45° angle; this is called "cutting on the bias." Cutting against the grain this way exposes more surface area in each fiber and keeps the fibers from being stacked directly on top of each other in each slice of meat, further weakening the bonds that hold them together.
How to Cook Flank Steak on the Stove
There are many wonderful Flank steak recipes for cooking with a pan on your stovetop. Pan-seared Flank steak is delectable in both whole and pre-sliced cuts, and this method will give your meat that rich golden-brown color and melt-in-your-mouth flavor we all desire. Follow the two sets of directions below for how to cook Flank steak in a pan depending on your chosen slice.
Want to enhance your flavor? Select a marinade for Flank steak tacos or a marinade for Flank steak fajitas, among many other varieties! If you have a Flank steak marinade recipe for the stove you would like to use, it's best to wait until your meat is thawed. Marinating while defrosting can make the surface texture of the meat mushy. We recommend thawing in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours. Once thawed, remove your steak from the refrigerator approximately 30–40 minutes before cooking to allow the steak to come to room temperature.
If you choose to use a marinade, place your steak in a bowl or resealable plastic bag and add the marinade. Use enough marinade to cover the meat completely or and be sure to turn the steak a few times while marinating. Your marinade recipe should tell you how long to marinate your Flank steak. For the sake of food safety, always refrigerate the meat while marinating. Before cooking, remove your Flank steak from the marinade and allow excess marinade to drain away. If you do not want to marinate your Flank steak, season it as desired; we recommend using Kansas City Steak Original Steak Seasoning.
For a medium-rare, pan-seared whole Flank steak on the stove, follow these steps for best results:
- Preheat a heavy non-stick skillet over medium heat until hot, for about 5 minutes. A very hot pan delivers the best sear for your Flank steak in a skillet.
- Add 1–2 tbsp. of vegetable oil or butter to the skillet (enough to coat the bottom) and immediately place the Flank steak in the hot skillet.
- For a perfect medium-rare Flank steak on the stove, sear in a skillet for 12–13 minutes, turning about 1 minute before the halfway point. A meat thermometer should read 130°F.
- Use a meat thermometer to check the internal Flank steak’s temperature to ensure it is cooked to the perfect level of doneness.
- Rest your Flank steak for 5 minutes before serving, covering lightly with foil. The temperature of the meat will continue to rise for as much as 5°F during this time (this is called "carryover cooking"). The final temperature will read 135°F.
- Resting Flank steak is important because the heat of cooking pulls the juices in the meat toward the surface; if you slice into it immediately after cooking, those flavorful juices will end up on your plate, not in your steak. Allowing your steak to rest will give the juices time to sink back in and throughout the meat, keeping it moist and flavorful.
- Make sure your carving knife is sharp (See our Expert Tips for How to Sharpen a Knife and Expert Tips for How to Carve a Steak).
- Take a good look at your Flank steak and note which direction the fibers are running. Slide your knife back and forth across those fibers – across the grain – cutting your Flank steak into slices. Keep each slice no more than ¼ inch thick.
- To make each bite extra tender, hold your knife blade at a 45° angle; this is called "cutting on the bias." Cutting against the grain this way exposes more surface area in each fiber and keeps the fibers from being stacked directly on top of each other in each slice of meat, further weakening the bonds that hold them together.
Flank steak is a versatile cut of beef; pre-sliced and pan-seared, it is perfect atop pasta, a salad, or in a stir fry. For pan-seared, pre-sliced Flank steak on the stove, select a marinade or seasoning and use the following directions:
- To pre-slice your Flank steak, place it back in the freezer for just 15 minutes; this will firm up the meat and make it easier to slice.
- Make sure your carving knife is sharp (See our Expert Tips for How to Sharpen a Knife and Expert tips for How to Carve a Steak).
- Take a good look at your Flank steak and note which direction the muscle fibers are running. Slide your knife back and forth across those fibers – across the grain – cutting your steak into slices. Keep each slice no more than ¼ inch thick.
- To make each bite extra tender, hold your knife blade at a 45° angle; this is called "cutting on the bias." Cutting against the grain this way exposes more surface area in each fiber and keeps the fibers from being stacked directly on top of each other in each slice of meat, further weakening the bonds that hold them together.
- Heat a heavy skillet, a cast iron skillet, or wok over high heat until hot, for about 5 minutes. A very hot pan delivers the best sear.
- If you are stir-frying, simply follow your Flank steak recipe directions from this point forward.
- For the perfect pan-fried Flank steak slices to top pasta, rice, potatoes, or a salad, add 1–2 tbsp. of vegetable oil or butter to the skillet (enough to coat the bottom) and immediately place Flank steak slices in the hot skillet.
- Sear the slices for 4–7 minutes, turning frequently with tongs, until you see each slice is cooked to the desired level of doneness. Remove and serve immediately.
There are many great Flank steak recipes for cast iron skillets, and this method provides you with a deep brown crust and an excellent finish for your steak. Follow the same set of directions as you would if cooking a Flank steak on the stove in a non-stick skillet. For more information, visit our How to Cook Steak in a Cast Iron Skillet page.
Specialty Flank Steak Cooking
Want to try your favorite Flank steak taco recipe or a seasoned Flank steak with a unique cooking method? Choose a specialty cooking technique, preparing your meat in a sous vide machine, an instant pot, or even in a smoker. If you have a Flank steak marinade recipe you would like to use, it's best to wait until your meat is thawed. Marinating while defrosting can make the surface texture of the meat mushy. We recommend thawing in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours. Once thawed, remove your steak from the refrigerator approximately 30–40 minutes before cooking to allow the steak to come to room temperature.
If you choose to use a marinade, place your steak in a bowl or resealable plastic bag and add the marinade. Use enough marinade to cover the meat completely or and be sure to turn the steak a few times while marinating. Your marinade recipe should tell you how long to marinate your Flank steak. For the sake of food safety, always refrigerate the meat while marinating. Before cooking, remove your Flank steak from the marinade and allow excess marinade to drain away. If you do not want to marinate your Flank steak, season it as desired; we recommend using Kansas City Steak Original Steak Seasoning.
A sous vide beef Flank steak brings out the flavor of delicious marinades and seasonings. Sous vide cooking is a great way to remove the guesswork from the cooking process, delivering steaks that are prepared perfectly to your desired doneness, every time. Sous vide uses a low-heat, long-time cooking process which allows for evenly cooked steaks from end to end and guarantees every bite is as tender and juicy as the first.
Note: Steaks cooked under 130°F should not be cooked longer than 2½ hours at a time due to food safety concerns.
Here are the steps to follow when using the sous vide method:
Prepare It
- Preheat your water bath: Fill your sous vide container up with warm water and set the sous vide device to the appropriate Flank steak cooking temperature for the desired doneness. The sous vide device should be set as follows:
- Rare: 122°F
- Medium-Rare: 129°F
- Medium: 135°F
- Medium-Well: 145°F
- Repackage your Flank steak into a sous vide heat-stable bag. We recommend seasoning with Kansas City Steaks Original Steak Seasoning for an enhanced flavor, prior to cooking in the sous vide. Another option is to add fresh herbs or a marinade, along with your raw steak, into the heat-stable vacuum seal bag before sealing.
Cook It
- Make sure the water bath has fully reached the desired temperature for cooking before adding in the steak.
- Place the packaged steak in the water bath and allow it to cook for the recommended amount of time, based on your desired degree of doneness. Flank steaks between 1–1½ inches thick should be cooked to the desired temperature for 2–4 hours.
- Once your steaks are finished cooking, remove them from the sous vide and take the steaks out of the packaging.
- Preheat a skillet over high heat for about 5 minutes (this can be done on a grill or in your kitchen). A hot skillet delivers the best sear.
- Lightly coat the bottom of your skillet with high smoke point oil such as avocado oil, canola oil, or grapeseed oil. Place your steaks on the skillet and sear for approximately 2 minutes on each side. Sear until the steaks reach the final desired Flank steak internal temperature, according to the Measuring Doneness Chart below.
- The sear will give your steaks the rich golden-brown color and enhanced flavor that is typically associated with grilled steaks.
- Serve immediately. Unlike other methods of cooking steak, the low-heat and long-time cooking technique used in sous vide does not draw the juices of the meat to the surface so additional resting time is not needed.
Usually, Flank steak is cooked on the grill. But did you know that you can also pressure cook or slow cook it and get great results? Flank steak is best either hot and fast (grill) or braised. With the pressure cooker or slow cooker, you can braise the Flank steak until it breaks down the connective tissues and tenderizes, which is why it calls for a fairly long cooking time.
Here are the directions for how to cook Flank steak in an Instant Pot:
- Preheat your Instant Pot by turning it onto the sauté setting.
- Season with Kansas City Steak Original Steak Seasoning, or marinate your Flank steak to your liking.
- When the Instant Pot has finished preheating, add 2 tbsp. of oil or Kansas City Steak Finishing Butter to the pot. Then, place the Flank steak in the pot and sear each side for 2 minutes.
- Move the steak out of the pot and add beef cooking stock to deglaze the bottom and sides of the pot.
- Add the Flank steak back into the pot, cover, and cook for 30–50 minutes with a natural pressure release. To check the degree of doneness, use a meat thermometer and the Measuring Doneness chart below.
- Once your steak has reached your desired degree of doneness temperature, remove it from the pot and place your meat onto a cutting board. Let the steak rest for 5–10 minutes, covering lightly with foil.
- The Flank steak cooking temperature will continue to rise for as much as 5°F during this time (this is called "carryover cooking"). The final temperature will read 135°F.
- Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of your Flank steak to ensure it is cooked to the perfect level of doneness.
- Resting Flank steak is important because the heat of cooking pulls the juices in the meat toward the surface; if you slice into it immediately after cooking, those flavorful juices will end up on your plate, not in your steak. Allowing your steak to rest will give the juices time to sink back in and throughout the meat, keeping it moist and flavorful.
- Make sure your carving knife is sharp (See our Expert Tips for How to Sharpen a Knife and Expert Tips for How to Carve a Steak).
- Take a good look at your Flank steak and note which direction the fibers are running. Slide your knife back and forth across those fibers – across the grain – cutting your Flank steak into slices. Keep each slice no more than ¼ inch thick.
- To make each bite extra tender, hold your knife blade at a 45° angle; this is called "cutting on the bias." Cutting against the grain this way exposes more surface area in each fiber and keeps the fibers from being stacked directly on top of each other in each slice of meat, further weakening the bonds that hold them together.
Many people ask “can I smoke Flank steak?” The answer is yes! Flank steak cooked in a smoker provides unmatched flavor to this cut of meat. Smoking time varies greatly depending on the cut of meat, thickness of the cut, quality of smoker, smoke and smoke retention, wind, etc. It is best to use a meat thermometer and base doneness off of your Flank steak’s internal temperature.
Note: Steaks cooked under 130°F should not be cooked longer than 2½ hours at a time due to food safety concerns.
To begin, fire up your smoker and preheat it to 225°F.
- Place your well-seasoned steak onto the grates of your smoker, close the lid, and smoke the meat until the steaks reach about 10°F below the desired internal doneness temperature (see recommendations, on our Measuring Doneness Chart below.)
- You can check for smoking doneness by internal temperature. Temperatures are as follows:
- Rare: 115°F
- Medium-Rare: 125°F
- Medium: 135°F
- Medium-Well: 145°F
- Next, preheat a skillet over high heat (this can be done on a grill or in your kitchen). Once hot, lightly coat the bottom of your skillet with a high smoke point oil such as avocado oil, canola oil, or grapeseed oil.
- Place the steaks in the skillet and sear them for approximately 2 minutes on each side. Cook until the steaks reach approximately 5°F less than your final desired internal temperature.
- Remove steaks from the skillet and allow them to rest for 5–10 minutes, covering lightly with foil. The temperature of the meat will continue to rise about 5°F during this time (this is called "carryover cooking").
- Resting steak is important because the heat of cooking pulls the juices in the meat toward the surface; if you slice into it immediately after cooking, those flavorful juices will end up on your plate, not in your steak. Allowing your steak to rest will give the juices time to sink back in and throughout the meat, keeping it moist and flavorful.
- To check the final degree of doneness, use a meat thermometer to measure the Flank steak’s internal temperature.
Cooking Times for Flank Steak
Select a cooking method for your Flank Steak and follow the recommended cooking times for the best results. For perfect doneness, we recommend you use a meat thermometer and use the Measuring Doneness Chart, below.
Measuring Doneness for Flank Steak
Remove when your steaks are 5°F less than the temperatures listed.
The centers will continue to warm as they rest.
Flank Steak Recipes
Looking for a specific recipe, marinade, seasoning or rub for Flank Steak? Check out our most popular Steak Recipes below or click Steak Recipes to view our recipe library.