Grilled Flank Steak

A lean flank steak grilled over medium coals and basted with a quick homemade barbecue sauce that hits sweet, tangy, and smoky all at once. The sauce cooks in a saucepan while you prep the meat, so by the time the grill is ready, everything comes together without a wait.

Score the steak in a crosshatch diamond pattern on both sides before grilling. This isn’t just decorative. The shallow cuts let the sauce penetrate the dense muscle fibers and prevent the steak from curling on the grill as the meat contracts. The sauce itself is a simple simmer of sautéed onion and garlic with tomato sauce, vinegar, honey, and chili powder, boiled for five minutes until slightly thickened. That reduction concentrates the flavors and gives it enough body to cling to the steak instead of dripping off.

Grill about 7 minutes per side for medium, brushing with sauce each time you flip. Flank steak goes from tender to tough quickly past medium, so pull it when it still has some give in the center. Rest for 5 minutes, then slice thin against the grain. Cutting across those long muscle fibers is what makes the difference between chewy and tender with this cut.

Pro Tips

• Score about ⅛ inch deep; too deep and the steak will fall apart on the grill
• Make the sauce first so it has time to thicken while you prep and heat the grill
• Rest the steak before slicing; the juices redistribute and stay in the meat instead of pooling on the board
• A sharp carving knife at a 45-degree angle gives you the widest, most tender slices

Variations

• Broiler method: Broil 3 inches from heat, 6 minutes per side, brushing with sauce
• Asian-style: Swap the barbecue sauce for a soy-ginger glaze
• Chimichurri: Skip the sauce and top sliced steak with fresh herb chimichurri