I’m a Food Scientist with secrets to a Flat Iron Steak recipe that turns out steak-house perfect, every time. It’s flavor-packed and melt-in-your-mouth with a beautiful char and buttery tenderness every time. Perfect for the grill or a pan!
The secret to cooking steak like a pro is actually in the technique more than the ingredients. I’m a food scientist. Steal my tricks and you’ll be the official steak chef in your family!
Here’s What You Need
Round up the ingredients and tools so you can get cooking!
Flat Iron Steak Recipe Ingredients
Get your ingredients ready to go. I always suggest getting your hands on the best quality ingredients possible:
- Flat Iron Steak (here’s how to defrost steak in the microwave)
- Vegetable oil or other oil with a high smoke point (like avocado oil or refined olive oil)
- Seasonings: Kosher salt, onion powder, garlic powder and freshly cracked pepper enhance the natural flavors of the meat. They also help develop a delicious crust with caramelization when seared.
Variations and Substitutions
You can make changes to this base recipe by swapping out a few of the ingredients. It’s such an easy recipe to play around with:
- Steak cuts: If you don’t have flat iron steak, try boneless blade steak, flank steak or skirt steak, which are also great for grilling.
- Sauce it: Try my super-yummy recipe for flat iron steak with green steak sauce (peruvian style!) or one of these other delicious and popular flat iron steak recipes!
Tools You’ll Need
You don’t much to make this yummy steak recipe with its tasty sauce!
- A food processor or a blender.
- Grill or cast iron pan (Related: Best Temperature To Grill Steak (for Perfect Steak Every Time!)
- A brush to coat the steak with oil and a small bowl to hold the oil.
- Cutting board and knives.
How to Make Flat Iron Steak: An Easy Guide
Here is exactly how I make this recipe at home, step-by-step:
Prepare the steak + cooking surface
Preheat the grill or pan until smoking hot. This will take several minutes.
Brush both sides of the steak with a teaspoon at a time of oil and generously season.
Grill the steak
Place the steak on the preheated grill or cast iron pan and allow it to sear on one side without moving it. Wait until it easily lifts when you gently raise a corner with tongs.
Once the first side has nice grill marks and is well-seared, flip the steak and continue cooking until it reaches an internal temperature of 125ºF for medium-rare.
Rest and serve
Transfer the steak to a cutting board and cover it loosely with foil. Let it rest for 5 minutes to allow the juices to redistribute. Slice the steak and drizzle the green sauce over the top before serving.
5 Common Mistakes When Making a Flat Iron Steak Recipe
As a food scientist, I love to share my tips and tricks to getting incredible results. Here’s where people sometimes go wrong with flat iron steak:
- Flipping Too Soon: Resist the urge to flip the steak early. Trust that it will lift away easily without resistance when it is ready to be turned. Allowing it to sear fully before flipping creates a flavorful crust that boosts both texture and taste.
- Guessing Doneness: To achieve perfect doneness, use a meat thermometer. This ensures you hit the ideal temperature without guessing, preventing overcooking.
- Skipping the Rest: Allow the steak to rest after cooking. This is key for allowing the muscle fibers to relax and re-absorb the juices throughout the meat, resulting in a juicier steak when sliced. If you don’t rest your steak, the juices run straight out and onto your plate.
- Wrong Cutting Technique: Always slice steak against the grain to maximize tenderness. This shortens the muscle fibers, making each bite easier to chew. Slicing meat against the grain works because it shortens the muscle fibers, making the meat easier to chew and feel more tender and juicy.
- When you cut with the grain, you leave long, intact muscle fibers that require more effort to break down as you chew. These long fibers can make even a well-cooked steak feel tough.
Make Ahead and Storage
For the steak, marinate it overnight for enhanced flavor and tenderness.
- Always store leftovers in an airtight container to maintain freshness.
- Cooked flat iron steak can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Here’s the best way to reheat steak.
You can freeze leftover steak and thaw to use it in sandwiches etc.
How to Serve this Flat Iron Steak Recipe
Try it with creamy mashed potatoes, cornbread casserole, or air fryer eggplant. it’s also lovely with crunchy green veggies like beans and asparagus.
If you have any leftover steak, slice it thinly for use in sandwiches, salads, or beef tacos. The flavors will continue to develop, making it a great addition to other dishes.
FAQs About Flat Iron Steak Recipe
Just skimming through? Here are a few highlights:
Yes, flat iron steak is known for its tenderness, making it a popular choice for grilling and pan-searing.
Yes, flat iron steak can be eaten rare; however, it’s best enjoyed medium-rare for optimal flavor and tenderness.
Yes, flat iron steak is generally more tender than sirloin due to its fine grain and marbling, which contribute to its juiciness and flavor.
Flat iron steak is a flavorful and tender cut of beef that comes from the shoulder area of the cow, specifically the chuck. It’s known for its rich marbling and is great for grilling or pan-searing.
For medium-rare, aim for an internal temperature of 125ºF. Use a meat thermometer to check the temperature, inserting it into the thickest part of the steak.
Yes! While flat iron steak is ideal, you can substitute it with other cuts like flank steak, skirt steak, or ribeye, though cooking times and techniques may vary.
In addition to marinating, allow the steak to rest after cooking. This helps redistribute the juices, resulting in a more tender texture. Slicing against the grain also enhances tenderness.
Other Steak Recipes You’ll Love
Here are some more steak recipe picks to try out.
- Make beef steak broccoli stir-fry when you’re in the mood for a tossed-together kinda meal.
- This recipe for steak made in an Instant Pot delivers butter-tender beef that you can (almost) eat with a spoon!
- Air fryer tuna steak sings of summer and is an easy way to cook fresh tuna.
- My Salisbury steak is dripping in rich flavors and goodness.
- Steak with blue cheese and buttermilk Hollandaise? Yes, please!
Best Flat Iron Steak Recipe (Melt-In-Your-Mouth Tender!)
Ingredients
- 1 lb flat iron steak 1" thick
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp freshly-ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat grill or cast iron pan over high heat for 5 full minutes. This is an important step for a good sear and to prevent sticking.Coat steak on both sides with oil, then sprinkle with the salt, onion powder, garlic powder and black pepper.Once grill (or pan) is smoking hot, lightly oil that, too. I use tongs to rub the grates with a paper towel dipped in oil.
- Place the steak on the grill and cook for 3-4 minutes on the first side. Don't attempt to flip until it releases easily when you gently lift a corner with tongs. If you rip it off before it's ready, the meat will tear and you won't get good browning. Flip the steak and grill for another 3-4 minutes on the second side, or until the internal temperature reaches 125°F for medium rare.
- Transfer steak to a cutting board, tent with foil and let it rest for a full 5 minutes before slicing.This allows the juices to be re-absorbed into the muscle fibers rather than pouring out of the meat when you cut in. It makes a huge difference to juiciness. Thinly slice the meat against the grain for maximum tenderness.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
very good … maybe it’s implied but when the steak comes out of the fridge and into the skillet 4′ a side barely gets it to 100 … obviously things would be different at room temp but that isn’t spelled out in the recipe
Could I cook the steak in the oven instead of on the stove or grill? Would that produce similar results? And what temp would you suggest and for how long?
It’s a totally different process that won’t get the nice sear. You could use the broiler, just monitor closely and check doneness with an instant read thermometer.
This looks fantastic! But what is that great looking sauce in the picture? I’d like to make that to accompany my flat iron. Thanks!
It’s Peruvian Aji Verde – I shared it as its own recipe here: https://foodess.com/flat-iron-steak-with-creamy-peruvian-green-sauce-aji-verde/
I was looking for that sauce recipe from picture. But it’s totally missed out from the recipe or the picture is misleading. What’s the sauce recipe
Hi Alex, I linked to the flat iron steak sauce recipe within the blog post but I’ll put a link in the recipe card too so it doesn’t get missed.
Easy recipe, turned out exceptionally juicy and delicious.
I’m preparing this tomorrow. I noticed that marinating overnight adds to the tenderness. What do you use for this. I will be following your recipe. Looking forwards to enjoying this wonderful cut of beef. Thanks
Hi Wendy, my favorite steak marinade is actually the one I use for my Beef Fajitas. You can leave out the cumin/chili powder and swap lemon in for the lime. The base recipe is excellent!
Just had it and it was great. Only change made was garlic salt instead of powder with a little bit of Blend rub and of course kosher salt. Was hoping for leftovers but nothing was left. Thanks for the recipe.
Jenn, your flat iron steak recipe is spot on! Your emphasis on allowing the steak to rest before serving is a tip many overlook, but it truly is the secret to a juicy, flavorful steak. Thanks for sharing your wisdom!
always thought flat iron would be a tough cut but prep & cooking it right makes a difference. Delicious!
Love flat iron steak done this way. I served it with chimmichurri.