This overnight flank steak marinade is a tangy spicy savory mix for flavor that comes alive on your grill. This Southwest inspired Flank Steak marinade is just what Summer ordered.
If you love cooking with flank steak, don’t miss another one of a favorites for Tangy Flank Steak with Horseradish Sauce. Another great marinade idea for grilled flank steak.
What You Can Expect From This Recipe
Grilled flank steak is about the easiest and most reliable beef steak you can cook.
It only takes about 5 – 6 minutes per side to cook on the grill. Does grilling life get any better than that? Plus it’s a lean cut of meat, so my waist line says, “thank you very much.”
And finding a great overnight flank steak marinade is worth it’s weight in gold. This flank steak marinade includes some of your favorite ingredients for a big bam of flavor. The aroma from this flank steak when it hits that grill is intoxicating.
Over the years flank steak has been pretty much our go-to when Summer grilling season is in full swing. When prepared properly, flank steak is cut of meat that laps up about any marinade concoction you throw its way.
And preparing an overnight flank steak marinade, not only imparts incredible flavor into the beef, but saves time when you’re ready to start cooking dinner.
A recipe from one of our Colorado Junior League Cookbooks, this is a Southwestern themed marinade. The title of the recipe reads San Juan Flank Steak.
Let’s Take a look.
Table of contents
- Olive oil: Olive oil will keep the meat moist during this long marinade process.
- White Vinegar: Putting vinegar in marinades will help flavor and tenderize the meat. The acidity in vinegar helps break down connective tissue and make the meat softer.
- Hot Spices: We’ll use Tabasco Sauce and New Mexico Red Chile Powder to bring some spicy heat to the meat.
- Aromatics: Mexican Oregano and Garlic
Mexican Oregano is preferred for this recipe. It's peppery, grassy, earthy flavor is a good compliment for Mexican Food. If you don't have Mexican Oregano, substitute Marjoram. Known for its aroma and delicate flavor, its related to oregano and will bring a sweet undertone to any recipe.
Step by Step Instructions, It’s Easy
- Step 1: In a small bowl use a whisk to mix together the marinade ingredients until well blended.
- Step 2: Place the steak into a gallon sized zip lock bag. Add the marinade ingredients and seal, pushing out as much air as you can. Use your hands to squish the bag around several times to make sure the beef is fully coated with the marinade. Place in refrigerator and marinate overnight.
How To Marinate Flank Steak
Marinating flank steak is as easy as falling off a log. But there are a couple of techniques to keep in mind.
Flank steak is flavorful, lean and a somewhat tough cut of meat that benefits from an overnight soak that includes an acid such as vinegar, lime or lemon juice. This helps break down the connective tissue to produce a tender cut of meat, once cooked.
Along with your choice of acidic liquid Just throw in some of your favorite seasonings.
I’ve seen recipes that instruct one to score the meat with a sharp knife to encourage the flavor to penetrate the steak. Which seems to make sense.
However, I’m sticking by the golden rule of never piercing your meat. You want the end result to be as juicy and flavorful as possible. Any kind of piercing, jabbing as you cook, or cutting will release valuable juices.
Please use tongs when turning your meat.
All you need for this overnight flank steak marinade are simple ingredients and a zip lock gallon bag.
How Long Can You Marinate Flank Steak?
Culinary School offered this advice and flank steak marinade time. Flank steak can be marinaded for as short of time as 2 – 3 hours, or up to 12 hours to enhance flavor and tenderness. A 24 hour marinade is discouraged, especially when acids like lemon juice, or lime juice are involved. They can encourage the steak to become mushy.
Does Flank Steak Have to Be Marinated?
To marinate or not to marinate? That is the question. Although marinating is fine for a flank steak, it most certainly isn’t a requirement.
I have grilled many flank steaks that have produced very tender results without a marinade. The secret is to make sure you don’t overcook the steak, and then slice it thinly in the opposite direction to how the grain of the meat is running.
And in leu of the marinade, just rub the flank steak with your favorite seasonings before grilling. A good example is this recipe for Grilled Flank Steak with Caramelized Sweet Corn. A simple seasoning of salt and pepper is all you need.
Overnight Flank Steak Marinade Recipe
The marinade in this recipe provides plenty of flavor for the flank steak. However, who can resist a sauce to liven things up a bit. I’d suggest serving this with a gorgeous Horseradish Cream Sauce, or send it south of the border with this Roasted Hatch Chile Sauce or a sweet and spicy salsa like Jalapeno Pineapple Salsa. For a more restaurant quality feel, drizzle this steak with Balsamic Fig Glaze = luscious.
Side Dish Recommendation Zucchini and Potato Skillet with Thyme. This is a great side for any grilled steak recipe.
I hope you give this Overnight Flank Steak recipe a try, and if you do, please come back and give the recipe a star rating, and leave a comment about your experience with the recipe. Your input is valuable to me.
More Flank Steak Recipes
Don’t miss my Beef Category for more beef and flank steak recipes. That’s where you’ll find the most popular flank steak recipe on my site for Beef Tagliata. A fabulously flavorful and easy Italian steak recipe.
If you liked this recipe, please leave a star ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the recipe card below and leave a comment. I always appreciate your feedback and hearing how everything went.
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Overnight Flank Steak Marinade
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds flank steak
- ½ Cup olive oil
- ¼ Cup white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon Tabasco Sauce
- 2 teaspoons Mexican oregano
- 2 teaspoons New Mexico red chile powder or Ancho Chile Powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic minced
Instructions
- In a small bowl use a whisk to mix together the marinade ingredients.
- Place the steak into a gallon sized zip lock bag. Add the marinade ingredients and seal, pushing out as much air as you can.
- With your hands, squish the bag around several times to make sure the beef is fully coated with the marinade.
- Place in refrigerator and marinate over night.
- Preheat grill to 600 hundred degrees. Lower heat to medium, or 350 degrees.
- Remove flank steak from marinade. Grill 5 – 6 minutes per side. Let rest 5 minutes tented wtih foil. Then slice the meat across the grain. Top with sliced green onions for presentation. Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Overnight Flank Steak Marinade … It’s Whats for Dinner
Inspiration for the name San Juan Grilled Flank Steak Recipe
The San Juan Mountains are a high and rugged mountain range in the Rocky Mountains in southwestern Colorado and northwestern New Mexico. In my opinion some of the most outstanding scenery in our state. The area around Ouray, Telluride, Durango Creed and Lake City has provided us with several stunning vacation memories. Photo below.
Why Trust My Recipes? I am a Culinary School Graduate and a lifelong student of home cooking. I hope to inspire you try to cook as often as you can. I’ve been cooking for 50 years, and my recipes are tried and true tested and tested and then tested again before published. To read more take a look at my About Page.
This is fabulous! I love your marinade. Unfortunately, ever since I got a sous vide, I can’t go back! Even though I always loved grilled flank steak. But I can use your marinade!
Hi Mimi. I am so tempted to get a sous vide.
Flank steak is good stuff. Lotta flavor in a fairly inexpensive cut. Winner! Yours looks perfect — neat marinade. Thanks!
Thnks John, always good to hear from you.
Looks really good Chef.
Thanks Larry! 🙂