Grilled Flank Steak with Orange Ginger Marinade

Grab a trusty flank steak let’s get to work. Or actually, let this easy Asian steak marinade do the work. The end result is a wonderful fresh flavor. Citrus inspired, the orange and ginger shine to brighten and deeply flavor this beefy cut of meat. With only a 4 hour marinade time, once that grill is hot, this is an oh-so easy steak dinner recipe.

You may be asking, should I marinate flank steak? I cook with flank steak a lot. I have grilled flank steak with and without a marinade. Either way can give you flavorful tender piece of steak. With just a couple of tricks, if you cook it right and if you slice it right

The great thing about flank steak is its ability to soak up any flavor profile you throw its way. The muscle grain in a flank steak runs in a single direction which makes it ideal for marinating and grilling.

A simple steak seasoning mix like Montreal Steak Seasoning is a beautiful way to flavor a flank steak before grilling.

Another example, my Grilled Flank Steak with Chimichurri Sauce isn’t marinated at all. But then my recipe for Tangy Grilled Flank Steak, a recipe I hold near and dear to my heart uses a 24 hour marinade that will produce an incredibly flavored steak dinner.

Simply stated, a marinade is used to help flavor and tenderize meat. Flank steak will most certainly benefit from a marinade especially if you prefer your steak cooked well done.

So what makes a good flank steak marinade recipe? Start with olive oil and garlic, add an acidic liquid and fresh herb of your choice. You can add a sugar product to flavor and tenderize.

So with or without a marinade, flank steak is a great choice for casual dinner. For this recipe I chose an Asian steak marinade that is simply out of this world.

How to cut flank steak

The most important thing to know is how to cut flank steak. Using a quality sharp knife, slice it against the grain!  The thinner the better.

It creates shorter strands of tender meat instead of longer and chewy pieces. If you don’t cut flank steak correctly it can be almost impossible to eat.

Flank steak is routinely used for tacos and burritos. Thin sliced meat, sliced correctly, makes flank steak easier to eat when you’re relying on your teeth rather than a knife and fork.

Ingredients for this Asian Flank Steak Marinade

• Maple Syrup: Please use pure maple syrup as opposed to the less expensive artificially flavored which contains high-fructose corn syrup and dyes. That’s why it’s thicker and stickier. Pure maple syrup only cost a few dollars more and it comes from real maple trees.
• Molasses: Molasses is a dark sweet thick syrup made from the extraction of sugars from sugar kane and sugar beets. Molasses has a warm sweet and smoky flavor. It gives this marinade a deeper rich flavor.
• Brown Sugar: Since we’re using molasses in this flank steak marinade, use light brown sugar. Dark brown sugar is stronger in flavor and will resemble the flavor of the molasses. Does sugar tenderize meat? Yes, sugar is a natural tenderizer and it helps the meat achieve maillard reaction. That toasty browned flavor that we love so much.
• Orange Juice and Zest: Adding an acid to any marinade, such as lime juice, orange juice or even vinegar, helps to tenderize the meat so flavor will penetrate the tissue easier. It also gives flavor profile and balance to any recipe.
• Garlic: Practice your knife skills! If you use a garlic press, you’ll be pressing more oil out of the garlic which will cause a stronger flavor. For a more sweet pure garlic flavor, fine dice the garlic.
• Fresh Ginger: Please use fresh ginger for this recipe as opposed to ginger powder from the spice shop. The flavor of fresh ginger will produce of more pure bright ginger experience. Use a microplane to zest and grate. I keep a large knob of ginger in the freezer. Just pull it out and zest. No need to even peel and remove the skin.
• Olive Oil: Olive oil is used routinely in marinades because of its ability to draw out the flavors in other marinade ingredients. Ginger and garlic is a good example in this flank steak marinade.

More Grilled Flank Steak Recipes

One of my favorite flank steak recipes isn’t grilled at all, but cooked in a cast iron skillet. Check out Cast Iron Flank Steak with Onion Chutney. Sweet sticky and savory caramelized onions make a great topping for grilled flank steak.

• Grilled Flank Steak with Charred Caramelized Sweet Corn A perfect light Summer meal. Caramelized and charred sweet corn seasoned with jalapeno peppers, rings of shallots and lime juice is a great topping for flank steak.
• San Juan Grilled Flank Steak Flank steak is marinated overnight in a tangy spicy savory mix for flavor that comes alive on your grill.
• Smoky Pasilla and Citrus Grilled Flank Steak A recipe I found over and Food and Wine Magazine and one I want to try soon. Smoky fruity pasilla de Oaxaca chiles impart a deep flavor to grilled flank steak.
• Grilled Flank Steak Fajitas, Simply the best steak fajitas. It’s all about the marinade. A recipe from the most popular Mexican restaurant in Denver.

And if you’re looking for more beef recipes, don’t miss my beef category. You’ll find lots of great beef dinner ideas, including the most popular post on my site for a lineup of Grilled Hamburger Recipes.

Orange Ginger Flank Steak Marinade, Grilled Flank Steak

The orange and ginger shine to brighten and deeply flavor this beefy cut of meat.

5 from 3 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Course Beef

Cuisine: American/Asian

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Marinade: 4 hours hours

Servings: 6

Calories: 271kcal

Author: Lea Ann Brown

Ingredients

• ▢ ¼ cup maple syrup
• ▢ ⅛ cup molasses
• ▢ ⅛ cup brown sugar
• ▢ 2 cloves garlic smashed and rough chopped
• ▢ 1 orange zested and juiced
• ▢ 1 tablespoon ginger grated
• ▢ ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• ▢ 1 teaspoon of crushed chili flakes
• ▢ 1 pound flank steak

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Instructions

• Combine all ingredients and place in a gallon sized Zip Lock bag. Let marinade for at least 4 hours. Remove steak from bag and broil about 7 minutes per side. Remove steak from oven and tent with foil for 10 minutes before slicing.

Notes

If you don’t have molasses, use ¼ cup maple syrup and ¼ cup brown sugar.

Serve with quick pickled cucumbers that have been thin sliced using a mandolin:

Easy Asian Sesame Cucumber Salad

2 medium sized cucumbers, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 tablespoons dark sesame oil, 2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar, ½ teaspoon sugar, ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes.

Using a mandolin, thin slice the cucumbers. Place cucumbers in a serving bowl. Toss with the ingredients listed above and let sit in the refrigerator for a couple of hours. 

 

Nutrition

Calories: 271kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 45mg | Sodium: 51mg | Potassium: 443mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 148IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 59mg | Iron: 2mg

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Asian Steak Marinade For Flank Steak …It’s What’s for Dinner.

Lea Ann Brown

Why Trust These Recipes? Lea Ann Brown has lived, worked and played in Colorado for 45 years. She has immersed herself in the Colorado Culinary space, is a Culinary School Graduate and publishes her Colorado food Blog, Cooking On The Ranch.