Name: Flank Steak Marinade
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: ½ cup vegetable oil; 2 tbsp lemon or lime juice; ¼ cup balsamic vinegar; ⅓ cup soy sauce; 3 tbsp liquid honey; 1 tbsp Dijon mustard; 1 tbsp finely minced garlic (minced); ½ tsp ground black pepper; 1 ½ pounds flank steak

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Why You’ll Love My Recipe

Easy to make and full of complex flavours, this marinade is perfect for counteracting the toughness of flank steaks.

If you need more steak recipes, try a Swiss steak, a New York strip steak, or a rib eye steak. Serve any of these with Air Fryer French Fries and your favourite vegetable side. For a breakfast option, make some steak and eggs.

Reader Review

I used this marinade for my flank steak tonight and it was awesome! Rave reviews all around. Great recipe, didn’t adjust a thing!

– Pam

Karlynn’s Recipe Notes

Skill Level: This is a very easy recipe.
Total Time: The marinade takes just 5 minutes to make. Marinating and cooking time will vary.
Variations: Try using this marinade on other cuts of beef, or even on an entirely different protein like chicken or pork. Add some hot pepper flakes or a splash of your favourite hot sauce if you’d like to spice things up. Play with the exact amounts of each ingredient to find the balance you like best.
Tools Needed: For this recipe, you’ll need a medium bowl or a large measuring cup, measuring spoons, a spoon or whisk, and a shallow glass dish or a zipper-sealed plastic bag.

A hand holds a small white dish of minced garlic above a bowl of dark marinade with a whisk in it; a bowl of raw sliced beef is partially visible in the background.

What You’ll Need For Ingredients

Meat: This recipe will work especially well to tenderize tougher cuts of beef like flank steaks, but you can use the marinade on any type of steak. You could even try it on some pork chops or chicken thighs.

Mustard: This recipe calls for Dijon mustard rather than yellow mustard. Try a wholegrain Dijon mustard or something with horseradish added if you want some extra kick.

Vinegar: Balsamic vinegar combines some sweetness with its acidity, but if you don’t enjoy the taste, you can try apple cider vinegar or just plain white vinegar. Adjust the sweetness of the marinade accordingly.

Honey: Liquid honey provides the sweetness for this particular marinade. If you haven’t got any or don’t like it, try some maple syrup or whatever type of sweetener you’d normally use for cooking. Taste as you go to make sure you don’t oversweeten.

A glass bowl with raw beef and small bowls containing honey, soy sauce, vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, black pepper, minced garlic, and a dark sauce, arranged on a light gray surface.

How To Make Flank Steak Marinade

This is a brief overview of the recipe. The full list of ingredients and step-by-step instructions are in the recipe card below.

Mix the marinade ingredients in a bowl or measuring cup.
Put flank steak into a shallow dish or zipper-sealed bag. Pour marinade over the meat, turning the meat so that it gets thoroughly coated.
Cover and marinate in the fridge for several hours (anywhere from overnight to a full 24 hours).
Preheat grill to medium-high and oil the grate.
Remove steak(s) from marinade and place on grill. Cook for approximately 5 minutes per side.
Take steaks off the grill and let rest on a plate for 5 minutes. Cut against the grain and serve.

Karlynn’s Tips and Tricks for Making Flank Steak Marinade

Make a Sauce: While you can’t eat the leftover marinade as is, you can easily use it to make a sauce. After you’ve removed the steaks, pour the marinade into a small pot. Bring it to a boil to kill any bacteria and then turn the heat low and simmer for a few minutes. Stir frequently. Once it has thickened to your liking, add any additional seasonings you’d like. For extra luxury, add a small amount of butter once you’ve removed the sauce from the heat.

Perfect Temperature: While medium rare is the right temperature to go for when it comes to other steak cuts, you CAN go a little hotter for flank steak if you like. Aim to pull your steaks off the grill when they reach an internal temperature of 140°F. Let them rest for at least 10 minutes so they can gradually come up to 145°F.

Storage Instructions

Fridge: Unused marinade can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge for 2-3 days. You can store cooked steak in a closed container in the fridge for 3-4 days.

Freezer: While cooked steak is best fresh, you can store the leftovers in a sealed container or freezer bag in your freezer for 2-3 months. Defrost and reheat in a pan or the microwave.

Other Delicious Beef Recipes

Looking for more great ways to use beef?

Try this classic Guinness® Irish Stew or some Corned Beef and Cabbage.

Make a Herb and Garlic Stuffed Eye of Round Roast with your favourite veggie side dishes.

If you’re still in the mood for steak, try Teriyaki Steak or Pepper Steak.

There you go, folks. A quick and easy way to make a delicious flank steak. Try this recipe and let me know what you think.

Happy Cooking!

Karlynn