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When you’ve got flat iron steaks and are looking for a different way to prepare them, this grilled Asian marinated flat iron steak is the one to make! It’s full of flavor from the Asian marinade and takes little to no time to put together!
I had flank steaks defrosting in the fridge but had no idea what to do with them.
You can easily throw them on the grill with some steak seasoning but I tend to try to experiment a little from time to time.
Sometimes that is my chance to experiment for the blog and recipe test.
I don’t have as much time anymore on weekends as I would like and blogging has taken a backseat this year but I’ve started to embrace dinnertime.
It’s my chance to test out a recipe and if it’s not as good, I can perfect it on the weekend. It’s kind of like working on it halfway during the week and finishing it out on the weekend.
As opposed to doing it all again and again on the weekend and using up precious hours.
Does that make sense?
Anyway, let’s chat about this Asian marinade for the flank steaks.
What is in the Asian marinade?
Items that you probably already have in your pantry!
- Soy sauce
- Sherry
- Honey
- Sesame oil
- Ginger
- Garlic
- Red pepper flakes
- Sambal oelek
How long do you marinade flat iron steak for?
I personally like trying to marinade all my meats for at least 3-4 hours. It really makes a difference the flavor really penetrates the meat.
Additionally, I feel like it makes the meat more tender.
If you don’t have time, I would say an hour would suffice but really try to prep to marinade for longer :)
Can you use this Asian marinade for other cuts of steak and other meats?
Yes! Usually with marinades, you can use them for any kind of meat.
This Asian marinade would be amazing with chicken but for steak, the Asian marinade can go with any cut:
- Sirloin
- Ribeye
- Hangar
- New York Strip
This would also be awesome for steak kebobs on the grill or even a stir fry and vegetables.
What exactly is flat iron steak?
According to Wikipedia: flat iron steak, butlers’ steak, or oyster blade steak is a cut of steak cut with the grain from the shoulder of the animal.
Apparently this is one of the most tender cuts of beef next to the tenderloin.
I haven’t cooked much with flat iron steaks before but I actually prefer this cut to other cuts of beef. It is more tender, juicy, and flavorful.
It isn’t hard to cook at all and you just need a grill or a screaming hot cast iron skillet.
It’s kind of fool-proof if you are afraid of cooking steak. Obviously don’t cook it to the point that it looks like leather, haha
And if you are nervous, definitely get a meat thermometer! There is no shame in that.
What can you serve the grilled Asian marinated flat iron steaks with?
As you can see above, I randomly served it with roasted brussels sprouts and a scoop of rice. Why? It’s honestly what I had on hand, haha
I would say baby bok choy sautéed in the skillet would be another great vegetable side dish.
If you like steak recipes, you may like these other recipes as well:
- Grilled Flank Steak with Chimichurri
- 25-Minute Beef and Snow Pea Stir Fry
- Crispy Beef
- Mongolian Beef
- Chipotle Flank Steak with Corn Salsa
- Citrus Marinated Steak Tacos
Grilled Asian Marinated Flat Iron Steak
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup (118 ml) soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons shaoxing wine (Chinese cooking wine)
- ¼ cup (85 g) honey
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons minced ginger
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 teaspoons sambal oelek (garlic chili paste)
- 2 flat iron steaks
Instructions
- Whisk the marinade together in a measuring cup then pour into a resealable plastic bag.1/2 cup (118 ml) soy sauce, 3 tablespoons shaoxing wine (Chinese cooking wine), 1/4 cup (85 g) honey, 1 tablespoon sesame oil, 2 tablespoons minced ginger, 4 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, 2 teaspoons sambal oelek (garlic chili paste)
- Place the steaks into the plastic bag then seal it up and massage around.2 flat iron steaks
- Place in the refrigerator to marinade at least three hours.
- Once the steaks are ready to cook, heat up the outdoor and remove the steaks from the plastic bag and place on the grill. DO NOT discard the liquid. Cook steaks to desired doneness.
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, add all the liquid from the plastic bag into the pan. Let simmer and reduce until half the liquid is gone, about 10-15 minutes. By then, it should be slightly thickened to drizzle over the cooked steaks prior to serving!
Super yummy! I didn’t have sherry or shaoxing wine so I substituted with sweet vermouth. No fresh garlic so I used powdered. Marinated my flat iron steak for about 10 hours! Not intentionally! 😂 then grilled outside. Everyone loves it! Served with cauliflower fried rice and broiled vegetables. Thank you!
Tonight till be my 2nd time to make this, and the family LOVED it!! Definitely recommend for everyone to try!
Flavor was great, but the steak and the sauce were too salty, which is odd since there is no salt in this recipe except for the soy sauce. Maybe next time I will try the low sodium soy sauce. Only other difference was I used dried ginger (1/2 tsp) since I didn’t have fresh, and I did not use the garlic chili paste because I didn’t have it.
I made this recipe and marinated the flat iron steak about 4 hours. I sliced some of the meat against the grain beforehand and left the rest whole. Grilled on my indoor grill plate. Unbelievable flavor and tenderness.
Sambal Olek is not garlic chili sauce.
The jar of Sambal Oelek I used says it could have traces of Garlic. Maybe that’s why she posted it as such in case someone is allergic.
Made this tonight in a cast iron skillet with a side of sautéed shrimp and broccoli over jasmine rice & it was amazing! The marinade is perfection. This will definitely be prepared frequently in our home. Thank you?
Can I use this marinade with chicken instead of steak with the same results? We don’t eat much red meat in our house.
Yes, this would definitely work with chicken!
Delicious! We loved this recipe!
So glad to hear it!
My mouth is watering! This steak looks SO good!
Love the revamped website! The photos are gorgeous, bright and clear. Congratulations!
Thanks! But it isn’t revamped yet, haha – I don’t launch until end of October :)
Julie,
I too have discovered flat iron steaks. My family and I love this grilled in my cast iron pan. As you said, grilled the right way this steak is wonderful. Also, it should rest and be cut against the grain. Love your last couple of recepies!
Mimi
Yes! It’s so good! Thank you!