Boasting an intensely beefy flavor and a short cooking time, flat iron steak is one of my favorite cuts of beef.
You can pan-fry or grill it, but broiling is my favorite method for cooking this cut.
I can never decide which I like best - pricey steaks such as ribeye steak, New York strip, and fillet mignon, or thin, tougher but flavorful cuts such as tri-tip roast, skirt steak, and flank steak.
I make all of them often. But when it comes to thin and cheap cuts, flat iron steak is my favorite because it's fattier than the other cuts. It's also tender enough that you don't have to marinate it as long as you cook it quickly and keep it medium-rare.
Ingredients
You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make this recipe. The exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:
- Flat iron steak: Find it next to the other affordable cuts in the grocery store's meat department, or ask your butcher for it. I usually get it at Kroger supermarket.
- Olive oil: You can also use melted ghee or butter.
- To season: Kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and smoked paprika.
Variations
- One way to vary this recipe, mentioned above, is to use melted butter or ghee instead of olive oil. Both options are delicious. I especially like butter.
- The second way is to use different spices. I tried and liked chili powder, cumin, and cayenne pepper. You can use ½ teaspoon of each, but keep the cayenne to ¼ teaspoon. I don't recommend using dried herbs as they can burn under the broiler.
Instructions
This is such an easy recipe. It takes 20 minutes from start to finish! The detailed instructions for making it are listed in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of the steps:
Start by preheating your broiler on high (500°F). Set an oven rack 6 inches below the heating element (not directly below). Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil for easy cleanup.
Remove the steak from its packaging and place it on a cutting board. Blot it dry with paper towels. Coat the steak with olive oil and season it with spices on both sides.
Place the steak on the prepared baking sheet. Broil it on the first side for 6 minutes. Carefully turn the steak to the other side. Broil until it's medium-rare, about 6 more minutes.
Transfer the cooked steak to a clean cutting board. Let it rest for five minutes, loosely covered with foil, then slice and serve.
Expert Tip
The best way to ensure the steak is tender is to cook it to medium-rare. Overcooking will make it tough.
However, it should be noted that the CDC recommends cooking whole cuts of beef to 145°F (medium) with a 3-minute rest period.
Recipe FAQs
This cut comes from the shoulder of the cow or the chuck. That's why it's a bit tough and needs to be cooked quickly, although I should note that it's not as tough as other cheap cuts. This is also why it's so deliciously fatty. The chuck is a marvelously fatty cut!
This cut needs to be cooked quickly to medium-rare. It can be rapidly pan-fried over high heat, grilled, or broiled in the oven. My favorite method is broiling.
You could, but you don't have to. Unlike other thin and cheap cuts, this cut is relatively tender and has lovely marbling. All it needs is some basic seasoning and a few minutes under the broiler or on the grill.
It won't hurt to marinate it. But unlike other cheap cuts (such as London broil) where marinating is essential, here it's really up to you, and you can skip marinating.
If you'd like to marinate the steak, mix the olive oil, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar.
Place the steak in a resealable bag and pour the marinade into the bag. Use your hands to ensure the steak is well coated.
Seal the bag, removing as much air as possible, place it on a plate in the fridge, and marinate the steak for 2 hours.
Remove the steak onto a plate. Season it with kosher salt and black pepper, then proceed with broiling it.
Yes! It's one of my favorite cuts. It's affordable, intensely flavorful, relatively tender (though slightly chewy), and marvelously fatty.
It's tender enough that you don't need to marinate it, and there's also no need to cut it against the grain. You can simply slice it normally.
Serving Suggestions
Hey, it's a steak - you can serve it with anything that usually goes with beef, which is most vegetables! A few specific suggestions:
- Like other thin cuts of beef, this steak is excellent as a topping for a salad. Try it over this arugula salad, for example.
- Steamed vegetables pair well with steak. I often serve it with steamed asparagus, steamed broccoli, or steamed carrots.
- Serve it with a side of a salad, such as broccoli salad or asparagus salad. This makes for an easy meal - prep the salad beforehand, then quickly cook the steak and serve.
- It also goes well with roasted vegetables such as roasted fennel, roasted asparagus, roasted zucchini, and roasted green beans.
Here's a photo of flat iron steak served with mashed cauliflower. It's a great combination!
Storing Leftovers
The leftovers keep well in the fridge, in an airtight container, for 3-4 days. In fact, since the leftovers are so good, I often make two of these steaks at a time - as you can see in the photos and video on this page - to ensure I have plenty of them.
You can reheat the leftovers in the microwave, covered, at 50% power. However, I'm not a fan of reheating steak. It dries it out. So I usually enjoy the leftovers cold for my lunches with sriracha mayo, quick pickles or pickled red onions, and fresh-cut veggies.
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Recipe Card
Flat Iron Steak Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 pounds flat iron steak
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt or 1 teaspoon of any other salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
Instructions
- Preheat your broiler on high (500°F). Set an oven rack 6 inches below the heating element (not directly below). Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil for easy cleanup.
- Remove the steak from its packaging and place it on a cutting board. Blot it dry with paper towels.
- Coat the steak with olive oil and season on both sides with kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and smoked paprika.
- Place the steak on the prepared baking sheet. Broil it on the first side for 6 minutes.
- Carefully turn the steak to the other side. Broil until it's medium-rare, about 6 more minutes.
- Transfer the cooked steak to a clean cutting board. Let it rest for five minutes, loosely covered with foil, then slice thinly and serve.
Video
Notes
- This steak is tender enough that you don't have to marinate it before cooking. But marinating will obviously tenderize it. If you'd like to marinate the steak, mix the olive oil, garlic powder, and smoked paprika, plus 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar. Place the steak in a resealable bag and pour the marinade into the bag. Use your hands to ensure the steak is well coated. Seal the bag, removing as much air as possible, place it on a plate in the fridge, and marinate for 2 hours. After 2 hours, remove the steak onto a plate. Season it with kosher salt and black pepper, then proceed with broiling.
- The CDC recommends cooking whole cuts of beef to an internal temperature of 145°F.
- The leftovers keep well in the fridge, in an airtight container, for 3-4 days. In fact, since the leftovers are so good, I often make two of these steaks at a time to ensure I have plenty of them.
- You can reheat the leftovers in the microwave, covered, at 50% power. However, I'm not a fan of reheating steak. It dries it out. So I usually enjoy the leftovers cold for my lunches with sriracha mayo, quick pickles or pickled red onions, and fresh-cut veggies.
Add Your Own Notes
Nutrition per Serving
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Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., CNC, has been following a low-carb real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She's a Certified Nutrition Coach (NASM-CNC), has taken courses at the Harvard School of Public Health, and has earned a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from Cornell University. Her work has appeared in several major media outlets, including Healthline, HuffPost, Today, Women's Health, Shape, and Country Living. 
Kimberly
I really enjoyed the flavor of this steak. It came out very juicy.
Vered DeLeeuw
Glad you liked it, Kimberly!
Mike
This was my first time trying flat iron steak and I wasn't disappointed. This is an easy recipe and the steak came out perfectly done. Thank you!
Vered DeLeeuw
You're very welcome, Mike!