An easy stovetop London Broil recipe that highlights the bold, beefy flavor of top round steak and requires very little work. Just make sure you don't overcook it!
The best thing about this recipe, apart from its wonderfully beefy flavor, is how easy is to make. It's a simple recipe that highlights the bold flavor of top round steak and requires very little work.
London broil is traditionally prepared by broiling or grilling a marinated top round steak or flank steak, then cutting the steak into thin strips. However, I like to cook it on the stove, in a cast-iron skillet.
The ingredients you'll need
You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make this tasty recipe. The exact measurements are included in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:
For the marinade: Balsamic vinegar, soy sauce (or a gluten-free alternative), Dijon mustard, garlic powder, and cumin.
Top round steak: I usually get it at the butcher counter at Whole Foods.
Kosher salt and black pepper: If using fine salt, you should reduce the amount you use, or the dish could end up too salty.
How to cook London broil
The beef cuts used in this recipe are very lean and very flavorful. But they can easily become tough. To make sure your steak comes out tender, you need to do three things:
Marinate the beef prior to cooking. Marinating, especially with a marinade that contains vinegar, tenderizes the beef.
Cook the steak to rare (120 degrees F), and certainly to no more than medium-rare (135 degrees F). Note that the USDA will disagree with me on this one, though. They want you to cook steaks to medium.
Slice the cooked steak very thinly.
Can I cook a London broil on the stove?
Yes! That's exactly how I cook it. I usually get a not-too-thick top round steak (1 inch is good). I marinate it for a few hours, then pan-fry it on the stove in a cast-iron skillet.
If you have a frozen top round steak, it's perfectly fine to marinate it while it's still frozen. I do it often. Simply place the frozen steak in a resealable bag with the marinade and place in the fridge overnight.
If your cast iron skillet is well-seasoned, there's no need to add oil to the pan before frying the steak. If you do want to add fat to the skillet, use fats that are appropriate for high heat cooking, such as avocado oil.
Medium-rare is best
In terms of the level of doneness, I can't stress enough how important it is to cook the steak lightly. Rare is best, and definitely no more than medium-rare.
When cooked to medium or medium-well, this cut of beef can become tough, regardless of how long it has been marinated.
It's true that consuming undercooked meat may increase your risk of foodborne illness. The CDC wants us to cook steaks to medium (145 degrees F).
So this is really a personal decision. But if you prefer to cook meat to medium, it's probably best to go with cuts of beef that are more tender. Such as tenderloin, or even sirloin.
What to serve as a side dish?
This is such a versatile main dish. You can serve it with any side, really. I often serve it with mashed cauliflower and steamed asparagus. It's also very good with sauteed mushrooms.
What to do with the leftovers?
Thinly sliced London broil makes the perfect salad topping, the next day for lunch. You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in a sealed container, for 3-4 days.
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London Broil Recipe
INGREDIENTS
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce (or use a gluten-free alternative and add salt as needed)
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1.5 lbs. top round steak, 1 - 1.25 inches thick
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt (not fine salt)
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
- In a small bowl, whisk together the balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, mustard, garlic powder and cumin. Place the steak in a ziploc bag. Pour the marinade into the bag and rub all over the steak. Seal the bag, removing as much air as possible. Place the bag in the fridge for 4 hours or overnight. If you're home while the steak is marinating, flip it once in awhile.
- Remove the steak from the fridge 1-2 hours before cooking, to allow it to reach room temperature.
- Heat a well-seasoned cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until very hot, about 3 minutes.
- Remove the steak from the bag and pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place the steak in the hot skillet. Cook it 3 minutes, without moving. Flip to the other side (it should be deeply browned and slightly charred on the first side) and cook 3 more minutes, again without moving it.
- Using oven mitts, remove the skillet from the heat. Tent it with foil, and allow the steak to rest - and finish cooking from the skillet's heat - for 5 minutes. The best way to ensure that the steak is done to your liking is using an instant-read thermometer. Rare is 120-130 degrees F (a warm red center). Medium-rare is 130-135 degrees F (mostly pink center with some red in the middle).
- Transfer the London Broil to a cutting board. Slice it very thinly, and serve.
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NOTES
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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.