Garlic Lime Flank Steak is a must try grilling recipe! The flank steak marinade is loaded with flavor, easy to make & healthy! Turn it into fajitas, serve with grilled veggies, or eat it on a salad – it’s delicious no matter what!
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​​Garlic Lime Flank Steak is the quick, easy (and cheap!) dinner you’ll want to make all summer long. This easy flank steak marinade is made with only 8 ingredients, but it is loaded with flavor.
I was always intimidated about cooking flank steak. It is known for being a tougher cut of meat and to be totally honest.. cooking steak has always seemed intimidating to me!
Honestly, it’s not that hard to cook steak if you have the right tools and you pay attention!
Having a meat thermometer ensures that you cook your steak just how you like it every time!
We love this instant-read thermometer for checking the internal temperature to make sure your meat is cooked thoroughly!
Since flank steak is a relatively thin steak – it only takes about 10-15 minutes to cook depending on how you like it done (rare, medium or well!). This marinade is super simple to make, and gives the steak such a yummy flavor. You’re going to love it!
Ingredients for Garlic Lime Flank Steak:
To make this garlic lime flank steak you’ll need:
- flank steak
- salt, pepper
- onion powder
- fresh garlic
- lime juice/lime zest
- olive oil
You can find substitutions for all of these ingredients below in the green shaded substitutions box. A citrus juicer, citrus zester and meat thermometer will also be helpful to have.
How to cook flank steak:
Making this flank steak is so easy.
- whisk your marinade together.
- Add the flank steak and marinade in a ziploc bag or bowl. Let it marinate for at least 30 minutes.
- When you’re ready to grill, cook the steak for 5-6 minutes on each side.Â
Cooking in the oven: We don’t recommend cooking flank steak in the oven, but it can be done! If you’re going to cook the steak in the oven, turn on your broiler. Broil the steak for 6-7 minutes on each side.
Similar to on the grill, use a meat thermometer to determine if the steak is cooked. The steak should be cooked to 135 degrees for a medium steak.
Here’s what it looks like fresh off the grill!
Tips for flank steak:
Marinating – It’s best to marinate the steak for 2-4 hours. Limes have acid in them which helps to break down the proteins in the steak and make it tender, but over-marinating the steak can lead to a funny taste/texture. It’s best to not marinate for more than 8 hours to avoid this. 2-4 hours is the perfect amount of time for marinating, but 30 minutes will work just fine!
Let the steak rest – Do not skip the step of having the steak rest! Your steak will continue to cook after you take it off the grill. Letting it rest is the best way to lock in the juices/flavor. 5-10 minutes is the perfect amount of time to let the steak rest.Â
Cook it hot, quickly – Because flank steak is a tougher cut of meat, you’re going to want to cook it on high heat relatively quickly rather than low/slow. Searing it on each side and cooking for 5-6 minutes each side should give you perfectly cooked meat, but the best way to check is by using a meat thermometer.
Slice correctly – Slice flank steak against the grain (AKA the opposite way against the lines in the meat)
Substitutions for this flank steak marinade recipe:
Cilantro – Cilantro would be a great addition to this marinade if you like it!
 Oil – You can use avocado or vegetable/canola oil in place of olive oil. We don’t recommend vegetable oil because it doesn’t give much flavor.
Citrus – You can use orange or lemon in place of limes
Marinade – You can use any marinade on flank steak. This Healthy Lemon Basil Vinaigrette would be delicious. Check out these Healthy Salmon Marinades or 5 Healthy Chicken Marinades for other ideas!
Garlic – You can use dried garlic in place of fresh garlic. For 1.5 tablespoons fresh garlic use 2 teaspoons dried garlic.Â
We cooked ours more on the medium side, but you can cook it a little less if you prefer it more rare.
Storing Flank Steak:
Storing: You can store this cooke flank steak in the refrigerator for up to 4 days
Freezing: We would not recommend freezing cooked flank steak
Freezing with marinade: You can marinate the raw flank steak and freeze it with the marinade on it. When you’re ready to cook simply defrost and grill!
What to serve with this marinated flank steak:
This flank steak is so delicious and versatile. Here are some ideas on how to serve it:
- On a salad
- As fajitas with some onions/peppers
- Greek Chickpea Salad
- Balsamic Mushrooms
- With Veggie Kebabs
- Alongside Garlic Brussels Sprouts and Sheet Pan Crispy Roasted Potatoes
Other healthy grilling recipes:
Looking for other grilling recipes? Check out these 40+ Healthy Grilling Recipes. Click here to grab our free healthy grilling cookbook.
Garlic Lime Flank Steak
Ingredients
- 2.5 lbs flank steak
- 1.5 tablespoons minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon lime zest zest of 3 limes
- 1/4 cup lime juice juice of 3 limes
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
Instructions
- In a bowl mix together marinade.
- Cover flank steak in the marinade and allow it to marinate for at least 30 minutes but no more than 8 hours.
- When ready to cook, heat the grill to medium-high heat. Place the steak on the grill. Let it cook for 4-5 minutes, flip and cook for an additional 4-5 minutes.
- Cook until you reach an internal temperature of 140 for a medium steak, 150 for well done.
- Remove the steak from the grill, cover with foil and let the steak rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
- Slice the steak against the grain and serve alongside grilled veggies or on a salad.
Notes
- Cilantro – Cilantro would be a great addition to this marinade if you like it!
- Oil – You can use avocado or vegetable/canola oil in place of olive oil. We don’t recommend vegetable oil because it doesn’t give much flavor.
- Citrus – You can use orange or lemon in place of limes
- Marinade – You can use any marinade on flank steak. This Healthy Lemon Basil Vinaigrette would be delicious. Check out these 4 Healthy Salmon Marinades or 5 Healthy Chicken Marinades for other ideas!
- Garlic – You can use dried garlic in place of fresh garlic. For 1.5 tablespoons fresh garlic use 2 teaspoons dried garlic.Â
Leigh Anne says
This was great! Easy to prepare and came out delicious!
The Clean Eating Couple says
So glad you liked it, Leigh Anne! Thank you!
Kristin Martinez says
This marinated was so simple and tasted delicious!
I was amazed but how easy it was to take. I used this recipe as a meal prep option and wow, even on the second meal re heated you still taste the delish flavor!
This was is going right into my personal recipe
book!
The Clean Eating Couple says
So glad you liked it, Kristin 🙂 It’s one of our favorites too! It’s also great on chicken!
TONI says
Delicious & so easy to make. This will definitely become one of the go to grill items I will be making this summer.
The Clean Eating Couple says
Thank you so much! So happy you enjoyed it!