The Best Flank Steak with Chimichurri for summer 2026

May 15, 2026

Grilled Flank Steak with Chimichurri

Duration: 30 minutes Serves: 4-6

Chef's notes

Flank steak is one of the best cuts in the case for feeding a crowd on short notice. It's affordable, it cooks fast, and when it's handled right it eats as tender as anything twice the price. The whole game is in two places: against the grain on the slice, and a sharp blade for the chimichurri.

Chimichurri is just herbs, garlic, acid, and oil. But if the parsley gets bruised by a dull knife, rocked into a paste instead of cut into ribbons. The cell walls rupture, the oils bleed out, and it turns flat and bitter within the hour. A clean cut keeps the herbs bright for days. Same thing on the steak: a sawing motion shreds the fibers, while a single pull of a sharp edge gives you slices that fall apart on the tongue.

Make this on a Tuesday with whatever you've got on hand, or feed six people at a cookout. It scales easy and travels well.

Ingredients

For the steak:

1½-2 lb. flank steak
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. kosher salt
½ tsp. cracked black pepper
1 tsp. smoked paprika (optional)

For the chimichurri:

1 cup flat-leaf parsley, packed, stems removed
½ cup fresh oregano leaves (or 2 tbsp. dried)
4 garlic cloves
⅓ cup red wine vinegar
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
½ tsp. red pepper flakes
Kosher salt and cracked black pepper, to taste

Also works with

Skirt steak, hanger, sirloin tip, or backstrap from deer, elk, or antelope. Adjust the grill time down a couple minutes for thinner cuts and pull at 125°F regardless of species.

Preparation

Pull the steak out early. Take the flank out of the fridge 30 to 45 minutes before grilling. Cold meat seizes on a hot grate; room-temperature meat sears and cooks evenly.
Make the chimichurri. Stack the parsley leaves, roll them into a tight cylinder, and slice across the roll in thin ribbons. Don't rock the blade — draw it through in one clean motion per cut. Mince the garlic the same way: crush, peel, slice into thin coins, then matchsticks, then a quick mince. Combine the parsley, oregano, and garlic in a bowl with the vinegar, olive oil, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Stir and set aside at room temperature for at least 15 minutes. (It keeps a week in the fridge; pull it out an hour before serving so the oil softens.)
Season the steak. Pat both sides dry with paper towels, moisture is the enemy of a good sear. Rub with the olive oil, then season generously on both sides with salt, pepper, and paprika. I like to season and put in a ziplock bag to massage in the seasonings without the mess.
Find the grain. Look at the steak and notice the long muscle fibers running in one direction, like wood grain. Remember which way they go. You'll need this in step 7.
Grill it hot. Heat the grill to 500°F or higher. Lay the steak down away from you, close the lid, and leave it alone, no pressing, no peeking. After 4 to 5 minutes, flip once and grill the other side for another 4 to 5 minutes, until the internal temperature at the thickest part reads 125°F for medium-rare. Carryover cooking will bring it up to 130°F as it rests.
Rest it. Move the steak to a cutting board and let it sit for a full 10 minutes. Cutting early sends the juices out onto the board instead of staying in the meat.
Slice against the grain. Find those fibers again. Hold the knife at about a 30-degree angle to the board and slice across the grain (perpendicular to the fibers, not parallel). Keep the slices thin, no thicker than ¼ inch. One confident pull per slice; let the edge do the work.
Serve. Fan the slices on a warm platter, spoon the chimichurri generously over the top, and finish with a pinch of flaky salt. Good with grilled bread rubbed with a raw garlic clove, an arugula salad, and whatever's cold in the fridge.