My simple blender marinade infuses lean flank steak with bold Korean flavor and creates a perfectly tender bite every time. When sliced and served in lettuce cups with steamed white rice and a drizzle of the sweet and savory glaze, this Korean flank steak is a winning weeknight dinner.
This Grilled Flank Steak Tastes Like It Came From Your Favorite Korean BBQ Restaurant
After our trip to Korea, we couldn’t wait to get home and make this simple version of Korean BBQ we ate nearly every day!
This Korean-style flank steak gets its bold, sweet and savory flavor from a simple blender marinade made from soy sauce, fresh ginger and garlic, sesame oil, and a splash of rice vinegar.
There’s one secret ingredient in the marinade, too: Asian pear. It adds plenty of natural sweetness that prevents us from having to load up the marinade with sugar, plus it contains enzymes that help break down the muscle fibers in the steak so it grills up perfectly moist and tender.
The hands-on time is just 30 minutes to prep and grill the steak, but it does need to marinate for at least 2 hours for maximum tenderness and flavor. Not to worry, because you can get the steak soaking the night before or before heading to work.
By the time dinner rolls around, all you have to do is throw the flank steak on the grill!
Enjoy!
Heidi’s Tips for Recipe Success
Blend a pear into the marinade to tenderize the meat. It’s fairly common to find some sort of fresh fruit or fruit juice in Korean meat marinades, and this recipe is no exception. The Asian pear adds natural sweetness and contains enzymes that help break down the tough muscle fibers of the flank steak.
Boil the marinade to make it safe to use as a glaze. The marinade is brushed over the steak as it grills, but to make it safe to eat after raw meat has been sitting in it, you have to boil the marinade for a good 5 minutes (yes, even though it will be grilled too!).
A Few Ingredient Notes
The full recipe, with amounts, can be found in the recipe card below.
The Flank Steak
This cut of steak has an intensely beefy flavor, but because it’s so lean it can be quite tough if not marinated for long enough. For the most tender bite, grill your flank steak somewhere between medium-rare (130ºF) and medium (140ºF).
The Korean-Style Marinade
The marinade is very similar to my beef bulgogi marinade. It’s made from a blend of soy sauce (I use regular but you may use low sodium), rice vinegar, fresh ginger, a pinch of sugar, sesame oil, and a mildly spicy Korean chili paste called gochujang.
I also add an Asian pear to the marinade; if you don’t have an Asian pear on hand, you can substitute another variety.
How to Grill Korean Flank Steak
- Make the marinade in a food processor. The ingredients can be measured straight into the bowl of the food processor. You’ll want to peel and seed the pear before giving it a rough chop and adding to the other ingredients.
- Marinate the flank steak for at least 2 hours. This is one cut of beef that requires a longer marinade time. Properly marinated flank steak will be flavorful and tender, while under-marinated flank steak will be a little chewy.
- While the grill preheats, boil the marinade. Pull the steak out of the marinade and set it on a plate to come to room temperature. Instead of throwing out the marinade, I like to boil it for about 5 minutes to kill any harmful bacteria so I can reuse it as a glaze for the grilled flank steak later.
- Grill the flank steak over high heat. The exact cook time will vary depending on the thickness of your flank steak, but it shouldn’t need more than 4 minutes per side if cooked over direct heat. Don’t forget to rest the steak for another 5 minutes before slicing so the juices have time to redistribute.
Heidi’s Tip: We love piling the sliced flank steak into lettuce cups with steamed white rice and drizzling the glaze over top for a hands-on meal.
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below, leave a comment to tell us what you think, and tag me on Instagram @foodiecrush.
Korean Flank Steak Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Asian pear, peeled, seeded, and roughly chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, pressed or roughly chopped
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
- 1 tablespoon gochuchang
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 – 1 ¼ pounds flank steak
- 2 green onions, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds, for serving
- cooked white rice and butter lettuce, for serving
Instructions
- Prepare the marinade. To the bowl of a food processor, add 1 Asian pear, 3 garlic cloves, ¼ cup soy sauce, 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger, 1 tablespoon gochuchang, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil, and 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Process until combined and mostly smooth.
- Add marinade to the steak. Place 1 – 1 ¼ pounds flank steak in a gallon-size, re-sealable freezer bag. Pour in the marinade, seal the bag, and massage the marinade into the steak. Chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours, up to a day, turning the bag once or twice.
- Prep the grill and boil the sauce. Prepare a gas grill for direct cooking at high heat (450°F). Brush the cooking grates clean. Remove the steak from the marinade, transferring the marinade to a small saucepan. Boil the sauce for 5 minutes to kill any harmful bacteria before using as a glaze for the steak.
- Grill, baste, slice, and enjoy! Place the steak on the hot grates, cover with the lid, and cook for 4 minutes. Baste with the marinade, then flip, and cook for another 4-5 minutes for medium-rare. Transfer the steak to a cutting board to rest for 5 minutes before slicing the steak across the grain. Drizzle with more glaze, 2 green onions, and 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds,. Serve with cooked white rice and butter lettuce, to make lettuce bundles.
Notes
Nutrition
FAQs
If cooked over direct high heat (450ºF), flank steak should be cooked for about 4 minutes per side. It’s best enjoyed medium-rare or medium; if cooked beyond that, it will be tough and dry.
You could also make this recipe using skirt steak, which contains more marbling and is a little juicier. You’d need to marinate a skirt steak for the same amount of time (2 hours minimum) and the grill time is similar. America’s Test Kitchen has a great article explaining the differences between these two cuts of steak, and I suggest reading it before starting this recipe.
What to Serve on the Side
More Favorite Flank Steak Recipes
- Grilled Flank Steak with Arugula and Parmesan
- Pan-Seared Flank Steak with Mustard Sauce
- Flank Steak with Asian Chimichurri
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