An easy marinade for chili lime flank steak! It’s citrusy, slightly spicy, just the right amount of sweet, and you can have your steak marinating in under 10 minutes. Perfect for tacos, fajitas, salads, or on its own!
We cannot stop grilling this summer and here we’re doing a Mexi-style flank steak!
It’s got all of the delicious lime and chili flavors with a hint of sweetness from the brown sugar. The marinade takes 5 minutes to make and WORD OF CAUTION that your mouth will probably start watering from the second you first smell it.
Flank steak feels so easy because it is a single cut of meat that takes marinades really well and grills so quickly. (If you can’t find flank steak, skirt or hanger steak is a great substitute.)
And really delicious Mexican meats are so versatile because you can eat them in so many ways. AKA, a serious crowd-pleaser!
Eat this steak on:
- Fajitas (grill some onions and veggies up while your steak is on the grill)
- Tacos (cotija, cilantro, and grilled corn tortillas hit the spot)
- Steak salad (with this creamy lime dressing)
My very favorite is to slice the steak and put it on a platter with all of the topping options. Like a build-your-own adventure board! It’s perfect for low-key summer nights, and there is so much to be said for dinners that only require a single platter.
SLICING AGAINST THE GRAIN
Vital for flank steak because it’s such a muscular cut with a really distinct grain. Once your steak has rested, you’ll want to slice it perpendicular to the muscle fibers. Cutting flank steak correctly will make all the difference between a tough and a tender steak!
See the fibers running diagonally right to left in the photo below:
If it’s sliced along the grain instead of against the grain, your steak will be hard to bite and chew even though it’s not overcooked or tough. Here’s how it will look when sliced against the grain:
The slices should have a more piecey look, which makes them really easy to bite into. If you slice with the grain, the fibers will look long and stringy.
CITRUS ZEST VS. CITRUS JUICE IN MARINADES
I really love using zest in marinades – Like citrus juice, it gives the meat lots of citrus flavor. But unlike citrus juice, it won’t run the risk of cooking your meat in very acidic liquid. I find this is especially a problem with steaks, so zest is a great option for steak marinades!
MEXICAN SIDES/APPETIZERS TO EAT WITH THIS:
- A grilled Mexican street corn salad
- Easy pico de gallo
- Restaurant-style salsa
- Creamy Mexican corn dip
- 3-ingredient guacamole
Chili Lime Flank Steak
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- Zest of 1 lime
- 1 (1 – 1 1/2 pound) flank steak
Directions
- Combine all marinade ingredients in a large freezer bag. Add the steak and marinate for at least 1 – up to 8 – hours. Remove steak from marinade and grill 5-7 minutes per side on a hot grill. Rest on a plate tented with foil for 5-10 minutes. Slice thin against the grain.
