5-Ingredient Grilled Flank Steak with Chile Butter

Flank steak is quick and easy to grill. This 5-ingredient recipe tops it with a sweet spicy chili butter that is full of flavor. It can be on the table in 20 minutes.

This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. See my Affiliate Disclosure.

I love using flank steak on the grill because it cooks quickly and is always tender, juicy, and full of flavor.

The spicy-sweet chili butter in this recipe is easy to whip up in a food processor. Dollop it on top of the steak right when it comes off the grill and it melts into a delectable sauce.

This recipe is from my new book, which is available now as an ebook or for preoder in paperback (available June 9th). Buy 5-Ingredient Cooking for Two now!

Is flank steak is a good cut of beef for grilling?

I love to grill flank steak. It is a great all-purpose steak that is perfect for grilling. It cooks quickly and is tender, juicy, and flavorful.

Grill it just to medium rare or medium, let it stand for several minutes after removing from the heat, and then slice it thinly across the grain.

Flank steak is usually best marinated before grilling, but the chili butter in this recipe adds so much flavor that marinating isn’t necessary. As a result, this recipe is super quick to prepare.

How long do you grill flank steak

Flank steak is relatively lean, so in order to keep it from drying out, don’t overcook it. I prefer flank steak cooked to medium-rare. If you like your steak a little more well done, cook it to medium.

For medium-rare, grill your flank steak for 4 to 5 minutes on the first side and 3 to 4 minutes on the second side. For medium cook it a minute or 2 longer on each side.

What ingredients do you need for this recipe?

This is a 5-ingredient recipe! All you need are:

• Flank steak (or you can use skirt steak, flat-iron, or another good grilling steak)
• Butter
• Chile paste
• Garlic
• Honey

How do you make grilled flank steak with chili butter?

This is an incredibly simple recipe that takes only 20 minutes to make. Here are the steps:

1. In a food processor, combine the butter, chile paste, garlic, honey, and some salt and process until well combined and smooth.
2. Season the steak with salt and pepper.
3. Grill the steak over medium-high heat, until medium-rare or medium.
4. Remove the steak from the grill and dollop the chile butter on top. Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes.
5. Slice the steak thinly across the grain and serve immediately.

What kind of chile paste do you use?

I like to use an Asian style chile paste, also called sambal oelek. I love this paste because it tastes just like ground up chiles.

You can also use the North African chile paste, harissa or sriracha.

If you don’t have any of those, substitute crushed hot red pepper flakes or ground cayenne pepper.

What do you serve with this?

I like to serve this steak as part of a summer barbecue spread with smoked baked beans and Watermelon Feta Salad, grilled veggies like asparagus or zucchini, or with a salad of greens like lettuce, baby spinach, or arugula.

Serve a crusty bread alongside for sopping up the crazy delicious melted butter/sauce. The chili butter would be amazing on cornbread!

My family also likes this steak chopped up and served as a filling for soft tacos or as a topping for tostadas. We add shredded lettuce and pico de gallo.

For another easy and impressive meat entree, try this Pan Seared Pork Tenderloin.

More great summer recipes you’ll love

• Mexican Corn Salad
• Zucchini Salad with Almonds and Corn
• Fried Green Tomato Fritters
• Quick Pickled Turmeric Tomatoes
• Thai Chicken Satay

Grilled Flank Steak with Chile Butter

Robin Donovan

This easy recipe has only 5 ingredients and is made to serve 2 people. If you use a 1-pound flank steak, you'll have leftovers, but the leftovers are great for filling tacos or adding to a salad or sandwich. The recipe is excerpted from my book 5-Ingredient Cooking for Two.

5 from 4 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

Course Main Dish Recipes

Cuisine American

Calories 323 kcal

Ingredients

  

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons red chile paste
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt divided
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper divided
• 1 1-pound flank steak
• Olive oil for coating the grill
• Chopped parsley for garnish (optional)

Instructions

 

• In a food processor, combine the butter, chile paste, honey, garlic, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper. Process until smooth.
• Season the steak all over with the remaining salt and pepper.
• Brush a grill or grill pan with olive oil and then heat it to medium-high heat.
• Grill the steak for 4 to 5 minutes until grill marks appear on the bottom. Flip the steak over and cook to desired doneness, 3 to 4 minutes more for medium-rare.
• Remove the steak from the grill, transferring it to a cutting board. Dollop the chile butter on top and let rest for at least 5 minutes.
• Slice the steak thinly across the grain and serve immediately, garnished with parsley if using.

Notes

1. You can substitute salted butter for the unsalted butter. Simply leave out the 1/4 teaspoon of salt in the butter mixture.

Nutrition

Serving: 1Calories: 323kcalCarbohydrates: 3gProtein: 20gFat: 26gSaturated Fat: 11gPolyunsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 92mgSodium: 569mgSugar: 2g

Keyword chile butter, flank steak, grilled flank steak, grilled steak

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!