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Korean Grilled Flank Steak

posted by Liz Berg on June 30, 2013 (updated 2/16/23)

Cooked to medium-rare on the BBQ, this Korean Grilled Flank Steak, with an Asian marinade, will immediately become a family favorite!

Terrific flavors from the Asian ingredients permeate the meat and made this Korean Beef Recipe absolutely irresistible.

Korean Beef grilled and sliced on a white dinner plate.

Table of Contents hide

1 Why You Must Make

2 Expert Tips:

3 Serving Suggestions

4 Times for Marinating Meat

5 Frequently Asked Questions

6 You May Also Like:

7 Korean Grilled Flank Steak

Why You Must Make

Our grill gets a major workout in the summer, but my husband loves to grill in any season. Burgers, chicken, chops…anything is fair game. Once, when I was out of town, he and my youngest brought our extremely heavy Big Green Egg into the house when the lid was frozen to the top of the grill.

Flank steak is a family favorite, but it’s pretty boring without a marinade.
A good marinade infuses flavor into the meat and makes for a spectacular entree.
The Asian flavors of this marinade work beautifully with beef!

The marinade recipe provided such a marvelous punch of flavor with the freshly grated ginger, soy, and sriracha. You can tone down or amp up the spiciness by adjusting the hot sauce amount. Either way, it’s a perfect entree for your summer BBQ.

Expert Tips:

Flank steak comes from the abdominal muscles of the cow and is quite lean, and therefore can be very chewy if not prepared correctly.
PRO-Tip: Since beef is sturdier than fish or chicken, it can easily handle overnight marinating.
Place the marinade ingredients in a gallon Ziploc bag, agitate it to mix, then add the beef. Remove any excess air, place the bag on a plate, and refrigerate up to overnight.
PRO-Tip: Cutting thin slices across the grain allows for this flavorful cut to be quite tender.
Look for the “lines” running from one side of the flank steak to the other. Do not cut following these lines, but instead, cut perpendicular to the lines, from one of the long sides across to the other long side. It makes a huge difference!

Korean Beef Recipe sliced and plated with sugar snap peas and tomatoes.

Serving Suggestions

When a flank steak is marinated, the flavorful beef does not need a lot of competition from the side dishes. I like a crisp green salad, a fresh seasonal vegetable and rice or potatoes.

We all loved this Korean beef. There was nary a word about the heat from the sriracha, the Asian chile-laced condiment. Take my word for it, this is one of the best flank steak marinades! P.S. I have a friend who uses this versatile marinade on chicken and steelhead trout. I’m going to try it with salmon next.

Times for Marinating Meat

The marinating times vary for different meat and seafood. Small shrimp take less time than a flank steak. Make sure to marinate in a sturdy Zip-loc bag or glass container as the acid can react with metals. If the marinade has acid, like vinegar or citrus juice, it will also break down the meat more quickly.

Beef, like this grilled flank steak, can be marinated overnight. Steaks can be marinated for a shorter time, 2-3 hours.
Pork chops, tenderloins – 6 hours or overnight
Chicken – 1 1/2-2 hours (though I’ve done bone-in chicken breasts overnight
Lamb – 6 hours or overnight
Shelled Shrimp – 30-60 minutes
Salmon – 30-60 minutes

Overhead view of slices of flank steak, sugar snapped peas and a red handle knife.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Long Do You Grill Flank Steak?

There are numerous factors when grilling meat. First, consider the weight and thickness of the meat. The next variant is the heat of the grill, especially with charcoal since it’s harder to make quick adjustments. Also, the temperature of the meat. It may be fresh out of the refrigerator or left on the countertop at room temperature for an hour before grilling to take the chill off. I recommend the latter for more even grilling. And last, it will vary depending on whether you like your beef rare, medium rare, medium, or well done.
Typically, it takes about 4-5 minutes per side or until an instant-read thermometer reads your desired temperature. PRO-Tip: Rest your beef, covered with foil, for about 10 minutes before serving. This will give the beef a chance to reabsorb its juices and it will also add up to 10 degrees of carryover cooking. For this reason, it’s good to pull your beef off the grill when it’s about 5-10 degrees under your goal.

What Are the Internal Temperatures for Grilled Beef?

Rare – Cool red center. 125° F
Medium Rare – Warm red center. 135° F
Medium – Warm pink center – 145° F
Medium Well – Slightly pink center – 150° F
Well Done – Little or no pink – 160° F