Show of hands: who loves chimichurri flank steak (or churrasco) as much as I do? Wrong – trick question! Literally, no one loves chimichurri flank steak like your girl. Impossible! My mouth waters at the thought of hitting the local churrascaría for dinner. Oh, and there’s not even a question from my husband when a special occasion is coming up. He already knows where we’re going to dinner. Where, you ask? Where the chimichurri flows freely, and the flank steak is super tender and coated in the stuff. Bonus points for Brazilian cheesy bread (pão de queijo, if you want to be fancy) and caipirinhas!
What Makes This Recipe So Good
The reason I love chimichurri flank steak so much is simple: it’s heavy on the flavor, but it’s surprisingly easy to make at home. While it does taste best when it’s been marinated, it takes only a few minutes to sear in a cast-iron skillet. And yes, you read that right! No need to bundle up in the winter or sweat your buns off in the summer to grill this chimichurri flank steak. I like it best seared in a super hot, heavy skillet: done quickly with a gorgeous crust. Perfection. Oh, and that chimichurri sauce? I adapted the recipe from Texas de Brazil’s years ago, and it’s a favorite recipe on my site. It’s the ideal blend of parsley and cilantro, plus fresh garlic, dried oregano, spicy chili flakes, fresh lemon juice, and rich olive oil. We have a jar in the fridge at all times and have for the last six or seven years. Yes… it’s that good.
Why You’ll Love It
The chimichurri sauce is absolutely bursting with flavor and comes together super quickly in the blender or food processor.Using flank steak makes this recipe affordable and easy. It’s a good cut of meat but not too expensive, like a nice ribeye or strip. However, it’s still super tender and doesn’t require a lot of work to make delicious!Marinating the flank steak in the chimichurri sauce tenderizes the meat and injects it with tons of flavor.The chimichurri sauce is my favorite, hands down. It’s the perfect blend of bright lemon juice, lots of fresh garlic, herbaceous parsley and cilantro, dried herbs, a bit of spiciness, and a salty touch.
Chef’s Tips
Make sure you cut the steak against the grain. To do that, look for little grooves or lines in the meat. They should all generally go one way. You will want to cut perpendicular to this grain or flow. So say the grain runs east to west from your vantage point, cut north to south (or south to north – same deal!) to cut against the grain. This makes a big, big difference in the tenderness of your chimichurri flank steak, believe it or not.You can swap out other cuts of meat for the flank steak here, like skirt steak. Marinate the steak as you would in this recipe but increase or decrease your searing time, depending on how thin or thick the steak is.Make the chimichurri sauce in the food processor: blitz the garlic first, followed by the herbs. Add in the remaining ingredients and blend until the desired texture. So quick and easy!
Can I Grill This Steak Instead?
Go for it! This recipe will give you some good guidance when it comes to actually grilling the flank steak. You’ll follow the directions of this recipe the same in terms of making the chimichurri sauce and marinading the steak. However, just follow their process when grilling! TL;DR version: Heat the grill to 450º F. Grill 4-5 minutes per side or until your internal thermometer reaches 130-135 degrees. After that, carry on with the recipe as written here!
Other Recipes You’ll Love
Best Chimichurri Recipe: Texas de Brazil RecipeAir Fryer Steak with Easy Herb ButterThe Best Filet Mignon Recipe Ever with Garlic Herb Compound ButterChimichurri Whole30 Meatballs with Swiss ChardQuick Chimichurri Shrimp SkewersCarne Asada FriesHibachi Steak with Fried Rice and VegetablesBone-In Ribeye with Garlic-Herb ButterGarlic Butter Parsley PotatoesSous Vide Tri Tip with Easy Chimichurri Sauce
