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This chimichurri flank steak is crazy flavorful, thanks to the perfect chimichurri sauce. Cooked medium rare inside on the skillet, the flank steak is super tender, and excluding marinating time both the steak and the fresh, punchy Brazilian sauce comes together in about 30 minutes! Perfect for entertaining and good on the grill too, the recipe is also low carb, keto-friendly, paleo and Whole30-compliant!
See recipe card below for full list of measurements, ingredients, and instructions.
A Note from Cheryl
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!
Why This Is Your New Favorite Steak Recipe
- 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. Once you’ve marinated it, it takes only a few minutes to sear in a cast-iron skillet. I like it best seared in a super hot, heavy skillet: done quickly with a gorgeous crust. As you can tell, it is something I make for guests, but also something I make just because!
- Usually flank steak is served with the chimichurri sauce simply spooned over the top, but this recipe also marinates the steak in the sauce before cooking which tenderizes the meat and injects it with tons of flavor!
- The chimichurri sauce is so versatile, once I’ve made it for steak night leftovers are amazing served with grilled vegetables, shrimp, fish, and as a sauce for grain bowls and sandwiches. 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!
What I Learnt Testing This Recipe
- Make sure you cut the steak against the grain for tender, melt-in-the-mouth slices. 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.
- Also, make sure you pat the steaks dry before searing. Removing any excess marinade and surface moisture will help the steak brown properly. A dry surface creates a flavorful crust, while excess moisture causes the meat to steam instead of sear!
- The food processor is the easiest way to make the chimichurri sauce. It had the best payoff in terms of ease vs. texture, but if you don’t have one chopping everything very, very fine with a big, heavy knife is your best option. Using a mortar and pestle resulted in a mushy sauce. A good chimichurri is also all about texture, as well as flavor!
Ingredients
Flank steak – I love that flank is such an affordable, easy-to-cook cut. But you could also use 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.
Fresh Garlic – As garlic is part of what gives chimichurri such a bold flavor, only fresh garlic will work here.
Parsley – Include the stalks to cut down on waste. I personally think flat leaf parsley works better in sauces like this, but curly parsley will also work.
Cilantro – Same as the parsley, include the stalks in the sauce.
Olive Oil – You want something mild here not to compete with the other flavors in the sauce, but as you’ll be able to taste it something with a good flavor.
Fresh lemon juice – This provides the acidity that will balance the sauce. You’ll need 1-2 lemons to get 1/4 cup of juice depending on their size, but if you’re a little bit short you can top it up with red wine vinegar.
Dried oregano – This adds so much depth to the sauce compared to if you’d just used fresh herbs. Regular or Mexican oregano will both work here.
Crushed red pepper – A good chimichurri always has a bit of a kick. These pepper flakes will soften and infuse into the sauce when they’re mixed with the lemon juice.
Serving & Storage Suggestions
French fries are never a bad idea with steak (and you can also dip them into the chimichurri sauce!) and diced potatoes would also be good. Also on the side I love roasted summer vegetables with the sauce, or sauteed zucchini. A good heirloom tomato salad would really complete the dish if you’re making this in the summer months!
Any leftover steak will taste delicious on a salad, but you might overcook it if you try to re-heat pieces. Leftover chimichurri sauce will keep well in a clean jar in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. You can also freeze portions in an ice cube tray for up to 3 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Go for it! 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!
Yes! Chimichurri actually tastes even better after the flavors have had a chance to meld. Usually to serve it with steaks I make it the day before.
Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions or variations listed are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.
Chimichurri Flank Steak
Ingredients
- 1 ½ – 2 pounds flank steak
For the Chimichurri Sauce
- 2 tablespoons fresh garlic peeled
- ½ cup fresh parsley
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro
- 1 cup olive oil or avocado oil
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper
- ½ tablespoon salt plus more to taste
Instructions
For the Chimichurri Sauce
- In a food processor, add the garlic. Pulse until minced. Add fresh parsley and cilantro and pulse until finely chopped. Add remaining chimichurri sauce ingredients and pulse until well combined. Set aside.
For the Steak
- Marinate the steak: If the steak is large, about 2 pounds, or too big to fit into your skillet, cut it down the middle now. Make sure to cut against the grain (See Tips section in post content for help). Place steaks in a large baking dish or plastic food storage bag and add ⅓ cup chimichurri. Turn to coat. Marinate for at least 30 minutes, preferably 1-2 hours.
- Sear the steaks: Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes. Remove steaks from chimichurri and scrape off excess marinade. Pat dry and sprinkle with a modest amount of salt.
- If working with two pieces of steak, pour 1 tablespoon of avocado oil into a cast-iron skillet and let heat about 30 seconds or until shimmering but not smoking. If working with steak in one piece, pour 2 tablespoons avocado oil in and heat.
- When the oil is shimmering, use a pair of long tongs and carefully place steaks in skillet. Cook 3-4 minutes on each side, depending on the thickness of the steak. See Notes for details.
- Remove steak from skillet and let rest on a cutting board for 5 minutes. Repeat with the second piece of steak, if steak had been cut in two. After resting, cut the steak into ½" slices against the grain. Arrange on a large serving platter and top with fresh chimichurri sauce. Serve with additional chimichurri.
- For a thicker piece of flank steak:
- 3 minutes per side = medium-rare
- 4 minutes per side = medium
- For a thinner piece of flank steak:
- About 2 1/2 minutes per side = medium-rare
- 3 minutes per side = medium
- Medium rare = 130–140°F (55–60°C)
- Medium = 140–150°F (60–65°C)
- Medium well = 150–160°F (66–69°C)
- Well done = 160–170°F (70–75°C)
- Rare will feel very soft.
- Medium rare will feel a bit firmer but still tender.
- Well-done will feel very firm.
Approximate Information for One Serving
Nutrition Disclaimers
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
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Great recipe. I added fresh peppers to this instead of pepper flakes. Will definitely make it again
That’s a great swap, Brian, thanks for sharing!
My chimichuri comes out too thin. Should I reduce the olive oil? How do I measure the parsley and cilantro. Should I give it a rough chop first and then measure
No need to chop the fresh herbs first – the food processor will take care of that. Just make sure to fill the measuring cup to the brim. Don’t be afraid of overdoing the herbs, either!
The first time it turned out perfect, yummy best flank ever! Second time too salty – but then I realized that the recipe did not call for sea salt…is that possibly why it is too salty for some? I only used a teaspoon and it was way too salty.
But I will say, that have gotten used to putting in a half of a medium poblano pepper to the sauce and it gives it an even more amazing flavor. I cut back on the red flakes by half when I do this.
If you are using grass fed steak – let it marinade over night. You will never throw it in a crock pot again…
Great tips! And yes, sea salt is a lot saltier than table salt. That could have easily been the issue. Regardless, glad you have enjoyed this recipe!
This is my go to chimichurri recipe. It has WAY too much salt and way too much oil. I also lower the amount of red pepper flakes used by about half. Thats a preference.. The salt I use a half tsp and then the rest to taste. 1/2 tbsp salt sounds like a heart attack and I’ve tried it, its unbearable. Its perfect at about 1/4cup of lemon juice to 1/2 cup oil. If you follow the recipe it just becomes an oily, salty and sloppy mess that you can’t stir out.
Glad you were able to adapt the recipe to your preferences, Ciana! Thanks for leaving your feedback!
A few tweaks and this is such a good recipe, it really all depends on preference though. I’ve tried it with all of the red pepper flakes as well as with cilantro only, and I have also accidentally used lime juice instead of lemon. Still good either way. I’ve put it on steak, veggies, and about to try it on chicken… It definitely depends on what kind of salt you use as well. I follow the recipe except the oil and salt, I just add both until it balances out. Use it all the time and I put it on everything, thank you for sharing!
Thank you so much, Ciana! You’re totally right, it’s a great recipe to adjust to preference, and there are a lot of ways to mix it up! This version is an exact copycat of Texas De Brazil’s chimichurri, but there are so many other ways to make the sauce and they’re all delicious. I’m so glad you enjoy it so much!
It was overkill with a cup of oil. This is my first time making this and I just kept adding parsley and cilantro to thicken it up. I like things spicy but I wish I had read your comment before adding 1 tablespoon of red pepper flakes, as my boyfriend’s palate is more sensitive to heat than mine. Great color and I mixed lime/lemon juice.
Is the sauce good on tuna steaks or other meats? And, if some is leftover, how long will it last in refrigerator?
Leftovers will keep roughly 2 weeks as long as you refrigerate it in an airtight container. And yes, the chimichurri is good on a variety of proteins! We have a recipe for chimichurri shrimp you might like: https://40aprons.com/chimichurri-shrimp-skewers-whole30-keto/
What do you marinate the steak with?
⅓ cup of the chimichurri sauce! See step 1 under “For the Steak” on the recipe card instructions for all the specifics. 🙂
Way too much oil
We’re sorry you had this experience, David. We strive to create delicious, high-quality recipes that are easy to make at home. They’re heavily tested by our team before being shared with our followers. Regardless, we hate you had this experience, and we appreciate your feedback.
Love it. And I live for steak.
VictorB
Hi! Cheryl. Honestly, I really like this meal and I love chimichurri, I find that so fascinating! Definitely trying that out!
We hope you enjoy it! It’s definitely a reader favorite. 🙂
Absolutely delicious as a marinade!
So glad you loved it, Jennifer! Thank you for leaving a review!
Woah! This was amazing, so much flavor. Thank you