This 5 Ingredient Flank Steak is insanely flavorful and so easy! It’ll be your new go-to marinade this summer. All you need is red wine, soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, and garlic. It’s just the right balance of savory flavors, and the touch of brown sugar balances everything out. You won’t believe how simple and delicious it is!
I grew up eating a flank steak recipe very similar to this one and it’s forever my favorite way to eat flank steak. I’m one of those weirdos that chooses flank steak over filet mignon and this gives the steak the most perfect, delicious flavor profile. You won’t even believe how good it is!
This 5 Ingredient Flank Steak uses a super all-purpose marinade – the flavors really go with anything and everything.
It’s savory from the soy sauce, it has a richness and depth from the red wine, a toasty nuttiness from the sesame oil, it’s garlicky, and the touch of brown sugar just balances everything out. Honestly what more could you want?!
During the summer, I love serving the steak with tons of grilled vegetables. I also made some crispy roasted potatoes (because honestly, what’s better?!), but if you don’t want to heat up your house by turning on the oven, you could definitely grill your potatoes instead!
I like a good medium-rare steak – so I typically grill mine for 4-5 minutes per side, depending on the thickness. A meat thermometer is your best friend if you’re unsure of cooking time!
But truly, you really can’t mess this one up. It’s absolutely delicious.
As with everything, the longer you marinate the steak, the better it gets.
All you need for this recipe:
- dry red wine (I like using something full bodied like a Garnacha or other Spanish red)
- soy sauce (don’t use the low-sodium stuff here)
- a tiny bit of brown sugar (it just balances everything out)
- sesame oil (adds such a delicious toasty nuttiness)
- garlic (what isn’t exponentially better with garlic?!)
- and flank steak, of course!
I like to marinate mine overnight (at least 12+ hours), but 24 hours is even better if you have the time! It’s a tougher cut of steak, so the marinade needs a little longer than something like chicken to really penetrate the meat and infuse with all of that goodness.
So don’t skimp on the time with this one!
The flank steak I grew up eating was marinated in equal parts red wine and soy sauce – so this one is just a jazzed up version! It always amazed me the insane amount of flavor the steak had from just those 2 ingredients!
And dare I say I love this one even more (sorry mom!). The addition of the sesame oil, garlic, and brown sugar just adds a little extra something. Soooo good.
It’s summer on a plate.
Especially if you serve some of these with it!
Also! If you make this recipe or any of the recipes during my Summer Entertaining Series, or if I inspire you host any kind of party or get-together, be sure to tag me, @spicesinmydna, and hashtag #summerentertainingseries on Instagram or Facebook! I absolutely LOVE seeing what you guys create!
5 Ingredient Flank Steak (easy to make + perfect for grilling!)
This 5 Ingredient Flank Steak is insanely flavorful and so easy! It'll be your new go-to marinade this summer. All you need is red wine, soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, and garlic. It's just the right balance of savory flavors, and the touch of brown sugar balances everything out. You won't believe how simple and delicious it is!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup dry red wine*
- 1/2 cup soy sauce*
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 3 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 pounds flank steak
Instructions
In a medium bowl, whisk together the red wine, soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, garlic, and pepper. Place steak in a gallon size zip-top bag and pour in the marinade. Press all of the air out of the bag and seal tightly. Shake the bag and work the marinade around to ensure all surfaces of the meat are covered. Refrigerate for 12-24 hours (24 is preferable), turning the bag once if you can remember!
When you're ready to grill, remove the steak from the fridge 15-20 minutes or so ahead of time to get the chill off of it (this allows it to cook more evenly.) Preheat your grill or indoor grill pan to medium-high. Once preheated, shake the excess marinade off of the steak and grill for 4-5 minutes per side (for medium/rare-medium), depending on the thickness of your steak and your desired temperature. Let the steak rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing. Be sure to slice it against the grain on an angle. Serve immediately!
Recipe Notes
*I like to use a full bodied, dry red wine for this recipe. Something like a Garnacha or Spanish red is what I typically use, but just be sure you use something that you'd enjoy drinking - the flavor only intensifies when you cook with it!
*Don't use low-sodium soy sauce for this recipe. The meat really needs regular soy sauce to be seasoned properly.
*If you have the time, marinate this steak for 24 hours. The longer, the better. If you can't, 12 hours is totally fine!
This recipe looks delicious and would love to make this for my crowd this weekend. Can you send me a link
for the grilled vegetables? I cannot find it….thank you!
Hi Connie – thank you! I actually don’t have the recipe on my blog, but I do have a grilled vegetable recipe in my cookbook, Eat More Plants. I essentially just coat them lightly in olive oil, season with salt, pepper, and dried oregano, and grill them to my liking. Sometimes I toss them in a simple balsamic vinaigrette while they’re warm, and add some fresh herbs. Hope this helps!