Broiled Flat Iron Steak with Soy Ginger Sauce

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Heat up your broiler and get ready to wow your family with this succulent flat iron steak paired with a rich, Asian-style brown sauce. Delicious and on your table in just 30 minutes!

broiled flat iron steak with green beans and rice

Flat iron steak is one of my favorite cuts of beef for home cooking. It’s similar to flank or skirt steak, only much more tender; in fact, after the tenderloin, it’s the second most tender cut. Plus, it’s relatively inexpensive. Here, I’ve broiled it and topped it with a rich Asian-style brown sauce. With buttered rice and a steamed vegetable, it’s an easy and elegant dinner that you can have on the table in under 30 minutes.

“This is a fantastic, easy and well-appreciated recipe. I thought I made enough for leftovers. Sadly, (or gladly!) there were none!”

Shani Speigle

What You’ll Need To Make Broiled Flat Iron Steak with Soy Ginger Sauce

ingredients to make broiled flat iron steak with soy ginger sauce
  • Ginger and Garlic: Add depth and aromatic flavors to the sauce.
  • Dry Sherry: Adds a nutty, sweet, and distinct Asian flavor to the sauce.
  • Soy Sauce: Acts as the base for the sauce, providing saltiness, umami, and a deep, rich flavor that pairs well with the beef.
  • Tomato Paste: Used in small amounts to add a hint of sweetness and a rich, concentrated tomato flavor that balances the saltiness of the soy sauce.
  • Light Brown Sugar: Adds a touch of sweetness to counterbalance the saltiness of the soy sauce.
  • Asian Sesame Oil: Used sparingly, lends a nutty character to the sauce and complements the other ingredients.
  • Unsalted Butter: Used to finish the sauce, adding richness and glossiness, and also helps to mellow out and blend all the flavors together.
  • Flat Iron Steak: The star of the dish, known for its rich flavor and tenderness. The recipe calls for a 2-pound steak; if you can’t find a large one, it’s fine to use two smaller steaks. Its uniform thickness and rectangular shape makes it ideal for grilling or broiling. Feel free to grill it, if you like.
  • Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements

Step-by-Step Instructions

Start the sauce by sautéing the ginger in a sauce pan with a bit of oil.

sautéing the ginger in a sauce pan with a bit of oil.

Add the garlic — I use a garlic press to mince it right into the pan — and cook a minute more. Do not brown.

ginger and garlic in sauce pan.

Add the dry Sherry, soy sauce, brown sugar, tomato paste and water and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, or until just slightly thickened.

dry Sherry, soy sauce, brown sugar, tomato paste and water added to the saucepan.

Stir the sesame oil and butter, then set aside.

stirring the sesame oil and butter into the sauce.

Place the steak on a broiler pan or rack over a baking sheet and season with salt and pepper.

seasoned steak on broiler pan.

Broil to desired doneness — about 5 minutes per side for medium rare — then cover with foil and let stand for about ten minutes. It’s very important to let the meat rest; if you cut it immediately, all the juices will gush out of the steak. Cut the steak into thin slices across the grain.

slicing the broiled flat iron steak on cutting board.

Serve with the brown sauce and enjoy.

broiled flat iron steak on platter

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Broiled Flat Iron Steak with Soy Ginger Sauce

Heat up your broiler and get ready to wow your family with this succulent flat iron steak paired with a rich, Asian-style brown sauce. Delicious and on your table in just 30 minutes!

Servings: 4
Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 20 Minutes
Total Time: 30 Minutes

Ingredients

For the Sauce

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable or peanut oil
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger (see note)
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • ½ cup dry Sherry
  • ⅓ cup soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • ¼ cup light brown sugar
  • ½ cup water
  • 1 teaspoon Asian/toasted sesame oil
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

For the Steak

  • 1 (1.75-2 pound) Flat Iron Steak
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper

Instructions

  1. Preheat the broiler and set an oven rack in the top position.
  2. Heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the ginger and cook until softened and fragrant, a few minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Do not brown. Add the dry Sherry, soy sauce, tomato paste, brown sugar and water; bring to a boil, then turn the heat down and simmer gently until just slightly thickened, 8-10 minutes. Add the sesame oil and butter and stir until the butter is melted. Set aside.
  3. Season the steak on both sides with salt and pepper and place on a broiler pan (or rack on top of a baking sheet). Broil the steak to desired doneness, about 5 minutes per side for medium-rare. Using tongs, transfer the steak to a cutting board; cover with foil and let rest for 10 minutes to let the juices settle (don't rush this step or the juices will gush out of the steak when you cut it). Cut the steak into thin slices across the grain and serve with the sauce.
  4. Note: Check out easy guidance on how to peel, grate, and chop fresh ginger here.

Pair with

Nutrition Information

Powered by Edamam

  • Per serving (4 servings)
  • Calories: 483
  • Fat: 24g
  • Saturated fat: 10g
  • Carbohydrates: 19g
  • Sugar: 15g
  • Fiber: 1g
  • Protein: 45g
  • Sodium: 2019mg
  • Cholesterol: 152mg

This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.

Gluten-Free Adaptable Note

To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.

See more recipes:

Comments

  • My family really enjoys this steak recipe! We especially like to make it in the colder months when craving steak but don’t want to fire up the grill.

  • This steak and sauce are great. If you have a Kroger in your area they sell Flat Iron Steaks. Since I discovered Flat Iron’s years ago I have never gone back to Flank Steak.

  • Excellent – the sauce was perfect. I’m not huge on sherry, ginger, or sesame oil, in general, but since I’ve had so much success with your recipes, I gave it a go and was so happy I did! Perfectly balanced.

  • This was good. I would make it again. It was great because I had everything in my home. No unusual food items. I followed the directions exactly. I served it with noodles but it would be much better with rice.

  • Can I substitute dried ginger for fresh?

    • Sure, Chris, you can get away with it, but you’ll need significantly less. I’d recommend 1/4 teaspoon. Please LMK how it turns out!

  • I don’t have sherry. Could I substitute mirin (sweet cooking rice wine)? If so, should I reduce or eliminate the sugar? Thanks!

    • Hi Denise, I wouldn’t recommend mirin here but if you can get your hands on some white vermouth or Shaoxing rice wine, either of those would work. Hope that helps!

  • Great recipe! My family loved this. The only issue I had with it was the sauce was kinda watery because it wouldn’t thicken despite simmering for at least 10 minutes. Tips on how to get it to reduce more?

    • Hi Alice, the sauce in this really doesn’t thicken up that much so you may not have done anything wrong. If you want it to be a bit thicker, I’d mix 1 teaspoon of cornstarch with 1 teaspoon of cold water together. After the cornstarch is dissolved, add the mixture to the sauce and stir until the sauce has thickened a bit. Hope that helps!

    • Made this tonight exactly as written. My husband and I both loved it. Will make it again. Thank you.

  • Hi Jen! In all your recipes that call for sesame oil, is there an alternative? I’m allergic to sesame and know that it is prevalent in Asian foods.
    Thanks!

    • Hi Melissa, No other oil has quite the same flavor as sesame oil, but you can use either olive or peanut oil in place of sesame oil. Hope that helps!

      • Hi Jen,

        I love your recipes and books! I jumped in too fast here and threw all of these ingredients into a bag to marinate skirt steak. Will this work?

        Mindy

        • Glad you like the recipes! 🙂
          Yes, I think it should be fine. I’d drain the marinade into a saucepan before broiling the steak and while the steak is cooking, boil the marinade to rid it of bacteria and use it as the sauce. Hope you enjoy!

  • Just made this tonight. It was so good. Thanks for everything, Jenn. You are definitely my go to! Question. My oven has a high and lo broil? Which should I use in the future?

    • Glad you enjoyed, Paula! I would use the high setting on your broiler.

  • Hi Jenn! I always have a crowd to feed and this recipe says it only serves four! How many pounds of Flat Iron Steak will I need to feed 8-10 people?
    Thanks!

    • Hi Jeanine, I think 4 to 4.5 pounds should be sufficient. Hope you enjoy!

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