Beef | Dairy Free | Gluten Free | Instant Pot | Low Carb | Main Course | Meal Prep
Instant Pot Flank Steak
Seared, then pressure cooked, this Instant Pot Flank Steak is incredibly tender, and comes out perfectly cooked every time. This flavor packed steak is delicious in salads, tacos, or served alongside just about any classic side dish.
What Makes This Recipe So Good
- Cooking flank steak in the Instant Pot results in a perfectly tender and juicy steak. The steak is quickly seared first, then pressure cooked until deliciously moist. After the chill time, there’s only about 15 minutes of cooking- half of which is done by the Instant Pot! This easy and foolproof method gives you perfectly cooked flank steak, every time!
- Instant Pot flank steak is super versatile! Use the tender slices in tacos, taco bowls, or salads. Serve it with accordion potatoes, chimichurri rice, air fryer frozen green beans, or just about any vegetables you may have on hand. Cook it at the beginning of the week, and use it in a variety of meals throughout the week.
Chef’s Tips
- Allow the Instant Pot flank steak to rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing, so it gives the natural juices time to settle. When slicing, you’ll want to slice this steak against the grain to get the best texture. Cutting against the grain means cutting the meat in the opposite direction of the meat fibers. If you look at the steak closely, you’ll see tiny lines going in one direction. Those tiny lines are what you’ll want to slice across.
- Don’t pour out the marinade after the flank steak has finished cooking! You can spoon the marinade over the steak slices for even more flavor, or spoon it over the vegetables you plan on serving.
More Easy Recipes We Love
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- Spaghetti Alfredo
- Instant Pot Chicken Teriyaki
- Instant Pot Chicken Breasts
- Easy, Crispy Chicken Patties
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Instant Pot Flank Steak
Flank steak made easy in the Instant Pot! This foolproof method gives you perfectly tender, moist, and delicious steak every time.
Recipe Makes: servings
Equipment
- medium mixing bowl
- large ziploc bag
- Instant Pot
- tongs
- cutting board
- sharp knife
Ingredients
For the Marinade
- ¼ cup neutral-flavored oil (avocado oil, olive oil, refined coconut oil, etc.)
- 4 tablespoons fresh lime juice (juice from approximately 2 large limes)
- 4-5 tablespoons fresh orange juice (juice from 1 large orange)
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic (approximately 4 large cloves)
- 1 teaspoon salt (more or less to taste)
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
For the Flank Steak
- 1 ½ pounds flank steak
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil (avocado oil or olive oil)
Instructions
- Add ¼ cup neutral-flavored oil, 4 tablespoons fresh lime juice, 4-5 tablespoons fresh orange juice, 2 tablespoons minced garlic, ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon chili powder to medium bowl. Whisk together until combined. Pour into large ziploc bag.
- Whisk ingredients together until fully combined. Transfer marinade large food-safe sealable bag.
- Add 1 ½ pounds flank steak to bag with marinade. Remove all air from bag and seal bag closed, then flip and shake bag to coat steak in marinade.
- Place bag in refrigerator and let steak marinate 30 minutes.
- Toward end of 30-minute window, set Instant Pot to Sauté mode. Add 2 tablespoons neutral oil to Instant Pot and heat oil until shimmery.
- When oil is hot, remove flank steak from bag and place steak directly in Instant Pot. Set bag aside – do not discard marinade.
- Brown flank steak 2 to 3 minutes, then flip steak over and brown 2 to 3 minutes on other side. Repeat until flank steak has been browned on all sides.
- Once steak is browned on all sides, turn off Sauté mode. Pour reserved marinade from bag into Instant Pot, covering flank steak evenly.
- Secure lid on Instant Pot with valve in Sealing position. Set Instant Pot to Manual High Pressure mode and set cook time to 2 minutes. Instant Pot will pressurize, then 2-minute cook time will begin.
- When 2-minute cook time ends, carefully Quick Release internal pressure. Use caution as escaping steam will be very hot.
- Once pressure has released, carefully remove lid and set aside. Transfer flank steak to cutting board and let steak rest 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, slice flank steak into thin strips, cutting against grain of meat.
- When flank steak has been sliced as desired, serve flank steak warm with preferred sides.
Notes
- To Slice Flank Steak: As with other meats, you want to always slice flank steak against the grain. If you look at the steak closely, you’ll see tiny lines all going in one direction. Cut perpendicular to those muscle fibers otherwise you’ll end up with chewy, tough steak.
Recipe costs provided are approximate. Actual cost per recipe & serving will vary by location, store, brand, etc. Approximate cost shown does not include costs for any optional ingredients.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 290kcal | Protein: 25g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 68mg | Sodium: 455mg | Potassium: 448mg | Total Carbs: 3g | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 1g | Net Carbs: 3g | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 35mg
Nutrition Disclaimer
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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