Broiled Flat Iron Steak with Soy Ginger Sauce
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Dinner in 30? Absolutely. This juicy broiled flat iron steak, paired with a bold soy-ginger sauce, is quick, easy, and full of flavor.
Flat iron steak is one of my favorite cuts of beef for home cooking. It’s similar to skirt and flank steak, only much more tender; in fact, after the tenderloin, it’s the second most tender cut. It works well in a variety of dishes, from stir-fries to sandwiches—plus, it’s relatively inexpensive.
In this recipe, I season and broil the flat iron steak and top it with a rich, Asian-style brown sauce. With buttered rice and a steamed veggie, it’s an easy and elegant dinner that you can have on the table in under 30 minutes!
“This is fantastic! The cooking method makes for easy clean up (yay!) and the sauce is divineu002du002dsometimes I make double and store half in the refrigerator for other uses.”
What You’ll Need To Make Broiled Flat Iron Steak with Soy Ginger Sauce
- Ginger and Garlic: The flavor base for the sauce; adds bold, Asian flavor that pairs perfectly with beef.
- Dry Sherry: adds a sweet, slightly nutty flavor that’s similar to Chinese rice wine and gives the sauce more depth.
- Soy Sauce: The salty, savory backbone of the sauce—full of umami and perfect for balancing the sweetness.
- Tomato Paste: An unexpected ingredient, but just a touch adds body, richness, and a hint of sweetness to the sauce.
- Light Brown Sugar: Offsets the saltiness of the soy sauce and brings a mellow sweetness that helps balance the sauce.
- Sesame Oil: Adds a deep, nutty flavor—just a small amount goes a long way in giving the sauce that signature Asian taste. Look for toasted (Asian) sesame oil, which is dark in color—not the light, untoasted variety.
- Unsalted Butter: Stirred in at the end to add richness and give the sauce a silky finish that ties everything together.
- Flat Iron Steak: (Referred to in some regions as a top blade steak.) A flavorful, tender cut that comes from the shoulder area and is perfect for high-heat cooking thanks to its uniform shape and thickness. It’s less expensive than many other cuts of steak, so that adds to its appeal. The recipe calls for one large 2-pound steak, but two smaller ones work just as well. Great on the grill or under the broiler. Feel free to grill it if you like.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Sauté the ginger. Heat a little oil in a saucepan over medium heat and sauté the ginger until fragrant, about 1 minute. Cooking the ginger first brings out its flavor and softens its bite, giving the sauce a mellow, aromatic base.
Step 2: Add the garlic. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Be careful not to brown it; garlic burns quickly and turns bitter, so stir constantly and keep the heat moderate to preserve its sweet, mellow flavor.
Step 3: Simmer the sauce. Stir in the dry Sherry, soy sauce, brown sugar, tomato paste, and water. Let it simmer gently for 8 to 10 minutes, until slightly thickened. Finish the sauce by stirring in the sesame oil and butter, then set it aside.
Step 4: Prep the steak. Place the steak on a broiler pan or on a rack set over a baking sheet. Using a rack allows air to circulate underneath the steak, helping it cook evenly. Season both sides with salt and pepper.
Step 5: Broil and rest. Broil for about 5 minutes per side for medium-rare, then cover loosely with foil and let it rest for 10 minutes to keep the juices in. When you’re ready to slice, cut the steak into thin slices against the grain—that just means cutting across, or perpendicular to, the lines of muscle. It shortens the fibers, making the steak more tender and easier to chew.
Step 6: Serve. Serve with the sauce spooned over top. If you happen to have any leftover sauce, it’s delicious drizzled over noodles or steamed veggies.
More Asian-Style Beef Recipes You May Like
Broiled Flat Iron Steak with Soy Ginger Sauce
Ingredients
For the Sauce
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger, from a 1½-in (4-cm) knob
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ cup dry Sherry
- ⅓ cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- ¼ cup (packed) light brown sugar
- ½ cup water
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
For the Steak
- 1 (2-lb) flat iron steak
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the broiler and set an oven rack in the top position.
- 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 to 10 minutes. Add the sesame oil and butter and stir until the butter is melted. Set aside.
- 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.
Notes
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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.
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This was delicious! The butcher said that in November this cut was not on the shelf, but he had enough on hand. It cooked perfectly at 5 min per side.
A guest had a garlic allergy, so I did not add garlic; I have to keep to minimum sugars, so I subbed a little honey for the brown sugar. The sauce was lovely.
Soooo good! I made the sauce from memory, so might have been slightly different, but thanks for the inspiration. Definitely making again. And flat iron is my favorite steak!! Anytime the grocery store has a deal on it, I stock up.
Hi Jen, thank you for sharing all your yummy recipes. I’ve tried many of them and it’s husband approved. I served this one last night and our guest loved it. The yummiest steak we ever had.
Wow! This was really yummy! I didn’t have dry sherry, so I took another reviewer’s suggestion and used sake. I couldn’t find “flat iron steak” but a butcher told me I could get a blade roast and cut it in half. Just remove the membrane in the middle and that’s the same thing as the flat iron steak. The hubs was impressed and requested I make it again. Five stars!! (And thanks so much for the recipes, I’m new to the site and I love it!!)
Just a quick question. Are you using toasted sesame oil or plain? I find they have a totally different flavor. Love all your recipes.
Just regular sesame oil. Hope you enjoy!
I made this for the first time tonight and everyone loved it! The kids said “yummy!!” as they smothered their beef in it. I prepared steamed broccoli as a side vegetable and that too got smothered in the sauce.
I didn’t have sherry so used Japanese sake and it turned out just fine.
Thank you for another tasty recipe that was quick and easy to prepare!
Just had this for dinner; let me first say that we are steak lovers and had never had flat iron because grocery stores in our remote area of NH don’t carry it– it was incredible. Looks like I’ll be traveling for beef! The sauce was amazing, I literally drank it out of the pot. Props Jenn, another amazing recipe! Thank you!
Jenn,
This is a fantastic, easy and well-appreciated recipe. I thought I made enough for leftovers. Sadly, (or gladly!) there were none!
I appreciate your step-by-step, this-is-what-it-should-look-like pictures! Very helpful for the cooking-challenged side of the family!
Recipe is printed and added to the UOAC folder!
How far in advance can the sauce be prepared prior to serving. Can I make it at home to bring it to a dinner party to reheat on their stove and cook the steak there? If so, how should it be stored between preparing and serving? Thanks!
Hi Kelly, You can definitely make it ahead and store in tupperware. Thin it with a bit of water if necessary when you reheat it.
I found this to be a bit bland. It was good, but not great. I will not be making it again. Disappointed!