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 divine–sometimes 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
Juicy broiled flat iron steak with a bold soy-ginger sauce—it’s quick enough for a weeknight, but special enough for company.
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 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
- 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, 8-10 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.
- Note: Check out some easy steps to peel, grate, and chop fresh ginger.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- 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.
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I made this for Wagyu hamburgers – absolutely phenomenal! My husband loved it. The sauce thickened up quickly for me. I used 1/4 cup rice vinegar instead of the sherry. Otherwise, exactly as written. This is a real keeper!
This looks delicious, I am eager to try it. I’m cooking for someone whose diet requires that they avoid sugar. Do you think I could substitute honey for the brown sugar? Any advice on the portion?
I love your website and have recommended it to so many people. I have never considered myself a confident chef, but these recipes are always winners and make me want to try more!
Hi Heather, thanks for your nice words about the blog, and for spreading the word about it! Yes, you can use honey in place of the sugar, but because honey tastes sweeter than sugar, I’d cut it back to 3 tablespoons. Hope you enjoy!
REALLY delicious! I’m not sure I’ve ever added a comment to a recipe before, but this was the absolute best marinade/steak I have ever made at home. I sadly couldn’t use the sesame oil because mine looked cloudy 🙁 but will defo try it with sesame oil next time. And I didn’t have sherry, but used some marsala, not sure what kind of difference that made, but it was REALLY amazing, and easy, and most importantly my fiance was super pleased and ate every bite.
Made this (again!) last night and it was great! It’s an easy weeknight dish that would be great for dinner guests too. The sauce took longer than 8-10 minutes to thicken, but I started it first as written in the recipe and let it cook while the steak broiled and rested and everything was ready at the same time. Great recipe, Jenn!
Make sure the meat is evenly thick. Sauce is delicious!
This recipe was delicious! I’ve always been intimidated by cooking steak but this was a breeze to make and tasted like it came from a restaurant. I broiled it for 5 minutes on each side and it came out perfect. I’d love to pair it with a nice red wine next time. Do you have any recommendations?
So glad you enjoyed the steak! This would pair nicely with Gamay (Beaujolais).
I’m looking for something to serve at lunch that I can make ahead. Would this be good sliced and served at room temperature over one of your Asian salads? I’m thinking it would be great. Thoughts?
Sure, Kat, that should work nicely!
I have made this recipe quite a few times. Flat iron is a great cut, and the sauce is phenomenal. Occasionally I don’t have exactly the right ingredients, but it is easy to sub things in.
Could we use Top Sirloin Steak?
Hi Scott, That should work well but the steak won’t be quite as tender.
I haven’t had a bad meal from you yet, Jenn! This was delicious! I never had this cut of steak and really enjoyed it. The sauce was – as my son puts it – bussin’ … the best compliment I could get. Thanks for all of your delicious recipes!