Delicious grilled Flat Iron Steak with an easy sun-dried tomato sauce. Today I’m sharing how to grill this steak, along with the option to make a simple grilled zucchini-and-corn salad to serve alongside.
Other great side dishes to serve alongside this steak: cucumber salad, panzanella salad, fruit salad.
The Best Flat Iron Steak
Typically less-popular cuts of steak have become more and more popular on restaurant menus and in grocery stores. These cuts include skirt, flank, hanger, and flat iron. When I worked at a restaurant through high school and college, one of our most popular recipes was a hanger steak with chimichurri sauce.
While hanger steak is one of my favorites, it’s still hard to find in grocery stores. And in place of hanger steak, flat iron steak has become my go-to (I recently used in these steak fajitas).
Ingredients
- Steak Ingredients:
- Flat iron steaks: Main source of protein, offering a rich flavor.
- Olive oil, fine sea salt, freshly cracked pepper: Enhance the steak’s flavor and aid in grilling.
- Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce Ingredients:
- Garlic and sundried tomatoes: Provide a robust, tangy flavor.
- Lemon juice and oil: Balance the sauce’s flavor and create a smooth texture.
- Corn & Zucchini Salad Ingredients:
- Sweet corn and zucchini: Add sweetness and a tender crunch.
- Lemon, cherry tomatoes, Parmesan cheese, fresh basil: Bring acidity, juiciness, savory notes, and freshness to the salad.
How To Cook Flat Iron Steak
- Preheat the grill to medium-high, about 400-450 degrees F.
- Pat the steaks dry with a paper towel and then rub the steaks with olive oil. Season beef generously with fine sea salt and freshly cracked pepper. I do this by holding my hand about 5-6 inches above the steak and sprinkling to cover all the surface area. Flip and season the other side.
- Grill the steaks for 4-7 minutes per side until they reach the internal temperature desired (more on this below).
- Allow the steak to rest for 5-10 minutes, and then slice it thinly against the grain.
Quick Tip
Flat iron steak, from the upper top blade roast, is ideal for grilling due to its uniform thickness and marbling, offering rich flavor. It’s more affordable than cuts like filet or rib-eye. Choose 1-pound steaks for quick, even cooking on the grill.
Steak Temperatures
Use a meat thermometer for perfectly cooked flat iron steak. While experienced cooks can gauge doneness by feel, a thermometer is more precise. Flat iron steak is best at medium rare but cook to your preference:
- Rare: 120-125°F
- Medium Rare: 135°F (4-5 min per side)
- Medium: 140°F (5-7 min per side)
- Medium Well: 150°F (8-10 min per side)
- Well Done: 160-175°F
Cooking times vary based on steak thickness and grill temperature. Remove the steak from heat about 5°F before desired doneness; it continues cooking while resting.
Quick Tips
- Sun-dried Tomato Sauce: Use oil-packed, herb-infused sun-dried tomatoes for added flavor.
- Rest Steaks: After grilling, rest flat iron steaks under foil for 5-10 minutes for juice redistribution.
- Cut Against the Grain: Slice the steak against the grain for maximum tenderness.
- Season Well: Don’t skimp on salt and pepper; season generously and adjust to taste.
More Delicious Grilled Dinners
Flat Iron Steak
Ingredients
Steak
- 2 (1 pound each) flat iron steaks
- Olive oil, fine sea salt, freshly cracked pepper
Sun-dried tomato sauce
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/2 cup sundried tomatoes (packed in oil and herbs), gently packed to measure
- 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (~1 large lemon)
- 1/2 cup oil (I use all the oil from the tomatoes container and then use extra virgin olive oil for the rest of the 1/2 cup)
Corn & Zucchini Salad
- 2 ears (14 ounces) sweet corn shucked
- 2 small (14 ounces) zucchini stems removed and halved horizontally
- 1 large lemon
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved or quartered
- Parmesan cheese Freshly shaved
- 3-4 tablespoons fresh basil
Instructions
- PREPARE INGREDIENTS: Preheat grill to medium-high heat (400-450 degrees F.) Shuck corn. Remove stems and halve zucchinis lengthwise. Halve or quarter cherry tomatoes, depending on their size. Halve both lemons; juice one of the lemons to get 1/4 cup juice and set the other two lemon halves aside to grill. Rub or brush (with a pastry brush) corn and zucchini with olive oil. Season liberally with salt and pepper (I add about 1 to 1/2 tablespoons oil and about 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper).
- CORN ZUCCHINI SALAD: Prepare the preheated grill by cleaning with a grill brush. Generously oil the grill (I drench a rolled-up paper towel in vegetable oil and, holding it with tongs, rub it over the grill grates). Add corn and zucchini. Cook zucchini about 2-3 minutes, flip and cook another 2-3 minutes or until lightly charred and crisp-tender. Cook the corn, rotating about every 2-3 minutes (a total of 4 rotations) until charred, bright yellow, and crisp-tender about 10-12 minutes total. Grill lemon halves flesh side down for 2-3 minutes or until charred. Transfer vegetables to a cutting board to cool slightly. Slice corn off the cob and add to a large bowl. Cut zucchini into thin half moons and add to the bowl with the corn. Add in the cherry tomatoes, Parmesan cheese (to taste), and fresh basil (rip or cut into ribbons). Add in the juice from one half of the grilled lemon (about 2 tablespoons) and some additional olive oil (about 1 to 2 tablespoons). Toss and taste, adjust seasonings by adding any additional salt, pepper, or oil.
- COOK STEAKS: While vegetables and lemon are grilling, pat steaks dry with paper towel and rub with olive oil (about 1/2 tablespoon per steak). Season both sides generously (or to taste) with salt and pepper (I add about 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt per steak). Add steaks to the fully heated grill and cook until charred and medium rare (or to temperature preference, medium rare highly recommend) about 4-5 minutes per side. (For 1-pound steaks, medium rare generally takes 4 minutes per side); use a food thermometer for precision (see temperatures in post). Transfer steaks to a plate to rest for about 5-10 minutes, tented with foil. Transfer to a cutting board and cut across the grain as thinly as possible (this makes sure the meat is tender!)
- SAUCE: While steaks grill, finely mince garlic and coarsely chop the sundried tomatoes. Add garlic and tomatoes to a small blender or food processor. Add in the 1/4 cup lemon juice and salt and pepper (I add about 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper) and pulse until ingredients are chopped. Slowly drizzle in the oil (I use all the oil from the sundried tomatoes container and fill up the rest of the 1/2 cup with regular oil) and pulse until emulsified and a chunky sauce has formed. Taste and adjust seasoning.
- ASSEMBLE: Add thinly sliced steak to plates (1/2 steak per plate). Divide the corn-and-zucchini salad among the plates. Spoon the sauce evenly on the steaks. Garnish the dish with additional Parmesan. Cut the remaining half of the grilled lemon into wedges and add one wedge to each plate. Squeeze lemon over before enjoying!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Can I make the sauce ahead of time, or even the corn and zucchini for that matter adding the cold ingredients just before serving?
You can definitely make the sauce ahead of time and the corn and zucchini is fine ahead of time we just usually make it all together because we cook them on the grill when were grilling the steak!
This was a fabulous meal. Thank you so much for sharing it!
Thank you so much V!
Definately a keeper and the epitome of summer. Will make again. Loved the sauce!
p.s. your name is not on the print sheet. I like to save and write down my “will do again” recipes. But I found it!
So glad to hear you enjoyed this!! Thanks for the comment and review Valerie 🙂
This was so good! My mistake was that I did not make enough! I can’t wait to make this again on father’s day to surprise my father-in-law.
Such a perfect dinner! That steak and veggies look amazing. I’m drooling. YUM
Thank you! 🙂
That is a beautiful plate of food! I can’t resist a good steak, I know what I’ll be making this weekend. 😉
So tender and juicy! We all loved it.
Tried it and loved it!
YAYYY!! 🙂
What a robust recipe; my whole family loved it! Saving this to make again sometime this week!
I’m sooo happy you enjoyed this. Thanks so much! 🙂
Just curious on the steak cut. It sounds like it’s a thin cut shoulder blade roast?