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.

A succulent and tender grilled flat iron steak served with a refreshing zucchini and corn salad on the side, promising a delicious and satisfying meal.

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).

Raw meat arranged on a cutting board, prepared to be seasoned and grilled.

A bowl filled with the corn and zucchini salad, the addition of fresh tomatoes and more ingredients, capturing the moment before mixing to create a flavorful salad.

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.

Blending the sun-dried tomato sauce in a food processor, capturing the ingredients coming together to create a flavorful sauce.

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.

Sliced grilled flat iron steaks, generously topped with sun-dried tomato sauce, served with a side of grilled corn and zucchini salad, creating a hearty and delicious meal.

More Delicious Grilled Dinners

5 from 8 votes

Flat Iron Steak

Grilled Flat Iron Steak with a flavorful sun-dried tomato sauceโ€”plus an optional zucchini-corn salad for the perfect summer meal!
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Resting Meat: 10 minutes
Total Time: 47 minutes
Servings: 4 servings

Equipment

  • Grill
  • Small blender or food processor

Ingredients 
 

Steak

  • 2 (1 pound each) flat iron steaks
  • Olive oil, salt, and pepper

Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce

  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1/2 cup sundried tomatoes (packed in oil and herbs) gently packed to measure
  • 1 large lemon
  • 1/2 cup oil I use all the oil from the tomatoes container and use olive oil for the rest of the 1/2 cup

Corn and Zucchini Salad

  • 2 ears sweet corn 14 ounces, shucked
  • 2 small zucchini 14 ounces, stems removed and halved horizontally
  • 1 large lemon
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved or quartered
  • Parmesan cheese Freshly shaved
  • 3 to 4 tablespoons fresh basil

Instructions 

  • Preheat grill to medium-high heat (400โ€“450ยฐF). Shuck corn. Remove stems and halve zucchinis lengthwise. Halve or quarter cherry tomatoes, depending on their size. Halve both lemons; juice 1 of the lemons to get 1/4 cup juice and set the other 2 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 and 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).ย Add corn and zucchini. Cook zucchini about 2โ€“3 minutes; flip and cook another 2โ€“3 minutes or until lightly charred and crisp-tender. Cook the corn, rotating about every 2โ€“3 minutes (a total of 4 rotations) until charred, bright yellow, and crisp-tender, about 10โ€“12 minutes total. Grill lemon halves flesh side down for 2โ€“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 (to taste), and fresh basil (rip or cut into ribbons). Add the juice from half the grilled lemon (about 2 tablespoons) and some additional olive oil (about 1โ€“2 tablespoons). Toss and taste; adjust seasonings by adding any additional salt, pepper, or oil.

Steak

  • 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 with salt and pepper (I add about 1/2 teaspoon 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 4โ€“5 minutes per side. Use a food thermometer for precision (see temperatures in post above). Transfer steaks to a plate to rest for about 5โ€“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!).

Sun-Dried Tomato 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.
  • 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 1 wedge to each plate. Squeeze lemon over and enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 299kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 42mg | Potassium: 349mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 438IU | Vitamin C: 43mg | Calcium: 23mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

 

Meet Chelsea


Hello, and welcome to Chelseaโ€™s Messy Apron! Iโ€™m Chelsea, the recipe developer, food photographer, and writer behind the site. Iโ€™m passionate about creating simple, reliable, and delicious recipes that anyone can make.

Thanks for stopping byโ€”I hope you find something delicious to make!

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5 from 8 votes

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16 Comments

  1. Lynda says:

    Can I make the sauce ahead of time, or even the corn and zucchini for that matter adding the cold ingredients just before serving?

    1. Chelsea says:

      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!

  2. V says:

    5 stars
    This was a fabulous meal. Thank you so much for sharing it!

    1. Chelsea Lords says:

      Thank you so much V!

  3. Valerie says:

    5 stars
    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!

    1. Chelsea Lords says:

      So glad to hear you enjoyed this!! Thanks for the comment and review Valerie ๐Ÿ™‚

  4. Mateo Pedersen says:

    5 stars
    This was so good! My mistake was that I did not make enough! I canโ€™t wait to make this again on fatherโ€™s day to surprise my father-in-law.

  5. Becky Hardin says:

    5 stars
    Such a perfect dinner! That steak and veggies look amazing. I’m drooling. YUM

    1. Chelsea Lords says:

      Thank you! ๐Ÿ™‚

  6. April says:

    5 stars
    That is a beautiful plate of food! I can’t resist a good steak, I know what I’ll be making this weekend. ๐Ÿ˜‰

  7. Katie says:

    5 stars
    So tender and juicy! We all loved it.

  8. Amy says:

    5 stars
    Tried it and loved it!

    1. Olivia Mendenhall says:

      YAYYY!! ๐Ÿ™‚

  9. Sara Welch says:

    5 stars
    What a robust recipe; my whole family loved it! Saving this to make again sometime this week!

    1. Olivia Mendenhall says:

      I’m sooo happy you enjoyed this. Thanks so much! ๐Ÿ™‚

    2. Mugsy says:

      Just curious on the steak cut. It sounds like it’s a thin cut shoulder blade roast?