This Pineapple Steak is an explosion of flavor! From the coconut-lime rice to the perfectly seasoned steak to the sweet smoky pineapple topping — every bite is a treat!
Love a good flank steak recipe? Us too! This Flank Steak with Corn Salsa or Grilled Flank Steak with chimichurri are our two favorites!
Our Favorite Grilled Pineapple Steak
This Pineapple Chicken took Pinterest by storm last summer climbing to the highest pinned recipe from this website for a few weeks! Smoky grilled meat with charred fresh fruit is unbeatable — and I can’t wait for you all to try this variation using steak instead of chicken. Pineapple and steak are a match made in heaven!
For more steak and pineapple recipes, try these steak tacos with a grilled pineapple salsa on top or these steak kebabs with pineapple on the skewers.
What is flank steak?
Flank steak is cut from the bottom abdominal area of the cow, so it contains a lot of hard-working muscles. A flank steak has a lot of tough fibers running throughout it and is a fairly lean piece of meat. It’s also slightly thicker and wider than skirt steak (read about the differences between skirt and flank steak here).
Quick Tip
Sometimes a grocery store will label a flank steak under a different name such as a London Broil, Flank Steak Fillet, and/or Jiffy Steak. When in doubt, ask the person at the meat counter. If you can’t find a flank steak, flat iron steak, hanger steak, or skirt steak will all work similarly with this recipe.
Pineapple Steak Temperatures
One of the best things about flank steak is how quick it is to grill! It takes about 8-10 minutes to grill to medium-rare.
I prefer grilled flank steak at medium rare and find it loses flavor and texture when cooked beyond medium. A high grill temperature and short grilling time will keep a flank steak tender.
That said, cook the steak exactly how you like it! Below are the temperatures for cooking flank steak to your personal preference.
Fully preheat the grill to 450 degrees F. Aim to keep the grill that consistent temperature throughout the grilling process.
- Rare: 120-125 degrees F
- Medium-Rare: 135 degrees F (about 4-5 minutes on one side and another 4-5 minutes on the other side)
- Medium: 140 degrees F (about 5-7 minutes on one side and another 3-5 minutes on the other side)
- Medium-Well: 150 degrees F (about 8-10 minutes on one side and another 3-5 minutes on the other side)
- Well-Done: 160-175 degrees F.
**Time depends on the steak’s thickness, your grill, and actual temperature of your grill**
Quick Tip
Use a meat thermometer to ensure the meat is perfectly cooked to your personal preference. Pull the steaks off about 5 degrees below the desired temperature — the flank steak will “cook” those last 5 degrees from carryover heat as it rests tented under foil.
Pineapple Steak Grilling Tips
- Prepare the grill by cleaning with a grill brush to remove any built-up residue and then oil the grill. I do this by drenching a rolled-up paper towel in vegetable oil and, holding it with tongs, rubbing it liberally over the grill grates (or ridges in a grill pan).
- Make sure the grill is completely heated before you add the steak to the grates. High heat sears the surface of the meat, resulting in a juicier steak with an amazing char.
- Once it’s finished, let the cooked steak rest, tented with foil, for 5-10 minutes before cutting in.
- Cut the cooked steak against the grain and sliced on the bias. Here’s more on that! It’s especially important to cut against the grain (at a steep diagonal so slices are wide) because of all the tough muscle fibers. By cutting against the grain, it reduces the length of those muscle fibers to make chewing easier.
- Slicing on the bias means holding the knife at a 45-degree angle instead of the standard bread slicing angle.
- We like to use a long serrated, sharp bread knife to cut a grilled flank steak. However, any sharp knife will work.
Quick Tip
Flank steak is very lean and will be tough and chewy if it is cut in the same direction of the muscle fibers.
Shortcuts
Time-Saving Tips For Pineapple Steak
When it’s a busy night, I’m all about shortcuts in the kitchen! Here are a few for this dish:
- A quick option for ginger and garlic is to use refrigerated garlic paste and refrigerated minced garlic.
- Pre–cut pineapple: If your grocery store sells pre-cored pineapple with the skin removed and you’re in a hurry — grab it! They’re a great time saver in a pinch and the pre-cored/skinned pineapples are typically nicely ripened. (If you’re not using a pre-cut pineapple, here’s a great guide to cutting one.)
- Juicer: This recipe requires quite a bit of fresh lime juice, so invest in a juicer or citrus reamer. You don’t need anything special or crazy expensive; this one is pretty cheap and a great deal if you juice a lot of citrus. Here’s our personal favorite citrus juicer (it’s electric!)
How To Grill Pineapple
- Preheat the grill to medium-high (400-450 degrees F) or heat a grill pan over high heat.
- Once the outer rind is removed, cut the pineapple into 1/2 to 3/4-inch-thick slices.
- Rub oil and brown sugar evenly over all sides of the slices.
- Place pineapple slices on the grill and cook, flipping once, until tender, golden and lightly charred. This takes about 1-3 minutes per side.
More Grilling Favorites
- Grilled Peaches with ice cream and a graham cracker crumble
- Grilled Chicken Marinade our favorite all-purpose chicken marinade
- Cheesy Broccoli & Chicken in foil packs on the grill
- Grilled Steak Salad with a lemon-honey vinaigrette
- Hobo Foil Packets with sausage and potatoes
Pineapple Steak
Equipment
- Medium pot
- Aluminum foil
Ingredients
- 3 large limes
- 1 bunch green onions optional
- 1 cup uncooked basmati rice see note 1
- 1 (13.6-ounce) can coconut milk full-fat, see note 2
- 1 large ripe, pineapple
- 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar or light brown sugar
- 1-1/2 up to 2 pounds flank steak
- 1/4 cup soy sauce not reduced-sodium
- 1 teaspoon ginger paste
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon honey
- Salt and pepper
- Vegetable oil
Instructions
- Very thinly slice green onions and remove 2 tablespoons, setting the rest aside for the rice. Use a fine grater to zest 2 limes to get 2 teaspoons zest and a citrus juicer to get 3 tablespoons juice. Cut the last lime into wedges for serving.
- Combine 1 cup basmati rice, 3/4 teaspoon salt, 1/2 cup water, and coconut milk in a medium pot. Mix together. Turn to high heat and bring to a boil. As soon as the mixture boils, reduce heat to low and cover with a fitted lid. Allow to simmer 13–18 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender. Troubleshooting: liquid has absorbed but rice isn’t quite tender? Add a few more tablespoons of water. Too much liquid still? Slightly increase heat.
- Remove pot from heat, keeping it covered, and let stand 10–15 minutes; don’t rush or it will be sticky! Fluff the rice with a fork, then add 2 tablespoons lime juice and 1 teaspoon zest. Gently stir to incorporate, then mix through set-aside green onions.
- In a bowl, whisk together soy sauce, ginger, garlic, honey, 1 teaspoon pepper, 1 tablespoon lime juice, and 1 teaspoon lime zest. Remove the flank steak from packaging and blot dry with a paper towel. Add to a large resealable plastic bag and pour the marinade on top. Marinate in fridge just while grill preheats and you prep pineapple.
- Preheat grill to 450°F. Once heated, clean grill grates with a wire brush. Liberally oil the grill (I do this by drenching a paper towel in canola or vegetable oil and, holding tongs, rubbing the paper towel over the grill).
- Remove the rind and stem from the pineapple and cut into 1/2 to 3/4-inch thick slices. Brush 1 tablespoon oil over all sides of the pineapple slices, then rub the brown sugar over all sides of the slices and let stand until grill is fully heated. Place pineapple slices on fully heated grill and cook, flipping once, until tender, golden and lightly charred, about 1–3 minutes per side (this may vary, depending on the thickness, ripeness of pineapple, and actual heat of grill). Use a wide metal spatula for easy removal and flipping of pineapple slices. If you find the pineapple sticking at all, use a bit more oil on the grill grates. Remove to a plate, lightly season with a pinch of salt, and set aside.
- Using tongs, pull the steak from the marinade (don’t discard it) and place steak directly on the grill. Immediately spoon over 1/2 of reserved marinade. Close grill and cook, without touching steak, 4–5 minutes. Then, flip steak and spoon over the rest of the marinade, closing grill immediately after. Cook in closed grill another 4–5 minutes or until the internal temperature is 130–135°F for medium rare or 145° for medium. (I use a meat thermometer. My grill takes 4 minutes per side at 450°F.) Remove steak from grill to a cutting board. Tent with foil and allow to rest 5–10 minutes. Once steak has rested, slice it as thinly as possible against the grain (see note 3). While steak rests, cut pineapple into 1-inch chunks, discarding the center/cores.
- Divide rice among serving bowls. Top with very thinly sliced steak and equal amounts of pineapple. Top bowls with reserved 2 tablespoons green onions and lime wedges. Drizzle lime wedge(s) over bowls and enjoy immediately.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This was amazing!! I was sad when it was all gone. I have never cooked flank steak before and it turned out perfectly tender and flavorful. Will 100% make again!
Yay! So glad it was a hit! Thanks Kara! 🙂