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    Home » Smoked Meats

    Tender Smoked Flank Steak

    Published: Feb 25, 2022 · Modified: Jan 16, 2023 by Will · This post may contain affiliate links.

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    This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my privacy policy.

    Flank steak packs some great flavor and is lean, making it a healthy steak. The best way to cook it would definitely be making smoked flank steak on your favorite pellet smoker! Fire up those smokers, it's time to roll some smoke!

    Flank steak sliced on cutting board with chimichurri sauce
    Jump to:
    • Video - How to smoke flank steak (Step-by-Step)
    • Smoking Steak?
    • What is flank steak?
    • Smokers & wood
    • Seasoning
    • Smoking the steak
    • Slicing
    • Perfect Side dishes
    • Old Pro Tips
    • FAQ
    • Smoke This!
    • Tender Smoked Flank Steak

    Video - How to smoke flank steak (Step-by-Step)

    Smoking Steak?

    Definitely! Smoking steak is a great way to impart that fantastic smoke flavor onto an already delicious tasting piece of meat. As long as this is done right, you will have a nice juicy steak.

    The key is to smoke it for a short period of time and then crank the temp up to finish the flank steak off. I'll show you how to do this in a minute...

    What is flank steak?

    Flank steak is a cut of beef from the abdominal muscle of a cow. This muscle works a lot and can be a little tough. If cooked and sliced correctly, it can be tender and delicious.

    Flank steak is my wife's favorite and we cook it once a week. She likes how lean flank is compared to a fattier steak such as a tomahawk ribeye.

    Diagram of a cow highlighting where the flank steak cut comes from on the animal.

    You will see large muscle fibers running from one end of the meat to the other with little fat. Some fat on the surface will be common, but minimal marbling within the steak. Flank steak is also called London Broil in certain areas of the world.

    Flank steak on cutting board with spices

    Similar steaks to flank include a skirt steak or flat iron steak. I have found that flank steak is a little harder to find than these other two. Ask your butcher if you can't find it, they normally can get some for you.

    Smokers & wood

    We're not grilling these bad boys on the BBQ grill, we're firing up those smokers! So choose your weapon and let's roll some smoke!

    Pellet smokers / pellet grills

    I'm smoking this flank steak on my pellet smoker, just like the Camp Chef 36 smoker. Using a Traeger to make this a Traeger flank steak is a fantastic option of a smoker.

    Pellet smokers are an easy and great way to impart fantastic smoke flavor on your steaks and other meats without having to babysit a firebox all day.

    ----> Check out our other Smoked Meat Recipes Here<----

    Camp Chef Smoker on white background

    They must be plugged in to an electrical socket to operate the auger that constantly feeds the smoker with small wood pellets. This process makes keeping a consistent temperature extremely easy and little effort.

    Don't have a pellet smoker? Check out our breakdown of the Best Pellet Smokers on the market to choose the best one for you.

    Offset smoker

    Looking for something more traditional? This Oklahoma Joe's Smoker takes small pieces of wood and will give you a little better smoke flavor than a pellet smoker.

    traditional offset smoker on white background

    They do require a little more attention to keep the temperature consistent, so grab a couple beers and a lawn chair if you are going to use an offset smoker such as this.

    Choosing the wood

    There are several different types of wood that can be used when smoking flank steak, but my favorite is oak or hickory wood chips. This wood can be bought in chunks/chips or pellets to accommodate whichever type of smoker you are using.

    Bag of trophy blend hardwood pellets

    If using a pellet smoker, many companies offer a competition or trophy blend of wood pellets. These are great because they have the perfect mixture of several different types of wood giving you a nice smooth smoky flavor.

    Seasoning

    Let's keep it simple here folks. I am not a big fan of marinating these steaks or using a marinade of soy sauce & worcestershire sauce. There is a time and place to lather your meat with an array of spices to achieve a great flavor. This is NOT one of those times.

    • Sea Salt
    • Cracked Black Pepper
    • Olive oil (Optional)
    Flank steak on cutting board covered in salt and pepper

    Steak requires very little help when it comes to flavor. A simple 50:50 mixture of sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper is all you need when smoking flank steak to have a mind blowing finished flavor.

    A coating of 1 tablespoon of olive oil on the steak before salt and peppering will help the spices attach and stay on the steak.

    Smoking the steak

    Pre-heat your smoker to 180°F - 200°F until the smoker is able to maintain that temperature.

    Hit it with smoke

    Place the flank steak directly on the grill grates and smoke for 20 - 30 minutes.

    Flank steak smoking on smokers grill grate

    The key here is NOT to smoke the steak until it's at our desired temperature. We only want to get some smoke flavor on the steak and then crank the temperature up to 425°F.

    Turning the temp up / Reverse searing

    After 20 - 30 minutes, remove the flank steak from the smoker and place on a plate. Lightly tent with aluminum foil and increase the smokers temperature to 425°F.

    If you have searing plates, place them on the grill grates of the smoker while pre-heating to 425°F.

    Searing flank steak on smoker

    Once the smoker hits temp, throw the steak back on the grill rack or searing plates and cook until reaching your desired doneness, flipping the flank steak once. This will be about 4 minutes a side for a medium finish.

    The searing plates are great for getting a little crust on the steak. They will come with a flat side (seen above) and a ridged side. Both work great for searing the steak.

    You do not need searing plates, but they definitely elevate the flavor and finished look of the steak. I definitely recommend them.

    Determining when it's finished cooking

    Alright folks, let's cook these steaks to the desired internal temperature, NOT time. Here is a chart showing the desired internal temperature for how you like your steak.

    The key is to remove the steak 5-10 degrees BELOW your desired internal temp. So if you want a medium steak, pull it off the grill when the steak reaches about 135 degrees.

    How do you tell when the steak is that temperature? Most pellet smokers will have thermometers that come with the grill. If not, grab one of these Thermopro Meat Thermometers.

    Red Meat Thermometer

    They are perfect for determining when your meat is finished cooking. If you don't have one already, get one. They help SO MUCH when grilling or smoking meats to a perfect finish.

    Rest

    Not you, we're talking about the meat! The reason we pulled the steak off 5-10 degrees below our desired internal temperature is because we are going to let the steak rest before slicing. Resting the steak allows the juices to redistribute back into the meat and will also continue to cook the meat to your desired finished temp.

    Rest the steak on a plate without covering for about 10 minutes before serving. The meat will rise about 5-10 degrees while resting, finishing the smoked flank steak to perfection.

    Slicing

    Once the steak is finished resting, it's time to slice that meat the CORRECT way. Normally slicing a steak doesn't make a huge difference, but with flank steak it makes ALL the difference.

    If you slice against the grain of the meat you will have a nice tender flavorful steak. If you screw up and slice WITH the grain of the meat, you will end up with a tough almost unchewable steak.

    flank steak sliced on cutting board

    Finding the direction of the muscle fibers is extremely easy in flank steak. The fibers will run from the thickest part of the steak to the thinnest part. Look for long lines within the meat, those are it's fibers.

    Starting at the thinnest part of the steak, slice perpendicular to those fibers (across the fibers). You also want to slice ¼" pieces with the knife at a 45° angle, this will make the pieces of steak a little wider.

    Flank steak sliced on cutting board with chimichurri sauce

    This steak was topped with a nice chimichurri sauce my wife makes and man was it GOOD! We eat flank steak about once a week. It's my wife's favorite steak and smoked flank steak is the ONLY way you will cook it from now on.

    Perfect Side dishes

    • Smoked Hasselback Potatoes
    • Smoked Corn on the Cob
    • Roasted Potatoes and Carrots from Cubes n Juliennes

    Old Pro Tips

    • Sear over an open flame to get the best char on the steak
    • Don't smoke too long, this will make the meat tougher. 20-30 minutes max
    • Steak pairs well with acidic garnish like chimichurri sauce or sweet steak sauce

    FAQ

    Is flank steak a good cut of meat?

    Yes! It is not as expensive as Ribeye and does not have the fat content either. It's a great steak that is lean and has fantastic flavor.

    How should flank steak be cooked?

    Rare to medium is the best doneness for flank steak. It is a tougher cut of meat when it comes to steaks, so the more rare it is the more tender it will be.

    Can I use a gas grill or charcoal grill when cooking this steak instead of a smoker?

    Of course! Just go straight to grilling at a high temperature of 425 - 500°F until 5-10° before your desired temperature. This should take about 4-6 minutes a side depending on how hot the grill is.

    Smoke This!

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    • Smoked Mac and Cheese (plus video)
    • Perfectly Smoked Steak (Ribeye)
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    Flank steak sliced on cutting board with chimichurri sauce

    Tender Smoked Flank Steak

    Flank steak packs some great flavor and is lean, making it a healthy steak. When cooked correctly, this tough steak can turn out juicy & tender!
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate Recipe
    Prep Time: 20 minutes
    Cook Time: 35 minutes
    Temperature Increase: 20 minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: American
    Type: Smoked Meat
    Servings: 4 servings
    Calories: 313kcal
    Author: Will
    Cost: $25

    Ingredients
     

    • 2 lb Flank Steak

    Dry Rub Ingredients

    • 2 teaspoon sea salt
    • 2 teaspoon black pepper

    Equipment

    Pellet Grill
    Pellet Smoker
    Red Meat Thermometer with digital read out with temperature.
    Meat Thermometer
    Sear plates with grill spatula
    Sear Plates

    Instructions

    • Pre-heat smoker to 180°F.
    • Season steaks with salt and pepper on all sides.
    • Place steak directly on smoker and smoke for 20 minutes at 180°F. After 20 minutes, remove from the smoker and put on plate. Tent with aluminum foil.
    • Place grill grates on smoker and increase temperature to 425°F. Once heated, place steak on grill grates and cook until desired internal temperature, test with thermometer.
      Always cook to temperature and not time. However, It should take about 4-6 minutes a side for medium.
    • When steak reaches desired temperature, remove from smoker and allow to rest 10 minutes before slicing.
    • Slice the steaks AGAINST the grain of the meat in ¼" wide strips so it will be nice and tender. Tilting the knife and slicing at a 45° angle will also make the strips a little wider since this steak is very thin.

    Pro Tips

    • Sear over an open flame to get the best char on the steak
    • Don't smoke too long, this will make the meat tougher. 20-30 minutes max
    • Steak pairs well with acidic garnish like chimichurri sauce or sweet steak sauce

    Nutrition

    Calories: 313kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 49g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 136mg | Sodium: 1283mg | Potassium: 787mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 5IU | Calcium: 53mg | Iron: 4mg
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
    Tender Smoked Flank Steak
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    Comments

    1. Andrew says

      June 26, 2022 at 11:59 pm

      5 stars
      Love the flavor of the flank steak after grilling on the smoker. What an easy yet great recipe.

      Reply

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