January 30, 2025

Grilled Flap Steak

Today, I want to share with you a grilled flap steak recipe. What is a flap steak? It’s a thin cut of meat from the muscle of the bottom sirloin. It’s often confused with flank steak, hanger steak, or skirt steak,

Compared to other steaks, flap steak is coarser but has a beef-forward flavor. It benefits from marinade and accepts flavor well. Besides grilling, you can pan-sear, broil, saute, and stir-fry flap steak.

Shopping for Flap Steak

You may find flap steak under the label of bistro steak or bavette steak. Many stores put it near the sirloin section. Choice grades give you more flavor without upping the price much. A good flap steak is evenly thin without a lot of excess fat.

Uses for Flap Steak

In the simplest form, some butchers use flap steak as ground meat for hamburgers (or added to sausage meat). It can be cut into small morsels (steak tips). You may find it in carne asada, tacos, fajitas, and even as part of Philadelphia cheese steak.

Seasoning for Flap Steak

Herbs & Spices: Brown sugar, Chipotle, Garlic, Mustard powder, Onion powder, Oregano, Paprika, Salt, Shallot

Liquid (for making marinade or sauce): Garlic juice, Ginger, Honey, Hot sauce, Lemon juice, Mustard, Olive oil, Soy sauce, Vinegar (Balsamic, Red Wine, or Apple Cider), Worcestershire sauce

Some of our all-natural seasonings that pair well with flap steak include

How to Grill Flap Steak

You don’t have to fuss much with flap steak.
If you plan to use marinade, let it sit in the refrigerator overnight, and then pat dry
Apply a dry rub and let the meat sit for 15 minutes
In the meanwhile, preheat your grill to 450F
Barbecue the steak for 5 minutes per side. You’re looking for an internal temperature of 130F.
Remove the steak and let it rest for 10 minutes before cutting

PitMaster’s Memo Flap Steak vs. Skirt Steak

Both Flap steak and Skirt steak are affordable cuts of beef. Of the two, the Flap steak is more tender, while the Skirt steak has a beefier flavor profile. Marinating benefits both to help with tenderizing.