Flank steak is often an underappreciated cut of meat. But this Smoked Flank Steak recipe is definitely going to change your mind! The hickory smoke flavor, together with the dry rub, makes this recipe one of a kind!
I love the smoky flavor of beef from the smoker. Are you looking for a few other ideas to make in your smoker? Why not check out this beef brisket Burnt Ends or try these Fred Flintstone-sized Smoked Beef Ribs.
Flank steak is often used to make beef jerky, or it can be marinated and grilled over a hot grill. Either way, it is always best when it is served medium rare and thinly sliced. When you smoke a flank steak, it cooks at a low temp, slow for a long period of time.
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What do you need to make smoked flank steak?
You will need a smoker for this recipe. It would be very difficult to smoke this flank steak on a grill using smoker packets. Other than the flank steak, the remaining ingredients for this recipe should already be available in a well-stocked pantry.
- Flank steak
- Chili powder
- Cumin
- Whole peppercorns
- Whole coffee beans
- Garlic cloves
- Red chili flakes
- Sea salt (or Kosher salt)
- Dried minced onion
- Olive oil
- Worcestershire sauce
- Limes
- Canola oil
How To make smoked flank steak
Let your flank steak come to room temperature. While that is happening, prepare your smoker with hickory wood chips. Preheat it to 225 degrees F. Place a large cast-iron skillet in the smoker while it is preheating.
Meanwhile, make the rub for your flank steak. Add the whole coffee beans, garlic cloves, whole peppercorns, red chili flakes, sea salt, and dried minced onion to a mortar bowl. Using the pestle, press into a paste.
Transfer the paste to a small bowl. Add the olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, and cumin, and whisk to combine.
Coat the steak on both sides with the rub/paste that you made. Place the steak on a baking sheet while you prepare the cast iron skillet. Start by slicing the limes into 1/8 inch thick slices.
Add just enough canola oil to the cast iron skillet to cover the bottom of the pan. Make sure you use an oil with a high smoke point like canola or grapeseed oil. You don’t want your steak to be flavored with burnt oil! Line the bottom of the skillet with lime slices. Gently place the flank steak on top of the lime slices. It is now time to close the smoker lid and let the magic happen.
How long does it take to smoke flank steak at 225?
It will take between 1 and 2 hours to smoke a flank steak at 225 degrees F. Obviously, it will depend upon how thick your steak is, but remember you should only cook a flank steak to medium-rare. If it is overcooked, it will become tough and chewy, and nobody wants that!
I would suggest removing the steak from the smoker when the internal temperature reaches 125 degrees F. Keep in mind the temperature will continue to rise a few degrees while the meat is resting.
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I always use my trusty Thermapen One instant-read thermometer for an accurate and quick read of internal temperature.
Flank steak can become very tough if it is overcooked, so be careful. Once your steak reaches temp, remove it from the smoker. Place it on a wooden cutting board to rest for about 10 minutes.
Serving smoked flank steak
Be aware when you are slicing your flank steak, or any meat really you want to make sure you cut across the grain, not with the grain. Slicing your meat this way will give you perfect slices every time.
Smoked flank steak pairs well with just about any side dish you feel like making, from potatoes to corn to BBQ Wok Veggies. The flavors of the hickory smoke combined with the rub make every bite of this steak amazing.
The rub ingredients really make this smoked steak. The coffee adds a background flavor that you can’t quite put your finger on. With the chili powder, garlic, and peppercorns, the flavor is just non-stop!
Just look at all those herbs and spices in that rub! Smoking the steak in a cast iron pan on a bed of sliced limes allows the citrus flavors to permeate the steak while it smokes. It’s not overpowering; it just adds a hint of lime flavor to the steak.
Don’t you just want to slice off a bite? Look at how juicy and tender that steak is. Makes you want to run out a buy a flank steak to smoke for dinner tonight, doesn’t it!
Pin it HERE!!
Pin it HERE!!
Smoked Flank Steak
Ingredients
- Flank steak 1 ½-2 lbs
- 2 tsp Chili powder
- 1 tsp Cumin
- 2 tsp Whole peppercorns
- ½ tbsp Whole coffee beans
- 8 Garlic cloves
- ½ tsp Red chili flakes
- 1 tsp Sea salt flakes or Kosher salt
- 1 tsp Dried minced onions
- 1 tbsp Olive oil
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire
- 3 Limes sliced
- Canola oil
Instructions
- Preheat the smoker to 225* for 20 minutes with a cast-iron skillet inside. Use hickory wood for smoking.
- Let the steak come to room temp for about 20-25 minutes.
- Prepare steak rub. Add coffee beans, garlic cloves, peppercorns, red pepper flakes, sea salt flakes, and dried minced onions to a mortar. Use the pestle to coarsely grind and press into a paste.
- Transfer to a small bowl and add the chili powder, cumin, olive oil, and Worcestershire sauce.
- Generously coat the steak on both sides. Place onto a baking tray to transport to the smoker.
- Slice limes into ⅛” rounds. Add a small amount of canola oil to the cast iron skillet, just enough to coat the bottom. Line the cast iron surface with limes, then rest the flank steak on top.
- Cover and smoke for 1 – 1 .5 hours, or until internal temperature reads 125 degrees F. (steak will rise in temp 5-7 degrees as it rests) Note: for this cut of steak, medium rare is preferred as it gets very tough if it is cooked to a higher temp.
- Place steak on a wooden cutting board and allow to rest for 10 minutes.
- Thinly slice making sure to cut across the grain and enjoy!
It’s VERY important to slice this across the grain of the meat, not with the grain, to get tender, chewable pieces, preferably on a slight bias about 1/4” thick. Trust me on this. You can get everything else perfect and blow it by not doing this.
Great point.