Chili Butter Flank Steak

Marinated, grilled, and smothered with smoky chili butter, this chili butter flank steak is sure to become a favorite in your house!

Every time I get a flank steak, I think about changing it up because there are so many good looking recipes out there. I make a new one, but inevitably always return to this recipe because it’s just so good and nothing else seems to come close to touching it, I can’t possibly see myself eating flank steak any other way.

What is Chili Butter Flank Steak?

My family has been making chili butter flank steak for probably over two decades. My sister found the recipe a long time ago and we’ve loved it ever since. The steak is first marinated in southwest spices and grilled to perfection. But it doesn’t stop there. A flavorful chili butter is dolloped all over the slices of steak, which gets all melty and is TO DIE FOR!! I always like to serve mine with extra butter on the side for dipping because I can never get enough of it.

The List of Ingredients

Marinade

• Garlic
• Fresh cilantro or parsley–I’m not a big fan of cilantro so sometimes I’ll use parsley
• Olive oil
• Lime juice
• Worcestershire
• Ground cumin
• Salt and pepper

Whisk together and pour over flank steak in a large (gallon size) ziptop bag. Seal and refrigerate at least 4 hours, preferably overnight. Even 24 hours is better.

Butter

• Butter
• Garlic
• Chili powder
• Ground cumin
• Hot sauce to taste

Beat softened butter with the rest of the ingredients until smooth. Keep at room temperature until ready to serve the steak.

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Searing the Flank Steak

Getting a good sear on the flank steak is one of the keys to it being so tasty. I remember watching Anne Burrell on the Food Network years ago and she always said brown food tastes so much better. Although this isn’t brown, I think what she meant is getting color or caramelization on the outside of foods means more flavor.

Flank steak benefits from a short time on the grill over a very hot flame, especially because it’s so thin. Prepare your grill for direct heat, whether it’s a charcoal or gas grill. We’ve gone through many a grill in our days and found our favorite is our pellet smoker, which also acts as a grill, getting up to over 650 degrees F with a special searing mode. Grill the steak hot and fast, especially for medium rare (which is our favorite).

Serving Chili Butter Flank Steak

Flank steak needs to be cut against the grain for the most tender bites of steak. The grain runs horizontally along the length of the cut of meat, so you’ll be cutting along the width. After letting the steak rest for about 10 minutes, slice it into thin slices and place the slices on a serving platter. Immediately dollop spoonfuls of the chili butter all over the slices randomly so that each piece gets some of that yummy butter. Serve immediately.

Other Uses for Chili Butter

This recipe makes a LOT of chili butter! But that doesn’t mean you need to halve the recipe (although you could). I love using the chili butter on other foods, too, such as:

• Grilled corn on the cob
• Simple oven potatoes
• Bread (artisan, sourdough, or Italian)
• Chicken
• Fish

Chili butter flank steak would be the perfect steak to serve all the fathers in your life on Father’s Day. Or any bright and sunny summer grilling day!