24 Ways to Grill Steak, From Flank to Strip to Tri-Tip

Fire up the grill, get your char on, and serve the best steak of your life.

Carne Asada Clásica
Photo:

Eva Kolenko / Food Styling by Carrie Purcell / Prop Styling by Nidia Cueva

Though you can certainly fire up your grill any time of year, we're especially inclined to start showing our grills some love after the winter thaw, when cookouts, barbecues, and outdoor dining in general become de rigueur. Grilling season is an invitation to play, and while grilled burgers and sausages have a solid spot in our hearts, there's nothing like the blank canvas of steak to inspire real creativity. Here, we've gathered a wide assortment of steak recipes to showcase the myriad ways to give beef the grill treatment. Skewer it, marinate it, glaze it, rub it with your new favorite spice blend, lavish it with bright sauces made from pulverized veggies — grill your next steak dinner to perfection with our best grilled steak recipes.

01 of 24

Grilled Steak and Cipollini Onions with Meyer-Lemon Nori Butter

Grilled Steak and Cipollini Onions with Meyer-Lemon Nori Butter

Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Jillian Knox

In this recipe, F&W recipe developer Liz Mervosh marinates skirt steak for 30 minutes in a Maggi seasoning and miso marinade to infuse the beef with deep umami flavor, then finishes the steak with a zesty, savory homemade compound butter. The cipollini onions sweeten as they cook and make a nice accompaniment for the skirt steak.

02 of 24

Grilled Skirt Steak with Mustard Greens Chimichurri

Grilled Skirt Steak with Mustard-Green Chimichurri

Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christina Daley

Steak and chimichurri are a classic pairing. Here, cookbook author Adrienne Cheatham expands on the herby green sauce with an added layer of heat: Naturally peppery mustard greens and fiery chopped Fresno chile are combined with herbs and garlic to give this version of the Argentinean favorite a vibrant kick.

03 of 24

Grilled Rib Eye Steaks with Okra Suya and Cucumber-Yogurt Sauce

Grilled Rib Eye Steaks with Okra Suya and Cucumber-Yogurt Sauce
PHOTO:Jose Mandojana / FOOD STYLING ROBYN VALARIK / PROP STYLING CHRISTINE WOLHEIM

Rib eye steaks are basted in butter seasoned with suya, a spicy, nutty, and smoky peanut-based West African spice blend, in this grilled dinner. Reverse-searing the steaks ensures a charred crust while the center stays perfectly tender and medium-rare. Served with a creamy cucumber-studded yogurt sauce, this entree can hold center stage at any gathering.

04 of 24

Carne Asada Clásica

Carne Asada Clásica

Eva Kolenko / Food Styling by Carrie Purcell / Prop Styling by Nidia Cueva

Carne asada as a pastime in Mexico has its roots in the northern states of Sonora and Nuevo León, which were home to a thriving cattle industry and consistent access to the freshest and best beef in the country. Balanced by intense umami notes from Worcestershire and dark Mexican ale, this carne asada also gets an underlying sweetness from fresh citrus juice.

05 of 24

Steak, Potato, and Chorizo Kebabs with Red Pepper Mayo

Steak, Potato, and Chorizo Kebabs with Red Pepper Mayo
Caitlin Bensel

"Almost nothing pairs better with potatoes than steak, so here I thread strips of skirt steak onto skewers with baby Dutch yellow potatoes," writes cookbook author Ann Taylor Pittman. "Slices of robust Spanish chorizo crisp up on the grill and offer bursts of intense flavor as you eat the kebabs. Coating everything with smoked paprika amplifies the effect of the grilling."

06 of 24

Smoke-Grilled Tri-Tips with Jeow Som Dipping Sauce

Smoke Grilled Tri Tips with Jeow Som Dipping Sauce
Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer and John Somerall / Prop Styling by Audrey Davis

2020 F&W Best New Chef Donny Sirisavath shared this recipe, a nod to his Laotian heritage and Texas upbringing, when his parents grilled brisket over hardwood coals for family gatherings. A quick soak in beer tenderizes thick tri-tip steaks, and a marinade of garlic, lemongrass, cilantro, and fish sauce builds big flavor. Sirisavath loves using oak or mesquite wood here, placed at the center of the grill, alongside the lit coals, where they smolder and add a rich aroma.

07 of 24

Balsamic Marinated Flank Steak

Balsamic Marinated Flank Steak
William F. Dickey II

A balsamic vinaigrette doubles as a marinade here, giving flank steak enormous flavor during a 24-hour soak. Grace Parisi suggests drizzling any extra vinaigrette over the grilled vegetables and the steak.

08 of 24

Charred Cucumber Panzanella with Grilled Steak

Charred Cucumber Panzanella with Grilled Steak
Greg DuPree

Use Wagyu, well-marbled New York strip steaks, or flank steak for this recipe from chef Caroline Glover.

09 of 24

Traditional "Santa Maria BBQ" Oak Wood–Grilled Tri-Tip

Traditional Santa Maria BBQ Oak Wood Grilled Tri Tip
Victor Protasio

Wood-grilling tri-tip brings rich, smoky flavor in this easy grilled steak recipe, while allowing plenty of time for the meat to become meltingly tender over the coals. Frank Ostini, chef-owner of The Hitching Post II just north of Santa Barbara, California, serves grilled tri-tip alongside Santa Maria–Style Pinquito Beans and fresh, mild tomato salsa for a Santa Maria–style summer barbecue.

10 of 24

Pulehu Steak Tip Skewers with Maui Onion Finadene Sauce

Pulehu Steak Tips with Maui Onion Finadene Sauce
Victor Protasio

Pulehu is Hawaiian for "to cook over hot coals." In this grilled steak tip skewer recipe from Hawaiian chef Sheldon Simeon, a punchy, bright basting sauce of sake, soy sauce, brown sugar, sherry vinegar, garlic, ginger, and scallions flavors the beef.

11 of 24

Hanger Steak with Kimchi Glaze and Miso Butter–Grilled Vegetables

Hanger Steak with Kimchi Glaze and Miso Butter Grilled Vegetables Recipe
Photo by Tara Donne / Food Styling by Chris Lanier / Prop Styling by Raina Kattelson

This summer cookout showstopper by 2016 F&W Best New Chef Ravi Kapur, owner of Liholiho Yacht Club in San Francisco, is your umami-packed, Hawaiian-inspired answer to grilling monotony. The glaze comes together quickly and layers tart pineapple and tangy kimchi onto juicy hanger steak as it grills.

12 of 24

Double-Cut Rib Eye with Sweet Gorgonzola Butter

Double Cut Rib Eye with Sweet Gorgonzola Butter
Victor Protasio

At her modern chophouse, Jar, in Los Angeles, chef Suzanne Tracht celebrates summer, saying, "This juicy, sweet combo of Gorgonzola and beef alongside fresh heirloom tomatoes is how I kick off the outdoor months." A two-rib prime rib eye mini-roast makes it easy to light up the grill.

13 of 24

Smoky Pasilla-and-Citrus Grilled Flank Steak

Smoky Pasilla and Citrus Grilled Flank Steak Recipe
Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Dickey / Prop Styling by Heather Chadduck Hillegas

Cookbook author Andrea Slonecker was inspired by the deep flavor that chiles impart to beef in Oaxaca. She toasts chiles in a skillet and grinds cumin seeds and peppercorns into a powder for the sauce this flank steak marinates in.

14 of 24

Lemongrass Skirt Steak Skewers

Lemongrass Skirt Steak Skewers Recipe
Cedric Angeles

Using flat skewers helps this Angus skirt steak char and cook evenly by curbing any rolling around the grill. The meat is marinated with cilantro, beer, garlic, oyster sauce, sugar, fish sauce, lemongrass, and black pepper for 15 minutes.

15 of 24

Balsamic and Soy Marinated Skirt Steaks with Charred Peppers

Balsamic and Soy Marinated Skirt Steak
Victor Protasio

Trimmed and cut skirt steak is served with fresh summer produce: charred sweet peppers and onions seasoned with herbs.

16 of 24

Grilled Wagyu Rib Eye with Roasted Fig Miso

Grilled Wagyu Rib Eye
Eva Kolenko

Chefs Niki Nakayama and Carole Iida-Nakayama grill tender, marbled, boneless Wagyu rib eye steak and serve with a savory, lightly sweet roasted fig miso sauce.

17 of 24

Grilled Skirt Steak with Green Bean Salad and Citrus Vinaigrette

Grilled Skirt Steak with Green Bean Salad and Citrus Vinaigrette
© John Kernick

2014 F&W Best New Chefs Greg Denton and Gabrielle Quiñónez Denton serve their onion-marinated skirt steak, thinly sliced across the grain, with a vibrant green bean salad in a spicy citrus dressing. 

18 of 24

Grilled Flank Steak with Corn, Tomato, and Asparagus Salad

Grilled Flank Steak with Corn, Tomato and Asparagus Salad
© Anna Williams

Chef Mark Fuller prepares this steak in the spring and summer to showcase the Pacific Northwest's iconic Walla Walla onions and morel mushrooms. You'll need to marinate the steak for two hours.

19 of 24

Grilled Steaks with Onion Sauce and Onion Relish

Grilled Steaks with Onion Sauce and Onion Relish. Photo © David Malosh
© David Malosh

2010 F&W Best New Chef Jonathon Sawyer likes serving grilled meat, like these rib eye steaks, with a tangy sauce that he makes by simmering red onions and jalapeños with water and vinegar, then pureeing them until silky.

20 of 24

Grilled Porterhouse Steak with Summer Vegetables

Grilled Porterhouse Steak with Summer Vegetables
© Quentin Bacon

This recipe from the late chef Kerry Simon pairs porterhouse steak with zucchini, red onion, red bell pepper, shiitake mushrooms, asparagus, and scallions. If you'd like, serve the meal with an Argentinian Malbec.

21 of 24

Balsamic-and-Rosemary-Marinated Florentine Steak

Balsamic and Rosemary-Marinated Florentine Steak
© Marie Hennechart

Chef Matt Molina prepares this dish by marinating porterhouse steak in olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and lots of fresh chopped rosemary overnight. It gets a char on the grill, then roasts in the oven to finish cooking.

22 of 24

Lemon-and-Garlic-Marinated Flat Iron Steak

Lemon-and-Garlic-Marinated Flat Iron Steak
© John Kernick

The flat iron steak, which sits on the shoulder blade next to the teres major, is great for marinating and grilling.

23 of 24

Grilled Texas Rib Eye

Grilled Texas Rib-Eye
© Cedric Angeles

Most American cooks buy beautifully marbled rib eye steaks without the bone, but chef Tim Love opts for the heftier bone-in variety. To help keep the steaks extra-juicy, he sears them on the grill, then lets them rest before he finishes cooking.

24 of 24

Peppered Beef Tenderloin with Roasted Garlic-Herb Butter

Peppered Beef Tenderloin with Roasted Garlic–Herb Butter
© Tina Rupp

In Big Bob Gibson's BBQ Book, pitmaster Chris Lilly shares his secrets for prize-winning meat — like the tenderloin steaks here, marinated in black pepper and brown sugar.

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