Make perfectly tender Air Fryer Flank Steak with just 8-10 minutes of cooking. The flavor-packed marinade tenderizes the meat for you, so you end up with a juicy steak in no time. With simple tips for how to get a juicy, tender steak every single time!
Perfectly Juicy & Tender Flank Steak, Every Single Time!
If there's one thing I didn't think I would ever cook in my air fryer, before I got one, it's steak! But then I tried air frying rib eye steak, steak tips, steak bites, roast beef, and even frozen steak... and now it's my favorite way of cooking steaks!
And flank steak is no exception - this recipe takes this simple and often quite boring piece of meat and turns it into a perfectly juicy steak. All with less than 10 minutes of cooking, and no mess to clean up!
The steak comes out juicy, tender and packed full of flavor, thanks to marinating and cutting it just right.
How to Make Flank Steak Tender Instead of Tough
I love flank steak, but prepared incorrectly it can come out tough and boring. This version comes out juicy and tender, and there are a few simple tricks to getting it there.
1. Marinate in Lemon Juice
Lemon juice helps break down the connective tissue in the steak, which makes it more tender. This is why I always marinate my flank steak! It's such a simple way to make it more tender. Not to mention, the marinade adds amazing flavor!
2. Don't Overcook + Let It Rest
This step is not specific to flank steak, but to any cut of steak. When you remove a steak (or anything) from the heat, the temperature inside will keep rising for a few minutes. This means, if you remove it from the heat at exactly the temperature you want - it will end up going over.
But if you instead remove it from the heat a few degrees below, wrap it in aluminum foil to keep that heat in, and allow it to rest a few minutes, it will gently come to settle at your target temperature, reducing the risk of overcooking.
The rest time also lets the juices settle which further helps give you a juicy, tender result.
3. Most Importantly: Cut It Against the Grain
This step is the absolutely most important one. If you slice your flank steak incorrectly, it doesn't matter what you've done before - the result will be tough and chewy. Trust me, I did it multiple times before I knew any better!
To avoid this, look at your cooked steak and find the grains - the long lines that run through it. You want to slice it at a 90 degree angle to these, so your knife goes across the grains instead of alongside them.
4. Optional: Score the Steak First
Some people swear by scoring their steaks first to help tenderize them. I don't do this, because I haven't found a difference in the result when I have tried it. This might be because I follow all the steps above to ensure my steak is tender either way.
If you want to try it for yourself, score the surface in a shallow (about ⅛ inch deep) crosshatch pattern before marinating.
Flank Steak + the Best Marinade
Lemon Juice Does All the Heavy Lifting
Lemon juice isn't just a flavor enhancer in this recipe, it's a key ingredient. It needs to be fresh squeezed - not bottled - and do not skip it. Without it, the steak will not come out as tender.
Make It Your Own
Apart from the lemon juice, you can switch up the ingredients as you like. This flavor combo with honey, soy sauce, garlic and herbs is one of my favorites and I use it all the time - but you might prefer something different.
An easy swap to do is to change out the herbs, maybe match them to the seasoning of your sides, or just use whatever you have at home.
How to Make It in 5 Simple Steps
1. Make the Marinade
Make the marinade by mixing together all ingredients except flank steak in a small bowl.
2. Marinate
Place the steak in a plastic bag and pour over the marinade. Close the bag and massage the steak so the marinade spreads out evenly and covers the whole steak. Marinate 30 minutes up to 2 hours.
3. Cook
Place the flank steak in a pre heated air fryer basket and air fry 4-5 minutes, then flip and air fry 4-5 minutes more, until it reaches your desired set point.
4. Rest
Remove the flank steak from the air fryer and wrap in aluminum foil. Allow to rest for 5 minutes.
5. Slice
Place flank steak on a cutting board and slice thin, making sure to slice against the grain.
Top Tips for the Juiciest Flank Steak
Don't skip the marinade. It both adds amazing flavor and helps tenderize the steak.
Don't marinate too long. If you leave it for more than 2 hours it can end up too soft.
Place in the fridge if marinating more than 30 minutes. Bring it back out in time to come to room temperature before cooking.
Use a meat thermometer. This is the best way to know when it is done.
Do not overcook it. I recommend cooking flank steak to medium or medium rare. See recommended temperatures in the table below.
Recommended Internal Temperature
I recommend cooking beef to about 5 degrees below the setpoint and then allowing it to rest covered for at least 5 minutes. The temperature will rise up to 5-7 degrees Fahrenheit (2-3 degrees Celsius) while resting.
| Internal temperature | Rest from | |
| Rare | 120-125°F / 48-52°C | 118-120°F / 46-48°C |
| Medium Rare | 130°F / 54°C | 125°F / 52°C |
| Medium | 140°F / 60°C | 135°F / 58°C |
| Medium Well | 150°F / 65°C | 145°F / 63°C |
| Well Done | 155°F / 68°C | 150°F / 66°C |
Storing, Freezing & Reheating Instructions
Storing: Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Freezing: Freeze leftovers for up to 3 months. I recommend slicing before freezing, so it thaws faster.
Eating Leftovers: Leftovers are great in tacos, fajitas, stir-fries, wraps, on top of salads and with a side of potatoes.
Reheating: Reheat in the air fryer. 1 minute for slices, 4-5 minutes for a whole flank steak.
Easy Sides to Serve It With
- Air Fryer Sweet Potatoes with Cinnamon20 Minutes
- Gouda Mac and Cheese1 Hours 5 Minutes
- Air Fryer Frozen Honey Balsamic Brussels Sprouts15 Minutes
- Mexican Potatoes with Lime & Cilantro (Oven or Air Fryer)45 Minutes
More Quick & Easy Air Fryer Recipes
- Air Fryer Chicken Drumsticks38 Minutes
- Air Fryer Orange Chicken30 Minutes
- Air Fryer Ribeye Steak15 Minutes
- Air Fryer Chicken Cutlets18 Minutes
Recipe
Marinated Air Fryer Flank Steak (Juicy & Tender!)
Print RateIngredients
- 1.5 lb flank steak or skirt steak
- ¼ cup cooking oil canola oil or other neutral cooking oil
- 2 tablespoon dark soy sauce or light/Japanese soy sauce, tamari or coconut aminos
- 3 tablespoon fresh lemon juice approximately 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoon liquid honey or microwave solid honey to make it liquid
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon dried basil or other dried herb of your choice
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary or other dried herb of your choice
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Place all ingredients except flank steak in a small bowl and mix well.¼ cup cooking oil, 2 Tbsp dark soy sauce, 3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice, 2 Tbsp liquid honey, 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce, 1 Tbsp minced garlic, 1 tsp dried basil, 1 tsp dried rosemary, 1 tsp ground black pepper, ½ tsp salt
- Place flank steak in a plastic bag and pour over the marinade. Mix to cover the whole steak.1.5 lb flank steak
- Marinate for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours. If marinating more than 30 minutes, place in the refrigerator and bring back out 30 minutes before cooking. If marinating 30 minutes or less you can keep it in room temperature.
- When it's time to cook, preheat the air fryer by running it at 400℉ (200℃) for 5 minutes.
- Remove the flank steak from the marinade and discard the used marinade. Place the steak in the air fryer basket and air fry 4-5 minutes at 400℉ (200℃), then flip and air fry 4-5 minutes more. 8-10 minutes is generally good to get a 1.5 lb steak to medium rare, depending on the thickness, but the exact cook time will depend on your air fryer as well as the size of your steak.
- When the steak is done, remove from the air fryer and wrap in aluminium foil. Rest 5 minutes, then place on a chopping board and slice thin against the grain.
Video
Notes
Recommended Temperatures
| Internal temperature | Rest from | |
| Rare | 120-125°F / 48-52°C | 118-120°F / 46-48°C |
| Medium Rare | 130°F / 54°C | 125°F / 52°C |
| Medium | 140°F / 60°C | 135°F / 58°C |
| Medium Well | 150°F / 65°C | 145°F / 63°C |
| Well Done | 155°F / 68°C | 150°F / 66°C |
What to Do With Leftovers
Storing: Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days. Freezing: Freeze leftovers for up to 3 months. I recommend slicing before freezing, so it thaws faster. Eating Leftovers: Leftovers are great in tacos, fajitas, stir-fries, wraps, on top of salads and with a side of potatoes. Reheating: Reheat in the air fryer. 1 minute for slices, 4-5 minutes for a whole flank steak.Nutrition
Nutritional information is approximate and automatically calculated, and should only be viewed as an indication.
William Uffmann
Hey there,
I have cooked your receipe several times with much success.
However, tonight I was short ingredients.
I normally cook and mix avocado oil 100% of my dishes. But tonighti ram out out of avocado oil and lemon juice. I used olive oild key lime juice.
The flank was very. Very chewy. Do I mess up with the ingredients?
Emmeline Kemperyd
Hi William! Not quite sure if you used an olive oil with lime in it or both olive oil and lime juice? As long as you used the same amount of lime juice as it says for lemon juice it should have been fine. But if you used olive oil with lime flavor then that is likely why it was chewy. If you did use the right amount of lime juice, might you have cut the flank steak in the wrong direction? If you don't cut it "against the grain" it often comes out VERY chewy. /Emmeline
William Uffmann
Hey Emmeline,
Yes I used the amounts of lime juice and olive oil called out in your receipe, good point about cutting across the grain, I am not sure I did it correctly. Has anyone tried adding 1 tsp of red pepper flakes to spice it up. Thank you for your response.
Emmeline Kemperyd
Hi William! Let me know if you try it again and how it turns out. I haven't added red pepper flakes but I bet it would taste really good if you like a bit of spice! /Emmeline
LindaCubberley
Can you use a differnet cut of steak? Like new york?
Emmeline Kemperyd
Hi Linda! You sure can. A New York Strip doesn't need as much marinating as flank steak, as it's already much more tender. But it won't hurt it either! Just adjust the cook time and preferably use a meat thermometer so you know when it's done. /Emmeline