Grilled and marinated flank steak skewers have long been a family favorite recipe. Beef skewers make a fantastic appetizer for any backyard or beach BBQ. For this recipe, flank steak is thinly sliced and marinated for 24 hours in a beer-based teriyaki marinade and then grilled to perfection. Since the meat is thinly sliced, the skewers cook in about 5 minutes and are super tender and slide right off the stick.
Homemade Teriyaki Marinade
The beer-based teriyaki marinade is a simple homemade sauce I came up with a few years ago. It’s flavorful, citrusy, sweet, and subtly smokey all at once. My marinade is a spin on a standard teriyaki sauce with some additional spices, citrus, and beer in place of water.
My homemade teriyaki is made with:
- Beer: I like to use a hazy, tropical IPA however any IPA or malty ale will work.
- Soy sauce
- Worcestershire sauce
- Brown sugar (for a little sweetness)
- Olive oil
- Fresh lemon juice (the acid tenderizes the beef)
- Garlic powder
- Paprika
- Crushed red pepper flakes
How to Prep the Flank Steak
Flank and skirt steak tend to be very flavorful, yet tougher cuts of meat due to the dense muscle fibers. You will notice the steak has a very defined grain running through it. If you slice against the grain, the meat will break apart much easier. Slicing strips with the grain will force you to bite through these tough fibers. Shoot for generous 1/4-inch thick slices for the best results.
This recipe requires you to cut the flank steak BEFORE marinating and grilling. Be sure to let the sliced flank steak marinate in the marinade for about 24 hours if possible. This will tenderize and add more flavor to the steak. If using wooden skewers, let soak for 30 minutes before grilling to avoid burning.
To ensure the beef stays on the skewer, weave it through the stick several times so it stays intact. The beef will be very tender after marinating so this method will really help.
More Grilled Skewers
- Chicken and pineapple skewers
- Chicken chimichurri skewers
- Pesto shrimp skewers
- Chicken satay skewers with Thai peanut sauce
Grilled Beef Skewers Recipe
- Prep Time: 12 hours
- Cook Time: 8 min
- Total Time: 12 hours 8 minutes
- Yield: 10-skewers 1x
- Category: Appetizer
- Cuisine: American
Description
Marinated flank steak skewers prepared in a homemade teriyaki marinade with a hazy New England Style IPA.
Ingredients
- 1 pound flank steak
- Wooden skewers
flank steak marinade
- 1/2 cup beer (Hazy New England IPA or pale ale)
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1 lemon, juice squeezed
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Place the steak on a cutting board and find the natural graining running lengthwise through the steak. Cut the steak into 1/4-inch thick slices against the grain. This is to ensure the steak is tender and easy to bite. If you slice with the grain, the meat will be much tougher to bite through.
- Whisk marinade ingredients in a bowl until combined. Place the steak strips and marinade in a large Ziplock bag or sealed container. Let marinade overnight or for 24 hours for best results.
- Let wooden skewers soak in water for roughly 30 minutes before grilling. This will prevent skewers from burning. Skewer two slices of steak on each skewer. To ensure the beef stays on the skewer, weave it through the skewer several times so it stays intact. The beef will be very tender after marinating so this method will really help.
- Grill for 3-4 minutes per side on medium-high heat. Serve immediately.
Notes
A pound of flank steak makes about 10 skewers with two strips each on each skewer. This serves as a good light app for 4-5 people.
Oil will emulsify in the refrigerator. This is OK. It will return to a liquid state if left on the counter 30 minutes before skewering steak strips.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 skewer
- Calories: 115
- Sugar: 3.5g
- Sodium: 452mg
- Fat: 3.9g
- Saturated Fat: 1.6g
- Carbohydrates: 5.3g
- Fiber: 0.4g
- Protein: 13.3g
- Cholesterol: 25mg
Keywords: Flank steak skewers, beef skewers
These are the best! Loved by big and small kids of all ages! Great beach treat!
★★★★★
Hey Shawn 5 stars! Made these tonight for family BBQ. Let them marinate 48 hours. They were amazing! Thank you for sharing! Definitely next trying avacado fries. Hope you are all well!
Monica (Monicar)
Pumped to hear it! Thanks Kristina
Made this today and omg it is SO good, everyone loved it!! Thanks for sharing the recipe!! Definitely going to be one of our new favorites!