Description
During the summer months, you can almost always find a jar of chimichurri sauce hanging out in my fridge. I’m always looking for delicious ways to put it to use, & this Grilled Chimichurri Steak Bowl recipe is our current obsession.
These hearty bowls consist of 3 key components:
- Grilled flank steak & veggies. Flank steak is a quick-cooking cut that’s ideal for grilling alongside veggies. With a medium flame, you can cook it to a beautiful medium-rare in about 8 minutes. Don’t forget to let it rest & be sure to slice it against the grain before serving – more guidance in the Recipe Notes, below!
- Homemade chimichurri sauce. While the steak & veggies are on the grill, you’ll have the perfect window of time to prep this zippy & herbaceous Argentinian-inspired sauce. My go-to chimichurri recipe calls for a generous amount of parsley, cilantro, & oregano for extra freshness & you can whip it up in a food processor in about 5 minutes!
- Lemon rice. Chimichurri rice bowls are great with plain rice, but you can kick it up a few notches with lemon zest & finely chopped fresh herbs – both of which you’ll have on hand for the chimichurri sauce.
It’s a 30-minute summer dinner that’s equally satisfying and feel-good – I think that once you try them, you’ll love them as much as we do. ♡ Happy grilling!
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 pounds New Zealand grass-fed flank steak
- kosher salt & ground black pepper, to season
- 2 ears sweet corn, husks & silks removed
- 2 medium zucchini, quartered lengthwise
- 8 ounces cherry or grape tomatoes, threaded on skewers
- 1–2 tablespoons avocado oil or high smoke point oil of choice
- ½ lemon, juiced (about 1 tablespoon juice)
- chimichurri sauce, below
- for serving, as desired: herbed lemon rice (see Recipe Notes), chopped lettuce or greens (arugula, spinach, etc.), cotija cheese, finely chopped fresh herbs, etc.
for the chimichurri sauce:
- ½ cup cilantro leaves & tender stems
- ½ cup parsley leaves & tender stems
- 3 tablespoons fresh oregano
- 1 lemon, zested & juiced
- 3–4 cloves garlic
- ½ cup olive oil
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flake
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat the grill for medium direct heat grilling (450-500 degrees F). While the grill preheats, prepare the flank steak & veggies. Use paper towels to pat the flank steak as dry as possible, then transfer to a large plate or small baking sheet. Season liberally with kosher salt & ground black pepper – a good rule of thumb is 1 teaspoon kosher salt per pound of meat. Place the veggies on a second plate or small baking sheet. Drizzle with just enough oil to coat, season with ½ teaspoon kosher salt & ground black pepper as desired, then use your hands to ensure the veggies are coated well. Set aside.
- Grill the flank steak & vegetables: Place the seasoned flank steak on the grill grates. Arrange the vegetables around the steak, ensuring the tomato skewers & zucchini are positioned perpendicular to the grill grates to help prevent them from falling through the grates as they cook. Close the grill lid. Grill the steak 4-5 minutes per side for your preferred doneness – about 4 minutes per side yields a nice medium rare. Grill the vegetables for 2-3 minutes per side, or until nicely charred. Transfer the grilled flank steak & veggies to a plate or small baking sheet. Let the steak rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing.
- Prepare the chimichurri sauce: Meanwhile, as the steak & veggies grill & rest, prep the chimichurri sauce. Add all listed ingredients to a food processor. Pulse to combine. Taste and season with additional salt or ground black pepper. Set aside, or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
- Slice & serve: Once the steak is rested & the veggies are cooled slightly, slice. When slicing flank steak, it’s very important to slice against the grain – take note of the direction the long muscle fibers run across the meat, position your knife perpendicular to them, & slice into thin strips. Chop the veggies into bite sized pieces & spritz them with lemon juice. Build your chimichurri steak bowls as desired – I like to create a base of lemon herb rice (see Recipe Notes) & greens, then top with the charred veggies & thinly sliced grilled flank steak. Finish with a generous drizzle of chimichurri sauce & any other toppings you like. Serve immediately. Enjoy!
Notes
- Jess’ Notes & Tips:
- Flank steak is a thin, broad cut that comes from the cattle’s lower abdominals. It’s an insanely flavorful cut that grills up like a dream with proper preparation (i.e. best served medium rare at 135 degrees F & must be sliced against the grain – refer to the blog post, above, for more tips!).
- Sourcing Tips: Ever since learning about the amazing quality of New Zealand grass-fed beef, I like to keep an eye out for it at the grocery store. New Zealand’s temperate climate makes it one of the best places in the world for pasture-raised farming, which results in beef that is richer in flavor & leaner in texture than most domestically raised beef. Learn more & find New Zealand grass-fed beef at a store near you! If you cannot find flank steak, skirt steak or hangar steak are the closest substitutes for this recipe. Top sirloin & ribeye also work beautifully.
- Simple add-on ⇢ Herbed Lemon Rice: For a little something extra, I love building these grilled chimichurri steak bowls with a quick herbed lemon rice – it’s really easy to throw together using ingredients you already have on hand for the chimichurri sauce. To a medium bowl, add 2 cups cooked rice, the zest & juice of 1 lemon, & a handful of finely chopped fresh parsley & cilantro. Use a fork to fluff it all together & serve immediately. (For a particularly quick & easy version, feel free to heat up a package of 90-second rice in the microwave – simple!)
- Meal prep: If you’d like to get a head start on your steak bowls, prepping the chimichurri sauce ahead of time knocks off about 10 minutes of hands-on prep at dinnertime. Prepare the chimichurri sauce according to Step 4 of Recipe Directions, above. Store in a jar or airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. (10 minutes active prep)
- Flank steak is a thin, broad cut that comes from the cattle’s lower abdominals. It’s an insanely flavorful cut that grills up like a dream with proper preparation (i.e. best served medium rare at 135 degrees F & must be sliced against the grain – refer to the blog post, above, for more tips!).
- Storage & Reheating: Store any leftover grilled flank steak, vegetables, chimichurri sauce, & bowl fixings in individual airtight containers in the refrigerator. The grilled steak & veggies are best enjoyed within 2-3 days, while the chimichurri sauce will keep for up to 1 week. Reheat the steak & veggies in the microwave or stovetop until warmed through, then assemble a chimichurri steak bowl as desired.