Pan-Seared 5-Minute Flat Iron Steak (Recipe)

This recipe for grass-fed flat iron steaks gets me rave reviews from the whole family. Whoop whoop 💯 🎉

Now, our kids are good eaters and Martin always tells me he likes my dinner (smart man!). But when everyone actually LOVES the meal and raves about it … those are the recipes I know I’ve just got to share with you.

What's special about Flat Iron Steak?

⭐Incredible, rich flavor – because it comes from the chuck primal

👍Super tender – thanks to just the right amount of marbling

🍽️Perfect portion size – makes a nice dinner or save a few bites for lunch

⏲️Cooks in 5 minutes - I’m not kidding

And all you need is a heavy bottom skillet, some salt and a bit of avocado oil.

If you think you don’t know how to cook a steak, we’re about to change that story with a lovely flat iron.

Serve them up with a dollop of Heavenly Herb Butter (recipe linked below) for a truly fantastic meal.

Cooked the way I teach you, Flat Irons are so tender they also make excellent leftovers - if you manage to set aside a few bites.

I eat mine right out of the fridge while I was dishing the kids' lunch (very classy, I know 😉).

Kitchen Tips

• Salting in advance allows the salt to infuse into the meat which both uplevels the end result (think complex umami flavor vs salt dumped on meat) and creates a mildly tenderizing effect.
• Allowing the steaks to warm up a bit before cooking helps them cook more evenly.
• I find that oiling just the steaks and not the whole pan creates less smoking, even though the oil runs off the steaks into the pan.
• For maximum tenderness, we prefer cooking grass-fed steaks like these to medium rare. (note: This is less than the USDA food safety recommendation, which says to cook to medium, 145 degree final temp.) Medium is OK, but any more can be disappointing.
• Steaks absolutely need a 5-minute rest time after cooking. This allows the juices to reabsorb into the meat and the temperature to rise another 5 degrees.

Pan-Seared 5-Minute Flat Iron Steak

Ingredients

One Straw Ranch Flat Iron Steak(s)

Salt

Avocado oil (or other high heat cooking oil)

Heavenly Herb Butter (optional) for finishing

Directions

30 minutes before cook time, remove thawed steaks from the refrigerator. Season both sides generously with salt and set on a plate on the counter.

Preheat a cast iron skillet over medium heat (or other heavy bottomed pan).

Blot excess moisture from the steaks with paper towels.

Brush a generous amount of avocado oil on top of the steaks. Turn on your stove's exhaust fan.

Using tongs, carefully turn the steaks into the hot pan – oil side down. Leave plenty of space between steaks in the skillet .

Set the timer for two minutes.

Brush the top of the steaks with avocado oil and let sear, undisturbed.

Carefully turn the steaks over in the skillet and cook for 2 more minutes on the other side.

Remove the steak from the pan and check for doneness. Flat Irons are best served medium rare, so they should be 125 – 130 degrees coming out of the skillet (they’ll continue to cook when you take them off the heat).

If they’re not to 125 degrees, place back in the skillet for 1 more minute.

When they’ve reached 125 degrees, place them on a plate and allow them to rest 5 minutes - tent with aluminum foil or a pot lid. The temperature will continue to rise at least another 5 degrees during the rest time.

After the 5 minute rest, serve immediately with a dollop of Heavenly Herb Butter (optional).

Get Flat Iron Steaks