Korean Barbecue Grilled Flat Iron Steak (2024)

Korean Barbecue Grilled Flat Iron Steak is smoky, garlicky, unbelievably tender, and simple to prepare. This versatile main will be your new summer go-to! But remember you can make it all year under your broiler, too!

This is going to be a bold claim, but I’m going to go ahead and make this. Korean Barbecue Grilled Flat Iron Steak is quite possibly the best beef dish I have ever made on Foodie with Family. Not only that, but it’s probably the easiest, too!

When my husband tasted his first bite, he made some pretty indecent noises.

When he finished, he declared Korean Barbecue Grilled Flat Iron Steak among the best steak he had ever eaten. He asked if it was tenderloin. I informed him that it was actually grilled flat iron steak.

Let that marinate a bit. He called it the best steak ever. And this man has eaten steak all over the world. And it was flat iron, not tenderloin.

…and one thing I adore about my husband is that when I told him how ridiculously easy it was to make, he clapped his hands and said, “Oh good! We can have this all the time then!” Bless him.

Just how easy is it to make Korean Barbecue Grilled Flat Iron Steak? It’s as easy as having a grill (or broiler), skewers, a knife, some flat iron steak, and a bottle of Korean Barbecue Sauce.

Let’s break it down, shall we?

What Is Korean BBQ?

Korean BBQ is a popular method of grilling meat-most often beef, chicken, and pork- in Korea. The dishes are often prepared in restaurants that have gas or charcoal grills built right into the tables.

What makes this method so incredibly delectable is the combined rendering of fat and charring of the meat. That magical combination makes the meat irresistibe.

Traditional Korean barbecue is marinated in a mixture of soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, ginger, scallions, garlic, and pepper before grilling. Our version of Korean BBQ Grilled Flat Iron Steak takes a flavour shortcut by using Korean Barbecue Sauce.

The beauty of this cheat is that Korean Barbecue Sauce contains all of those ingredients. It may have some added gochujang for a little extra oomph and fruit juice for sweetness, but otherwise, it is the same.

You can either purchase Korean Barbecue Sauce or make your own. I use so much of it that I included a recipe for it in my canning cookbook: Not Your Mama’s Canning Cookbook.

Korean Barbecue

Whether you have a pellet style grill like my beloved Traeger, a standard charcoal or gas grill, an oven with a broiler, or a stove top, the key in making Korean Barbecue is high heat. All of these are valid options to cook your Grilled Flat Iron Steak.

If you’re going to make this under the broiler, please have a broiler pan handy or a stainless steel cooling rack set up over a rimmed half-sheet pan. If you’re cooking your flat iron steak on the stove top, you’ll need a cast-iron griddle or grill pan.

Keep in mind that if you’re going the grill pan route, you should choose cast-iron or stainless steel. A non-stick pan will not be safe over the highest heat you can achieve on your cook top.

My preference for cooking our Korean Barbecue Grilled Flat Iron Steak is to use my pellet grill set to it’s highest temperature. Whichever cooking method you’re using, you’ll be using the highest heat you can muster.

Grilled Flat Iron Steak

If you haven’t encountered a flat iron steak, you’re in for a treat. Flat Iron steak is cut from the shoulder of the cow and is usually nicely marbled and deeply beefy in flavour.

It’s a cut that can be tough if the fascia membrane has not been trimmed, but your butcher can help you with that. Once that gristly membrane is gone, it is second in tenderness only to tenderloin.

Flat iron steak is one of my favourite cuts of beef by far. Look for this cut under the name top blade steak, top blade filet, or shoulder top blade steak.

The flat iron steak is rectangular and uniform in shape. It is best when cooked on the grill. And mercifully, it is so easy to cook perfectly.

Grilled flat iron steak is tender, juicy, and more packed with beefy flavour than many other cuts. If you can’t find it locally, you can always order it through Butcher Box like I do. This link will give you $30 off your first order.

Korean Barbecue Recipe

Most of us do not have in-table grills to make our Korean Barbecue. This Korean barbecue recipe uses skewers to make it easier to cook all of your beef at once. You get all of the flavour without having to stand around your outdoor grill flipping a bunch of strips of flat iron steak.

I adore these handy stainless steel skewers because they have easy to grab tabs. They also have discs to help slide the cooked food off of the skewers. And -wonder of wonders- they’re dishwasher safe!

If you are using bamboo or other wooden skewers, please remember to soak them in water for an hour before you grill them. You can forego skewers all together and cook the strips individually, but you’ll need to watch them carefully.

If you skip the skewers, your beef will cook much faster. Reduce cooking time to about 1 to 2 minutes per side per slice.

While you have your beef on the grill, try our tutorial on How to Cook Shish*to Peppers for a fast and fabulous side dish. You won’t even have to heat up the kitchen.

Korean Barbecue Grilled Flat Iron Steak

Slice flat iron steak no more than 1/4-inch thick at a 45° angle. Add the beef strips to a bowl, pour the Korean barbecue sauce over the top, cover, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

After the beef has marinated, thread the steak onto the skewers as shown in the photo. Do not over pack the skewers.

If Using a Grill:

Preheat grill to the highest temperature you can get, preferably 500℉. If you’re using a charcoal grill, build a bed of hot coals. Grill the skewered flat iron steak for 3 to 5 minutes per side, depending on preferred doneness.

If Using a Broiler:

Turn the broiler on high. Broil the skewers for 3 to 5 minutes per side, depending on preferred doneness.

If Using a Hot Oven:

Preheat a cast-iron pan in a 450℉ to 500℉ oven. Roast the skewered steak for 5 to 7 minutes, flipping once.

If Using a Grill Pan or griddle:

Place the grill pan over high heat. When the pan is hot enough that you can’t hold your hands over it comfortably, cook the skewered beef for 3 to 5 minutes per side, depending on preferred doneness.

Serve with rice, lettuce wraps, ginger scallion sauce, kimchi, or whatever strikes your fancy!

Need a cool drink to go with your Korean BBQ? Try these Berry Kombucha Margaritas!