Crunchy tortilla chips and tender grilled steak topped with sour cream, pico de gallo, guacamole and all the cheese make these Flank Steak Nachos the ultimate flavorful finger food!
These nachos are a Flight family favorite!
They are insanely flavorful and just so easy to make! Plus, it's super fun to put a big pan of them in the middle of the table and let everyone have at it. True family style cooking!
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Why use flank steak?
Flank steak is one of my favorite pieces of meat to work with because it is insanely flavorful as pretty darn affordable compared to other cuts.
It's generous marbling gives you a similar flavor to skirt steak, but it's a thicker and a lot more tender.
You could use skirt steak for this recipe. Just be sure to really tenderize it and marinate a little longer.
Flat iron steak would also work. It doesn't need to be tenderized as much and can marinate for about the same amount of time.
Check out other Grilling Recipes from The Jam Jar Kitchen!
Grilled Pepper and Mozzarella Sandwiches
Grilled Portobello and Goat Cheese Burgers
Equipment
- Meat Mallet: I like this one from the Checkered Chef. It's less than $10 and you can order it one Amazon.
- Large Plastic Freezer Bag: This is to marinate the meat in. You can use any container that allows the meat to be fully covered by the marinade.
- Grill: We love our Char-Broil Grill. It's around $300, uses propane and is great for everyday use!
- Sheet Pan
- Cutting Board
- Sharp Knife
- Aluminum Foil
- Cheese Grater (optional): While I highly recommend grating your cheese yourself, you can definitely use pre-grated cheese. In which case, you wouldn't need the cheese grater.
Ingredients
- Flank Steak: If you can't get you hands on flank steak you can substitute with skirt steak. However, you'll want to. tenderize it more and let it marinade a little longer as skirt steak tends to me tougher than other cuts of beef. You could also use Flat Iron Steak.
- Southwestern or Taco Seasoning: I really like Yep!Shake Southwestern Seasoning for this recipe, but any of your favorite Southwestern, Fajita or Taco Seasonings will work.
- Fresh Lime Juice
- Olive Oil
- Red Wine Vinegar: You could substitute white wine vinegar or even plain white vinegar in a pinch.
- Fresh Garlic
- Honey
- Tortilla Chips: Look for a sturdy tortilla chip that can handle a lot of toppings.
- Cheese: I like to do a mix of Cheddar cheese and Monterey Jack Cheese for this recipe. In my personal opinion, freshly grated cheese works best. However, if you are in a crunch for time feel free to use pre-shredded cheese.
Flank Steak Nacho Toppings
The sky is the limit when it comes to toppings for these delicious flank steak nachos!
My favorite toppings to use are:
- Fresh Cilantro
- Sour Cream
- Sliced Jalapenos
- Pico de Gallo
- Guacamole
You can totally use store bought pico de gallo and guacamole but if you'd like to make your own at home it's so much easier than you might think!
Check out my recipes for Fresh Pico de Gallo and My Favorite Guacamole!
Tips and Tricks for Perfect Steak Nachos
Tip: Tenderize the meat.
The key to a beautifully tender and delicious grilled flank steak is to tenderize it with a meat mallet.
If you don't already have one I like this Checkered Chef Meat Mallet. It's less than $10 and you can buy it on Amazon. A total game changer when it comes to cooking meat!
You also want to marinade the meat for at least 1 hour, ideally 4 -6 hours, and up to overnight. This imparts terrific flavor as well as helping to tenderize the meat.
Tip: Slice against the grain.
I can not overemphasize how important the way you slice your steak is to creating the ultimate tender bite.
Flank steak, like skirt steak, has long stringy fibers that, if cut incorrectly, can make the meat chewy and tough to eat.
The key is the slice against the grain, breaking up these fibers so each bite is succulent and tender!
Tip: Let the meat rest.
Just 5 minutes makes a big difference!
Tip: Spread the chips in a single layer.
That way every chip gets covered in cheese, steak and toppings!
Made this recipe? Let me know what you think in the comments!
Flank Steak Nachos
Tender grilled steak & tortilla chips topped with melty cheese & all the toppings make these Flank Steak Nachos the ultimate finger food!
4
servings40
minutes4-16
hoursIngredients
- For the Flank Steak
1 lb flank steak
1 lime, juiced
2 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoon Southwestern or Taco Seasoning
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
½ tablespoon honey
- To Assemble the Nachos
1 bag tortilla chips
2 cups freshly shredded cheese (I recommend a mix of Monterey Jack and Cheddar)
2-3 tablespoon Fresh cilantro, chopped
sour cream (optional)
Pico de galo (optional)
guacamole (optional)
sliced jalapenos (optional)
Directions
- Remove flank steak from packaging and gently tenderize with a meat mallet until it is a consistent thickness throughout. Place inside a large sealable plastic bag.
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together lime juice, olive oil, Yep!Shake Southwestern seasoning, red wine vinegar, garlic and honey until well combined.
Pour the mixture into the plastic bag over the flank steak. Use your hands to make sure the marinade is completely covering the flank steak. Then seal the bag air tight and place in the fridge for at least 4 hours up to overnight. - Remove the steak from the fridge about 30-40 minutes prior to grilling to allow it to come to room temperature.
While the meat is coming to room temperature, prepare your other ingredients. Grate 1-2 cups cheese and arrange your tortilla chips in an even layer on a large baking sheet. Sprinkle the cheese as evenly as possible over the chips. - Preheat your grill to medium/medium-high for 5-10 minutes before grilling.
Transfer the flank steak to the hot grill. [You should immediately hear a sizzle. If not, the grill is not hot enough.]
For medium rare, grill on high to medium-high with the lid closed for 3.5 to 4 minutes. Then flip the steak and grill for an additional 3.5 to 4 minutes with the lid closed.
Once the steak is done cooking immediately remove from the grill to a foil lined baking tin.
Loosely cover with foil and allow the steak to rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing. - While the steak is resting set your oven to broil and place the baking sheet with the chips and cheese in for around 3 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Be sure to keep a close eye on the oven to make sure the cheese doesn't burn.
Once the steak has rested for 5 minutes, use a sharp knife to cut it into thin strips.
[Be sure to cut against the grain so that you break up the long fibers. This results in a much more tender bite.]
Cute strips into 1-2 inch chunks and then scatter on top of the chips and melted cheese.
If desired, serve with fresh cilantro, sliced jalapenos, sour cream, guacamole, pico de galo or salsa. Eat immediately and Enjoy!
JD
NOM NOM NOM, terrific recipe! Very tasty and customizable!
And i totally agree, you cannot stress enough to cut against the grain!! if you do not, you might as well not make this 😉
Kendra
I I my marinated it for 45 minutes… cranked the heat up on my skillet instead of grilling the steak and it was perfection ?.Will definitely make again !
jamjarkitchen
Hi Kendra - So glad you enjoyed it!