Instant Pot Flank Steak—the most tender and delicious Instant Pot steak ever! Flank steak or skirt steak is pressure cooked in a garlic balsamic marinade/sauce and then sliced and served. No knives needed to cut this steak!
Note: You can also make this in the slow cooker. See note in bottom of recipe card for instructions.
Garlic Balsamic Instant Pot Flank Steak
Greg and I both were in awe of how amazing this Instant Pot flank steak turned out! It was incredibly flavorful and tender. The balsamic garlic sauce was spot on too. I highly recommend cooking a flank steak in your Instant Pot. Give your grill a break and try out your pressure cooker this week!
Why flank steak works in the pressure cooker and slow cooker
Usually flank steak is cooked on the grill. But did you know that you can also pressure cook or slow cook it and get great results? Flank steak is best either hot and fast (grill) or braised. With the pressure cooker or slow cooker you can braise the steak until it breaks down the connective tissues and tenderizes. That’s why the recipe calls for a fairly long cooking time, to break down that connective tissue.
How to make flank steak in the Instant Pot
- Heat your Instant Pot by turning on the saute setting.
- Season both sides of the flank steak (or you can use a skirt steak).
- When Instant Pot says HOT add in 2 Tbsp of oil and then place the steak in the pot. Brown on each side of the steak for 2 minutes.
- Deglaze the pot by moving the steak out of the way and pouring in some broth to scrape the bottom of the pot.
- Cover the Instant Pot and pressure cook for 50 minutes with a natural pressure release.
- Move steak to cutting board and let sit for 5-10 minutes and then slice against the grain.
How and why to slice across the grain
In the context of meat, the grain refers to the direction that the muscle fibers are aligned.
In the photo of flank steak above, you can see that the fibers run horizontally from side to side. The cut of meat isn’t the only determinate in how tender it is, it’s also HOW you cut the meat. When you cut against the grain you cut through the fibers and shorten them. This makes the meat easier to chew.
What to serve with Instant Pot flank steak
Here are some ideas of foods that would taste great with this garlic balsamic flank steak:
- Mashed Potatoes
- Potato Salad
- Quinoa and veggie side dish (recipe coming soon)
- Green beans or broccoli
- Salad
- Mashed cauliflower
- Rice a Roni
Try these other Instant Pot beef recipes…
Instant Pot Hot Beef Sandwich and Mashed Potatoes
Instant Pot Philly Cheesesteak
Instant Pot Flank Steak
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 90 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
The most tender and delicious Instant Pot steak ever! Flank steak or skirt steak is pressure cooked in a garlic balsamic marinade sauce and then sliced and served. No knives needed to cut this steak!
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp canola oil
- 1 (2 pound) flank or skirt steak
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 cup chicken or beef broth
- 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 Tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic
Instructions
- Turn Instant Pot to saute setting. Press kosher salt and pepper on each side of the steak. When the display says HOT add in the oil and swirl it around. Brown the steak in the oil for 2 minutes on each side. Move the steak to the side and deglaze the pot with the broth.
- Add in vinegars, mustard and garlic. Place the steak down into the liquid.
- Cover the Instant Pot and secure the lid. Make sure valve is set to sealing. Set the manual/pressure cook button to 50 minutes. When the time is up let the pot sit for 15 minutes and then move the valve to venting to release any remaining pressure. Remove the lid.
- Use tongs to place steak on a cutting board. Let it sit for 5 minutes. Then slice the steak against the grain. Drizzle juices from Instant Pot over the steak. Eat and enjoy!
Notes
I used my 6 quart Instant Pot Duo 60 7 in 1*. Make this in your 3 or 8 quart pot with no changes. For 3 quart pot you may need to slice steak in half to fit.
Slow Cooker Instructions: Heat pan over medium high heat. Add in oil. Press kosher salt and pepper on each side of the steak. Brown steak on each side for 2 minutes. Add steak to slow cooker. Stir rest of ingredients together and pour over the top of steak. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.
Recipe adapted from Our Best Bites
- Category: Beef
- Method: Instant Pot
*Karen Petersen is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
Thinking of using this to tenderise the meat for shredding into a chilli. I’m going to try this recipe however you don’t mention what temperature you’re using on the Sauté button?
I used the “more” setting. Sounds like a good chili!
Can you use frozen meat in this recipe?
Yes I think that would be just fine!
Super easy, and what a difference from pan searing! It shreds into strings but I cut it across the grain and it made the best taco meat. Super tender. I’ll have to make more next time so we can try a potato hash. Thanks for this recipe!
★★★★★
mmmm mmmm! Sounds great Angie!
Recipe says to cook for 50 min? Is that corrects??
yes that’s right
THIS WAS AMAZING! I made it with flank steak which made it so it was stringy pieces of meat but it was fabulous. Turns out I didnt have rice vinegar so I substituted with the red wine vinegar and sugar I didn’t have balsamic! So I used apple cider vinegar and sugar AND I also didn’t have dijon mustard, so I used regular mustard with white wine vinegar…divine!!! Even my 2 year old LOVED it!! (and he basically eats chicken nuggets and cheese for everything ;D )We literally ate the leftovers for dinner the next night and lunch for 2 days!! SOO good…next time I made it I did the same thing but with dijon mustard and I also added red potatoes and carrots and celery to the dish…I just love this cut of meat (flank with the tangy vinegar tastes) THANK YOU SO MUCH! I am brand new to insta Pot and this was the first recipe I did and it blew my family away!! I am for sure “pinning” the recipe for a go to meal! Thank you!
★★★★★
Wow first recipe! So glad it was a winner for you. Thanks for the nice review and the 5 stars!
I made this tonight! It was easy and so good! I thought I had rice vinegar but alas, did not, so I subbed red wine vinegar and it came out fantastic. Paired it with a beef rice and vermicelli with a hint of soy sauce. It went together great! Thank you!
★★★★★
Sounds awesome! Thanks for sharing your experience.
Thank you foreceive recipe! It was awesome, really delicious!
Quick question. Do you think I would have to change much if I coojed 2lbs of Flank instead of the 1 shown in the recipe?
★★★★★
I think it will be fine with 2 pounds!
I made this last night and it was absolutely delicious. Couldn’t be easier to throw together. I tossed in some mushrooms, on a whim, since I had ’em, and they were a tasty compliment. I’ve never made a flank steak as stew meat, so this was a first, and I was surprised at how truly wonderful it was. Thanks for the recipe. It’s a keeper! <3 I'm now going to mess with it and try variations. I think sautéing onions, after browning the meat, then deglazing and cooking all together could work, too. I'm gonna find out. 🙂
★★★★★
I like how your mind works Debba!
Heh. Thanks! I did make it again, this time with sautéing onions along with quartered cremini mushrooms, and then I threw in a few baby red potatoes and cooked it all together with the meat. It was delicious, too. 🙂
Yum!!
At what point did you toss in the mushrooms?
★★★★★
Right from the beginning. I tossed in everything at the same time.
Well….I realized my mistake!! (See earlier post)….AFter it went to “BURN”fro second time I realized that, duh, I had forgotten to put on the sealing ring!! Yeah, that matters….sigh. Will try this again, the RIGHT way, next week!!
Oh shoot!!! I’m sorry that is such a bummer.
This recipe sounds great and I am trying it right now. But sadly, after following the directions for sautéing and turning to on as directed, after about half an hour (w/o reaching pressure) it went to the dreaded “BURN” message instead of pressure cooking. I opened it up and the “sauce” was barely there and sticking on the bottom. More like a sticky residue. I threw in about 1&1/2 cup more stock and started over. It is finally cooking! I have a Duo IP- did anyone else have this issue with not enough liquid and the burn message? Is it my IP? It does smell good so I have high hopes- we will just be having a fashionably late dinner tonight 😉
It was awesome. I did a skirt steak and followed the recipe exactly – BUT I charred the exterior on the hot grill front and back and then sliced it into pieces to add to the insta pot. I did 38 minutes in the broth and seasonings as you laid out and then after removing the meat (to slice across grain) I reduced the broth and garlic mix; to a delicious silky sauce. It was so tender and delicious….I sneaked back in to have some cold slivers leftover…. this is a KEEPER!!!!
★★★★★
YUM Lisa! That sounds great!
Followed directions as stated and it came out perfectly. Only thing I changed was the steak. I used sirloin because I cannot find the flank or skirt steak. Either way it is fall apart tender. My husband,12 y/o finicky daughter and 15 y/o son absolutely devoured it! Thanks for an easy yet delicious recipe to cycle on busy weeknights!!
★★★★★
Thank you for letting me know that this recipe worked well with sirloin steak. This is good to know! It’s probably a more accessible cut of meat for people.
Absolutely delish
I had a Korean (flavored) packaged flank steak from Costco and I am currently without an oven so I tried this recipe and it was easy and fantastic. I served it with Pepperonata (sautéed multi colored bell peppers, onion, garlic). It all made for a beautiful plate
★★★★★
I will have to look for that at Costco! It sounds so good!
This flank steak was so easy to make and so good! I was skeptical when it said no knife needed to cut and it was so fall apart tender that it really did not need a knife. This will replace my other flank steak recipe that uses a rub. This is so much better!
★★★★★
Ahhh, thanks! I’m so glad to hear it!
I made this according to instructions I have a duo( instapot) when release went to pull out steak and it had fallen apart. Very tender. May have to cut time What do you suggest? I almost cooked 2 of them. They were both over two lbs. each. I cooked one.
Sure you could definitely cut the time down by 5 minutes and see how it goes.
I am so happy I found this recipe!! I did not have rice vinegar so I used apple cider vinegar. I also mixed up some water and cornstarch and added it to the marinate and made it more of a glaze to put over the meat when it was done.
It turned out great!! Very easy and delicious. Thank you
★★★★★
Good to know about the apple cider vinegar!
Thank you for sharing this with great, detailed instructions. I’ve always been afraid to cook it. I will try it now.
Hope you like it! We did!
Can you use olive oil instead of canola?
Yes that would be fine!
Loved this recipe. So easy to make. The sauce is perfect, I managed to save a little for lunch. About 1/4 of my saved Pinterest recipes are yours.
★★★★★
Haha! That is so fun. Thanks for sharing.
My flank steak is 0.391kg so just under a pound. What would I do for cooking time? I’m guessing I would also halve the liquid amounts?
I’d keep liquids the same so that pot will still come to pressure. And the steak should be cooked the same length of time as pressure cooking is determined by thickness of meat rather than poundage.
This is probably a good rule of thumb so I saved your comment. I am making this recipe as I write this….however I have just enough meat 😉
Holy moly! This was so good! My store almost never has flank steaks, so had to wait until they did. This was beyond tender and so much good flavor! Thank you so much for this recipe!
★★★★★
So glad you tried it and like it Marnie! I love this one as well.
I have made this recipe both in an instant pot and slow cooker and both times both my hubby and I really enjoyed it! Thanks!
★★★★★
So nice to hear this Joan! Thanks!
I tried this last night and the steak came out completely overcooked and stringy. I followed the recipe. Any theories as to why that would have happened? My only thought is that it was a 1.9 lb flank steak and on the thinner/longer end as opposed to a thick 2 lb steak. Could that have made such a big difference? The flavors were great so I’d like to try again.
That doesn’t seem like it should make that huge of a difference. Darn it! I am sorry it didn’t turn out well.
We got a pre-seasoned Korean Barbecue recipe flank steak from Costco and I followed your cooking instructions…
Holy Yummy Goodness, Batman! It was so delicious I kinda wanna propose to you now!
(Please don’t tell my husband! He’d be jealous as he feels the same way! 😂)
★★★★★
HAHAHAHA!!!!! Love it!
In recipes, PLEASE say what pressure level the IP should be at. There’s low and high pressure, which should I use? Thanks!
It’s always high in the recipes I write. 😊
Thank you!
Does that include when sauteeing? There are two settings for sautee as well.
For saute I always use the “more” setting.
Does this steak need to be tenderized as part of the prep? Or does cooking it in the IP take care of that on its own?
The IP gets it plenty tender 😊
Oh my gosh! So good!
★★★★★
I know, right?!
I love this recipe. I use the leftovers, if any, for so many other dishes. I am diabetic and most of the recipes I get from here fit into my menus. Sometimes I tweak an ingredient or maybe the pastas or rice but the base recipes are delicious. My favorite way to use leftover flank steak in the next day on a big salad with a touch of blue cheese. I am going to try this recipe with chicken also.
★★★★★
Blue cheese 😍😍😍
Seems like this would be a great way to cook the flank steak for taco meat. Have you got a recipe for that?? Generally flank steak is used for carne asada right? Why not tacos???
Heck yes that would taste so great! I don’t have a recipe for that yet. But I should definitely make one.
I have a 1-lb flank steak in the freezer and would love to try this recipe. Would I cut the pressure cooking time in half? I often halve your recipes for my husband and I. Would I cut the pressure time in half for chicken tenders?
Thanks.
For this recipe I’d keep the same cooking time as long. Chicken tenders would be a 5 minute cooking time.
I love flank steak. Thanks so much for this recipe. Would love a good IP recipe for teriyaki flank steak. Just throwing that out there! 🙂
Yum, I’m in officially in love with flank steak so I’ll have to try more recipes and flavors.
If the steak is frozen, how long would you cook it?
Still brown it even if frozen. Then cook for 65 minutes.
Can this be made to a medium rare center instead of well done
If you use the IPot for this type of meat you will not get an easier eating meat. The reason for using the IPot is to make it an easier eating meat. When we use an IPot to cook meat we are wanting to make it more tender. I feel that I would use a stove top pan and or grill if you want rare meat. Just thinking!!
Yep you are right Jim!
Not in the pressure cooker. I would just grill it if you want it pink in the middle.
Can this be double? Same cooking time?
I have an 8 qt IP.
Thank you!
Yes same cooking time. You’ll have to brown the 2 flank steaks separately because there won’t be enough room. Place on top of each other. Should work well!
I can see using the broth, balsamic vinegar, rice vinegar, Dijon and garlic as a marinade and perhaps later made into a sauce, but since my preference is for rare flank or skirt steak, I probably wouldn’t cook the meat in my Instant Pot – but for those who like well-cooked meat, this would be worth trying.
you pretty much stated how I feel about the recipe I tried last night. I didn’t use the broth, etc. as marinade and as a sauce isn’t particularly good. Really mincing the garlic very finely would help.
The main thing is that the meat, while totally tender, is well done. What we like best is a grilled flank steak where the meat has some charring. Yes, preparing a marinade and having the meat sit for some hours or overnight does take time. The actually cooking time is not more than 10 min. or so (depending on how large the piece is). This recipe takes a total of well over an hour.
I imagine that doing a pot roast, stew, etc. would be perfect but I wouldn’t do a flank steak again.
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