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June 18, 2020

Instant Pot Flank Steak

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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.

Pin this recipe for later!

sliced flank steak and quinoa on a plate

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

  1. Heat your Instant Pot by turning on the saute setting.
  2. Season both sides of the flank steak (or you can use a skirt steak).
  3. 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.
  4. Deglaze the pot by moving the steak out of the way and pouring in some broth to scrape the bottom of the pot.
  5. Cover the Instant Pot and pressure cook for 50 minutes with a natural pressure release.
  6. 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.

how to slice against the grain

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

Pin this recipe for later!

steak on a white plate

Try these other Instant Pot beef recipes…

Instant Pot Crumbly Burgers

Instant Pot Hot Beef Sandwich and Mashed Potatoes

Instant Pot Philly Cheesesteak

Instant Pot Mongolian Beef

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steak and quinoa
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Instant Pot Flank Steak


★★★★★

4.9 from 18 reviews

  • Author: 365 Days of Slow and Pressure Cooking
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 50 minutes
  • Total Time: 90 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x
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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

Scale
  • 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

  1. 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. 
  2. Add in vinegars, mustard and garlic. Place the steak down into the liquid.
  3. 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.
  4. 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

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @365dayscrockpot on Instagram

*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.

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78 Comments Filed Under: All Recipes, Beef, Gluten Free, Instant Pot, Low Carb, Summer, Slow Cooker Tagged With: dairy free

Recommendations

Comments

  1. LenP says

    May 1, 2023 at 9:52 am

    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?

    Reply
    • Karen says

      May 1, 2023 at 2:09 pm

      I used the “more” setting. Sounds like a good chili!

      Reply
  2. Tessa Hudson says

    April 18, 2023 at 9:58 am

    Can you use frozen meat in this recipe?

    Reply
    • Karen says

      April 19, 2023 at 1:50 pm

      Yes I think that would be just fine!

      Reply
  3. Angie says

    September 8, 2022 at 12:41 pm

    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!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Karen says

      September 9, 2022 at 12:39 pm

      mmmm mmmm! Sounds great Angie!

      Reply
      • Hillary says

        December 8, 2022 at 1:47 pm

        Recipe says to cook for 50 min? Is that corrects??

        Reply
        • Karen says

          December 8, 2022 at 8:47 pm

          yes that’s right

          Reply
  4. Katreena says

    June 29, 2022 at 7:43 pm

    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!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Karen says

      July 5, 2022 at 12:54 pm

      Wow first recipe! So glad it was a winner for you. Thanks for the nice review and the 5 stars!

      Reply
  5. Shawkins says

    June 8, 2022 at 5:41 pm

    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!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Karen says

      June 9, 2022 at 8:03 pm

      Sounds awesome! Thanks for sharing your experience.

      Reply
  6. Louis says

    October 29, 2021 at 6:27 pm

    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?

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Karen says

      November 2, 2021 at 1:07 pm

      I think it will be fine with 2 pounds!

      Reply
  7. Debba says

    October 28, 2021 at 3:15 pm

    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. 🙂

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Karen says

      November 2, 2021 at 1:14 pm

      I like how your mind works Debba!

      Reply
      • DEBBA says

        November 12, 2021 at 2:19 pm

        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. 🙂

        Reply
        • Karen says

          November 13, 2021 at 9:37 pm

          Yum!!

          Reply
    • Marilu Rajala says

      December 14, 2021 at 6:15 pm

      At what point did you toss in the mushrooms?

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Debba says

        December 14, 2021 at 6:40 pm

        Right from the beginning. I tossed in everything at the same time.

        Reply
  8. Sara says

    September 21, 2021 at 5:28 pm

    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!!

    Reply
    • Karen says

      September 22, 2021 at 1:41 pm

      Oh shoot!!! I’m sorry that is such a bummer.

      Reply
  9. Sara says

    September 21, 2021 at 5:04 pm

    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 😉

    Reply
  10. Lisa M Roy says

    August 21, 2021 at 11:25 pm

    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!!!!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Karen says

      August 23, 2021 at 11:46 am

      YUM Lisa! That sounds great!

      Reply
  11. Karen Theis says

    May 5, 2021 at 4:01 pm

    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!!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Karen says

      May 6, 2021 at 1:18 pm

      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.

      Reply
  12. Cindy says

    April 1, 2021 at 10:06 am

    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

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Karen says

      April 1, 2021 at 12:55 pm

      I will have to look for that at Costco! It sounds so good!

      Reply
  13. Laurie says

    January 25, 2021 at 8:10 pm

    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!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Karen says

      January 26, 2021 at 1:58 pm

      Ahhh, thanks! I’m so glad to hear it!

      Reply
  14. Debbie Lejeune says

    January 25, 2021 at 5:51 pm

    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.

    Reply
    • Karen says

      January 26, 2021 at 1:59 pm

      Sure you could definitely cut the time down by 5 minutes and see how it goes.

      Reply
  15. Carie says

    January 1, 2021 at 9:40 pm

    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

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Karen says

      January 4, 2021 at 12:32 pm

      Good to know about the apple cider vinegar!

      Reply
  16. Teena McElroy says

    December 14, 2020 at 7:42 am

    Thank you for sharing this with great, detailed instructions. I’ve always been afraid to cook it. I will try it now.

    Reply
    • Karen says

      December 14, 2020 at 7:05 pm

      Hope you like it! We did!

      Reply
  17. Brooke says

    December 10, 2020 at 1:20 pm

    Can you use olive oil instead of canola?

    Reply
    • Karen says

      December 14, 2020 at 7:44 pm

      Yes that would be fine!

      Reply
  18. Linda Lorenzo says

    December 10, 2020 at 12:56 pm

    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.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Karen says

      December 14, 2020 at 7:45 pm

      Haha! That is so fun. Thanks for sharing.

      Reply
  19. Shawna says

    December 6, 2020 at 2:53 pm

    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?

    Reply
    • Karen says

      December 7, 2020 at 1:06 pm

      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.

      Reply
      • Sherrill L. Van Valkenburgh says

        January 11, 2021 at 5:20 pm

        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 😉

        Reply
  20. Marnie Zeigler says

    December 1, 2020 at 5:08 pm

    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!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Karen says

      December 1, 2020 at 6:10 pm

      So glad you tried it and like it Marnie! I love this one as well.

      Reply
  21. Joan says

    October 6, 2020 at 5:18 am

    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!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Karen says

      October 6, 2020 at 12:36 pm

      So nice to hear this Joan! Thanks!

      Reply
  22. Marie says

    September 30, 2020 at 10:24 am

    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.

    Reply
    • Karen says

      October 1, 2020 at 8:08 pm

      That doesn’t seem like it should make that huge of a difference. Darn it! I am sorry it didn’t turn out well.

      Reply
  23. Dea says

    September 13, 2020 at 6:36 pm

    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! 😂)

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Karen says

      September 14, 2020 at 12:32 pm

      HAHAHAHA!!!!! Love it!

      Reply
  24. Eddy B says

    August 22, 2020 at 5:27 pm

    In recipes, PLEASE say what pressure level the IP should be at. There’s low and high pressure, which should I use? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Karen says

      August 24, 2020 at 12:04 pm

      It’s always high in the recipes I write. 😊

      Reply
      • Eddy B says

        August 24, 2020 at 3:00 pm

        Thank you!
        Does that include when sauteeing? There are two settings for sautee as well.

        Reply
        • Karen says

          August 25, 2020 at 12:19 pm

          For saute I always use the “more” setting.

          Reply
  25. Laura says

    July 30, 2020 at 8:06 am

    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?

    Reply
    • Karen says

      August 4, 2020 at 2:21 pm

      The IP gets it plenty tender 😊

      Reply
  26. Cindy Swindell says

    July 22, 2020 at 11:45 am

    Oh my gosh! So good!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Karen says

      July 22, 2020 at 12:45 pm

      I know, right?!

      Reply
  27. Mary Heidt says

    June 20, 2020 at 11:04 am

    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.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Karen says

      June 24, 2020 at 10:12 pm

      Blue cheese 😍😍😍

      Reply
  28. Therese Burch says

    June 19, 2020 at 12:50 am

    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???

    Reply
    • Karen says

      June 19, 2020 at 12:09 pm

      Heck yes that would taste so great! I don’t have a recipe for that yet. But I should definitely make one.

      Reply
  29. Kathie Muench says

    June 18, 2020 at 11:06 pm

    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.

    Reply
    • Karen says

      June 19, 2020 at 12:10 pm

      For this recipe I’d keep the same cooking time as long. Chicken tenders would be a 5 minute cooking time.

      Reply
  30. Laura says

    June 18, 2020 at 10:42 pm

    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! 🙂

    Reply
    • Karen says

      June 19, 2020 at 12:10 pm

      Yum, I’m in officially in love with flank steak so I’ll have to try more recipes and flavors.

      Reply
  31. Janice says

    June 18, 2020 at 4:22 pm

    If the steak is frozen, how long would you cook it?

    Reply
    • Karen says

      June 18, 2020 at 8:53 pm

      Still brown it even if frozen. Then cook for 65 minutes.

      Reply
  32. Kathleen says

    June 18, 2020 at 3:43 pm

    Can this be made to a medium rare center instead of well done

    Reply
    • Jim Schooler says

      June 18, 2020 at 6:24 pm

      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!!

      Reply
      • Karen says

        June 18, 2020 at 8:54 pm

        Yep you are right Jim!

        Reply
    • Karen says

      June 18, 2020 at 8:53 pm

      Not in the pressure cooker. I would just grill it if you want it pink in the middle.

      Reply
  33. Karin says

    June 18, 2020 at 3:40 pm

    Can this be double? Same cooking time?
    I have an 8 qt IP.
    Thank you!

    Reply
    • Karen says

      June 18, 2020 at 8:52 pm

      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!

      Reply
  34. razzy 7 says

    June 18, 2020 at 2:21 pm

    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.

    Reply
    • marion says

      January 17, 2021 at 11:00 am

      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.

      ★★★

      Reply

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Hi, I’m Karen. I know that dinner time can be less than relaxing. Busy schedules and cranky kids and a hundred other things can lead to weariness when it comes to putting dinner on the table. I can help! I make homemade, family-friendly slow cooker and Instant Pot dinners and share the recipes with you.

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