Flank Steak with Corn Salsa

This fresh and lively spice-rubbed Flank Steak with Corn Salsa is simple to make and packed with flavor. The ultimate summer weeknight meal!

With a veggie-loaded salsa, the healthy fats in the avocado, and a protein-packed steak, this meal doesn’t require much in the way of sides. That said, if you’d like to add some more greens, this Mandarin Orange Salad is a great pairing. Or serve alongside this refreshing Peach Lemonade for a meal that screams warm weather!

Flank Steak with Corn Salsa

Sometimes the recipes I share here need several iterations before they’re ready to be photographed and shared. This Flank Steak with Corn salsa, however, was a total hit the first time I made it for my family. I adapted the corn salsa from this crazy-popular Grilled Chicken and Corn Salsa recipe and served it up to my husband and boys. The whole meal was gone within minutes!

A few days later, when I made it it again to photograph (at 10 am in the morning, no less), the entire thing was inhaled again by the boys and my sister who was over at my home. To say it’s been a hit is an understatement! While it might seem like a fancy dish, this recipe couldn’t be easier to make. It comes together quickly, and we keep the heat out of the kitchen by using a grill to do all the cooking.

While the steak is cooking, the corn salsa can be whipped together, and dinner will be ready on the table in about 30 minutes or less! No steak marinating time and a short cook time — about 8-10 minutes total is all that’s needed for a perfect medium-rare flank steak.

Flank Steak Tips 

A few overall steak cooking tips:

• Make sure the grill is completely heated before you add the steak. High heat sears the surface of the meat, resulting in a juicier steak with an amazing char.
• Use a meat thermometer to ensure the meat is perfectly cooked to your personal preference (more on this below!).
• Let the steak rest before cutting into it. Once the steak is grilled, it needs a bit of time to rest so the juices can re-distribute evenly throughout the meat. By letting the meat rest, you will have a juicier steak! I recommend loosely covering the steak in foil and letting it sit for 5-10 minutes before cutting into it.
• Cut the cooked steak against the grain. Here’s more on that! Once it’s sliced, it’s ready to go.

Flank Steak with Corn Salsa: steak temperatures

I prefer flank steak cook to medium rare and find it loses flavor and texture when cooked beyond medium. To each their own though– cook the steak exactly how you like it!  Below are the temperatures for cooking steak to your personal preference.

Fully preheat the grill to 450 degrees F. Aim to keep the grill that consistent temperature throughout the grilling process.

• Rare: 120-125 degrees F
• Medium-Rare: 135 degrees F (about 4-5 minutes on one side and another 4-5 minutes on the other side)
• Medium: 140 degrees F (about 5-7 minutes on one side and another 3-5 minutes on the other side)
• Medium-Well: 150 degrees F (about 8-10 minutes on one side and another 3-5 minutes on the other side)
• Well-Done: 160-175 degrees F.

**Time depends on the steak’s thickness, your grill, and actual temperature of your grill.**

Avocado Corn Salsa how-tos and tips

• Grilling the corn adds pizzazz to this salsa and since the steak will already be on the grill, you may as well fix the corn at the same time! 
  • How to grill corn: Peel back husks and remove the silk. Rub vegetable or olive oil on all sides of the corn and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Place on heated grill (400-450 degrees F) and rotate every 3-4 minutes or until charred. (This also works on a grill pan!)
• Let the corn cool a bit before cutting it off the cob. The corn should be at room temperature for the salsa, so it doesn’t “cook” the other ingredients.
• The ripe avocado adds so much to this flank steak with corn salsa. It gives a delicious creamy element and nice subtle flavor. For best results, use a good ripe avocado.
  • To tell if an avocado is ripe, press gently around the stem (not on the stem) and if it gives, the avocado is ripe (the “give” should feel like pressing the tip of your nose). No part of the avocado should be mushy to touch. (This means its overripe.)
• Don’t forget the fresh lime. This hit of acid and flavor pulls everything together and keeps the avocado from browning too quickly.
• Adjust the salt. Salt does amazing things for the steak and the salsa. If you feel like anything is lacking flavor, add a quick sprinkle of sea salt. It’s also important to season as you cook and taste often. Since the steak rub has salt in it, the corn is salted, and the salsa should be salted, add slowly, to personal preference, so you don’t overdo it.

Flank Steak with Corn Salsa tips

• Do you like less heat? Use McCormick® chili powder for the steak rub (I find it very mild) and omit the jalapeño and/or red pepper flakes from the salsa. (Overall, as the recipe is written, I would consider this is a fairly mild dish, but it does have a bit of a hit.)
• Save some time. To save yourself some overall prep time, use pre-minced garlic and this citrus juicer to make juicing the limes a breeze!
• When preparing the salsa, aim to cut each ingredient into similar sizes for uniformity and the best texture. 

More grilled recipes to love

• Steak Salad Recipe with a lemon-cilantro dressing
• Cilantro Lime Chicken with a mango salsa
• Flat Iron Steak with a sun-dried tomato sauce
• Chicken and Wild Rice with grilled sweet potatoes
• Steak Fajitas with bell peppers and onions

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5 from 4 votes

Flank Steak with Corn Salsa

By Chelsea Lords

This fresh and lively spice-rubbed Flank Steak with Corn Salsa is simple to make and packed with flavor. The ultimate summer weeknight meal!

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 12 minutes minutes

Total Time: 32 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients 

USMetric

 

1x2x3x

Steak

• ▢ 1 and 1/2 up to 2 pounds flank steak
• ▢ 1 teaspoon EACH: garlic powder, ground coriander, ground cumin
• ▢ 1 tablespoon EACH: sweet paprika, ground chili powder
• ▢ 1 and 1/2 teaspoons EACH: fine sea salt and pepper
• ▢ 1 and 1/2 tablespoons light brown sugar packed
• ▢ 2 tablespoons olive oil divided

Corn Salsa

• ▢ 3 ears sweet corn
• ▢ olive oil, salt, and pepper
• ▢ 1 very large (or 2 small) ripe avocados peeled, seed removed, and diced
• ▢ 1/4 cup finely diced red onion
• ▢ 3/4 cup finely diced red bell pepper
• ▢ 1/3 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
• ▢ 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ▢ 1 tablespoon EACH: finely minced jalapeno and minced garlic
• ▢ 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
• ▢ 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes optional
• ▢ Optional: additional cilantro and lime wedges, for serving

Instructions 

• PREP: Preheat the grill to 450 degrees F. Once heated, clean the grill grates with a wire brush. Liberally oil the grill (I do this by drenching a paper towel in canola or vegetable oil and, holding tongs, rubbing the paper towel over the grill).
• CORN: Shuck corn and discard silk. Drizzle corn with olive oil and lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper. Rub the oil and salt/pepper into all sides of the corn. Add the corn to the heated and oiled grill over direct heat. Grill corn about 10-12 minutes total, rotating every 3-4 minutes until bright in color and lightly charred. Let grilled corn cool before cutting it off the cob.
• STEAK: Prepare the rub by mixing together the garlic powder, ground coriander, cumin, paprika, chili powder, salt, pepper, and brown sugar. Remove the flank steak from packaging and blot dry with a paper towel. Drizzle 1 tablespoon oil on the top of the steak. Sprinkle half the rub on top and gently press in. Flip the steak over. Drizzle remaining 1 tablespoon oil on the bottom of the steak and sprinkle on the remaining rub mixture. Gently press in. Place the spiced-rubbed steak directly on the grill and cook for 4-5 minutes per side, or until the internal temperature is 130-135 degrees F for medium rare or 145 degrees for medium. (I use a meat thermometer here. My grill takes exactly 4 minutes per side at 450 degrees F.) Remove the steak from the grill to a cutting board. Tent with foil and allow to rest for 5-10 minutes. Once the steak has rested, slice it very thinly against the grain (See Note 1).
• SALSA: While the steak cooks, prepare the salsa. Slice the cooled corn off the cob and add to a large bowl. Dice the veggies -- the avocados, red onion, red pepper and cilantro and add to the corn. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/4 cup lime juice, 1 teaspoon cumin, minced jalapeno, minced garlic, and, if desired, crushed red pepper flakes to the veggies. Gently toss together. Add salt and pepper to taste (I add 1/4 teaspoon of each). Toss again and serve over steak. If desired, drizzle everything with 1 more tablespoon olive oil. Serve with extra cilantro and lime wedges if desired.

Video

Recipe Notes

Note 1: Slicing the steak: Find the fibers on the steak and determine how they are running along the steak. Once you find that grain, slice perpendicular (here's a visual). This will keep the meat juicier and much more tender. It's easier to chew when cut against the grain.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 367kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 102mg | Sodium: 95mg | Potassium: 730mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1031IU | Vitamin C: 46mg | Calcium: 60mg | Iron: 3mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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