Sous Vide Flank Steak

This sous vide flank steak is melt in your mouth delicious! It is easy and simple to make but yields big flavor. This method of cooking flank steak yields perfect results every time. It is largely hands off and straightforward. Great for holidays, entertaining, family dinners, and special occasions.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• This sous vide flank steak is easy and mostly hands off.
• It is impossible to overcook the steak.
• No grilling or oven needed.
• Similar in taste and texture to Skirt Steak.

• This recipe is versatile.
• Use in salads, burritos, tacos, and more.
• For a thicker cut, try this Top Sirloin Steak.
• Let the sous vide do all the hard work for you!
• The steak comes out so tender and delicious.
• It is not dry, overdone or flavorless.
• This recipe is Whole30 compliant, Paleo, gluten free, dairy free, Keto, low carb and sugar free.
• Check out these Sous Vide Chicken Thighs for another great recipe.

Ingredients & Substitutions

These are the main ingredients and substitutions for sous vide flank steak. Scroll down to the recipe card for full ingredients list and instructions.

Use a high quality flank steak. Look for a steak that has an even thickness throughout. For best results, use a fresh steak instead of frozen. If using frozen, thaw beforehand. Flap steak is very similar to flank steak. Feel free to use that if needed.

A little sea salt and pepper is the only seasoning used. This allows the natural flavor of the flank steak to shine.

Balsamic vinegar adds a great slightly sweet, tart and dark flavor. If desired, red wine or red wine vinegar can be used.

The olive oil is used to sear the steak. Avocado oil, butter or ghee can be used as well.

Fresh thyme is a great garnish. It adds a pop of color and freshness. Feel free to omit if desired.

Water Displacement Method

The water displacement method is a technique used for sous vide cooking. This method uses a zippered bag instead of a vacuum sealed bag. If using a vacuum sealed bag, place directly into the water bath.

For a zippered bag, follow these steps.

Fill zippered bag with food. Then, slowly lower bag into water bath.

The pressure from the water bath will suck out all of the air inside the bag.

Once the bag contains no air, zipper shut and fully submerge.

Taste & Texture

This sous vide flank steak is hearty, savory and flavorful. The main flavor is steak. If desired, feel free to make a sous vide steak marinade for even more flavor.

The texture is so tender. This steak is melt in your mouth tasty! It is not dry or overcooked.

How to Make

Step 1

First, add water to large pot. Set sous vide to 131 degrees Fahrenheit.

Step 2

Season flank steak on both sides with sea salt and pepper. Place steak in a large zipper bag. Add in balsamic vinegar.

Step 3

Leave the bag unzipped. Once water bath has heated to 131 degrees, slowly lower bag into water. As it lowers, the air will be sucked out of the bag. Once the air is out, zip lock bag.

Step 4

Set timer to 90 minutes.

Step 5

After the timer goes off, carefully remove bag from water bath. Remove steak from bag and pat dry with paper towels.

Step 6

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.

Step 7

Once oil is hot, carefully place steak and fresh thyme in skillet. Sear on each side for 2 minutes.

Step 8

Finally, place steak on a cutting board. Allow it to sit for 5 minutes to lock in juices.

Step 9

Carefully slice sous vide flank steak and serve. Garnish with more fresh thyme if desired.

Expert Tips & Tricks

This sous vide flap steak does not need a ton of added flavor. This simple recipe allows the steak flavor to shine.

Searing the sous vide flank steak gives it a nice color and texture. Do not skip this step.

The goal of searing is to get a nice brown exterior. This is not to further cook the steak. A quick sear is plenty of time.

This time and temperature yields a perfectly cooked steak. Sous vide cooking can be forgiving, but I recommend sticking to this framework.

Allow the steak to sit for 5 to 10 minutes after searing to lock in juices. This yields extra tender steak.

How to Sear

As previously mentioned, searing the sous vide flank steak provides a beautiful color.

Here are some things to keep in mind while searing flank steak.

Get the oil hot before adding the steak to the skillet. This will produce a better color in shorter time.

Sear for only 2 minutes on each side. The goal of searing is to get that color, not continue cooking the steak more.

The oil will be very hot and may splatter. Please be very careful with this step.

How to Serve & Store

Serve sous vide flank steak with roasted veggies, mashed potatoes, or a side salad.

For keto and low carb, serve with veggies or salad. Cauliflower rice is another great option.

Make them into sous vide flank steak tacos or burritos. Serve on top of a salad.

Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Frequently Asked Questions

You May Also Like

• Sous Vide Pork Tenderloin
• Denver Steak
• Air Fryer Ribeye Steak
• Instant Pot Steak
• Cube Steak Recipe

If you make this homemade sous vide flank steak recipe, I would really appreciate a review! You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. I would love for you to follow along!  For more ideas, check out these Dinner Recipes.

Love this easy sous vide flank steak? You can sign up here to receive healthy meal plans, exclusive new recipes and updates!