Smoked Flat Iron Steak Recipe

Juicy, tender, flavorful, and smoky, Smoked Flat Iron Steak has everything we look for in a piece of beef. Serve it up like a classic meat and potato dish, or add it to your salad as a healthy entree.

What is flat iron steak?

Flat iron steak is from the shoulder blade area. It is a great cut that has a lot of good marbling and is full of beef flavor as you might expect with a chuck steak. It is a very flavorful cut of beef and you can use it in so many different applications. Here, we are going to take a very simple straightforward approach to it, trying to really highlight and keep the beef flavor front and center.

Do you have to reverse-sear steak?

No. There are a few different ways you can approach smoking a flat iron steak. You can use reverse searing after a short smoke, or you can smoke it until it is done. My favorite way to reverse sear is to use a hot skillet, but you can get great texture and a nice crusty bark, by allowing it to smoke at low heat until cooked to your desired doneness. There are times when I have a thick steak, where I will smoke it for some time, then hit it with a reverse sear method to give it a more crusty texture, but if you are working with a thinner steak, I like to cook it all the way on the smoker. It adds a ton of flavor and removes any chance of overcooking the steak. 

Ingredients for Smoked Flat Iron Steak

Flat Iron Steak - These are one of the perfect steaks for flavor and versatility. They are also a very affordable cut of beef. You can serve it as a steak, or slice it for fajitas, you can even turn it into ground beef for flavorful burgers. This meat is delicious. You will find the flat iron steak to be a bit rectangular with a fairly uniform thickness. Flatiron steak is one of the better cheap cuts of meat.

For seasoning, you could use a store-bought steak seasoning or a dry rub. For this recipe, I keep it really simple with just some garlic powder, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper. It will really capture the flavor of the beef and the smoke from the hickory wood.

How to Smoke a Flat Iron Steak

Step 1 - Season the meat. Again, I went very simple with just some salt and pepper. Rub a little olive oil onto the steak. The olive oil helps the seasoning to stick to the steak. In a small bowl combine the garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. Then season the flat iron steak thoroughly.

Step 2 - Place the steak in your preheated charcoal or pellet smoker and smoke at 225°F for about an hour. For best results, I recommend using a meat thermometer to monitor the internal temperature to ensure you cook the steak to your desired doneness. I cook the flat iron steak to medium rare. That is an internal temp of about 130°F. Once it is done, we will let the steak rest for five minutes before we slice and serve it.

Step 3 - Cook this in your smoker or pellet grill until it is done.

Note: If you really want to reverse-sear it, you can do that. The best way is to make sure you preheat either your hot grill or cast iron skillet to get the best results.

How to Serve Flat Iron Steak

If you are looking for a light healthy option, Smoked Flat Iron steaks make for the best steak salads. Just slice them thin and add them on top of your favorite salad ingredients. Balsamic vinegar goes perfectly with the hickory smoked, and garlic-seasoned steak. This is delicious!

Serve leftover on top of some Smoked Nachos.

Some Variations 

You could also choose to go with a different flavor profile and use Mexican seasoning to prepare the steak for use in tacos or fajitas. 

Meat and Potatoes are not a bad way to serve smoked steak either. Try also making our Smoked Scalloped Potatoes, or Traeger Baked Potatoes for a perfect side dish.

 

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