These Tasty Korean Beef Skewers are one of the most versatile ways to use flank steak. You can serve these marinated beef skewers for a simple weeknight meal, make them part of an appetizer buffet, or make them the centerpiece of a rice bowl with stir fried Asian vegetables.
Kids Love to eat Meat that is Tender and Juicy
Recently, I served these Korean Beef Skewers for a Sunday dinner. I was surprised at how well they were received by two pre-schoolers. I think they loved the sweet and savory flavors of the skewers but also seemed to like the fact that the meat was so tender. I highly recommend serving these to children who like the flavor of meat but don’t want to go to all the trouble of chewing and chewing and chewing.
Marinating the Beef for Two Days is the Key
If you want the Beef Skewers to be really flavorful, two days of marinating them in a dark, soy and sesame mixture loaded with garlic is the key to success. Not only does the meat tenderize from the ginger in the marinade but the meat becomes completely infused with flavor. Slicing the flank steak on the bias and putting the individual pieces in the marinade results in every single inch of the steak soaking up the flavorful mixture.
Flank Steak woven on Skewers is a Great Change from the Usual
Once the flank steak slices have marinated, you weave them on skewers so there will be a lot of flat surface area to get evenly grilled. The addition of the sesame oil and brown sugar enhances the caramelization of the sauce onto the surface of the meat so each skewer becomes evenly crispy on the outside while remaining soft and tender on the inside.
As you can see from the photos, I served these Korean Beef Skewers alongside some simply grilled shrimp skewers (lemon and butter basted). For veggies, I skewered and grilled mushrooms and some oven roasted potatoes with chive sour cream. My Tangy Green Bean Salad with Goat Cheese and Sherry Vinaigrette veered off a bit from the Asian theme but is always a welcome addition to the family dinner menu.
Sunday dinner at our house is getting to be a thing. Watching two children enjoy these Korean Beef Skewers as much as the adults convinced me that these should be a regular menu item for busy parents.
These Cook up in a Jiffy
While there is some advanced prep (marinating the flank steak two days ahead), the result is worth it. How often does everyone at the table love the same thing?
I hope you enjoy these Korean Beef Skewers as much as we did and that they will make an appearance from time to time when you have run out of things that everyone can get excited about!
Korean Beef Skewers
These flank steak skewers are marinated in a delicious soy and sesame oil sauce with garlic and ginger.
Ingredients
For the steak:
- 1 1/2 pounds lean flank steak thinly sliced against the grain
- 10 bamboo skewers soaked in water for at least 30 minutes
For the Sesame Soy Marinade
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 cup soy sauce
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup canola oil
- 6 cloves garlic finely minced
- 2 tablespoons freshly grated ginger do not use powdered
- 5 tablespoons sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
- 1 bunch green onions roughly chopped
Instructions
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Pre-heat an outdoor grill to high heat.
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Make sure the flank steak is very cold before you slice it into strips. Slice and set aside.
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In a plastic Ziploc bag, combine all of the ingredients except the toasted sesame seeds and green onions. Mix together until combined. Add the flank steak pieces to the marinade, cover, and refrigerate for 48 hours.
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Weave about 2 slices of marinated flank steak onto each bamboo skewer. Grill the skewers for approximately 2 minutes on each side for medium rare. They should be crispy and brown on the outside. Remove from the grill and serve garnished with the sesame seeds and green onions.
Recipe Notes
You can thread the meat on the skewers two hours ahead and refrigerate them until ready to grill.