READY IN 30 mins

Lemon Basil Pesto Flat Iron Steak

Read Reviews (26)

"Lemon and basil combine nicely into a pesto topping for steaks." — desihannagan

Directions

Chop 4 garlic cloves in a food processor until minced. Add the basil and pine nuts, and pulse a few times to combine. With the food processor running, slowly pour in the olive oil, stopping once or twice to scrape down the sides. Place the Parmesan cheese, lemon juice, and red pepper flakes into the food processor, and pulse until blended. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Rub the flat iron steaks with 2 cloves minced garlic, season to taste with salt and pepper, then set aside. Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat and lightly oil grate.
Grill the steaks to desired degree of doneness on preheated grill, about 4 minutes per side for medium. Baste the steaks occasionally with a little of the pesto sauce. Once done, serve topped with the remaining pesto.

Kitchen-Friendly View

PREP 20 mins
COOK 10 mins
READY IN 30 mins

Reviews More Reviews

Most Helpful Positive Review

Oct 11, 2008

Perfect pesto! For anyone worried about or having trouble with pesto falling off or burning on their steaks, I marinated my steaks in about 2T pesto (don't worry, you'll have plenty for topping) loosened with a splash of lemon and olive oil. You can shake the excess off - or not, I didn't - when you're ready to grill. Awesome. Thanks for the recipe!!!

—SunnyByrd

See full review »

Most Helpful Critical Review

May 12, 2010

The homemade pesto was excellent; a huge hit. But if you've never had flat iron steak, let me warn you, it is a disgusting cut of beef. There were weird dice- sized chunks of gristle scattered throughout. It was revolting. I wouldn't feed a flat iron steak to my worst enemy's dog.

—armywife321

See full review »

33 Ratings

Mar 27, 2008

This was excellent! The only changes I made was to add an extra clove of garlic to the pesto and cut the lemon juice to 2 tsp because I didn't want it to be too tart. The garlic rubbed on the meat didn't do much good; it burned off while the meat was cooking, but that's a small quibble. My husband and I loved this. I served it with sliced tomatoes and roasted cauliflower. Thanks for the recipe, desi!

—Dianemwj

See full review »

Mar 25, 2009

We made this and were pleasantly surprised! We don't typically like pesto but I have to admit, it was very good AND very quick and easy to make! Since it was still cold out, we made it on the stove and used flank steak instead of the flat iron. Worked great with the flank steak.

—blue eyed CC

See full review »

Mar 31, 2008

Very nice twist on pesto! Next time I think I will try it with a dash of chili oil instead of the crushed red pepper flakes. I think it might mix in a little better.

—RandyRandy

See full review »

May 11, 2010

Loved it 5 Stars all the way thanks

—maccordeiro

See full review »

Jul 28, 2011

I am rating this bc I only made the lemon pesto. I was looking for a good pesto..YUM!! I don't like heavy garlic so I only used 2 cloves and it was plenty. Why didn't I think of adding a little lemon juice before?!? It adds brightness to the taste and keeps that wonderful green color..I will always add it now! Thanks for sharing.

—MHBMHB

See full review »

May 26, 2010

I loved this in every way. I don't usually put red pepper flakes in my pesto, but that little bit of heat was great.

—megameaghan1

See full review »

Edit

Glad you liked it! Your friends will, too:

Did you tweak the recipe? Edit and save your own version of it!

Edit this recipe

More Recipes Like This See all

Marinated Flat Iron Steak

Flat Iron Steak with Balsamic Reduction

Irish Whiskey Flat Iron Steak

Grilled Flat Iron Steak with Blue Cheese-Chive Butter

Flat Iron Steak with Three Pepper Rub

Flat Iron Steaks Marinated in Red Wine

Citrus-Ginger Flat Iron Steak

Flat Iron Steak Simplicity!

Drunken Flat Iron Steak

Spicy Flat Iron Steak Rub

Nutrition

Calories
569 kcal
28%

Carbohydrates
3.5 g
1%

Cholesterol
122 mg
41%

Fat
44.2 g
68%

Fiber
0.8 g
3%

Protein
40.1 g
80%

Sodium
277 mg
11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Information

Lemon Basil Pesto Flat Iron Steak

Serving Size: 1/6 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 6
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 569
Calories from Fat: 397

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 44.2g 68 %
Saturated Fat 11.9g 60 %
Cholesterol 122mg 41 %
Sodium 277mg 11 %
** Potassium 122mg 3 %
Total Carbohydrates 3.5g 1 %
Dietary Fiber 0.8g 3 %
Protein 40.1g 80 %
** Sugars 0.5g
** Vitamin A 19 %
** Vitamin C 10 %
** Calcium 14 %
** Iron 13 %
** Thiamin 8 %
** Niacin 12 %
** Vitamin B6 6 %
** Magnesium 11 %
** Folate 9 %

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.