Steak Sandwich
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Layered with perfectly cooked juicy steak, sweet caramelized onions, and herby pesto, this Steak Sandwich is unbelievably delicious! It’s seated between a crusty ciabatta bun and then topped with a handful of spicy arugula and fresh sliced tomato to make it unforgettably good. It’s the perfect easy weeknight meal or weekend lunch!
Best Steak Sandwich Recipe
Who doesn’t love juicy meat between fresh crusty bread!?! It’s the simplest thing ever but oh so good and an easy sell in my house. We are meat eaters and love fresh baked bread just as much. The only question is what kind of meat, what kind of bread, and what are we going to put on it?
So this grilled Steak Sandwich recipe is amazing! It’s got some aspects of a tasty French Dip Sandwich in that it’s beef topped with perfectly caramelized onions and layered between fresh chewy bread. Yet, different because it calls for flank steak and is spread with pesto just like my Turkey Panini. It’s a delicious combination of ingredients with lots of meaty goodness with just the right touch of sweet onion and herby pesto.
This is a really versatile recipe that can be grilled or cooked in a skillet. And you can serve the sandwiches for lunch along with a simple Caesar Salad or for dinner when paired with a big bowl of Roasted Tomato Soup and a side of Air Fryer French Fries.
Why You’ll Love This Steak Sandwich
- Easy To Make! This simple sandwich can be made in just 3 easy steps with or without a grill. And you can use store-bought or homemade pesto. It’s totally up to you.
- Savory Herby Deliciousness! When juicy grilled steak is topped with yummy pesto and slow cooked caramelized onions it’s a culinary home run!
- Versatile Recipe! Steak sandwiches are super versatile. They can be served for lunch or dinner, hot or cold, and cooked to your preferred temperature of doneness.
Steak Sandwich
- Flank Steak – This is a leaner and more affordable cut of beef that is ideal for making this recipe.
- Salt – Used to season and bring out all the natural flavors of the steak.
- Black Pepper – Along with the salt used to season the meat, you can use regular or fresh ground black pepper.
- Ciabatta Buns – You can find them in the bread aisle or bakery section of any market nowadays. But you also make your own Ciabatta if you like.
- Baby Arugula – Adds both freshness and a layer of peppery flavor.
- Basil Pesto – Use store-bought or you can make your own pesto.
- Mayonnaise – Feel free to use any brand or whip up some of your own Homemade Mayonnaise with this easy 5-minute recipe.
- Mustard – Use any kind of mustard you like to add another dash of spice.
- Tomato – Fresh juicy sliced tomato adds a bit of moisture and freshness.
Caramelized Onions
- Butter – Always use unsalted butter in cooking to control the level of added sodium. If you don’t have any unsalted butter on hand, just use salted butter and omit the added salt when you caramelize the onions.
- Onion – I like to use brown onion for the most flavor, but white onion works too.
- Sugar – Adds a bit of sweetness and helps the onions caramelize.
- Salt – Enhances the natural flavor of the onions and balances the sweetness.
This is a simple 3-step recipe. All you have to do is caramelize some onions, sear some meat, and then build a super tasty sandwich. Easy peasy and ready in no time!
Caramelize The Onions
To begin, you need to caramelize the onions before you cook the meat. So melt the butter over medium-low heat in a large skillet, then add the sliced onions, and stir. Next, cover the pan with a lid and cook the onions for 20 minutes stirring from time to time. Then remove the lid and stir in the sugar, salt, and black pepper. Now, cook the onions for another 10 minutes or until browned and caramelized.
Grill The Steak
Once your onions are perfectly caramelized and ready to go you can begin cooking the meat. To start, pat the flank steak dry with paper towels to remove any excess moisture. Do not skip this step as it helps to get a nice crust on the meat when it’s cooking.
Then generously season the meat on both sides with salt and pepper. Now, using a grill or skillet, cook the steak to your preferred temperature and then allow them to rest for 10 minutes. It’s essential that you let the meat rest for the full 10 minutes so that it stays nice and juicy.
Assemble The Sandwiches
Now that you’ve got your steak grilled how you like it and it’s rested for a bit you can begin building the sandwiches. First, slice the cooked steak into very thin strips against the grain. Next, cut the ciabatta buns in half horizontally and then spread about a tablespoon of pesto on the bottom of each bun. Then top each one with a handful of baby arugula followed by some slices of steak, caramelized onions, and tomatoes. Finally, spread a bit of mustard and mayo on the top bun and then place it on top to complete the sandwiches.
How Do I Know When The Onions Are Caramelized?
Properly caramelized onions are deep golden brown in color and very soft. It’s a process that takes a bit of time and can’t be sped up. It’s easy to think if you turn up the heat it will caramelize the onions faster. But sadly it will most likely just burn your onions.
What Is Slicing Meat Against The Grain?
Cutting meat against the grain basically means cutting through the muscle fibers to make them shorter. Doing this makes the meat more tender and easier to chew. In the case of flank steak, the grain is easy to see because the fibers are long and very apparent, so all you need to do is slice through them to cut the steak properly.
Expert Tips
- Slowly cook the onions. For the most flavorful caramelized onions, you have to cook them slowly. Turn up the heat and you’re going to have fried onions not caramelized.
- Don’t overcook the meat. No problem tastewise and totally your preference if you want your meat well done, but you can still overcook it. So make sure to stop cooking it before it gets too tough.
- Make and eat. For the yummiest steak sandwich, eat it right after it’s grilled and assembled. Leftovers are tasty too, but fresh is always best.
Leftovers
Assembled sandwiches will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. And a leftover cold steak sandwich is delicious. However, if you would like to reheat, you can remove the steak with the caramelized onions from the sandwich and pop them in the microwave for a few minutes on medium to warm them up.
Other Delicious Sandwich Recipes To Try
- Easy Tuna Melt
- Cucumber Sandwiches
- Croque Monsieur
- Club Sandwich
- Turkish Gozleme with Lamb
- Hawaiian Ham And Cheese Stromboli
- BLT Sandwich
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Steak Sandwich
Ingredients
Steak Sandwich
- 2 pounds flank steak
- ½ teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- ½ teaspoon black pepper (or to taste)
- 4 ciabatta buns
- 2 cup baby arugula
- 4 tablespoons pesto
- 4 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 4 tablespoons mustard
- 2 tomatoes (sliced (optional))
Caramelized Onion
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 2 large onions (sliced)
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- ½ teaspoon pepper
Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
Caramelize Onions
- Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the sliced onion and stir. Cover with a lid and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the lid and stir in the sugar, salt and pepper. Cook for a further 10 minutes, until brown a bit and caramelize.
Grill The Steak
- Pat the steak dry with paper towels. Generously season it on both sides with salt and pepper. Using a grill or a skillet, cook the steaks to your preferred temperature and let them rest for 10 minutes.
Assemble Steak Sandwiches
- Slice the steak into thin strips against the grain. Cut the ciabatta buns in half horizontally.
- Spread a tablespoon of pesto on each bottom half of the buns, then top with ½ cup each of baby arugula, followed by steak slices, caramelized onions and tomatoes. Spread mustard and mayo on the top bun then place on top.
Notes
- Slowly cook the onions. For the most flavorful caramelized onions, you have to cook them slowly. Turn up the heat and you’re going to have fried onions not caramelized.
- Don’t overcook the meat. No problem tastewise and totally your preference if you want your meat well done, but you can still overcook it. So make sure to stop cooking it before it gets too tough.
- Make and eat. For the yummiest steak sandwich, eat it right after it’s grilled and assembled. Leftovers are tasty too, but fresh is always best.
- Assembled sandwiches will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. And a leftover cold steak sandwich is delicious. However, if you would like to reheat, you can remove the steak with the caramelized onions from the sandwich and pop them in the microwave for a few minutes on medium to warm them up.
Nutrition Information
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.
