Perfectly grilled with a hint of smoke and a touch of char, a Grilled Bavette Steak is a meat lover’s dream. This fabulous cut is perfect for the grill, producing a tender, beefy, and juicy steak that pairs deliciously with so many different sides.

close up of sliced bavette steak to show the grain in juicy slices over.

Bavette steak is the French word for bib, or thin cut, which also refers to flank steak. Also called a Butcher’s Cut steak because, for a long while, butchers would keep this fantastic cut of beef for themselves. Today, you can find bavette steaks – often labeled as flank steaks – in most grocery stores and butcher shops.

Sources disagree on if the bavette steak is just another name for flank steak, so I checked with the beef pros at the beef council, and according to the North American Meat Institute Meat Book, bavette comes from the sirloin primal, above where the flank steak would be cut from. However, a quick internet search for bavette and it appears synonymous with flank steak.

I love this cut – it takes to seasonings, marinades, and flavors so nicely, and with plenty of beefy flavor, it is delicious on its own or as an ingredient in other dishes. 

sliced char-grilled bavette steak sitting on a bed of arugula garnished with salt and snipped parsley on black slate.

Bavette Steak Vs. Skirt Steak

These two steaks are somewhat similar in appearance – both being long and thin with visible muscle strands, but the similarities stop there. They are cut from different areas of the cow, and skirt steak is pretty tough and fibrous, while a good bavette steak is meaty and tender.

How To Buy Bavette Steak

Good steaks will be well-aged so that they’re tender and delicious. Count on about 8 ounces of uncooked steak per person.

Go to a reputable butcher or busy meat counter at your grocery store and look for steaks that are uniform in shape and size (so they cook evenly). You also want to watch for meat that is bright red, and firm to the touch.

They may be labeled as flap steak, bavette steak, or even flank steak. This bavette steak was ordered from PorterRoad, where they also sell whole bavette.

Close up of a raw bavette steak to show grain.

What You Need To Make The Best Grilled Bavette Steaks

You need delicious butter and a fresh slab of meat for this delicious campfire Grilled Bavette Steak. You can make the compound butter recipe ahead of time so it is ready to go.

For the umami butter:

  • Butter – Salted butter is fine; at room temperature.
  • GirlCarnivore Oomami seasoning

For the steak:

  • Bavette steak – about 1 pound (to feed two people). Feel like splurging? Look for an American Wagyu bavette steak!
  • Salt – I like using coarse salt, like kosher salt.
  • Parsley – Chopped fresh herbs add a lovely pop of flavor.
  • Salt and pepper – Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper to garnish the steak.
Sliced bavette steak over arugula on black slate.

How To Make This Grilled Bavette Steak Recipe

Mix the butter and GirlCarnivore Oomami seasoning in a bowl. Chill it in the fridge until you’re ready to use it.

Prep the charcoal grill by lighting the coals and letting them burn down to 70% ashed over. 

Arrange the coals in a pile in the center of the grill and open the air vents to allow the grill to heat up.

Once the grill reaches 425 to 475-F, clean the grill grates.

Bavette steak seasoned with salt.

Pat the steaks dry and season with salt.

Bavette steak hitting the grill; Seasoned with salt and over the goals.

Place the steak over direct heat over the hot coals and grill for 3-5 minutes, rotating once before flipping. Rotate as needed to avoid flare-ups. Cook the steak until it reaches 130-F for medium-rare (or until the desired doneness) with an instant-read thermometer. Move the steak to indirect heat if it gets too charred.

Remove the steak from the grill, place the butter on top of the beef bavette, tent with foil and let it rest for a few minutes.

Char grilled bavette steak over coals on the grill.

Slice the steak across the grain and serve.

Showing a bavette steak being sliced against the grain to improve texture.

How To Serve Char-Grilled Bavette Steaks

I love this steak on a plate with tasty sides, but I will also make enough for leftovers just so that I can use the leftover steak in other ways, including:

  • Sliced on top of salads, like my favorite grilled romaine salad with these steaks!
  • Sliced thinly for tacos
  • It’s excellent in sandwiches
  • Try it diced on top of baked potatoes
  • Jazz up your nachos with leftover steak

Additionally, we love serving this grilled bavette steak with homemade cilantro chimichurri to drizzle over top.

Storage Instructions

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat it gently (or eat it cold or at room temperature) so that you don’t overcook it.

Side shot close up of a sliced bavette steak to show the gran and color.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a bavette steak the same as a skirt steak?
No, these are two different cuts. The bavette steak comes from the bottom sirloin near the flank, while the skirt is cut from the chest.

How long does it take to cook bavette steak?
That will depend on how hot your grill is and how cold the steak is when you put it on the grill. I like to let my steaks sit at room temperature before grilling, and over a hot grill, this steak should be ready to eat in under 20 minutes (including resting time).

How do you cut a bavette steak?
A bavette steak has pronounced grains, and unless you cut it thinly across the grain, the meat will be tough and chewy. Notice which way the meat grains run, then cut perpendicularly to them. Slices about ¼ to ⅓ inch thin are perfect.

Above shot of sliced bavette steak that was grilled over charcoal arranged over a bed of green arugula and garnished with sprinkles of flakey salt.

Other Grilled Steak Recipes

Grilled Bavette Steak Recipe

5 from 16 votes
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Resting Time: 5 minutes
Total: 35 minutes
Servings: 2
When it comes to perfectly cooked char-grilled bavette steaks, this recipe is so simple with a steakhouse umami butter melted over top and sliced against the grain to a medium rare perfection for tender, juicy, flavourvul bites.

Ingredients  

Umami Butter:

Steak:

  • 1 lbs Bavette Steak
  • 1 tsp salt

Garnish

  • Minced parsley
  • Salt & fresh cracked black pepper to taste

Instructions 

Make the umami butter:

  • Mix the butter and Ooomami together in a bowl.
  • Place in a container until ready to use and chill in the fridge.

Prep the grill:

  • Light your coals and allow them to become 70% ashed over before prepping your grill for direct heat.
  • Arrange the coals in a pile in the center of the grill and open the air vents to allow for the grill to heat up.
  • Once the grill has heated to 425 to 475, clean the grill grates.

Prep the steak:

  • Pat the steak dry, trim if needed and season with salt.

Grill the bavette steak:

  • Place the steak over direct heat by placing the steak directly over the hot coals.
  • Grill for 3 to 5 minutes, rotating once while grilling before flipping and continuing to cook directly over the heat, rotating as needed to avoid flare ups, until the steak reaches 130F internally

Rest:

  • Remove fron the grill, place the butter on top and tent with foil.
  • Allow the steak to rest 5 to 7 minutes before slicing.
  • Slice thin against the grain.
  • Garnish with minced fresh parsley and season with salt and fresh black pepper to serve.

Notes

Ideal over salads, tacos, baked potatoes, or in sandwiches.
The trick to this cut is the grain. You want to make sure that you slice against the grain on a bias. This slices the long muscle fibers into short strands making for the most tender bite! If you slice with the grain, this steak will be tough. 
If you’re serving someone for the first time, slice this steak for them, that way they get even slices that were cut properly for the best experience. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 525kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 46g | Fat: 38g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 17g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 153mg | Sodium: 1326mg | Potassium: 616mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 212IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 4mg
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, barbeque
Author: Kita Roberts

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Well, Hey, Y’all.

Kita is a multi-talented individual, boasting numerous accomplishments such as being an award-winning recipe developer, world-traveled professional photographer, and journalist. As the lead creative force behind Girl Carnivore®, she is widely recognized as an authority on all things meat.

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