Juicy, tender steak for a fraction of the cost? Let’s talk London broil. This affordable cut is notorious for being tough, but trust us—we’ve mastered the art of saving supermarket steaks. Over the last few decades, we’ve become meat masters, obsessed with maximizing value.
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This grilled London broil is an update of a recipe that’s been around for generations. But what we wanted to know is, could we make it better. And, 100%, we did. No more sawing through tough, chewy London Broil that overstays its welcome. Our triple-tested grilling method transforms this budget-friendly cut into juicy, melt-in-your-mouth perfection with a lick-the-plate smoky char.
This beef recipe is here to shake things up. It’s a love letter to the often-overlooked London broil, a cheap cut of meat that, with a little marinade magic and some basic grilling techniques, becomes a weeknight regular once again.
What Is London Broil?
London Broil—is it a cut or a method? Well, both, actually. It’s actually the term used to describe a handful of cuts of beef or a cooking method, like marinating for hours. In this case, we’re talking about a top round steak or top round roast. Found at every grocery store from coast to coast, it’s a lean cut that’s budget-friendly that’s been a steak night option for families for ages.
This cut of meat is typically overlooked because it can be tougher and takes a little extra effort. But don’t worry. All you need for a foolproof London Broil is a luscious marinade, much like a grilled flank steak, and to not grill it past a steak temp of medium rare. The final secret to a steak that would make Ruth’s Chris a little jealous it to slice it into thin strips against the grain.
Grilled London Broil Ingredients
- London Broil – We used a USDA Choice London Broil. This cut is also known as top round steak or sometimes is even flank steak. It’s a lean cut of beef.
- London Broil Marinade – We use an Italian olive oil based marinade for the beef, involving white wine vinegar, dijon mustard, lemon juice, and other spices.
- Compound butter to serve – Adding a little butter to your London Broil after cooking provides excellent flavor and creates the perfect juicy steak.
- Salt and pepper for garnish – we love a little flakey salt and coarse black pepper for sprinkling on our steaks before dishing them up.
How to Grill London Broil
See our notes in the recipe card below for how to cook this on a gas grill or a charcoal grill.
Prep the London Broil
- Marinate the Steak: First, take the London broil out of its package and pat it dry with a paper towel then pop it into a gallon-sized resealable bag. Pour marinade all over the London broil. Seal the bag tightly, squeezing out as much air as you can.
- Once sealed, massage the bag with your hands. This helps ensure that both sides of the beef are coated in the delicious marinade.
- Finally, pop the bag in the fridge for a vacation. Let it marinate for 8 to 16 hours, getting all flavorful and tender.
Prep the Grill
- When you’re ready to cook, get your grill fired up. You want a two-zone fire, which means having one side hotter than the other. There are instructions for charcoal grills and gas grills below in the recipe card, so skip to whichever one you’re using.
- No matter which grill you’re using, make sure the grates are clean and oiled. You don’t want your London broil to get stuck!
Cooking the London Broil
- Take your marinated London broil out of the fridge. Place it on the cooler side of the grill and let it cook for 90 seconds. Then, using long tongs, give it a 90-degree turn to create those beautiful grill marks.
- After another 90 seconds, flip the steak over. Keep an eye on it and rotate it as needed for even cooking. You want the internal temperature to reach 120 degrees F according to your instant-read thermometer, which should take between 8 to 10 minutes, depending on the thickness of your steak.
- If you want a nice sear on the outside, you can move the steak to the hotter side of the grill for about a minute per side. This will give it a delicious crust as the internal temp increases to 125 degrees F.
- Once cooked, take the steak off the grill and place a few dollops of compound butter over it. Then, loosely cover it with aluminum foil to let the meat rest for 10 minutes. The butter will melt as the steak rests, coating the meat in even more rich umami flavor.
Slicing and Serving
- After resting, it’s time to slice. But there’s a trick: cut against the grain. This means cutting across the thin muscle fibers, making the meat nice and tender. Slice it into thin slices, about a quarter inch thick, for easy serving.
Grilled London Broil Marinade
The key to the perfect London Broil is a good marinade. We use our own London Broil marinade ,but feel free to use whatever type of marinade you like. Our traditional steak marinade or zesty flank steak marinade are also great options for this cut.
What to Serve With London Broil
Since you’re already firing up the grill for that delicious London broil, why not take advantage of the outdoors and cook up some amazing sides all at once? For a vibrant and flavorful accompaniment, try our BBQ-glazed smoked brussels sprouts with bacon.
Want something lighter? Look no further than our grilled asparagus in foil. And, of course, no summer cookout is complete without classic grilled corn in the husks or the classic grilled corn on the cob slathered in butter.
How to Store Grilled London Broil
If you have leftover London Broil, store it in an airtight container for 3-4 days. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months. Before reheating, make sure you allow your leftover London Broil to thaw in the fridge overnight.
Since London Broil is one of the tougher cuts of beef, you want to be careful when reheating as you don’t want to dry the meat out. We recommend letting your leftover London Broil sit out to reach room temperature before reheating.
Then, preheat your oven to 250ºF and place the meat on a baking sheet or wire rack. Wrap it in foil and reheat the beef for 20-30 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 100ºF. Then, heat up a large skillet over medium-high heat with a little oil or butter. Reverse-sear the steak until the crust has crisped up again. You only want to sear the outside of the beef, not cook the inside any longer.
More Grilling Recipes
Beef Recipes
Grilled Prime Rib
Beef Recipes
Grilled Bone in Ribeye Steaks
Beef Recipes
Grilled Flank Steak
There you have it. A weeknight hero, a budget-friendly superstar. This grilled London broil might not be the fanciest cut on the block, but with a good marinade and a little grill time, it transforms into something both impressive and, dare we say, elegant.
Have you tried this recipe? Do us a favor and rate the recipe card with the ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ and drop a comment to help out the next reader.
Grilled London Broil Recipe
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs London Broil
- 1 cup London Broil Marinade
- 2 tbsp Compound butter to serve
- Salt and pepper for garnish
Instructions
Marinate the London Broil
- Remove the London broil from the package and pat dry with paper towels.
- Place the meat in a gallon size resealable ziplock bag.
- Pour the marinade over the London broil and seal the bag, removing as much excess air as possible.
- When the bag is sealed, use your hands to make sure both sides of the beef has been coated with the marinade.
- Place in the fridge for 8 to 16 hours.
Preheat the Grill
- When ready to cook, preheat a grill for a two-zone fire. See notes for charcoal grills.
- Clean and oil the grill grates.
Grill the London Broil
- Remove the marinated London broil from the bag and place the beef on the grill grates on the cool side of the grill.
- Allow the meat to cook for 90 seconds, then, using long tongs, rotate the beef 90 degrees to create sear marks.
- After another 90 seconds, flip the meat and continue to cook it, rotating as needed for even cooking, until the London Broil reaches 120 degrees F with an instant read thermometer.
- If desired transfer the steak to the hot side of the grill and sear for another minute on both sides, adding more crust.
Rest and Serve
- Remove the steak from the grill. Top it with compound butter and tent loosely with foil.
- Allow the steak to rest for 10 minutes before slicing against the grain into thin strips to serve.
Notes
- Preheat the grill by igniting all the burners and allowing the grill to preheat. If you want to smoke on a gas grill, add a smoker box over the hot side of the grill with wood chips now. We love Jack Daniels Wood Chips for steaks.
- Clean and oil the grill grates.
- Close the lid of the grill and allow it to preheat for 10 minutes.
- Turn 2 of the 4 (or 2 of the 3 burners) off to create a 2 zone fire.
- Add the steak to the cooler side of the grill and follow the directions for grilling.
- Use a charcoal chimney to light charcoal. When it’s 70% ashed over, arrange the coals on one side of the grill to create a two-zone fire.
- Place the grill grates over the coals and clean them.
- Cover the grill with the lid and adjust the air vents to allow the grill to preheat to 375 – 400 degrees F.
- When the grill is holding an even temperature, add the London boil to the hot side of the grill.
- Allow the steak to cook for 90 seconds before rotating 90 degrees and grilling for another 90 seconds with the lid closed.
- Flip the steak and place it on the cooler side of the grill, cover the lid and allow the steak to cook until it reaches medium-rare to medium doneness, using an instant read thermometer.
Nutrition
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London Broil on Grill FAQs
You can typically find this budget-friendly beef and your local grocery store or butcher. It’s synonmyous with several cuts; typically a flank steak, top-round steak, or another tougher cut of meat. But we use a top-round.
A London Broil is not actually from London, despite its name. This cut of beef was given the name to add class and elegance. Ironically, this cut of meat is affordable.
Plan ahead! Ideally, marinate your London broil for at least 8 hours, but overnight is even better. The longer it marinates, the more tender and flavorful it will become.
It shouldn’t take more than 20 minutes total between heating up the grill and grilling the meat. The broil itself only takes around 3-4 minutes of grilling to reach medium rare.
This recipe covers using a charcoal grill and a gas grill.
Because this cut of beef packs such a bold, beefy flavor, it’s best to pair it with a lighter, softer wine like a red blend or a soft Cabernet Sauvignon.
