Steak and green sauce are a classic pairing! This version is inspired by Argentina’s famous chimichurri but with a twist—it’s made with spinach, garlic, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and a blend of spices. It’s super easy to whip up in a food processor and will elevate your next steak dinner to something special!
Steak with green sauce
This is one of my most-made recipes at home, and I’ve been making it for over 10 years. Yet today is the first time I’m finally sharing it on the blog—long overdue, according to my husband! This dish has been a hit with family and friends, whether I’ve made it in Colorado, Arizona, New York City, or anywhere else where I have access to a kitchen. It's truly a family staple, and I’m excited to finally publish it.
This recipe brings together some of my favorite ingredients: pan-seared flank steak, fresh spinach, and sweet potatoes (or yams). My family and friends affectionately refer to it as "steak with green sauce." The sauce has a texture similar to pesto or South American chimichurri, but it’s made by blending spinach with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, chili powder, cumin, and salt in a food processor. It’s a hit with everyone—family, friends, and especially my husband. I usually pair this steak and green sauce with mashed sweet potatoes (or yams), as their sweetness perfectly balances the flavors of the steak and the zesty sauce. Recently, I experimented with a variation of this recipe, swapping out the sweet potatoes for corn and feta cheese as the side dish, and it was a huge hit with the family, judge it for yourself: Flank Steak with Corn, Feta, and Spinach Sauce. And, while we are on the subject of flank steak, you might as well try this Garlic Butter Steak with Brussels Sprouts and Butternut Squash.
Alternatives to flank steak
If you're looking for alternatives to flank steak for pan-searing, here are some great options. These cuts work well with similar cooking times and cooking techniques:
- Skirt Steak – Similar in texture to flank steak, it's also thin and cooks quickly.
- Hanger Steak – Tender and flavorful, this cut pan sears well and has a rich beefy taste. I've been ordering the hanger steak cut recently in restaurants and love the flavor!
- Flat Iron Steak – Known for its tenderness, this steak is moderately marbled and has a great texture and flavor.
- Sirloin Steak – A bit thicker but still pan-sears nicely with a good balance of tenderness and flavor.
- Ribeye Steak (boneless) – Marbled and juicy, I've used ribeye many times for pan-searing - it works well if you don't have access to any other meat cuts, but is the least favorite of the above 4 alternatives (for pan-searing).
Side dishes to serve with flank steak
Even though steak with green sauce (and mashed sweet potatoes) is a complete, well-balanced meal, you can use other side dishes here instead of sweet potatoes. Here are some ideas:
- Parmesan Mashed Potatoes with Roasted Garlic
- Scalloped Potatoes with Garlic, Thyme, and Parmesan cheese
- Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic Glaze and Pine Nuts
- Cheesy Baked Asparagus with Gruyere cheese, Garlic, and Bacon
Storage and reheating tips
- Fridge. Store the leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Freezer. This recipe freezes well! For best results, freeze the spinach sauce separately from the rest of the ingredients.
- Reheat in the microwave oven. Reheat gently in a microwave oven for about 1 minute. Taste and reheat for 30 seconds more, if needed. If possible, keep the spinach sauce separate and do not reheat it.
- Reheat on the stovetop. Heat the leftovers in a large, high-sided skillet on the stovetop on low-medium heat. Add a tablespoon of olive oil to prevent them from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
Make-ahead tips
This recipe is great for prepping ahead! You can easily do most of the work a day before. Here’s how:
- Prepare mashed sweet potatoes a day in advance. You can do this by roasting the potatoes in the oven or boiling them in a pot of hot water. Keep mashed sweet potatoes in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Prepare the spinach sauce up to 2 days ahead, keeping it chilled in a mason jar.
- On the day of, all you will have to do is pan-sear the steak, warm up the mashed sweet potatoes, and serve everything drizzled with the delicious spinach sauce. And, don't forget to add butter on top of hot sweet potatoes.
Other flank steak recipes you might like
- Flank Steak with Creamy Spinach and Sun-Dried Tomato Orzo
- Garlic Butter Steak with Brussels Sprouts and Butternut Squash
Looking for more beef recipes?
- Mexican Ground Beef
- Thai Basil Beef
- Asian Beef with Mushrooms and Snow Peas
- Black Bean and Beef Enchilada Casserole
Steak with Green Sauce
Ingredients
Sweet Potatoes
- 3 large sweet potatoes or yams
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons salted butter room temperature
- salt and coarsely ground black pepper to taste
Spinach Sauce
- 5 oz fresh baby spinach
- 1 large clove garlic
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Steak
- 1 lb flank steak
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- black pepper freshly ground, to taste
- 3 tablespoons olive oil divided
Garnish
- 3 tablespoons salted butter
- chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
- freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Mashed sweet potatoes
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Wash and rub the sweet potatoes under warm running water to remove debris and dirt, pat them dry with paper towels, then slice each lengthwise in half.
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Rub the cut sides of sweet potatoes with olive oil and season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place the sweet potatoes (cut sides down) on the baking sheet.
- Bake for about 30 minutes (or longer), until the potatoes are soft when you poke them with the fork.
- Remove the roasted sweet potatoes from the oven and let me cool slightly. Remove the skins, and mash the soft flesh with 2 tablespoons of butter in a large bowl. Set aside.
Make spinach sauce
- While you roast the sweet potatoes, prepare the spinach sauce.
- In a food processor, combine spinach, garlic, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, cumin, chili powder, and salt. Close with the lid.
- Process/blend for about 3 or 5 minutes until the mixture is smooth. (⬆️ To see the consistency of the spinach sauce - refer to the photos above this recipe card - scroll up ⬆️).
- Turn off the food processor and remove the sharp centerpiece. Using a flexible spatula, pour the sauce from the food processor into a medium-deep bowl. Set aside.
Steak
- Season the flank steak on both sides with chili powder, salt, and freshly ground black pepper, using 1 tablespoon of olive oil to rub the spices in. Add more seasoning to taste.
- Heat an empty large (at least 12-inch) cast-iron skillet over medium heat for 3 minutes. This allows the cast-iron skillet to heat through. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the whole flank steak and cook on one side on medium heat for a total of 5 minutes. Move the steak slightly around the pan in the first minute so that it doesn't stick to the bottom.
- Flip the flank steak over to the other side, reduce heat to low-medium, and cook for about 5 minutes or more until the steak is cooked to your liking. As a guidance, the meat thermometer should register 130°F for medium-rare, and 145°F for medium in the thickest part of the steak (FDA-recommended safe internal cooking temperature for steak is 145°F).
- Remove the steak from the skillet and put it on a plate. Slice the steak against the grain into thin strips about 1-inch wide.
- To the same, now empty, cast-iron skillet, add 1 more tablespoon of olive oil. Add cooked and sliced flank steak, and reheat it coating it thoroughly with the olive oil sauce (and all the juices and spices in the pan) on medium heat for a minute or two. If your steak looks too undercooked to your taste, you can cook it more thoroughly in this step. Season with salt and pepper, if needed. Remove from heat.
Assembly
- Divide pan-seared flank steak and mashed sweet potatoes (warm them up if needed!) among 4 serving plates. Drizzle the steak with the spinach sauce in some spots. Top hot mashed potatoes with butter and coarsely ground black pepper.
- Top with chopped fresh cilantro or parsley.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer:
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
This is so creative and looks amazing! But I do wish you stop with DM the recipe, and just post the recipe in the comments or within the post on FB like you used to! But definitely trying this one, just wish your recipes were more easily accessible on FB.
Hi Petra, I’m currently trying out a new approach for my Facebook posts. It looks like using the DM feature helps more people access the recipes. I’ll be keeping an eye on how it goes and might change the strategy over the next couple of weeks.