Flank Steak with Creamy Orzo (30 Minutes, One-Pan)
Flank Steak with Creamy Orzo is a quick and easy 30-minute ONE-PAN comfort food! The steak is pan-seared in a cast iron skillet on the stovetop and combined with the creamy sun-dried tomato and spinach orzo. You'll love this combo of beef and pasta!
Season the flank steak on both sides with ¼ teaspoon of smoked paprika and ¼ teaspoon of chili powder, and season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper. You can use more than ¼ teaspoon of salt.
Heat an empty large (12-inch) cast-iron skillet over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the whole flank steak and cook on medium heat for 5 minutes, without moving it so that it sears nicely.
Flip the flank steak over to the other side, reduce heat to low-medium, and cook for 5 minutes or more until it is cooked to your liking.
As 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 to a plate. Slice the steak against the grain into thin strips about 1 inch wide. If the steak is too undercooked to your liking, add the sliced steak back to the skillet and cook some more. Remove it from the skillet.
Make creamy orzo
To the same, now empty, skillet, add uncooked orzo, chopped sun-dried tomatoes (drained of any olive oil), minced garlic, and Italian seasoning. Sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon salt, and cook on medium heat for about 2 minutes, stirring.
Add chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer (medium-low) and cook for about 5 or 10 minutes, occasionally stirring to prevent the orzo from sticking to the bottom of the pan, until cooked through.
Add fresh spinach during the last 5 minutes of cooking the orzo.
Add ½ cup of half-and-half. Stir everything on low-medium heat.
Season with salt and more paprika, if desired.
Assembly
Add sliced cooked steak to the orzo and reheat gently on medium heat for about 2 or 4 minutes.
When serving, sprinkle a small amount of red pepper flakes over the steak and orzo and top with fresh thyme.
Notes
What is half-and-half? Use ¼ cup of milk + ¼ cup of heavy cream instead of ½ cup of half-and-half.
Make it DAIRY-FREE. You can use unsweetened coconut milk, oat, cashew, or almond milk instead of half-and-half.
Make it GLUTEN-FREE. Use GF orzo or cooked rice (jasmine or basmati).