Sous vide Asian flank steak is the perfect balance of tender and bold. Cook at 129°F (54°C) for 2 hours, then sear to caramelized perfection. The soy, sesame, and ginger marinade adds deep flavor to every slice—great for rice bowls or meal prep.
Updated October 2025 – Verified 129°F / 54°C for 2 hours, refined marinade ratios and sear instructions for best results.
At a Glance
- Cut: Flank Steak
- Temperature: 129°F / 54°C
- Cook Time: 2 hours
- Finish: Sear for 1–2 minutes per side
- Flavor: Soy, sesame, garlic, and ginger
Tender, marinated flank steak with rich sesame and ginger flavor—perfect for slicing thin and serving over rice.
This sous vide asian marinated flank steak is a straight mouthgasm. First off, sous vide flank steak is simply unbelievable. It is insanely tender and juicy with great flavor. The definition of perfection.
Then you add a marinade of soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger and garlic to the steak and you have the perfect flavor profile.
Do yourself a favor and make this recipe stat.
Packaging
An essential part of cooking sous vide is putting ingredients in an air-tight bag or container. The two most common techniques to package your ingredients are vacuum sealing and using the water displacement method.
A vacuum sealer removes all the air and seals the contents of a plastic bag through a vacuum. Ensuring the food is airtight and properly sealed prevents the bag from floating, which can result in uneven cooking. If you are in the market for a vacuum sealer, I’d recommend the Anova sealer.
The displacement method is a technique where you first place your food and marinades in a sous vide bag, submerge the bag in a container of water, and allow the pressure to force all the air out of the bag.
Both of these methods work for this recipe, so use whichever you feel more comfortable with!
Flank Steak Time and Temperature
Through loads of experimentation, we’ve found that cooking asian marinated flank steak at 54C/129F for 2 hours is the perfect combo. Cooking the flank steak for two hours break down the connective tissue (collagen), which results in extremely tender, juicy beef. Also, cooking the steak at a temperature of 129F ensures that the beef is a beautiful medium rare with great texture.
Just make sure you have a reliable sous vide that accurately regulates the temperature of the bath or your results may vary (check out the Anova or Joule).
Although this is our favorite time and temperature, we recommend you explore different combinations to find your personal favorite. Our cooking guide can always help you find your perfect time and temperature.
Can You Sous Vide Frozen Steak?
The quick answer is, absolutely! Cooking frozen foods sous vide is an ultra convenient, safe way to prepare your protein. Just take the food directly from the fridge, repackage it (unless you know the bag is sous vide safe) and let the sous vide work its magic.
The only thing you’ll need to adjust is the cook time. If you are cooking frozen flank steak sous vide we recommend adding an additional hour to the cook time, so three hours total.
Best Way to Sear Beef After Sous Vide
Searing is the most critical step in the sous vide process. Getting a deep, rich sear can make your food look like it is Michelin star quality. Failing to do so will make your dinner guests wonder why they let you cook again.
If you want to get an amazing sear on your steak, you’ve got to:
1. Pat the meat completely dry with a paper towel
2. Season generously with salt or seasoning of your choice
3. Sear at extremely high temperatures.
First, pat the meat completely dry using paper towels. After the meat is dry, lightly brush the steak with olive oil then season generously with salt and pepper or a seasoning of choice. Note that brushing with olive oil is optional, but will allow the seasoning to stick to the meat better and results in a deeper sear.
At this point you want to determine the best searing method. For flank steak, we suggest pan searing, grilling or using a searing torch. The trick is getting the pan, grill or torch extremely hot, then searing for 1 to 2 minutes on each side. This results in a quick, high-quality sear without overcooking the steak.
Special Equipment
Sous Vide Machine – This one is obvious. To cook sous vide, you’re going to need a device to precisely regulate the temperature of the bath water. The two best sous vide machines in the game right now are the Anova Precision Cooker and the Breville Joule.
The main difference between the two is that with the Anova you can control the device both manually and with a mobile device, and with the Joule you can only control the device by using your mobile device. Either way, both sous vide machines are top class and you can’t go wrong with either choice.
12-quart Container – Although you can use a basic stockpot for your sous vide cooking needs, I highly recommend buying a large plastic container. They are inexpensive and spacious, so you won’t have to worry about cooking a big roast in a small pot. I recommend a 12 quart Rubbermaid container, as it is BPA free, sturdy, and large enough for just about anything you will be cooking.
Container Lid – If you are going to buy a plastic container, I highly suggest buying a compatible lid for it. When you sous vide for a long duration, the heat of the water causes evaporation. With a lid, it eliminates a majority of the evaporation so you can cook for hours care-free.
Cast Iron Skillet – If you are looking to take your searing game to the next level, we recommend investing in a cast iron skillet. By using a cast iron in this recipe, you’ll achieve a deep sear on the protein. Cast irons are also extremely handy for searing just about any and all sous vide meat. Lodge offers the best quality and price, which is why it is our favorite cast iron brand.
Next Level Sous Vide –Looking to take your sous vide skills to the next level? The Next Level Sous Vide eCookbook will push your culinary boundaries with 65 delicious recipes that are equally approachable and tasty. With pro tips and a detailed explanation of the sous vide process, you will be on your way to maximize your sous vide skills.
Check out our full list of recommended gear here.
Sous Vide Asian Marinated Flank Steak
Ingredients
- 2 lbs flank steak
- ½ cup low sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon ginger, grated
- 3 cloves garlic
- toasted sesame seeds, garnish
- green onions, sliced for garnish
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
Preparation
Set sous vide machine to 54C/129F.
In a bowl, mix together soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger and garlic.
Put the flank steak in a freezer bag with the sauce mixture, and remove the air through a vacuum sealer or the displacement method. Drop beef in the bath for 2 hours.
Finishing
Remove bag from bath. Take steak out of the bag, pat dry and lightly season with salt and pepper to taste.
Heat a large skillet on high and add oil. Sear for 1 to 2 minutes on each side. Remove from pan and place on plate to rest. Garnish with sesame seeds and green onions, serve and enjoy!
Wow! This recipe is everything. The marinade makes the flank steak incredible.
I will have to make this soon. One question: does the steak get marinated PRIOR to cooking?
If you have the time I would definitely marinade for prior to cooking!
how do you adjust for smaller steaks? I have one that is 1.5 lbs.
I would still cook it at the same time and temperatures, but you may want to slightly scale back the marinade quantity.
Planning to do this for group of 12 and will use 2 larger flank steaks from Costco. Can my 12 qt. plastic container cook both steaks at the same time?
Hi Dawn, yes your 12 qt container should be able to fit both the large flank steaks. My suggestion though would be to package each flank steak in individual bags.
Have you tried this recipe with other cuts of beef?
I've tried it with a tri tip and ribeye and it was delicious!
Raw garlic in the anaerobic sous vide environment has, potentially lethal, dangers. Does the relatively short cook time eliminate this risk from consideration? Thanks for any guidance.
Hi David, food safety is something I take very seriously and consider before creating every recipe. For this particular recipe, adding raw garlic to the bag is very low risk since botulism stops making spores around 122°F to 126°F (50°C to 52°C). Since we are cooking the beef above that zone for a relatively short cook, the garlic should be safe. Just make sure you are using proper food handling protocols and there should not be an issue.
Hello to both, I ferment my garlic and make a paste out of it, this eliminates the risk of botulism entirely, however to be sure you should test the PH of the garlic paste to make sure it reached the acidity level necessary to kill the spores
We have a Sous Vide cookbook from America’s Test Kitchen and they recommended using garlic powder instead of raw garlic. It works great for us.
If I wanted to make it medium well, what time and temp would you suggest?
Hi Shahal, 2 hours at 149F should be a nice medium well.
Hi,
I am planning to make this recipe soon, but as it is a marinade and I do not have low sodium soy sauce, should I dilute with water or go ahead and use the full amount with regular soy sauce?
Thanks!
Hi Anna, I would use about 1/3 of a cup of regular soy sauce and about 2 Tbsp of water to dilute to down. Hope this helps, and enjoy!
This turned out sensationally! Thanks!
Hello - quick question - have you ever marinated the steak overnight or for 48 hours before sous vide? Would this hurt or make the beef too well done ?
Hi Stacey, I've done an overnight marinade and it was fantastic. Have never done 48 hours because I worry it'll negatively impact the steak.
Thanks - just an fyi Jason - I did a 48 hour on it and OMG it was delicious!!!!! Came out perfect...
Amazing!! I'm so glad to hear and thank you for updating me. I will definitely try a 48 hour cook now.
Hi Stacey! Did you marinade the steak for 48hours and then cook it according to the recipe? Or did you cook it for 48hours please?
Can I marinade and then freeze to cook at a later date?
Yes you can!
This is the way I always do it. I love, love, love this recipe, as does my husband and two adult sons, and our tastebuds all agree it's even better when I'm cooking a flank steak that was in the marinade in the freezer first (because of the time involved in the marinade, of course, not because of the freezing). I've never done what you suggest, Jason, and put it straight from the freezer into the sous vide for an extra hour, but let it thaw overnight, and always figure it's that extra marinade time that takes from fabulous to without-words glorious.
When I make a 2 pound sirloin I cook it at 133 for 6 hours and it comes out medium rare. Is 2 hours long enough?
Yes, 2 hours is a great time for flank steak!
I added two teaspoons of vinegar (half rice/half Japanese black rice vinegar), based on previous marinades using something acidic to assist tenderizing), let it sit in fridge for about 3 hours before cooking at 131 degrees for two hours (compromise between rare-loving and medium-loving diners). I had to fold my steak in half to fit it into my sous vide bag. It was excellent-very tender, juicy, and flavorful, definitely redder than in your picture (perhaps from folding it into a thicker piece)-a shade redder than medium rare, but cooked to a perfect texture and consistency. I boiled down the marinade to pour over the meat and rice. Served with sautéed spinach tossed with a little soy/rice vinegar/sesame oil, topped with shredded nori. A most excellent dinner. Not one leftover.
I could on find flat iron steak unfortunately. Would you change the length of time for cooking?
Hi Rina, it really depends how thick it is. I would say if it's under 2 inches then 2-3 hours should be perfect. Enjoy!
Looks like a great recipe thanks. Trying it today. One question- Should the garlic be minced/chopped or just left as whole cloves?
So sorry for the late reply! The garlic should be minced for this recipe.
What Do you think about using the marinade after to make a sauce with some flour or cornstarch simmer and mixup with maybe broccoli? Or pitch the marinade and make the sauce from scratch?
I think that is a phenomenal idea. The marinade with some cornstarch would go perfect with broccoli, veggies, or stir fry. I would recommend making extra marinade to use for this, as the marinade you use in the bag may have additional, unwanted flavors from the meat.
I never comment on recipes, but this came out so absolutely incredible that I needed to come back and say so! I used a 1.75lb flank steak for the same amount of time and temperature; it was perfect. Thank you!
Jason, I was recently introduced to sous vide cooking in my old age. I’m still cooking!
My first try with sous vide was cooking a flank steak which I had always done in a marinade and then cooked in an iron skillet. It always came out good except it wasn’t cooked evenly. Anyway, my question is this: after marinating the flank steak overnight, how long should I sous vide it to a med rare stage? Thanks for sharing what you’ve learned.
Linda
Hi Linda, amazing to hear that you've been introduced to sous vide and are giving it a try! I would sous vide for 2 hours at 129F for medium-rare. It should be edge to edge medium rare, even after searing it off in a cast iron. If you have any more questions please let me know!
Hi! I’m excited to try this tonight! Can you suggest a way to serve with rice noodles? Thank you!
This was excellent!!! I let it soak up the marinade for a few hours before cooking and the flavor was incredible. This one goes in the regular rotation … texture, flavor, everything was perfection. Thank you!
Hi can you marinate it in the vacuum sealed bag? Or should I just marinate it in a ziploc then switch it to the vacuum sealed bag, thanks!
Can I use this recipe for T-bone steak?
Just tried this, cooked for 3 hours and it was great. Definitely the best way to cook flank steak and have it come out tender!