Slow Cooker Flank Steak and Gravy

How to Cook Flank Steak in Crockpot

Seriously, beef in a slow cooker is the way to go. Makes fresh and even Crockpot frozen roast pieces of thick proteins fork tender and delicious with little to no prep work. Smothering them with a thick flavorful gravy is a must if you ask my family. Takes us back to our childhood because that’s just the way our grandmothers cooked.

Throw in some mushrooms and onions are always a cheap way to bring yum and texture to any dish. You can literally throw it all in when you get up in the morning and when everyone is finally home and hangry it’s ready and falling apart. Don’t expect to slice this, it’s too tender for that, it’s more like the most incredible pulled beef you’ll love.

Let’s talk a little bit about slow cooking shall we?? First off I have a few different varieties and I love them all. Each one has an occasion to be used like….

1. This is my favorite 6 quart programmable one with a locking lid so it’s great for bringing to a potluck too.
2. I prefer not to use liners, but rather just spray olive oil inside before adding my food for easier cleanups.

Let me give you a peek of my pretty thang I bought recently. It goes with my kitchen so I can just leave it out on the countertop all the time. 😉

Slow Cooker Flank Steak

I will say that a thick gravy is a must to serve together. It adds flavor and moisture to the entire dish. Make a bit spicy if you would like, make homemade or use a ready made jar.

Does flank steak get more tender the longer you cook it?

Yep, basically. That means if you get back an hour after you thought you would it won’t be ruined. It actually might be better than you initially thought it would be. Like I said, just don’t have the expectation that you’ll be able to get a nice pretty slice out of it. If you have my machine like you see above you can set it and forget the timing too.

This is different than if you used a T bone, NY Strip or Porterhouse “regular” type and made Crockpot steak and potatoes. You would want that to be a bit more on the medium rare side.

How long does flank steak take to cook?

About 8 hours give or take, depending on how thick yours is. If you can set it to this timing your machine will automatically turn itself from cook to keep warm at the end of the day. That way it won’t be cold when its dinnertime but won’t fall apart quite as much.

What is the best beef to use in a slow cooker?

This one is great but we have cooked Crockpot chuck roast quite a bit too. That one works maybe a bit better only because it is marbled with some added fat that adds to the overall flavor. Flank is quite lean so you do need to make sure to keep it nice and moist the entire time it is being heated or it will dry out for sure.

Flank Steak in Slow Cooker

This is all about the sauce y’all. If you want to go the lazy route you can use a Campbells slow cooker sauce that comes packaged and ready to jump dump right in. Of course homemade is always best so if you want to make our mushroom gravy the ingredients below are necessary. Onion gravy is pretty killer too if you’d rather go that route.

Can you use hanger steak instead of flank?

Yes, that is the best substitute, and that cut is actually a bit more tender. Both will cook similarly with the same cook time and this sauce goes with either one. In both cases there is a need for low heat for a long time to break it down.

• 1.5-2 lb flank steak was used here, that will feed 4-6
• Olive oil
• Minced roasted garlic
• Some beef broth
• I package of sliced mushrooms
• 1 onion of your choice, or a mixture of a few types
• A given is salt and pepper
• Butter
• Thyme
• A bit of cayenne won’t make it spicy but add a little kick into the mix
• You’ll want some cornstarch to thicken the sauce at the end

Just layer the meat and vegetables and then pour in your liquid. You can whisk to thicken right in the pot at the end or use a small saucepan to boil it.

How to Slow Cook Flank Steak

You can print recipe at the bottom of this post for you to read. Here is a quick step by step to look at before you get everything out;

• Slice your onions, set aside. Spread the olive oil onto your cut of meat. Sprinkle on minced garlic, salt, pepper, and thyme on top. Slice mushrooms, set aside.
• Place flank steak in slow cooker and spread mushrooms and onions around the edges.
  • Break up butter and place around mushrooms. Pour beef broth over steak.
• Cover and cook in Crock pot for 8-10 hours cooking time on low. When the steak is fully cooked, place the steak, mushrooms, and onions on a dish. Set aside.
  • Remove about half cup of liquid from the pot and pour into a small bowl.
    • Whisk together cornstarch and liquid, along with a dash of cayenne pepper (if desired).
• Pour in to create a thicker gravy. Place cuts of beef, mushrooms, and onions back into slow cooker to soak it on up.

Shred or slice the meat and serve over garlic mashed potatoes for the ultimate comfort food.

Slow Cooker Steak and Gravy

Some prefer to just squeeze lime juice on top and serve inside of some tacos. Others smother it with the brown gravy on top of taters. Juicy and tender this will surely become one of your favorite steak recipes of all time.

Ready? Already made it, thought it was amazing and looking for what you should try out next? I would suggest our slow cooker carne asada recipe that can use this same cut or skirt steak. Both are on the less expensive side but slightly different. Skirt is typically tougher and cooked for less time to get to be tender. Give both a whirl and see which cut you prefer.