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6 Ingredient Flank Steak Stuffed with Parmesan, Spinach and Lemon Zest (Pinwheels)

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These juicy Stuffed Flank Steak (aka beef rolls, steak rolls or pinwheels)..whatever you want to call them just know it’s the EASIEST and most delicious best flank steak recipe ever! And it’s only made with 6 ingredients! It’s incredibly good, cheap  and tastes gourmet. The stuffed steak ingredients include parsley, Parmesan cheese, lemon zest and torn spinach.  These steak rolls will be flying off plates. The flavors will wow everyone!  

A plate of stuffed flank steak aka pinwheels

Keep the ones that light your soul ~ Unknown

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STUFFED FLANK STEAK 

Stuffed flank steak rolls are a great choice especially if you’re trying to impress your dinner party guests, your husband, boyfriend or girlfriend.  Whatever the case may be, you should definitely consider making them. 

They’re fancy enough for parties but also perfect for an easy weeknight dinner. We can’t get enough of them. We’re looking forward to warmer weather so we can make these pinwheels on the grill.A plate of raw flank stuffed steak

HOW TO MAKE STUFFED FLANK STEAK ROLLS RECIPE 

These steak rolls may look fancy and all, but trust me they’re so stinking easy to make! Only 10-15 minutes to prepare or 10 if you’re fast! 

1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Cover the steak with plastic wrap or wax paper and pound it thin but not too thin or you may make holes. Butterfly the steak and season both sides with the parsley, salt and pepper. FYI, Martha Stewart has a great post on how to butterfly meat. Trust me, it’s super easy to do! 

I like to put salt and pepper in a bowl with the dried parsley. Give it a good mix and then use it to season the front and the back of the flank steak. You can also use fresh parsley if you like, but skip the mixing with salt and pepper step. That step only applies if you are using dry herbs.  

2. Sprinkle the cheese over the beef leaving 1 inch  border along the edge.  Grate the lemon zest over the cheese. Tear the spinach up into pieces. Place it into a bowl. Add a pinch of salt then mix to combine. Add the spinach on top of the lemon zest and cheese making sure to not go too close to the edge. Remember to leave 1 inch border along the edges.

3. Starting from the end closest to you, began rolling up tightly. Tie pinwheels with kitchen twine, toothpicks or skewers to keep them from falling apart.

Raw stuffed flank steak step by step. How to make stuff flank steak

4. With a sharp knife slice the beef between the twine. You should have about 6-7  pinwheels. 

5. Add vegetable oil to a cast iron skillet over medium high heat.  Once hot, add the stuffed flank steaks and brown each side for about 2-3 minutes then pop them into the oven for about 5-10 minutes.  

6. Remove from the oven and tent with foil to rest for 5 minutes. Remove the twine and serve with salad. 

 
Raw stuffed flank steak step by step. How to make stuff flank steak
 
A plate of steak pinwheels

6 Ingredient Stuffed Flank Steak Rolls (Pinwheels)

April Boller Wright
These juicy Stuffed Flank Steak Rolls are the EASIEST and most deeeelicious steak recipe ever! And it's only made with 6 ingredients! So yummy! They will be flying off plates. This is the best easy flank steak recipe. It will wow everyone! 
4.94 from 32 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 13 minutes
Total Time 23 minutes
Course Dinner
Cuisine American

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tsp dried parsley use fresh if you like
  • salt for taste
  • pepper for taste
  • 2 cups spinach torn
  • 1.5 lb flank steak
  • 1 tbsp butter or vegetable oil
  • 1 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
  • zest from one lemon

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Cover the steak with plastic wrap or wax paper and pound it thin but not too thin or you may make holes. 
    Butterfly the steak and season both sides with the parsley, salt and pepper. FYI, Martha Stewart has a great post on how to butterfly meat. Trust me, it's super easy to do!
  • Add salt and pepper to a bowl with the dried parsley. Give it a good mix and then use it to season the front and the back of the steak. You can also use fresh parsley if you like. 
  • Sprinkle the cheese over the beef leaving 1 inch  border along the edge.  Grate the lemon zest over the cheese. Tear the spinach up into pieces. Place it into a bowl. Add a pinch of salt then mix to combine. Add the spinach on top of the lemon zest and cheese.
  • Starting from the end closest to you, began rolling up tightly. Tie pinwheels with kitchen twine, toothpicks or skewers to keep them from falling apart. With a sharp knife slice the beef between the twine. You should have about 6-7 pinwheels.
  • Add vegetable oil to a cast iron skillet over medium high heat.  Once hot add the stuffed flank steaks and brown each side for about 2-3 minutes then pop them into the oven for about 5-10 minutes.  
  • Temperature of the beef rolls are done when the meat thermometer reads 125 for rare and 160 is well done. I usually cook mine until the temp reads 150.  

Notes

TIPS TO MAKE THIS STUFFED FLANK STEAK RECIPE 

Flank Steak - Flatten out the steak but not too thin or you may rip it. 
Kitchen Twine - I use this stretchy twine. 
Seasoning- You can add more seasoning to your pinwheels if you like however, I don't think it's necessary. It's so good as is.  I think more seasonings will hide the flavors of the zesty lemon and parmesan.  
Lemon Zest:  Remember to zest the lemon directly over the flank steak. Don't skip out on this step. The lemon is what makes this sooo delish. I wouldn't dare skip it. 
Spinach - You don't have to tear the spinach but I like to do it because it's easier to roll up and the spinach doesn't fall out. Plus I like to add a pinch of salt to the spinach per the recipe. 
Sear -  A cast iron is best for a good sear. To achieve a great flavorful brown crust, you need to let the stuff steaks (sear) until the meat is no longer grey about 2-3 minutes on each side. This means no touching or moving them around.  
Temperature - Use a thermometer to determine if the steak is done. I usually like mine somewhere around 150 F
Rare: 125 F degrees 
Medium Rare: 135 F degrees 
Medium: 145 F degrees 
Medium Well: 150 F degrees 
Well Done: 160 F degrees 
Tent - the steak with foil and rest it for 5 mins. 
Recipe and post updated 3/10/2019. If you are coming back here for the original recipe. I've added the recipe with step by step pics in attached the pdf HERE. 
TOOLS USED TO MAKE THIS 
Lodge 15 Inch Cast Iron Skillet 
Cuisinart 12 inch Classic Stainless Open Skillet 
GDealer Super Fast Instant Read Thermometer
Keyword pinwheels, steak rolls, stuffed flank steak, stuffed steak
Like this? Leave a comment below!Let us know how it was!

This Stuffed Flank Steak is also makes a great low carb meal and it’s keto friendly.  For an healthy side, serve stuffed steak with a nice simple garden salad, or my carrot and cucumber salad, steamed cauliflower rice or broccoli.  For a heartier side, serve with mashed potatoes. If you think these steak rolls looks good, share it on Facebook or Pin it to your Pinterest Board and don’t forget to follow me

You may also love this  Garlic butter skirt steak recipe or Skirt steak Taco Salad.

Check out some of my favorite and popular beef recipes: 

Best Meatloaf Recipe

Salisbury steak

Best Beef Tacos

Taco Casserole
Best Chili Recipe 

Quick Cheesy Spinach and Mushroom Steak Rolls

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76 Comments

  1. The flavor was delicious however despite pounding the flank steaks thin ours was tough and chewy, but still too thin to butterfly. Any recommendations on how to avoid this? Would definitely like to try again without having it so chewy.4 stars

    1. I’m glad you enjoyed the flavor! I’m sorry to hear it was a little chewy. I’ve never had that issue. For the tenderness, it seems the steak might have played a role. Even with flank steak, tenderness can vary due to factors like quality and cooking time. To improve results, consider marinating the flank steak for a few hours before cooking to enhance its tenderness. Feel free to adjust cooking time and method based on your preferences as well.

  2. It was good and the family loved it. I skipped the lemon zest cause I’m tight like that. Lemon not used in our house very much and didn’t want to buy just for the zest. I wasn’t able to butterfly because the steaks after flattening with roller pin were really thin. I will try again with the lemon and with more parmesan. I also did 2 chicken breast, same scenario and I like it better but I’m not a big steak fan like the rest of the family. Great idea! I was good, but my family loved it. I will try again for sure!!!

    1. Glad to hear it was good and your family loved it! Sorry you had to skip the lemon zest, but understandable. Good idea to try with more parmesan next time. And it’s great that you enjoyed it with chicken too.Thanks for your great feedback!

  3. As my husband said: it was excellent excellent excellent! I’m not the best butterflyer but either way it came out great and so flavorful and tender. Loved the lemon zest too.5 stars

    1. It’s great to hear that you and your husband enjoyed the dish so much! I’m glad to hear that the lemon zest added a nice touch to the flavor. Thanks for taking the time to leave such positive feedback, it’s much appreciated!

  4. Unbelievably good! Surprised how much the lemon truly made the dish. Will make over and over.5 stars

  5. This looks awesome and I love the simplicity of it. I definitely want to make this as one of the dishes for my sister’s gender reveal. I would like to know if this can be made ahead by just prepping, then freezing, probably thawing out in fridge the night before and then cooking. I’m hosting the event and am doing everything from food to desserts to decorations so I’m trying to plan ahead to make it easier for that day. Thanks5 stars

    1. I’ve never prepped this but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work! I probably wouldn’t freeze them though. They should be okay in the fridge if you plan on cooking them the next day. If not the next day then maybe prep them the day before the event?

  6. Cindy A Bingham says:

    I use crumbled blue cheese in these sometimes.. Yum.

  7. Elyce franks says:

    I can’t eat spinach. Can anything else be substituted?

    1. I haven’t tried this but kale may work or you can try fresh parsley.

  8. Janice Longhi says:

    Do you use grated Parmesan cheese or sliced?i plan on making this tonight. Thank you for your reply.

    1. You can use either one. I prefer to use a block of Parmesan then grate it only because it makes easier to roll up pinwheels.

  9. I made this for my husband so he would try something new besides just plain old steak and he loved it (more importantly I loved it). It’s now my favorite go to beef recipe for date night and it’s so quick.5 stars

    1. Hi Karen! Thank you very much! 🙂 I just published another steak recipe you might just like!

  10. Dana Morgan says:

    After searing in the skillet, do you transfer the steak rolls to a different pan for oven cooling, or do you just transfer the cast-iron skillet into the oven? This sounds so delicious!

    1. So sorry for my late response but yes, you can keep the steak rolls in the same pan. Hope that answers your question!

  11. Can I make ahead by. Browning on stove & later in day put in oven?
    Thank you,
    Carol

    1. I’ve never made these ahead but I probably wouldn’t make them in advance since they cook pretty fast. I did some research and the USDA doesn’t recommend it but others sites said it should be fine since a lot of people eat steak rare. I would just use best judgment. These are steaks but they are also rolled up so I don’t know how long you plan on searing or if the sear would kill the bacteria deep inside the steak.

  12. Anonymous says:

    Can this be cooked in the broiler, or on a grill instead?

  13. I loved the flavor. The lemon was surprisingly good.5 stars

  14. This looks soooo good. I can’t stop looking at photos and drooling. I must make this for my hubs. He will be delighted. It’s perfect for our date night dinner!5 stars

    1. Super good Natalie. I love to make it! Thank you!

  15. This is definitely something I want to try as soon as possible – just need to get a few ingredients and I cannot wait to make it, it looks absolutely delicious and beyond!5 stars

  16. Denay DeGuzman says:

    This delicious recipe has a stunning presentation! Thank you so much for including step-by-step recipe images. They’re so helpful! I look forward to making these scrumptious steak rolls on Friday.5 stars

    1. You’re very welcome Denay! Let me know how it goes!