Easy BBQ Glaze Recipe for Grilled Flank Steak

If you're looking for an easy BBQ glaze recipe that delivers serious flavor with minimal effort, flank steak is your best friend. It's affordable, cooks fast over high heat, and soaks up bold glazes like a sponge. Skip the bottled sauce — a pepper jelly BBQ glaze gives you that glossy, caramelized crust that makes flank steak look like something off a restaurant menu. Here's exactly how to nail it.

Why Flank Steak Is Perfect for an Easy BBQ Glaze Recipe

Flank steak is one of the most underrated cuts on the grill. It's thin, which means it cooks in minutes — and a blazing hot sear caramelizes a glaze beautifully without burning it off. The lean grain of the meat grips a glaze better than thicker cuts, so every bite is packed with flavor from edge to edge.

The secret to an easy BBQ glaze recipe that actually works on flank steak? A pepper jelly base. Unlike traditional BBQ sauce, which runs off hot meat, a pepper jelly glaze clings to the surface, sets under heat, and forms that restaurant-quality lacquered finish. Garlic Pepper Spread is a natural match here — the savory garlic notes pair perfectly with the beefy depth of flank steak, while the pepper jelly base caramelizes into a sticky, bold crust that looks as good as it tastes.

Easy BBQ Glaze Recipe: Glazed Flank Steak in 4 Steps

1. Score and season. Lay the flank steak flat and lightly score the surface in a crosshatch pattern (about ⅛ inch deep). Season both sides generously with kosher salt, cracked black pepper, and a pinch of garlic powder. Let it rest at room temperature for 20–30 minutes before grilling.
2. Get your grill screaming hot. Flank steak thrives on high, direct heat. Aim for 450°F–500°F. Grill the steak for 4–5 minutes per side for medium-rare, or 5–6 minutes for medium.
3. Apply the glaze in the last 2 minutes. This is the key move for any easy BBQ glaze recipe on beef. In the final 2 minutes of cook time, brush on a generous coat of Garlic Pepper Spread. Flip once to set the glaze on both sides and watch those edges caramelize.
4. Rest and slice against the grain. Pull the steak, tent with foil, and let it rest 5–7 minutes. Then slice thin — about ¼ inch — against the grain at a 45-degree angle. This single step is the difference between tender and chewy.

Kick Up the Heat: Spicy Glaze Variation

Want to add some fire to your easy BBQ glaze recipe? Swap in Red Hot Spread for a bold, chili-forward finish. The heat plays beautifully off the char of the grill and gives the steak a punchy edge that pairs well with cooling sides like cucumber slaw or crumbled cotija on grilled corn.

You can also blend the two — equal parts Garlic Pepper and Red Hot — for a glaze that's savory, sticky, and just hot enough to keep things interesting. It takes 30 seconds to mix and turns your backyard cook into a genuine conversation starter.

Pro Tips for the Best Easy BBQ Glaze Results

• Don't glaze too early. Adding glaze in the final 2 minutes prevents the natural sugars from scorching. You want caramelized, not burned.
• Use a silicone pastry brush. It gives you even, controlled coverage — no clumps, no drips, no wasted glaze.
• Let the steak come to room temp. Cold meat straight from the fridge cooks unevenly. That 20-minute rest before hitting the grill is worth it every time.
• Don't skip the rest. Resting locks in the juices. Cut too early and they end up on the cutting board instead of in the meat.

What to Serve with Glazed Flank Steak

This easy BBQ glaze recipe works as the star of a simple weeknight spread. Pair it with garlic rice, a loaded baked potato, or a bright chimichurri salad to balance the bold glaze. Want to lean into the full BBQ experience? Add grilled corn on the cob brushed with a little extra Garlic Pepper Spread — it's a 10-minute side dish that tastes like you spent an hour on it.

Stock Up and Start Experimenting

This is one easy BBQ glaze recipe — but there's a whole lineup of flavors waiting to find their way onto your grill. The THE BBQ Boost 3 Pack Bundle is the simplest way to try multiple flavors and figure out your favorites. Mix, match, and blend your way to a signature glaze that's uniquely yours.

Ready to level up your weeknight grilling? Shop all Smoky Mountain Spread glazes and find your new go-to easy BBQ glaze recipe today.