These Flank Steak Pinwheels are a delicious and easy dinner option that your whole family will rave about. Made with tender flank steak, gooey cheese, and frozen spinach, these pinwheels are bursting with flavor and melt-in-your-mouth tenderness.
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❤️ Why You'll Love It
- Pinwheels are a versatile dish that can be served for dinner, lunch, or even an appetizer at a party.
- Flank steak roll-ups are a great option for special occasion.
- They are also packed with protein and vegetables so they make a balanced meal.
- You can also prep them ahead of time, to save time on busy weeknights.
Our family loves pinwheels. There are so many different ways that you can make them, and also you can never go wrong with any protein stuffed full of cheese. There is no such thing as too much cheese.
📝 Ingredients
Note: This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.
📋 Ingredient Notes
- Vegetable oil - Any type of neutral flavored oil can be used. Try using olive oil or canola oil instead.
- White vinegar - Apple cider vinegar can be used instead, however, it will slightly change the taste of your marinade.
- Lemon juice - This acid helps to tenderize your meat, and add some additional flavor. You can also use lime juice.
- Brown sugar - Sugar adds a touch of sweetness to your marinade. Light or dark sugar cane is used.
- Dijon mustard - If you don't have Dijon mustard, regular yellow mustard will work as well.
- Garlic cloves - Add a delicious savory element to the dressing. Freshly minced garlic is best, but you can also use garlic powder if that's what you have on hand.
- Black pepper and salt - These basic seasonings help add some extra flavor to your beef. Feel free to adjust them to suit your tastebuds.
- Flank steak - Look for a steak that is about 1 inch thick for optimal rolling. Other cuts like skirt steak or sirloin can also be used.
- Butter - Both unsalted and salted butter work great in this recipe.
- Shredded cheese - I used mozzarella cheese to stuff these pinwheels.
- Frozen spinach - You want to purchase unseasoned spinach.
- Feta cheese - This adds such a nice tang to your pinwheels.
🥄 Instructions
Note: This is an overview of the instructions. The detailed instructions are in the recipe card below.
- Butterfly the meat and pound it with a meat mallet about ¼ inch thick.
- In a mini food processor add marinade ingredients and process until combined.
- Pour marinade in a bag the place meat in the bag. Coat steak with marinade then seal well. Refrigerate for 6- 24 hours.
- Take the butterflied flank steak out of the marinade and place it on a cutting board. Spread butter evenly on top of the steak.
- Layer mozzarella, spinach, and feta cheese on top.
- Roll the meat tightly, starting from the shorter side until the end. Cut about 20 inches of butcher twine pieces; you will probably need five-seven pieces. Tie the pieces around the roll two inches apart to secure.
- Heat a skillet or a cast iron skillet on medium-high heat, pour oil, and swirl the pan to coat. Sear beef roll on each side for 2-3 minutes to form a nice crust, then remove to a cutting board and let it rest for 5 minutes to handle.
- Slice the roll into pinwheels so the twine is in the middle of each one.
- Place pinwheels on a baking sheet and pour any remaining fat in the skillet over.
- Cover with aluminum foil and bake in the center of your preheated 375-degrees f oven for 10-20 minutes or until they reach your desired level of doneness.
- Remove from oven and let it rest for 5 minutes before serving.
🥣 Equipment
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- Meat mallet
- Mini food processor
- Ziploc bag
- Sharp Knife
- Cutting board
- small bowl
- Food grade kitchen twine
- Cast iron skillet
👩🍳 Variations
- Swap out of the mozzarella cheese, for slices of provolone cheese. Provolone always goes great with beef.
- Not a fan of feta cheese? You can use parmesan cheese instead.
- Honey or pure maple syrup would also work to add some sweetness to your marinade.
- Add some red pepper for extra heat.
- For extra flavor mix in a tablespoon of lemon zest.
💬 FAQs
There are two secrets to keeping flank steak tender. Marinade the meat to help break down the fibers, and do not overcook the meat. This will help you get tender meat every time.
You will roll the meat tightly by starting at the smaller side and rolling until it is tightly wrapped.
👍 Amira's Tips
- When you are pounding the meat out, try to get it into an even thickness so that it cooks at the same rate.
- To get a smooth whipped butter, make sure that butter is completely softened or at room temperature before you beat it.
- It's important to let your pinwheels rest before you cut or serve them so that the juices don't run out when you cut them.
- If you do not have butcher’s twine you can use wooden skewers to secure the roll.
🧺 Storage
Storage -Store leftover pinwheels in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Freezing - You can also freeze the leftover pinwheels in a freezer-safe bag for up to three months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
Reheating - The best way to reheat flank steak pinwheels is in a skillet over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Flipping halfway through. Add a small amount of butter or oil to your skillet so that your steak doesn't stick and burn.
🍽️ Serve With
I love to serve these steak pinwheels with a starchy side like Whipped Sweet Potatoes or Cheesy Mashed Potatoes. We also serve them with a healthy and green side dish like these Air Fryer Frozen Asparagus or these Brussel Sprouts.
⌛ Make Ahead
One great thing about this recipe is that you can marinate the beef for up to 24 hours in advance. So, save yourself a little time in the kitchen to start the process the night before.
📣 Related Recipes
- Do you love pinwheels? If so, next time give these Mexican Chicken Pinwheels. They are always a hit with young and old alike.
- Are you looking for another great recipe that uses flank steak? These Flank Steak Tacos are not only easy to make, but they come together quickly so they are perfect for busy weeknights.
- The next time your family is craving steak whip up a batch of these Honey Garlic Steak Bites. They are the perfect blend of sweet and savory and bursting with Asian flavor.
- Quick and satisfying Steak Bites with Garlic Butter is the answer for dinner tonight. Juicy steak bites seared to golden brown in rich, flavorful, garlicky butter sauce.
If you love this recipe, please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating! Thank you.
Flank Steak Pinwheels
Ingredients
For the steak:
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 Tablespoons white vinegar
- 1 Tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 ½ flank steak
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
For the filling:
- 2 tablespoons butter room temperature
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese shredded
- 1 cup frozen spinach thawed
- ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
Instructions
- Butterfly the meat and pound with a meat mallet about ¼ inch thick..
- In a mini food processor add marinade ingredients and process until combined.
- Pour marinade in a bag then place butterflied steak in. Coat steak with marinade then seal well.
- Refrigerate for 6- 24 hours.
Assemble the rolls:
- Preheat oven to 375F.
- Take the steak out of the marinade and place on a cutting board.
- Place butter in a small bowl and try to whip it with a spoon or a small whisk.
- Spread butter evenly on top of the steak then layer mozzarella, spinach and feta cheese on top.
- Roll the meat tightly starting from the shorter side until the end.
- Cut about 20 inches twine pieces, you will probably need 5 pieces.
- Tie the pieces around the roll two inches apart to secure.
- Heat a skillet or a cast iron skillet on medium high, pour oil and swirl the pan to coat.
- Sear pinwheels on each side for 2-3 minutes then remove to a cutting board and let it rest for 5 minutes to handle.
- Slice the roll into pinwheels so the twine is in the middle of each one.
- Place pinwheels on a baking sheet and pour any remaining fat in the skillet over.
- Cover with aluminum foil and bake in the center of your oven for 10-20 minutes minutes or until they reach your desired level of doneness.
- Remove from oven and let it rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Please check the nutrition disclaimer policy.
Nutrition
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Retta
Thank you for the recipe! I am so excited to have found your site, looking forward to following you.