The best way to cook london broil isn’t one answer — it’s five, and each one is the right answer depending on what you have available and how much time you’re working with. I’ve tested this cut obsessively across every realistic home method, and what I can tell you is that london broil is one of those rare cuts where technique matters more than any marinade or seasoning. Get the method right and you’ll get juicy, tender, deeply flavored beef. Get it wrong and you’ll get a tough, dry slab that gives this cut its undeserved bad reputation.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe Guide
London broil — typically top round or flank — is one of the most value-packed cuts at the butcher counter. Per pound, it delivers more protein than almost any other beef option at a fraction of the price of ribeye or strip. The challenge is that it’s a working muscle with minimal intramuscular fat, which means it needs either intense high heat and thin slicing or prolonged low heat and collagen breakdown to become tender.
This guide gives you both ends of the spectrum and everything in between, so you can match the method to your schedule, your equipment, and your hunger level on any given night.
The Butcher’s Selection
- 2–2.5 lb top round london broil or flank steak
- Kosher salt and coarse black pepper
- 3 tbsp olive oil or neutral oil
- 4 garlic cloves, minced or smashed
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar or balsamic
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- Optional: fresh rosemary, thyme, or oregano
5 Proven Cooking Methods
🔥 Method 1: Oven Broiler (Best for Speed)
Position oven rack 4–5 inches from broiler element. Preheat broiler and pan for 10 minutes. Pat beef dry, season, broil 5–6 min per side. Pull at 135°F 57°C for medium-rare. Rest 8 min. Slice thin against the grain. Full oven method details are in our london broil oven cooking guide.
🌡 Method 2: Slow Cooker (Best for Tenderness)
Sear beef 3 min per side first. Add 1 cup beef broth, Worcestershire, garlic, and onion to slow cooker. Place seared beef on top. Cook 8 hours on LOW — collagen fully converts to gelatin at this sustained temperature. Pull apart or slice against the grain. The braising liquid reduces into an incredible gravy.
⚡ Method 3: Instant Pot (Best of Both)
Sear on Sauté mode until deeply browned. Add broth, aromatics, and Worcestershire. Cook High Pressure 60 minutes, natural release 15 minutes. The pressure cooker replicates 8 hours of slow cooking in under 90 minutes — remarkable collagen conversion in a fraction of the time.
🔥 Method 4: Outdoor Grill (Best Flavor)
Build a two-zone fire. Sear over direct heat 3–4 min per side for a smoky, crackled crust. Move to indirect zone and finish with lid on until 135°F 57°C. The charcoal smoke compounds that cling to the surface add a depth that no indoor method can replicate.
🧪 Method 5: Sous Vide + Sear (Most Precise)
Vacuum-seal beef with butter and garlic. Cook in 130°F (54°C) water bath for 2–4 hours. Pat completely dry and sear in a screaming-hot cast iron for 90 seconds per side. The sous vide delivers edge-to-edge medium-rare with mathematical precision; the sear provides the Maillard crust.
Pro Cooking Tips
The universal rule across all methods: Always slice london broil against the grain, thin. This is not optional. London broil cut with the grain is objectively tough regardless of cooking method. Find the muscle fiber direction and cut perpendicular, ¼ inch thick slices at a slight diagonal.
Recipe Variations
🥩 Keto Version
Skip any sweet components in the marinade (honey, brown sugar). The base recipe — oil, garlic, Worcestershire, soy — is naturally low-carb. Pair with cauliflower mash.
🌮 Taco Night Twist
Marinate in lime juice, cumin, chili powder, and garlic. Grill or broil, slice thin, and serve in warm corn tortillas with pickled onions and avocado crema.
🍜 Asian Marinade
Sesame oil, ginger, soy, rice vinegar, and a touch of honey. Broil or grill, slice thin, serve over steamed rice with scallions and sesame seeds.
🧅 French Onion Style
Slow cooker method with caramelized onions, beef broth, and thyme. Pull beef, pile with melted gruyère, and serve open-faced on toasted baguette. A weeknight masterpiece.
What to Serve With This Dish
- Garlic mashed potatoes
- Roasted broccoli with parmesan
- Creamed spinach
- Buttered egg noodles
- Grilled corn with herb butter
- Garden salad with red wine vinaigrette
Storage & Meal Prep
Store in airtight container with any cooking juices for up to 4 days. Juices keep the slices moist.
Portion and freeze up to 3 months. Slow cooker version freezes especially well in its braising liquid.
Cook once, use all week — sliced in salads, wraps, grain bowls, or reheated as a hot protein.
Nutritional Information
Per serving (approx. 5 oz cooked top round, broiler or grill method).
| Nutrient | Per Serving | % Daily Value |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 330 kcal | 17% |
| Protein | 50g | 100% |
| Total Fat | 12g | 15% |
| Saturated Fat | 4g | 20% |
| Carbohydrates | 3g | 1% |
| Sodium | 490mg | 21% |
| Iron | 4.0mg | 22% |
Common Mistakes to Avoid
FAQs
Which method gives the most tender london broil?
The slow cooker on LOW for 8 hours consistently produces the most fall-apart tender result because sustained low heat fully converts collagen to gelatin. However, thin-sliced broiled or grilled london broil — properly cut against the grain — can be nearly as tender in a fraction of the time.
What internal temperature should london broil reach?
For high-heat methods: 130–135°F (54–57°C) for medium-rare. For braising methods (slow cooker, Instant Pot): 190–200°F (88–93°C) — this is the temperature at which collagen fully converts to gelatin, making the beef tender despite exceeding typical steak doneness temperatures.
How do I know which direction the grain runs?
Look at the raw beef before cooking — you can see the parallel lines of muscle fiber running in one direction. Mark one end with a toothpick before cooking if you need to remember. Cut your knife perpendicular (at 90°) to those lines.
Can I freeze london broil raw?
Yes — raw london broil freezes well for up to 4 months. For best results, marinate first, then freeze in the marinade. It tenderizes in the bag and is ready to cook the moment it thaws.
Found Your Method? Pin It! 📌
Save this guide so you always have the right london broil method at your fingertips — no matter what equipment you’re working with tonight.
📌 Pin This Guide
Best Way to Cook London Broil – 5 Proven Method
A guide to cooking london broil with five different methods
- 2-2.5 lb lb top round london broil or flank steak
- Kosher salt and coarse black pepper
- 3 tbsp tbsp olive oil or neutral oil
- 4 garlic cloves, minced or smashed
- 2 tbsp tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tbsp tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp tbsp red wine vinegar or balsamic
- 1 tsp tsp smoked paprika
- fresh rosemary, thyme, or oregano Optional
Method 1: Oven Broiler
Position oven rack 4–5 inches from broiler element. Preheat broiler and pan for 10 minutes. Pat beef dry, season, broil 5–6 min per side. Pull at 135°F for medium-rare. Rest 8 min. Slice thin against the grain.
Method 2: Slow Cooker
Sear beef 3 min per side first. Add 1 cup beef broth, Worcestershire, garlic, and onion to slow cooker. Place seared beef on top. Cook 8 hours on LOW — collagen fully converts to gelatin at this sustained temperature. Pull apart or slice against the grain.
Method 3: Instant Pot
Sear on Sauté mode until deeply browned. Add broth, aromatics, and Worcestershire. Cook High Pressure 60 minutes, natural release 15 minutes.
Method 4: Outdoor Grill
Build a two-zone fire. Sear over direct heat 3–4 min per side for a smoky, crackled crust. Move to indirect zone and finish with lid on until 135°F.
Method 5: Sous Vide + Sear
Vacuum-seal beef with butter and garlic. Cook in 130°F water bath for 2–4 hours. Pat completely dry and sear in a screaming-hot cast iron for 90 seconds per side.
- Oven
- Slow Cooker
- Instant Pot
- Outdoor Grill
- Sous Vide
Did You Try Our Recipe ?
Scrumptious
My husband (who is extremely picky) loved the liver & onions so much!! I didn’t have any beef broth or Sherry so I used about a tbl of Worcestershire and 1/4 c of white wine …..it was scrumptious
Response from MeatRecipesBox
Oh wow, I’m so happy to hear that!! 😍 I love that you made it work with what you had on hand — Worcestershire and white wine sound like a delicious twist. So glad your husband enjoyed it, especially being picky! Thank you for sharing your version, it makes me smile knowing it turned out scrumptious!
This was amazing
This recipe turned out really amazing! It’s juicy and spiced deliciously. I definitely would use less of the spicy pepper next time, but it really was delicious and I don’t think I’ll make chicken legs any other way from now on.!
Response from MeatRecipesBox
Thank you for taking the time to leave such a thoughtful review. I’m really glad to hear the recipe turned out juicy and full of flavor for you. That’s exactly what I was hoping for when putting it together. Good call on the spicy pepper as well. Adjusting the heat level to your own taste is always the best approach, and using a little less next time should make it just right for you. I really appreciate you trying the recipe and sharing your experience. It’s great to know it worked so well for you.
I Didn’t Expect This Cornbeef Hash Recipe to Taste This Good!!
One skillet. A handful of simple ingredients. Thirty minutes on the clock. And somehow… I ended up with the crispiest, most comforting cornbeef hash recipe I’ve made in years.
I wasn’t expecting much—just a quick, no-fuss meal. But that first bite? Crispy edges, tender potatoes, smoky corned beef, a little kick of pepper. It tasted like something straight off a cozy diner griddle.
Honestly, it caught me off guard—in the best way. Here’s why this simple skillet completely won me over.
Emma Delacourt
Recipe Developer & Founder, MeatRecipesBox
Emma has been developing and testing meat recipes since 2019. She focuses on temperature precision, food science, and making restaurant-quality results accessible for home cooks. Every recipe on this site is tested multiple times before publishing.
