This slow cooker flank steak cooks low and slow into fall-apart-tender shredded beef perfect for tacos, sandwiches, and bowls. A dump-and-go weeknight recipe with 5 minutes of prep and no pre-browning required!

Overhead shot of slow cooker flank steak topped with fresh herbs inside of a black crockpot.

5 star review

“Another winner from Robyn! This recipe could not be more simple or delicious. We made it and had it in some tacos, and then used the leftovers in eggs, sandwiches, and eating it plain. Go make this recipe now — you won’t regret it!”

– Chelsea
See All Reviews »

My Favorite Way to Make Slow Cooker Flank Steak Tacos

This slow cooker flank steak manages to do the thing oven-cooked flank steak rarely manages: it gets perfectly tender with almost no hands-on time. The slow cooker breaks down th lean, naturally tough cut of meat into a soft, shreddable beef that pulls apart with a fork after a few hours of low and slow cooking. So good!

Two small things that will give you the most success with this recipe. First, slice the meat against the grain after cooking, since flank steak has very distinct lines running through it. Cutting against the grain shortens those fibers and produces tender, easy-to-chew bites. Second, you really don’t need to add any extra liquid to the slow cooker. The flank steak releases plenty of its own juice during the cook, and adding water or broth dilutes the spice rub flavor.

For tacos (the most popular way readers have served this one over the years), pile the shredded steak into warm corn tortillas with a generous drizzle of my cilantro lime sauce and a scoop of easy 4-ingredient guacamole. YES PLEASE!!

The leftover meat keeps in the fridge for 3 to 4 days and reheats beautifully in a skillet with a splash of the strained cooking liquid, which makes this a meal-prep favorite for sandwiches and rice bowls all week. Save the leftover cooking liquid in a jar in the fridge to use as a beef stock for soups and stews; it has more flavor than store-bought broth and freezes well for up to 3 months.

Welcome to My Kitchen, Here’s How to Make Flank Steak in the Slow Cooker

A white bowl containing six different spices and seasonings, arranged in separate sections, on a blue textured surface.
Make the spice blend.
Raw meat covered in a layer of dry seasoning sits at the bottom of a black slow cooker.
Season the steak on both sides.
Raw meat coated with a dry spice rub sits at the bottom of a black slow cooker.
Cover and cook.
A seasoned piece of meat is slow-cooking in a black slow cooker with visible juices surrounding it.
Cook until tender and easily shreds.
Sliced, seasoned beef steak garnished with chopped herbs on a wooden cutting board, with a gray and white towel underneath.
Slice against the grain and serve.
A wooden cutting board with sliced flank steak on top, sprinkled with fresh herbs.

Testing Tips for Crockpot Flank Steak

  • If you can’t find flank steak, hanger steak, flat-iron steak, and even London broil all work beautifully with the same spice rub and cook time. Choose a 2-pound cut for the timing in this recipe; smaller cuts cook faster, so start checking at 2 hours on high or 3 on low.
  • For more heat, stir 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper into the spice rub or use hot chili powder in place of mild. And if the brown sugar feels like too much, reduce it to 1 tablespoon instead of 2; the smaller amount still tenderizes the meat while making the rub taste less sweet.
  • For a BBQ version (an idea from one of my readers, Laura), pour 1/4 cup of barbecue sauce over the seasoned steak before cooking and stir in another 1/4 cup at the end after shredding. The BBQ-glazed shredded flank steak is incredible piled into baked potatoes or onto sliced buns for pulled-beef sandwiches.
Two tortillas filled with slow cooker flank steak, topped with jalapenos, on a white plate.
Overhead shot of slow cooker flank steak topped with fresh herbs inside of a black crockpot.
4.94 stars (45 ratings)

Slow Cooker Flank Steak

Developed and tested by A woman with long blonde hair, smiling, holds and pours a bottle of oil in a modern kitchen setting.Robyn Conley Downs
Servings: 6
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 3 hours
Total: 3 hours 5 minutes
Slow cooker flank steak made with a 5-ingredient spice rub. The most tender, fall-apart shredded flank steak for tacos, sandwiches, and rice bowls!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate this Recipe

Ingredients

For the Spice Rub

  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons chili powder
  • 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon granulated garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

For the Flank Steak

  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 2 pounds flank steak

Equipment

Instructions 

  • In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar, chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, garlic powder, and salt until well combined.
    Spice rup mixture including brown sugar, slat, paprika, cumin, chili powder, and garlic powder.
  • Sprinkle half of the spice rub on one side of the flank steak, pressing it in with your fingers so the mixture coats the entire side. Turn the steak over and sprinkle on the remaining half of the spice mixture, pressing it in with your fingers.
    Spiced rubbed flank steak in a slow cooker.
  • Add the olive oil to a 6-quart slow cooker, rubbing it around until the inside is coated.
  • Place the flank steak in the slow cooker and cover.
  • Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low on 4-5 hours, or until very tender. Do not uncover during this time. If it's not tender, you did not cook it long enough. See notes to troubleshoot.
    Cooked flank steak in a crock pot.
  • Uncover and carefully remove the flank steak to a cutting board. Slice against the grain, and serve with strained accumulated juices.
    Sliced cooked flank steak in a slow cooker.

Notes

  • Note: Cooking in the slow cooker will NOT cook steak to medium or medium rare. It will not be pink in the middle. Instead, it will be tender, easily fall apart, and shred easily. If you want rare steak, don’t make this recipe.
  • If the steak is tough when you remove it from the slow cooker, it’s because you didn’t cook it long enough. Add 30 minutes at a time on low until it’s tender and cuts very easily.
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, Mexican

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 1 of 6, Calories: 235kcal, Carbohydrates: 5g, Protein: 33g, Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 91mg, Sodium: 481mg, Potassium: 561mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 530IU, Vitamin C: 0.04mg, Calcium: 43mg, Iron: 3mg
Nutrition disclaimer
Did you make this recipe?If you do, be sure to share it on Instagram and tag me at @realfoodwholelife so I can see!

Share + Save this Recipe