Harissa-Grilled Steak With Juicy Tomatoes 

By Andy Baraghani

Published July 25, 2024

Harissa-Grilled Steak With Juicy Tomatoes 
Emma Fishman for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Hadas Smirnoff.
Total Time
30 minutes
Prep Time
5 minutes
Cook Time
25 minutes
Rating
5(78)
Comments
Read comments

What makes this steak so great is that it’s just as delicious warm for dinner as it is cold and eaten for lunch. When choosing harissa for the marinade, look for it in a tube or can, which will have a thick, paste-like consistency (we want that explosive, concentrated red chile flavor), rather than jarred harissa, which tends to be saucier and has less potent flavor. Yogurt is the actual secret ingredient here, because the sugars will caramelize and help the meat develop a beautiful brown crust. If you have time, let the steak marinate in the yogurt mixture for a few hours or overnight to let it tenderize the meat, but if you only have 15 minutes while the grill heats up (see Tip), it’ll still be delicious.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • ¼cup concentrated harissa paste (preferably tubed or canned; see Tip)
  • 2tablespoons full-fat Greek yogurt
  • 4fat garlic cloves, finely grated
  • 6tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1½pounds flank steak
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2medium red onions
  • 1½pounds medium tomatoes, cut into wedges
  • 3tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • Flatbread (such as pita or lavash)
Ingredient Substitution Guide
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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Make the marinade: Mix the harissa, yogurt, garlic and 1 tablespoon oil in a large bowl.

  2. Step 2

    Using paper towels, pat the steak dry and season generously with salt and pepper. Add the steak to the bowl and, using tongs, toss the steak so that the marinade covers the meat. Let marinate at room temperature while you prepare the onions and heat the grill, or cover and chill for up to 12 hours.

  3. Step 3

    Peel the onions, leaving the root end attached, then slice into 1-inch wedges. Transfer to a large baking sheet and drizzle with 2 tablespoons oil. Season with salt and pepper and toss to combine.

  4. Step 4

    Heat the grill on medium-high for 10 minutes. When hot, transfer the steak directly from the marinade to the grill, then arrange the onions on the grates. Grill until the onions are nicely charred all over, 2 to 3 minutes per side, and the steak has formed a beautiful caramelized crust on both sides, 4 to 6 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer onions and steak to the baking sheet as they finish cooking. Let the steak rest for 5 to 10 minutes.

  5. Step 5

    While the steak is resting, combine the tomatoes, vinegar, remaining 3 tablespoons oil and the grilled onions in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper and toss together. Warm the bread on the grill.

  6. Step 6

    Slice the steak against the grain and serve with the tomatoes and onions (and their juices) and the warmed flatbread.

Tips
  • If you only have jarred harissa, try marinating the steak overnight to extract as much flavor as possible from the chile paste.
  • This recipe is intended for outdoor grilling, but if you want to give it a go indoors, be sure your kitchen is well ventilated and be ready to crack some windows. The grilling of the marinated steak will generate smoke.

Ratings

5 out of 5
78 user ratings
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Comments

Carolyn

THE STEAK - so good, SO crusty in the best possible way, and toothsome -- and the tomatoes with the onions were glorious. I actually pretended that the dressing was a "red chimichurri" and liberally applied it to the steak on my plate to the same effect. I will note that I marinated the steak for 24hrs for convenience. I am not sure how it would turn out with a shorter marination time.

Vince D

This was outstanding! Did it all on the grill and then thinly sliced the steak and served it on grill toasted pita's along with the tomato and onion mixture topping it, everyone loved the flavor with the perfect amount heat and flavor delivered by the harissa, black pepper, along with the onion and tomato mixture.

Ted

I haven't tried this yet (I definitely will), but Trader Joe's harissa must be the exception to the jarred rule. It is very thick, and super flavorful (and hot). Can't wait to try it.

Pat Rau

How do you make the harissa paste if you have powdered harrisa?

Delish and unique flavor

I used the jarred harissa overnight and found the spice level just right for a mix of adults and kids. Grilled pita was a good accompaniment and also loved the brightness and acidity of the onion and tomato “salad”. I think I would lightly grill the tomatoes next time and we served tahini sauce on the side which paired nicely. This was my first attempt at flank steak and I was nervous but found this recipe to be pretty user friendly.

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