Flank Steak Pinwheels – Girls Can Grill

Steak pinwheels are rolled, stuffed steaks filled with creamed spinach, grilled to juicy perfection for an impressive dinner.

What are steak pinwheels

Steak pinwheels are a unique way to enjoy steak beyond just throwing it on the grill.

To make them, you butterfly steak or pound it thin and top it with fillings like cheese and veggies. Then, you roll it up tightly and slice it into steaks to cook on the grill.

They’re a hit because they look really pretty (even though they’re easy to make). And you can customize them with different flavors.

For this recipe, I’ve filled the steak pinwheels with creamed spinach made with sautéed shallots and garlic, cream cheese, Parmesan cheese and fresh spinach.

Other great fillings include cheese slices, sun dried tomatoes or roasted red peppers.

What is Flank Steak?

Flank steak is a cut of beef that is cut from the belly of a cow. It’s a long flat steak that has pretty good marbling.

I love marinating flank steak to make steak tacos. But it’s also the perfect cut for these pinwheels.

Get Recipe Ingredients

• Prep Steak: Place the flank steak on a cutting board. Use a sharp knife to remove excess fat and/or silver skin. Find the thickest part of the steak. Place your knife along the side in the center and start to cut the steak in half to butterfly it. (Watch the video for detailed instructions.) Once you get almost to the end, stop. Fold the steak open and you’ll have a long thin piece.

• Make Cream Cheese: Melt the butter in a pan over medium high heat. Add the shallot and garlic and sauté for 2-3 minutes, until tender. Stir that into the cream cheese along with 1/4 cup of grated parmesan cheese.

• Layer Steak: Season the steak with a generous amount of Girls Can Grill Brisket Rub. Next, use a rubber spatula to spread the cream cheese from edge to edge. Then, layer on the fresh spinach leaves.

• Roll Steak: Starting with a short end, roll the steak into a tight log.

• Secure Steak: Secure it with butcher’s twine and steak pins. If you don’t have steak pins, you can also use toothpicks or wooden skewers.

• Slice Steaks: Using a sharp knife, slice between the butcher’s twine to create steaks.

• Season Steaks: Season both sides with more Parmesan cheese and Brisket Rub. Refrigerate for 30-60 minutes. 

• Heat Grill: Set your grill up with direct high heat (450F degrees). Also setup an indirect heat zone like an upper rack or an area without direct heat underneath.

• Grill: Once the grill is preheated, add your steak rolls to the grill cut side down. Cook for about 2-3 minutes per side. Then, move them to the indirect heat zone and continue cooking for 5-6 minutes. I cook mine to an internal temperature of about 125-130F degrees.

• Rest: Remove the steak pinwheels from the grill. Let them rest for 5-10 minutes. Then, remove the pins and twine.

Calories: 350kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 30gFat: 23gSaturated Fat: 13gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 118mgSodium: 348mgPotassium: 533mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 1611IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 160mgIron: 3mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Be sure to rate it, leave a comment and save it so you can make it again. Show off your awesome results on social by tagging @girlscangrill

What you’ll need

• Flank Steak: A lean beef cut perfect for rolling into pinwheels.
• Butter
• Shallot
• Garlic
• Cream Cheese
• Parmesan Cheese
• Girls Can Grill Brisket Rub: This includes a blend of kosher salt, black pepper, granulated garlic chiles.
• Fresh Spinach

Substitutions: You can also make steak pinwheels with skirt steak. 

See the full recipe card above for servings and a full list of ingredients.

How to cook steak pinwheels

Step 1: Butterfly the flank steak

Place the flank steak on a cutting board. Use a sharp knife to remove excess fat and/or silver skin.

Find the thickest part of the steak. Place your knife along the side in the center and start to cut the steak in half to butterfly it. (Watch the video for detailed instructions.)

Once you get almost to the end, stop. Fold the steak open and you’ll have a long thin piece.

PRO TIP: If your steak still seems too thick, place a piece of parchment paper or wax paper on top and pound it thinner with a meat mallet. 

Step 2: Make the shallot cream cheese

Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a skillet over medium high heat. Add the shallot and garlic and sauté for 2-3 minutes, until tender. Stir that into the cream cheese along with 1/4 cup of grated parmesan cheese.

Step 3: Layer the steak

Start by seasoning the steak with a generous amount of Girls Can Grill Brisket Rub.

Next, use a rubber spatula to spread the cream cheese from edge to edge. Then, layer on the fresh spinach leaves.

Step 4: Roll and secure

Starting with a short end, roll the steak into a tight log. Secure it with butcher’s twine and steak pins. If you don’t have steak pins, you can also use toothpicks or wooden skewers.

Step 5: Slice into steaks

Using a sharp knife, slice between the butcher’s twine to create steaks.

Season both sides with the remaining Parmesan cheese and Brisket Rub.

PRO TIP: Because the cream cheese is softened, it's best to refrigerate the steak pinwheels for about an hour. This will help keep it from oozing out as it cooks. You can also prepare the steaks 1-2 days in advance up to this point. 

Step 6: Grill the steak pinwheels

Set your grill up with direct high heat (450F degrees). You’ll also want to setup an indirect heat zone with either an upper grill rack or an area without direct heat.

Once the grill is preheated, add your steak pinwheels to the grill cut side down. Cook for about 2-3 minutes per side. You don’t want to cook much longer over direct heat, because the cream cheese will start to ooze out.

After 5-6 minutes, move the steaks to the indirect heat zone and continue cooking for another 5-6 minutes. I cook mine to an internal temperature of about 125-130F degrees.

Cook time will vary, depending on your preferred doneness and the thickness of the steaks.

ALTERNATE COOKING METHOD: You can also cook steak pinwheels on a griddle or cast iron skillet over high heat. 

How to serve steak pinwheels

Remove the steak pinwheels from the grill. Let them rest for 5-10 minutes. Then, remove the pins and twine.

Serve with a nice side salad or your favorite sides.

When you slice the steak in half, you will see all of the beautiful layers you created. The creamed spinach will just ooze out, creating a perfect steakhouse bite every time.

Storage

Store leftover steak pinwheels in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. You can also freeze them for a couple of months.