Grilled flank steak roll ups stuffed with cheese and salsa are delicious and one of my go-to summer recipes.
The inside has the tastiest red pesto sauce layer that adds a ton of flavor and keeps the meat moist.
Then the steak is stuffed with Havarti dill cheese and mango avocado salsa, rolled up, and grilled into a mouthwatering pinwheel.
This dinner idea lets you show off your culinary skills, but is beyond simple to put together.
Just follow the simple step-by-step instructions below, and elevate your next backyard barbecue to something beyond hamburgers and hotdogs.
Another summertime favorite are Chicken and Cheese Roll Ups.
Why You’ll Love Grilled Steak Roll Ups
- Healthy Summer Dinner – Steak roll ups with mango-avocado stuffing are a delicious high protein dinner that’s sure to be a hit at your next dinner party. My friends and family love this recipe and you can switch up the ingredients based on what you are feeling.
- Easy-to-Make – While this meal requires a little bit of finesse, it’s still very easy to make. If executed correctly it’ll leave everyone satisfied and shared amongst friends and family.
- Grill or Bake in the Oven – Grilled is my preferred method of cooking because meat gets that smokey taste only a grill can offer and I char all sides so inside is tender and the outside has a crispy outer layer. Likewise, you can also cook steak and cheese roll in the oven. (See recipe card for cooking instructions)
Steak Roll Ups Recipe
This summer dinner is simply flank steak coated with red pesto sauce and stuffed with Havarti dill cheese and mango avocado salsa. All the flavor comes from the pesto sauce and fresh salsa.
Here is what you need,
Ingredients & Variations
- Flank Steak
- Red Pesto Sauce
- Harvarti Dill Cheese
- Red Mango
- Red Pepper
- Green Pepper
- Jalapeno
- White Onion
- Cilantro
- Avocado
Flank Steak. Is my favorite steak to use, however you may also make steak and cheese rolls with skirt steak.
Red Pesto Sauce. My favorite brand to use when making this dish is Filippo Berio Sundried Tomato Pesto. Some other favorites are Grilled Vegetable Pesto and Classic Pesto.
Harvarti Dill Cheese. Adds a delicious flavor to these roll ups Moreover, Swiss cheese, provolone cheese, or no cheese are a few more options.
Mango. When deciding on what type of mango I want for salsa. I tend to pick red mangoes, also known as Haden mangoes. They are sweet, delicious and have a firm texture which makes them easier to dice.
Red Pepper. Adds a pop of vibrant Summer color and adds lots of vitamin C.
Green Pepper. From my garden are my favorite to use when I have them on-hand. Green peppers are rich in antioxidants and make the best stuffing for steak.
Jalapeno – Adds a mild kick to these steak rolls for even more spice use a hotter pepper like habenero.
White Onion – Or yellow onion may be used in this recipe. However, I prefer white onion.
Cilantro – Cilantro is one of those herbs I can put on almost everything. According to Health there are 5 benefits from cilantro.
Avocado – Makes these flank steak rolls creamy and moist.
How to Make Flank Steak Roll Ups
- Flatten steak. Wrap steak in parchment paper and flatten meat with a meat tenderizer or rolling pin.
- Make the mango avocado salsa. Finely dice mango, peppers, jalapeno, onion, cilantro and avocado. Set in a bowl in the fridge until ready to roll pinwheels.
- Stuff steak. Coat red pesto sauce inside the steak, add cheese slices, and evenly spread mango avocado salsa inside the steak. Roll and tie closed with cooking twine.
- Grill or cook in the oven. Heat the grill to 250 degrees, once the grill is heated add flank steak to the grill and cook for 2 hours or until the internal temperature of steak reaches 145 degrees. Allow steak to rest 15-20 minutes before slicing.To bake steak roll in the oven, heat the oven to 425 degrees and bake for 35 minutes or until the meat reaches 145 degrees. Broil steak for 5-10 minutes. Then allow the steak to rest for 15 – 20 minutes before slicing.
Tips for Making the Best Flank Steak Rolls with Stuffing
Prepare flank steak ahead of time. Wrap steak in parchment paper and beat with a meat tenderizer until thin ( about 1/4 to 1/2 in thick). Keep meat wrapped in parchment paper until ready to roll and cook.
For the best make ahead salsa, Prepare mango avocado salsa the night before by finely dicing onion, mango, red pepper, green pepper, and cilantro.
Place salsa in a mesh strainer with a large bowl underneath and drain overnight. Squeeze out any remaining juice from mango avocado salsa before adding avocado.
Dice avocado right before you’re ready to roll steak and cook. This ensures avocado doesn’t become brown and mushy from sitting overnight.
Reserve the juice that drained from salsa overnight and brush on steak when grilling or baking in the oven.
For juicy steak, brush with olive oil if baking in the oven or reserve liquid from salsa and brush onto steak when grilling or cooking in the oven.
For easy rolling, flatten steak as thin as possible and don’t over stuff with salsa.
Questions You May Have
How do you tie a steak roll?
Get a roll of cooking twine (100 percent cotton) with scissors cut off four strings that you will tie crosswise and cut two long strings of twine that you will tie lengthwise around the steak roll.
Lay cooking twine out on a chopping board and place steak roll over twine. Tie twine crosswise first and space knots 1 1/2 inches apart, tie a secured knot and cut off any excess string. (Do not cut off the knot) tie twine the same lengthwise.
Are flank steak and round steak the same thing?
No flank steak is not the same thing as round steak. Flank Steak is taken from the abdomen, while round steak is taken from the hind legs. Flank steak is easy to cook because of its even thickness and flat, long, form.
Which is ideal for stuffed steak recipes. While round steak is better for cooking in stews.
What is the best method to cook flank steak?
Grilling flank steak on low heat for 2 hours is my preferred method when cooking flank steak. Grilling on low heat ensures meat doesn’t become chewy and you get a smokey taste and charred outer layer.
Does flank steak get tender the longer you cook it?
Yes, the longer you cook steak the better. Cook steak at 250 degrees on the grill for 2 hours on indirect heat.
Or cook steak in the oven at 425 degrees for 35 minutes and broil for 5-10 minutes.
How do you cut flank steak for stuffing?
I do not cut flank steak before cooking. I flatten meat with a meat tenderizer as flat as possible about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick.
Then I stuff and roll steak and secure steak roll with cooking twine (100 percent cotton).
I like to cook the roll on the grill and once meat is cooked allow the steak to rest for 15-20 minutes before cutting. Make sure you cut off the twine before cutting as well.
More Easy Summer Recipes
Steak Roll Ups with Stuffing
Steak roll ups with mango avocado stuffing are a delicious dinner-time favorite. These steak and cheese rolls are healthy and not as complicated to make as you might think. Show off your culinary skills and impress your family and friends with this easy pinwheel recipe!
Ingredients
Equipment needed for Prep:
- parchment paper
- meat tenderizer or rolling pin
- cooking twine ( 100 percent cotton)
Equipment needed for grilling:
- natural hardwood lump charcoal
- lighter fluid
Equipment needed for baking:
- 9x13 inch baking dish
For steak and cheese roll ups with stuffing:
- 2 lb flank steak, flattened with a meat tenderizer
- 1/4 cup Filippo Berio Sundried Tomato Pesto sauce
- 4 Boars Head Havarti dill cheese, slices
- 1 3/4 cup mango avocado salsa
For mango avocado salsa:
- 1/2 red pepper, finely, diced
- 1/2 green pepper, finely, diced
- 1 bunch cilantro, finely diced,
- 1 jalapeno, finely, diced
- 1/2 white onion, finely, diced
- 1 red mango, finely, diced
- 1 avocado, cubed
Instructions
- How to Make Mango Avocado Salsa
- Peel mango with a knife or peeler and dice. Chop and dice red pepper, green pepper, onion, cilantro, and avocado.
- Add all ingredients to a bowl and keep in the refrigerator until ready to stuff inside steak and cheese rolls. If you'd like to make salsa the night before see recipe tips.
- How to roll steak with stuffing
- Wrap flank steak in parchment paper and pound it thin ( about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick) using a meat tenderizer or rolling pin.
- Add red pesto sauce and evenly spread and cover the inside of steak. Add cheese slices and spoon mango-avocado salsa evenly over cheese.
- Roll steak tightly and set aside. Using cooking twine ( 100 percent cotton) Cut four strings of twine to tie crosswise across steak roll and cut two long strings of twine to tie lengthwise across.
- On a chopping board lay out twine and carefully place steak and cheese roll over twine. Tie twine crosswise first and space twine 1 1/2 inches apart. Then tie twine lengthwise tie a secured tight knot and if there is extra string cut it off but do not cut off the knot.
- How to Grill Steak Roll Ups with Stuffing
- Add natural hardwood lump charcoal to grill and squeeze lighter fluid over coals. Heat coals for 10-15 minutes so lighter fluid burns off. Coals will be white when ready.
- Push charcoal to one side of the grill and heat grill to 250 degrees. Once the grill is heated add steak on indirect heat. ( side of grill without charcoal)
- Cook steak for 2 hours at 250 degrees or until internal temperature reaches 145 degrees. Char on each side by rotating steak roll with metal tongs. Char about 2 minutes on each side.
- Allow steak to rest for 15-20 minutes cut twine off and slice. Serve with roasted broccoli or your favorite side dish.
- How to Bake in the Oven
- Heat oven to 425 degrees and place steak roll in a 9x13 in baking dish. Brush with a small amount of olive oil or brush with salsa juice if you made the salsa the night before and drained the juice. Sprinkle with desired seasonings if using.
- Once oven is heated cook steak for 35 minutes in the oven. Set oven to broil and cook for 5-10 minutes. Remove steak from the oven and let rest 15-20 minutes before slicing.
Notes
To prepare salsa ahead of time, do not dice avocado until the day you cook steak and dice right before your ready to stuff steak. Avocado will brown if left in salsa overnight. Add all other ingredients to a mesh colander and place a large bowl underneath this will keep salsa from getting soggy and makes the best baste when grilling.