Here it is: the best steak pinwheels recipes roundup! I’m a huge fan of steak pinwheels because they’re really impressive, so freakin’ delicious and don’t take a lot of work in the kitchen. Because of their beautiful presentation and how easy they are to make, grilled steak pinwheels recipes are a huge hit everywhere. You can make them for your next backyard BBQ with friends or a special occasion like holiday parties.
Steak pinwheels may look intimidating, but I’ll give you all the tips and tricks you need to make these beef pinwheels with confidence and style. You’ll also have a solid list of delicious recipe after delicious recipe to choose from!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love Steak Pinwheels
Once you start making steak pinwheels, you won’t be able to stop. They hit all the flavor profiles thanks to the cheese, vegetables and other pieces we can roll in, and the sauces we can put on top of the steak rolls. Because of these endless variations, the sky’s the limit. I can walk into the grocery store and see what looks good, then turn it into a freakin’ delicious steak pinwheels recipe.
The key is having the right step-by-step instructions to get you started, so next time — and every time you hit the grill after — you’ll be rolling steak pinwheels like a pro.
For more pinwheel style recipes, check out my Pork Belly Cinnamon Rolls and Steak Frites With Garlic Chili Butter. They’re still meat rolled into a spiral, but not the classic “pinwheel” that we refer to in this round up. There’s also this Tomahawk Beef Short Ribs recipe, where we roll the short rib on top of itself to look something like a hatchet. Pretty cool, and even tastier!
How to Cook the Best Steak Pinwheels
Pinwheel Prep Basics
- Choosing your cut: I like to make steak pinwheels with long, flat steaks that are easy to pound thin and roll. Skirt steak is my favorite, but you can use butterflied flank steak too (see Steak Milanesa Napolitana for another butterflied flank steak recipe).
- Flattening the steak: If you’re having a rough day, here’s a great way to take out all your anger. Put your steaks on a cutting board, use a very sharp knife to slice them in half, and cover with parchment paper or a sheet of plastic wrap. Using a heavy mallet or specific meat mallet, hammer the steak until it is less than 1/2 inch thick. The thinner you can make the steak, the easier it will roll and the better your separate pinwheels will stay together.
- Seasoning the steak: Once you’ve got your butterflied steak nice and thin, you’ll want to season both sides of the steak according to your steak pinwheels recipes with vegetable oil or beef tallow and your seasoning of choice, like kosher salt or one of my Spiceology rubs, which you can find in our shop. Then, you can add in your fillings. Slices of provolone cheese or mozzarella cheese, bell peppers or fresh spinach, and chorizo are all great options. Finally, you’ll secure the individual pinwheels with butcher’s twine so they hold up on the grill.
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Grilling Steak Pinwheels
- Searing: I’m a fan of a two-layer fire for grilled steak pinwheels. First, we’ll sear the pinwheels on the hot side of the grill, about one minute of cooking time per side. That’s how we get a nice crust on these steak roll ups.
- Finishing: Once we’ve got that nice crust, I’ll move the pinwheels to the cool side of the grill to cook at medium heat for another 10-15 minutes, until they reach 125 degrees Fahrenheit internal temperature. Your meat thermometer is your friend here.
Serving Steak Pinwheels
- Resting: I say it all the time: let your steak rest! About 10 minutes after you pull them off the grill is best. When the meat rests, the muscle fibers have time to relax and the juices can redistribute throughout the red meat.
- Toppings: You can go as big as grilled shrimp or as simple as balsamic glaze or a little lemon juice, black pepper and kosher salt. Whatever you choose, it’ll be so freakin’ delicious.
My Favorite Grilled Steak Pinwheels Recipes
Now that you’ve got the basics down, here’s the roundup of my favorite grilled steak pinwheels recipes! Be sure to let me know in the comments which ones you tried and liked the best.
Cheesy Steak Pinwheels
Spanish Garlic Steak Pinwheels
French Onion Steak Pinwheels
Grilled Steak Pinwheels
Italian Beef Pinwheels
Fajita Pinwheel
Fajita Steak Pinwheels
Surf and Turf Pinwheels
Stuffed Lomo Al Trapo
Green Chili Salmon Pinwheels
Maple Cajun Salmon Pinwheels
What to Serve with Grilled Steak Pinwheels
The great thing about steak pinwheels is they can really stand on their own. If you want to feel extra depending on the occasion, you can serve these flavor bombs with rice, roasted potatoes or crusty bread as a starch and a simple garden salad or green veggie.
For More Skirt Steak
Leftovers and Reheating
For leftover steak pinwheels, wrap them up tightly in aluminum foil. Then, place them in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. When it’s time to reheat, open the aluminum foil and add a little beef tallow to keep the meat moist while warming over the grill or in a 250-degree oven for 10-12 minutes.
FAQs
Your local grocery store is a great option, especially if you can get to know the butcher and ask questions! You can also buy some of the best pasture-raised beef you’ll ever taste online. White Oak Pastures, US Wellness Meats, and Primal Pastures are a few popular sites. If you have your own high-quality meat supplier, let me know in the comments.
You won’t need to marinate the steaks here, since you’ll be pounding it and breaking down the fat with a meat mallet.
It all depends on the other flavors you’ve got in the beef roll. You can use your favorite homemade rub, one you find at the store or one of my Spiceology rubs. I really love the Jalapeno Lime Pilsner for Tex-Mex dishes!
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