Brown Sugar & Bourbon Smoked London Broil

London broil is one of those underrated cuts that can deliver incredible flavor without breaking the bank, especially when it's cooked low and slow on the smoker. This Bourbon & Brown Sugar Smoked London Broil starts with a simple marinade that combines rich bourbon, savory seasonings, and just enough brown sugar to help create a beautiful crust during the reverse sear.

The result is a tender, juicy steak with a smoky, slightly sweet flavor that's perfect for slicing and serving with your favorite sides. Whether you're looking for an easy weekend cook or a new way to elevate an affordable cut of beef, this recipe is one to put on the rotation!

Smoked London Broil

I really enjoyed this smoked London broil recipe for a few reasons. This one proves that you don't need an expensive cut of beef to make an incredible meal.

Smoking it low and slow gives the meat time to soak up that delicious smoky flavor, and a quick reverse sear at the end creates a beautiful crust that rivals steaks costing much more. It's one of my favorite ways to feed my family and friends because it feels special without stretching the grocery budget.

While of course we love our ribeyes and smoked briskets, London broil is often overlooked, but with a good marinade and the right cooking method, it can be surprisingly tender and packed with flavor.

Recipe Rundown

Ingredient Notes

• London Broil- many larger stores will actually label the meat this way but if not you are looking for either Top Round or Flank steak.
• Bourbon- the bourbon adds a ton of flavor and depth to this recipe. If you don't have any and would prefer to skip it you can by swapping for an alternative liquid such as beef broth.
• Low Sodium Soy Sauce- this is what I have in the refrigerator and prefer it since we are using a bit of kosher slat in both the marinade and rub. If you have regular- I really don't think it will be too salty.

Step by Step Instructions

Step 1: Make the marinade. In a medium sized bowl combine the bourbon, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, olive oil, garlic, and seasonings. Whisk to combine.

Step 2: Marinate overnight. Place the London Broil into a large zip-lock bag and pour the marinade in. Release as much air as possible, seal, and refrigerate overnight or up to 12 hours.

Step 3: Pat dry. Pull the London broil out of the marinade and pat dry with a paper towel.

Step 4: Make the rub. In a small bowl combine the pepper, paprika, salt and onion powder. Whisk to combine.

Step 5: Season the meat. Sprinkle the seasonings over the meat and rub into all of the sides.

Step 6: Smoke. Heat the smoker up to 250 degrees F. Transfer the seasoned London broil to the smoker and place directly on to the grates.Let smoke until the internal temperature reaches 105 degrees for Medium rare. Approximately 1 hour.

Step 7: Sear. Sear the London broil on each side for 2-3 minutes and remove when the internal temperature is 10 degrees less than your final desired temperature. Here we pulled the meat at 115 degrees F. 

Step 8: Rest. Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing thinly against the grain. The internal temperature will rise approximately 10-15 degrees while resting. 

Internal Temperature Notes

Just like in our Smoked Rump Roast recipe, you will want to follow this guide to help you achieve your perfect final temperature that you are aiming for. This piece of meat raised 14 degrees after resting. So you will want to keep that in mind for pulling from the smoker and also for your searing temperatures.

I pulled the meat from the smoker at 110 then seared until 115. It peaked at 129 after resting. I was aiming for rare-Medium Rare. London broil can become less tender AFTER the medium bench mark so I highly recommend Medium-rare. So pull from sear 10 degrees less than your desired temperature.

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Smoked London Broil Recipe

This smoked London broil is marinated in a flavorful bourbon brown sugar marinade, then smoked low and slow before being reverse seared to perfection. The result is a tender, juicy steak with a rich smoky flavor and a beautiful crust.

Course Beef, Main Course

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Servings 6 servings

Author Chris Riley

Ingredients

For the Marinade

• 3 tbsp bourbon
• ¼ cup low sodium soy sauce or regular
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves minced
• 1 tsp coarse black pepper
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• ½ tsp onion powder
• ½ tsp kosher salt
• Pinch of cayenne optional
• 2-3 lb. London Broil

For the Rub

• 1 tbsp coarse black pepper
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• ½ tsp kosher salt
• ½ tsp onion powder

Instructions

• In a medium sized bowl combine the bourbon, soy sauce, worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, olive oil, garlic, and seasonings.
• Whisk to combine.
• Place the Lond Broil into a large zip-lock bag and pour the marinade in. Release as much air as possible, seal, and refrigerate overnight.
• Pull the London broil out of the marinade and pat dry with a paper towel.
• In a small bowl combine the pepper, paprika, salt and onion powder. Whisk to combine.
• Sprinkle over the meat and rub into all of the sides.
• Heat the smoker up to 250 degrees F.
• Transfer the seasoned London broil to the smoker and place directly on to the grates.
• Let smoke until the internal temperature reaches 110 degrees for rare-Medium rare. Approximately 1 hour. (See temperature guide above).
• Heat up your smoker, a flat top, or a large skillet to high heat.
• Sear the London broil on each side for 2-3 minutes and remove when the internal temperature is 10 degrees less than your final desired temperature. Here we pulled the meat at 115 degrees F.
• Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing thinly against the grain. The internal temperature will rise approximately 10-15 degrees while resting.

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