Student-athletes are busy. STACK understands that. That’s why we’re bringing you our “Non-Boring Ways to Eat” series, each installment of which presents a week’s worth of healthy, performance-fueling meals you can make from the same staple ingredient. This week: Easy Steak Recipes.

Red meat has been vilified in recent years. Yes, many cuts are high in fat, but if you do a little digging, you’ll find some cuts that are nearly as lean as chicken breasts. Here are a few of the healthier options, based on a three-ounce portion:

• Round steaks (eye, top, bottom, tip)– 5g fat
• Sirloin & shoulder steaks – 6g fat
• Flank & strip steaks – 6.5g fat
• Rib eye, tenderloin & T-bone steaks – 8.2g fat

The tenderness of these cuts varies. The top two will be tougher after a quick cook method, but they’re generally less expensive. The bottom two will be more tender if you cook them quickly, but they come with a higher price tag

How to Know If Your Steak Is Cooked

If you’re really curious about the temperature of your beef, buy a meat thermometer and plunk it into the thickest part of the steak after you cook it. The following temperatures correspond to how cooked the meat is.

• Rare: 125-130 degrees
• Medium-rare: 130-140 degrees
• Medium: 140-150 degrees
• Medium-well: 150-155 degrees
• Well: 160 degrees and up

However, if you’re not interested in investing in a meat thermometer, the pad of skin underneath your thumb will work in a pinch. Touch your fingers to your thumb as shown in the following graphic to determine how cooked your steak is. Your skin will feel firmer or softer depending on which finger you use for the touch.

Let your steak rest after you take it off the heat. The meat will continue to cook for a few moments after you remove it from the grill or stove. Letting it rest will allow the fibers to relax and the juices to be absorbed into the steak. If you cut a steak fresh out of the fire it loses the majority of its juices.

Steak Stir-Fry

Yield: 2 servings
Prep time: 12 minutes
Cook time: 7 minutes
Supplies needed: cutting board, knife, skillet, spoon and tongs

Ingredients

• 10 oz. stir fry steak strips (save money and buy New York strip or rib eye steak. Remove the exterior fat and cut into thin strips)
• 2 oz. bell pepper strips, julienned
• 2 oz. onion, julienned
• 1 oz. carrots, shredded
• 1 oz. snow peas
• 2 tbsp. cooking oil
• 2 tbsp. soy sauce
• salt & pepper
• garlic

Directions

1. Heat oil on medium-high.
2. Add peppers. Cook 30 seconds.
3. Add onion. Cook for 30 seconds.
4. Add stir-fry strips and season all of the ingredients. Cook 1-2 minutes.
5. Add carrots and peas. Cook for two minutes.
6. Add garlic. Cook for 30 seconda.
7. Add soy sauce and cook for 30 seconds.
8. Serve over grain of your choice.

• Calories: 387.87
• Protein: 45.87 g
• Fat: 19.49 g
• Carbs: 7.24 g

Steak Fajita

Yield: 2 servings
Prep time: 12 minutes
Cook time: 5 minutes
Supplies needed: cutting board, knife, skillet, spoon and tongs

Ingredients

• 8 oz. steak strips (save money and buy New York strip or rib eye steak. Remove the exterior fat and cut into thin strips)
• 2 oz. bell pepper strips, julienned
• 2 oz. onion julienne
• 2 tbsp. cooking oil
• 1/2 cup salsa
• 1 avocado
• 4 whole grain tortillas
•  salt & pepper

Directions

1. Heat oil on medium-high.
2. Add peppers. Cook for 30 seconds.
3. Add onions. Cook 30 seconds.
4. Add steak strips and seasonings. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
5. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
6. Add soy sauce and cook and for 30 seconds.
7. Serve with salad or grain of your choice.

• Calories: 663.07
• Protein: 44.49 g
• Fat: 33.83 g
• Carbs: 45.16 g

Teriyaki Steak Tips

Yield: 2
Prep time: 12 minutes
Cook time: 7 minutes
Supplies needed: cutting board, knife, skillet, spoon and tongs

Ingredients

• 8 oz. steak tips (roughly 1″ x 1″ cubes). (Save money and buy New York strip or rib eye steak. Remove the exterior fat and cut into cubes)
• 4 oz. mushrooms quartered
• 2 oz. onion diced or julienne
• 2 oz. broccoli florets blanched (submerge in boiling water for 1 minute then chill in cold water)
• 2 tbsp. cooking oil
• 2 cloves garlic pressed or chopped
• salt & pepper
• 1/4 cup teriyaki sauce

Directions

1. Heat oil on medium-high
2. Add steak tips, and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring every 45 seconds, allowing meat to brown on each side.
3. Add  onion and mushroom, and a bit more seasoning. Cook 1-2 minutes.
4. Add broccoli. Cook for one minute.
5. Add garlic. Cook for 30 seconds.
6. Add teriyaki sauce and cook for 30 seconds.

• Calories: 412.53
• Protein: 40.67 g
• Fat: 18.63 g
• Carbs: 20.54 g

Marinated Flank Steak

Servings: 4
Prep time: 5 minutes
Rest time: 1 hour to overnight
Cook time: 20-25 minutes
Supplies needed: container for marinating, oven/broiler, knife and cutting board

Ingredients

• 1 ¼-pound flank steak
• 1 cup low-fat Italian or Greek dressing
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. pepper

Directions 

1. Marinate the flank steak in the dressing, and store until ready to use. The longer you can marinate it, the better the flavor will be and the more tender it will become.
2. Preheat the broiler.
3. Remove the marinade and season both sides of the meat with salt and pepper.
4. Place the meat in a metal pan and cook it under the broiler. Cook each side for 3-5 minutes.
5. Reduce heat to 375. Cook until the meat is as done as you like—about 10 -20 minutes
6. Cut in thin strips against the grain on a 45-degree angle to the cutting board.
7. Serve with vegetable and carb of your choice.

• Calories: 540.97
• Protein: 22.33 g
• Fat: 17.46 g
• Carbs: 5.99 g

Cube Steak Chopped Salad

Yield: 2 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 6-10 minutes
Supplies needed: cutting board, knife, skillet, spoon and tongs

Ingredients

• 2 6-oz. cube steaks
• 1 tsp. cooking oil
• garlic powder
• salt & pepper
• 5 cups salad mix, chopped
• 2-3 cups vegetables or condiments of your choice (tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, peppers, pickles, cheese, etc.)

Directions

1. Season each side of the cube steak.
2. Preheat the pan with oil over medium heat.
3. Add the seasoned steaks to the pan. Cook for 3 minutes on each side.
4. When cooked to your liking, allow the meat to rest for 5 minutes.
5. While it’s resting, toss the salad with condiments and salt and pepper.
6. Cut into strips and top the salad with the steak.

• Calories: 487.36
• Protein: 60.84 g
• Fat: 22.68 g
• Carbs: 9.95 g

See more non-boring recipes:

• 5 Non-Boring Egg Recipes
• 5 Non-Boring Sweet Potato Recipes
• 5 Non-Boring Ways to Eat Ground Turkey
• 5 Non-Boring Ways to Eat Chicken