Perfect Skirt Steak Marinade with Chimichurri Recipe (2024)

by Jocelyn (Grandbaby Cakes) · Updated

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Skirt Steak Marinade with Chimichurri Recipe – No grill is complete without my insanely flavorful skirt or flank steak marinade with chimichurri sauce! Easy, absolutely delicious and beyond flavorful!

Perfect Skirt Steak Marinade with Chimichurri Recipe (1)

Table of Contents

The Perks and Highlights for the Best Skirt Steak Marinade

Cuisine Inspiration: Latin American flavors

Primary Cooking Method: Marinating and grilling, baby!

Dietary Info: Gluten-free and absolutely full of protein.

Key Flavor: The dominant flavors are a tantalizing mix of zesty citrus, rich olive oil, salty soy sauce, tangy apple cider vinegar, aromatic garlic, and a splash of umami from the Worcestershire sauce. The chimichurri sauce adds a fresh, herby kick to round everything out.

Skill Level Required: Pretty easy

Sweet Highlights:

  • Zesty Citrus Magic: The citrus juices help tenderize the steak, ensuring every bite is mouth-wateringly soft.
  • Garlic’s Bold Embrace: Garlic adds a depth of flavor that transforms the marinade from good to “can I bathe in this?”
  • Chimichurri Charm: This sauce is the unsung hero of the recipe, adding a fresh, herby layer
  • Soy Sauce Savvy: A splash of soy brings all the ingredients together
  • Grill Marks for Days: There’s something undeniably magical about the smoky goodness that a grill imparts on steak, making this dish a summertime (or anytime!) favorite.

What is Skirt Steak?

Skirt steak is a long cut of beef that’s sliced thinly from the diaphragm muscles of the cow. It is one of the most flavorful cuts of beef but can be a little on the tougher side because of the connective tissue in the cow’s diaphragm muscles. That’s where marinades come in to help tenderize the meat.

Ingredients

The flavor is unreal. Because of the texture of skirt steak (I love to use it here in my carne asada as well) and flank steak, I wanted to make sure I used a marinade recipe that would really infuse a ton of flavor and also help to tenderize the meat. The texture is very different than this london broil, cube steak orribeye steak, which is much more tender.

The ingredients contained in this marinade including:

  1. olive oil
  2. orange juice
  3. lime juice
  4. soy sauce
  1. Worcestershire sauce
  2. apple cider or red wine vinegar
  3. minced garlic

Ingredients like lime juice and soy sauce add acid to really break down the toughness of the steak, and it couldn’t taste better if you ask me. That citrus essence gets right down in each and every bite. Put your completed marinade in a resealable plastic bag and add your steak pieces. Refrigerate and marinate for 6 to 7 hours.

Perfect Skirt Steak Marinade with Chimichurri Recipe (2)

Can You Marinate Too Long?

Optimally, for tough steaks like skirt and flank, it’s best to marinate it no longer than 24 hours in the refrigerator. Beyond overnight marinating is overkill. Also, never re-use a marinade.

How to Cook Skirt Steak

Before placing your marinated skirt or flank steak on the grill, it’s important to liberally season the meat on both sides with salt and pepper. Allow your charcoal or gas grill to get good and hot.

Place your steak on the grill and cook both sides for 4 to 6 minutes. The meat should be perfectly charred with wonderful grill marks and have a golden brown color. Remove from the grill and allow the meat to rest for around 5 minutes.

After grilling your steak and allowing it to rest is the best time to cut it. Take your steak and always cut against the grain in thin slices.

Adding Chimichurri Sauce

Adding my chimichurri sauce, takes this recipe to a whole new level y’all. This chimichurri sauce is so fresh with clean flavors. Cilantro and parsley are already so fresh but when added with fresh lime juice, the essence is just so wonderful. It is a lovely accent to this dish.

You can whip this chimichurri recipe up in your heavy duty blender or food processor. The flavors just come together so perfectly with the steak.

Perfect Skirt Steak Marinade with Chimichurri Recipe (3)

More Grilled Recipes

  • This Grilled Ribeye Steak with Tequila Glazeis everything!
  • These BBQ Baby Back Ribs are incredible!!!
  • Grilled Proscuitto Arugula Pizzais necessary!
  • What’s a grill without chicken? ThisTequila Lime Chickenis necessary.
  • ThisCarne Asadamakes my life every time I grill it!
  • And finally get this Grilled Catfish recipe on the grill immediately.

*Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating and leave comments below!*

Perfect Skirt Steak Marinade with Chimichurri Recipe (4)

Skirt Steak Marinade Recipe with Chimichurri Recipe

Skirt Steak Marinade with Chimichurri Recipe – No summer grill is complete without my skirt or flank steak marinade with chimichurri sauce! Easy, absolutely delicious and beyond flavorful!

4.45 from 391 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mexican

Prep Time: 6 hours hours

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 6 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 678kcal

Author: Jocelyn Delk Adams

Ingredients

For the Marinade and Grilling:

  • 2/3 cup olive oil
  • 1/2 cup fresh orange juice
  • 1/3 cup fresh lime juice
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
  • 3 tablespoons apple cider or red wine vinegar
  • 4 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 pound skirt steak
  • Salt and pepper to taste

For the Chimichurri Sauce:

  • 1 cup fresh parsley
  • 1 cup fresh cilantro
  • 1/4-1/3 cup olive oil
  • 1/2 medium onion diced
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • Optional: 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Instructions

For the Marinade and Grilling:

  • Whisk all of the ingredients together and pour into a large ziploc bag.

  • Add skirt steak to ziploc bag with marinade and allow to marinade up to 6-7 hours max depending on how thick the meat is.

  • When ready to grill, liberally season with salt and pepper.

  • Grill until golden brown and perfectly charred then allow to rest before slicing on a cutting board.

For the Chimichurri:

  • Add all of the ingredients to a heavy duty blender or food processor and blend until everything is chopped up and smooth then serve. Seriously that easy.

Notes

After grilling your steak and allowing it to rest , is the best time to cut it. Take your steak and always cut against the grain in thin slices.

Nutrition

Calories: 678kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 58g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 71mg | Sodium: 1359mg | Potassium: 743mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1610IU | Vitamin C: 50.8mg | Calcium: 70mg | Iron: 4.7mg

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Perfect Skirt Steak Marinade with Chimichurri Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How long can I marinate skirt steak for? ›

For the Marinade and Grilling:

Whisk all of the ingredients together and pour into a large ziploc bag. Add skirt steak to ziploc bag with marinade and allow to marinade up to 6-7 hours max depending on how thick the meat is.

What is the best way to tenderize skirt steak? ›

It should be marinated or tenderized with a meat mallet and cooked hot and fast on the grill, skillet or stir fried to maximize tenderness. How should you cook skirt steak? Skirt steak should be marinated for maximum tenderness then cooked hot and fast – either grilled, broiled or pan seared.

What cut of steak is best with chimichurri? ›

3. Best steak for Chimichurri Sauce - in South America, cuts such as flank, flat iron and skirt are popular for serving with Chimchurri Sauce because they have really great beefy flavour that pairs so well with this fresh, zingy sauce. However, Chimichurri will pair beautifully with ANY steak!

Should you cut skirt steak before marinating? ›

The Ultimate Guide to Buying, Slicing, and Cooking Skirt Steak
  1. Slice up the raw steak.
  2. Marinate (or just lightly season if you want) the small slices, then grill. Be sure to when cooking skirt steak to only cook to medium rare!
  3. And slice! Serve with vegetables or your favorite side, or add to a fajita mix.

How long should steak rest after marinating? ›

Meat Resting Times and Temperature

Use the following timing recommendations to learn how long to rest steak so that the flavorful juices have time to distribute through your meat: Rest meat for 5 minutes per inch of thickness. Rest meat for 10 minutes per pound. Rest meat for 1 minute for every 100 grams.

Can marinating a steak too long make it tough? ›

“Acidic marinades help solubilize the collagen in red meat, making the meat less tough; they also increase water retention and tenderization for a moist, toothsome result,” Sharma wrote in his cookbook “The Flavor Equation.” On the flip side, leaving meat in too much acid for too long can actually toughen some meat — ...

How do restaurants tenderize skirt steak? ›

Pounding

Using a meat mallet (or kitchen mallet) to pound steaks helps soften and tenderize the meat.

What is the secret ingredient to tenderize meat? ›

Whether hosting a holiday cookout, serving up some stir-fry or tackling game meats, baking soda is the go-to meat tenderizer to help make your steak, chicken or turkey silkier, juicier and yummier.

What is the best ingredient to tenderize steak? ›

Marinate with Acid

Not only does a tenderizing steak marinade imbue aromatic flavour, but the acidic ingredients in it also denature connective proteins in the meat. Regular or apple cider vinegar, wine or beer, lemon or lime juice, buttermilk or yogurt contain tenderizing acids.

How to use chimichurri seasoning? ›

Use chimichurri seasoning to make a meat marinade, or use to make a sauce or dressing for your favorite grilled meats. Chimichurri spices can also be mixed into ground beef or used to season vegetables before cooking.

What flavors go well with chimichurri? ›

Roasted red potatoes are a hearty and comforting side dish that goes well with chimichurri steak. You can season them with rosemary, thyme, and garlic for a deliciously aromatic dish that complements the bold flavors of the chimichurri sauce.

Should you let chimichurri rest? ›

It's important to let the chimichurri rest for at least 20 minutes before using it; this allows the garlic, fresh herbs, and crushed red pepper flakes to meld with the oil so your chimichurri is extra flavorful. Also, keep in mind that refrigeration may solidify the ingredients.

How do I make sure my skirt steak is tender? ›

Because this is a tougher cut, it's best to marinate skirt steak before cooking it. This will help to tenderize the protein and it will allow you to customize the flavors of the steak. Before marinating the steak, you should trim away any excess fat or silver skin (or ask your butcher to do so).

Can skirt steak be marinated too long? ›

Although the purpose of a marinade is to let flavors seep into the meat, at a certain point, the meat has absorbed as much as it can. A minimum of 30 minutes is enough to accomplish the task, and longer than overnight, the marinade may overwhelm the flavor of skirt steak.

Why is my skirt steak so tough? ›

Skirt steak can be a little tough due to the amount of connective tissue, so it needs careful preparation when cooking to maximize tenderness. Skirt steak has a similar beefy flavor as flank steak but is a tougher cut in terms of texture.

Is it OK to marinate steak for 2 days? ›

Information. Most recipes for marinating meat and poultry recommend six hours up to 24 hours. It is safe to keep the food in the marinade longer, but after two days it is possible that the marinade can start to break down the fibers of the meat, causing it to become mushy.

How long can you leave marinated steak in the fridge? ›

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recommends storing marinated meat in the refrigerator for no more than 3-5 days. This time frame accounts for the potential growth of harmful bacteria that can cause food poisoning.

How long should skirt steak sit before cutting? ›

A meat thermometer should read 130°F. Rest your Skirt steak for 5 minutes before serving, covering lightly with foil.

How long can you keep flank steak in marinade? ›

How Long to Marinate Flank Steak. The ideal amount of time is 12 hours, but you can marinate it for up to 24 hours. You should let it sit in the marinade for a minimum of 2 hours, even if you're pressed for time.

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