Briefly marinated in an olive oil mixture, then quickly grilled, it’s the perfect cut for meat lovers! While I enjoy tender cuts of beef such as fillet mignon, ribeye, or New York Strip, I find that the intense beefy flavor of some of the tougher cuts is sometimes even more pleasing. I love grilling a skirt steak because it’s easy and stress-free. As long as you marinate it (just briefly), then cook it quickly over high heat, you’ll be rewarded with meat that might be a bit on the chewy side, but is very, very flavorful.
Ingredients
You’ll only need a few simple ingredients to make this wonderfully flavorful steak. The exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below. Here’s an overview of what you’ll need: Skirt steak: Most are 1.5 to 2 pounds. I get mine at Whole Foods. Olive oil: Used for the marinade. Such a flavorful oil, and in combination with vinegar and spices, it adds great flavor to the meat. Red wine vinegar: Massage the marinade well into the meat, and the vinegar will help break down the meat fibers. I also like its sharp flavor. Hot pepper sauce: It doesn’t make the meat spicy. Rather, it adds an extra layer of flavor. It contains vinegar too, so that’s another tenderizing ingredient. To season: I use kosher salt, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and ground cumin. You can definitely play with other spices - see the discussion below.
Instructions
This thin steak only needs a few minutes on the grill. You definitely don’t want to overcook it. 3 minutes per side should work for medium-rare (though it’s worth noting that the CDC recommends cooking meat, poultry, and eggs thoroughly.) I use a dual-contact electric grill. So I can make this recipe anytime, regardless of the weather. And it’s ready even faster than on a regular grill. But you can obviously use any grill you like, including an outdoor grill or a grill pan that you use on the stovetop.
Expert tip
Because the tough muscle fibers run along the width of this cut, and you really want to sever them when you slice the meat, you can’t just slice it crosswise as you normally would. Instead, you need to cut it into a few manageable pieces, rotate each one of those pieces 90 degrees, and then slice. This way, you’ll be cutting the meat across the grain, not with the grain.
Frequently asked questions
Variations
I love this recipe as is and almost always make it as written. But if you’d like to vary the basic recipe, the best way to do that is by using different spices. One spice that I didn’t mention here but I really like is chili powder. Sometimes all I use for the marinade is olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper, 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, and 1 tablespoon of chili powder. It’s REALLY good.
Serving suggestions
Almost anything goes with this tasty steak! It’s a truly versatile main dish. But since I cook it on the grill, I like to serve it with grilled vegetables, such as:
Grilled zucchiniGrilled broccoliniGrilled okra
It’s also excellent with salads, including cucumber tomato salad and broccoli salad.
Storing leftovers
You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to four days. Reheat them gently, covered, in the microwave on 50% power. Sliced leftovers are also delicious cold in a steak salad.
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