Best Skirt Steak Ever
Skirt steak is a relatively inexpensive cut of meat that becomes incredibly tender when marinated. Our favorite marinade recipe, from Carlsbad Caverns, is a crowd pleaser. It is sweet, spicy, and loaded with flavor. Use it with skirt or flank steak, and feel free to make adjustments as to what is in your pantry. We try to follow the ingredients as listed as much as possible. It is a truly crave-able recipe you will find yourself using over and over!
Marinate the steak a day in advance for delicious flavor and tenderness. It’s a perfect recipe for having people over, as you can prep it and forget it until it’s time to grill. While it takes a few minutes to make the marinade, it only takes a few minutes on the grill, so it really is great for a quick meal! Be careful not to overcook the steak. Use a meat thermometer to ensure you reach a 130-135 degree temperature (for medium rare).
Slice the skirt steak against the grain, across the score marks. If you have a long strip, cut it into 2 or 3 sections, then spin each section and slice. It’s counter-intuitive, as you might think you should slice across the short side of the meat. I promise you it makes a difference!
This skirt steak is delicious served with a salad such as our favorite blue cheese caprese salad, with potatoes and your favorite green vegetable, or with grilled pesto shrimp, surf and turf style! I promise once you make this, you will return to the recipe over and over. It’s oh-so-craveable!
Grilled Skirt Steak
Ingredients
Steak
- 1 ½ -2 lbs skirt or flank steak scored
- olive oil or other spray for the grill
Marinade
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- ⅓ cup soy sauce or tamari reduced sodium if desired
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 ½ tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp dried dill weed
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp ground coriander
Instructions
- Score skirt/flank steak, being careful not to cut all the way through the steak. If your skirt steak is a long strip, you will want to score it multiple times horizontally or on a slight diagonal.
- Whisk the marinade ingredients together in a large glass measuring cup or small bowl. Toss into a freezer size Ziploc bag along with the steak. Get rid of any air, and seal. Massage marinade into the steak with your hands through the outside of the bag. Marinate in the refrigerator for 2 to 12 hours.
- Let the steaks sit at room temperature for up to 30 minutes before cooking. Preheat grill to high heat, (550 degrees F with the lid closed). Clean, and grease grill grates with vegetable oil or olive oil spray.
- Grill steaks for 2-5 minutes per side depending on thickness, or until an internal thermometer reads 130-135 degrees F for medium-rare. The tapered end of the outside skirt will grill the most quickly. Grilling times will vary depending on thickness of your steak. Use a meat thermometer to ensure you don't overcook the steak
- Rest the steak for 5-10 minutes.
- Slice the steak AGAINST the horizontal score marks. You want to cut across the LONG side of the strip steak. It's counter-intuitive to what you might think. If you have a long strip, cut it into 2 or 3 sections. Turn each section 90 degrees, and slice.