This easy grilled skirt steak is tender, juicy, and bursting with garlicky flavor. It’s a restaurant-quality meal that takes only 20 minutes of hands-on time!
I love how a simple grilled skirt steak can elevate a dinner. With this recipe, it marinates so quickly, and it turns out flavorful, tender, and so, so good. Fresh chimichurri to serve on the side is a must — it adds the perfect balance of freshness, and it makes a simple dish feel like a fancy restaurant meal. I’ve been making skirt steak this way for years, and it’s always incredible. Let me know how it turns out for you!
Did you know? Skirt steak comes from the diaphragm of the cow, and it has a rich savory taste. If you can, ask for outside skirt steak at the butcher — this is the premium choice often found in high-end restaurants.
How To Grill Skirt Steak
Waiting for the steak to marinade is the hardest part of this recipe. All you have to do is whip up a simple marinade, step back and let it work its magic, then sear the steak on the grill!
- Marinate the steak: Whisk together all the marinade ingredients in a bowl. Place the steak on a rimmed baking sheet and coat it with the marinade. Let the steak marinate for at least 30 minutes, turning it once or twice.
- Preheat the grill: Preheat the grill (my favorite) to high heat and oil the grates.
- Grill the steak: Remove the steak from the marinade and let any excess drip off. Grill the steak for 3–4 minutes per side, then transfer it to a cutting board and let it rest for 5–10 minutes before slicing.
Hot tip: If you like a bit of spice, add a pinch of red pepper flakes into the marinade.
Tips For the Best Grilled Skirt Steak
I’ve been grilling steaks for years, and here are four of the life-saving tips I’ve learned along the way for a restaurant-quality skirt steak.
- Avoid over-marinating. Skirt steak is quite thin, so 30 minutes to 2 hours of marinating time is plenty to infuse flavor and break down tough muscle fibers. Any longer, and the meat may become mushy.
- Dry off excess marinade. The drier the surface of the steak is, the better it will sear. More color = more flavor!
- Use high heat. A hard and fast sear is the key to a juicy and tender skirt steak, so make sure the grill is screaming hot before adding the meat. I usually preheat it to 450-500°F.
- Slice against the grain. Have you ever bitten into tough steak? Most likely, the chewiness is a result of cutting it the wrong way. Look for the long muscle fibers running through the meat and cut perpendicular to them for ultimate tenderness.
Storage & Reheating
We don’t usually have leftover steak in our household unless I double the recipe (my fellow mamas of boys can relate), but it makes an amazing lunch for the next day when we do!
- Storage: Store any leftover steak for up to four days in an airtight container in the fridge.
- Reheating: Reheat the steak in a skillet over medium heat until warmed through.
Hot tip: Pile the leftover meat into steak tacos or on top of a salad for extra protein!
More Mouthwatering Steak Recipes
- Cast Iron Filet Mignon — Caramelized on the outside, melt-in-your-mouth on the inside
- Garlic Butter Steak Bites — Perfectly juicy and drenched in garlic butter
- Reverse Sear Steak — Chefs swear by this oven-to-skillet method!
- Carne Asada — Tender flank steak marinated in soy sauce, citrus, and fresh herbs
Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 lbs skirt steak
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- â…“ cup soy sauce
- 4 cloves garlic grated
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a bowl, whisk together the olive oil, soy sauce, grated garlic, salt, and pepper until well combined.
- Place the skirt steak on a rimmed baking sheet (a gallon-sized Ziploc bag is also fine) and pour the marinade over it, turning the steak to coat it evenly on all sides. Let the steak marinate on the baking sheet for at least 30 minutes, or up to 4 hours, turning it once or twice so it absorbs all the flavor.
- Preheat the grill to high heat and lightly oil the grates. Remove the steak from the marinade, letting any excess drip off.
- Grill the steak for 3–4 minutes per side until it is nicely charred (about 130-135°F for medium-rare). Transfer the steak to a cutting board and let it rest for 5–10 minutes before slicing thinly against the grain. Serve and enjoy!
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