Grilled Skirt Steak

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Skirt steak is not particularly tender, but its intense beefy flavor makes up for its textural shortcomings.

Briefly marinated in an olive oil mixture, then quickly grilled, it's the perfect cut for meat lovers!

Slices of grilled skirt steak arranged on a white plate.

While I enjoy tender cuts of beef such as fillet mignon, ribeye steak, or New York Strip, the intense beefy flavor of some tougher cuts such as flat iron steak, London broil, and flank steak 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 a steak that might be a bit chewy but is very, very flavorful.

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Ingredients
Variations
Skirt Steak Instructions
Expert Tips
Recipe FAQs
Serving Suggestions
Storing Leftovers
More Beef Recipes
Recipe Card

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. They are readily available in most grocery stores.

Olive oil: Used for the marinade. This flavorful oil, combined with vinegar and spices, adds great flavor to the meat.

Red wine vinegar: The vinegar helps break down the meat fibers. I also like its sharp flavor.

Hot pepper sauce: It doesn't make the steak spicy. It simply 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.

Variations

I love this recipe as is and almost always make it as written. But if you'd like to vary the basic recipe, using different spices is the best way to do that.

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 delicious!

Skirt Steak Instructions

Here's an overview of the steps needed to make this recipe. The detailed instructions are included in the recipe card below.

Cut the steak in half crosswise into two parts. This will make the ultra-long steak easier to handle and help it better fit on your grill.
In a small bowl, mix together the rub ingredients. Rub the mixture on both sides of the steak, massaging the rub into the meat. (Photo 1).
Let the meat marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Preheat your grill on medium-high heat. Grill the steak for about 3 minutes per side for medium-rare (2 minutes per side on a dual-contact grill). (Photos 2-3).
Let the steak rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
Cut each piece crosswise into 3 or 4 smaller pieces, then rotate each of the smaller pieces 90 degrees, and then slice it. This way, you'll be cutting the tough muscle fibers, making the meat easier to chew. (Photo 4).

A photo collage showing how to cook a skirt steak on the grill, then slice it across the grain.

Expert Tips

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 usually 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.
This thin steak only needs a few minutes on the grill. You definitely don't want to overcook it. Three 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 use any grill you like, including an outdoor grill or a grill pan.

Recipe FAQs

What is a skirt steak?

Skirt steak is a thin, elongated cut that comes from the short plate of the cow, just under the rib section and next to the flank.

Is skirt steak the same as a flank steak?

They're actually very similar. Both are thin cuts with prominent muscle fibers, tough but flavorful.

The main difference is that in a flank steak, the fibers run lengthwise, and in a skirt steak, they run along the width of the cut.

In contrast, another thin cut of steak that I make often is flat iron steak. That part comes from the shoulder of the animal. It's well-marbled, less fibrous, and more tender.

How do you make this steak tender?

I have four tips for you:

1. Use a marinade that contains vinegar, and massage it into the meat. This helps break down the tough muscle fibers.

2. Cook the steak briefly on high heat. Aim for medium-rare.

3. Let it rest for a few minutes before cutting it.

4. Slice it thinly across the grain. Because the muscle fibers run along the width of the cut, you can't just slice the steak crosswise. Instead, you need to cut it into a few manageable pieces, rotate each of those pieces 90 degrees, and then slice. This way, you'll be cutting the meat across the grain, not with the grain.

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:

It's also excellent with salads, such as cucumber tomato salad, arugula salad, asparagus salad, and broccoli salad.