Grilled skirt steak is one of my favorite weeknight dinners. It’s ready fast, and I can make the chimichurri sauce in advance, saving me precious time.
I first tried a dish similar to this one a few years ago in Buenos Aires. Up until then, I either had my steaks plain, or I had them with a pat of butter. At French restaurants, I would occasionally order a steak with a cream-based sauce.
So that lovely dinner in Argentina was the first time I tried beef topped with an olive-oil-based sauce. It was wonderful! Flavorful and fresh-tasting, and the contrast between the heaviness of the meat and the freshness of the olive oil and herbs was just wonderful.
An easy recipe to make at home
Back home in the United States, I promptly started looking for similar recipes that I could make at home (by the way, that trip to Buenos Aires also inspired these keto empanadas).
Once I settled on a recipe that I like, I began making it quite often. I love grilled skirt steak – it’s such a flavorful cut of meat. And I love how easy this recipe is. Plus, leftovers are great the next day in a salad!
How to make chimichurri sauce
Even though you can buy prepared sauce, making it at home is easy, and it tastes best when freshly prepared. The ingredients needed to make this tasty sauce are:
Chopped parsley: This is one instance where you really do want to use the fresh herb. The dried version just wouldn’t do.
Extra-virgin olive oil: I love this wonderfully flavorful oil – and it’s also good for you!
Fresh lemon juice: I recommend fresh-squeezed over the stuff that comes in a small bottle.
Minced garlic: Mince it yourself, or use the stuff that comes in a jar. Both work.
Crushed red pepper and kosher salt: If using fine salt, you might want to reduce the amount you use. A teaspoon of kosher salt weighs less than a teaspoon of regular salt.
The exact measurements and the detailed instructions are listed in the recipe card below. It’s very easy to make this sauce! You simply mix all the ingredients in a bowl.
You can mix it in advance and keep it in the fridge. Just remember to remove it from the fridge 30 minutes before you plan to eat. You don’t want to pour cold sauce on your hot steak! And give it one more stir before using it.
How to make a grilled skirt steak
The steak itself is even easier to prepare than the sauce. All it needs are kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, and a few minutes on the grill.
I use a dual-contact George Foreman 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.
Like most steaks, and especially tougher cuts, this one is best cooked to medium-rare (although the USDA would disagree).
But if you prefer to grill the steak a little longer, medium doneness is OK. This cut is a fattier cut than, say, London broil. So it doesn’t dry out as quickly as leaner cuts.
Should I bring the meat to room temperature?
There’s no need to remove the steak from the fridge and bring it to room temperature prior to grilling. This particular beef cut is so thin, and cooks so fast, that cooking it cold actually helps prevent overcooking.
How to slice a grilled skirt steak
The only thing you need to pay attention to is how you slice the cooked steak. You should slice it against the grain, a method that cuts the tough fibers of the meat and makes it tender rather than tough and chewy. Here’s a good video that shows you how to do it.
What side dishes to serve with this steak?
Almost anything goes. It’s a truly versatile main dish. Since I cook it on the grill, I like to serve it with grilled vegetables, such as:
What about leftovers?
Keep 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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Grilled Skirt Steak with Chimichurri Sauce
INGREDIENTS
Chimichurri sauce:
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
Steak:
- 1 1/2 lb. skirt steak, cut in half crosswise
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Oil for grill
INSTRUCTIONS
- Turn your grill on high.
- Prepare the chimichurri sauce: in a medium bowl, mix the parsley, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, red pepper flakes and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. Set aside.
- Season the skirt steak with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and with black pepper. Oil your grill.
- Grill the skirt steak until charred on the outside and medium rare on the inside, about 3 minutes per side. On my dual-contact George Foreman grill, I grill the steak for 1 ½ minutes on each side, so a total of 3 minutes. I do flip it midway through grilling, even on a dual contact grill, because the bottom plate tends to be hotter than the upper one.
- Transfer the steak to a cutting board, loosely cover with foil, and rest for 5 minutes.
- Slice the grilled skirt steak thinly across the grain. Spoon the chimichurri sauce on top and serve.
WATCH THE VIDEO:
NOTES
More Recipes to Try:
Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., CNC, has been following a low-carb real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She's a Certified Nutrition Coach (NASM-CNC), has taken courses at the Harvard School of Public Health, and has earned a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from Cornell University. Her work has appeared in several major media outlets, including Healthline, HuffPost, Today, Women's Health, Shape, Reader's Digest, and Better Homes and Gardens.