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 make this grilled skirt steak quite often. I love 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
The chimichurri sauce is super easy to make – see the detailed instructions in the recipe card below. You can mix it in advance and keep 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.
How to make grilled skirt steak
The steak itself is even easier to prepare. 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 grilled skirt steak any time of year. And it’s ready even faster than on a regular grill.
Like most steaks, and especially tougher cuts, skirt steak is best cooked to medium rare. But if you prefer to cook it longer, medium doneness is OK. Skirt steak is a fattier cut than, say, London broil. So it doesn’t dry out as quickly as leaner cuts.
By the way, there’s no need to remove the steak from the fridge and bring it to room temperature prior to grilling. Skirt steak is so thin, and cooks so fast, that cooking it cold actually helps prevent over-cooking.
How to slice skirt steak
The only thing you need to pay attention to is slicing the grilled skirt steak. It should be sliced against the grain, which cuts the tough fibers of the meat and makes it tender rather than tough and chewy. Here’s a good video that shows how to do it.
Is this a healthy recipe?
I think it’s a very healthy recipe. Fresh red meat is very nutritious. And the chimichurri sauce, with lots of olive oil and parsley, is very healthy too.
What side dishes go with grilled skirt 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 grilled zucchini, grilled broccolini, or grilled okra.
What about leftovers?
Keep leftover grilled skirt steak in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to 4 days. Reheat the leftovers gently, covered, in the microwave on 50% power. Leftovers are also delicious cold as a salad topping.
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 kosher salt
Steak:
- 1 1/2 lb. skirt steak, cut in half crosswise
- 1 teaspoon 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
