Skirt Steak Marinade
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Use this Skirt Steak Marinade recipe to create a juicy, tender, flavorful skirt steak right at home! This easy marinade recipe combines savory, citrus and umami flavors that will soak right into the steak and give it the perfect flavor. This recipe makes a delicious grilled skirt steak and is perfect paired with chimichurri sauce!
Table of contents
Ever since creating the perfect sirloin steak marinade, I’ve been obsessed with creating delicious marinades for every cut of meat. Next up in my series of marinade recipes is the best marinade for skirt steak.
Skirt steak is a long, flat piece of meat with thick grains running across the muscle. It’s one of the most flavorful cuts of beef, but is also one of the toughest cuts because it contains a lot of connective tissue. That’s why it’s important to marinate the meat before cooking it, to tenderize the beef.
When it comes to cooking skirt steak, you want to cook it quickly over high heat, because it is a thin cut of meat and can overcook quickly. My favorite way to cook a skirt steak is on the grill, but if you don’t have a grill available, you can create a similar taste and texture by cooking the steak in a grill pan, or cast iron skillet on the stove.
Why this recipe works
- Acid from the lemon juice and apple cider vinegar tenderizes the beef.
- Salt from the soy sauce flavors the beef.
- Olive oil helps the steak achieve a delicious char on the outside.
- Worcestershire sauce adds a wonderful layer of unami flavor.
- These all combine for a perfect balance of flavors!
Ingredients
- Skirt steak – this is a long, thin cut of steak. I recommend looking for a skirt steak that’s between 1.5 – 2 pounds in size for this recipe.
- Lemon juice – because this is one of the main ingredients in the marinade, I recommend using fresh-squeezed lemon juice to create the best flavor in the marinade.
- Low-sodium soy sauce – I like to salt my steaks at the end, so I use a low-sodium soy sauce to reduce the salt content in the marinade. If using traditional soy sauce in the marinade, I recommend tasting the steaks before adding more salt at the end.
- Extra virgin olive oil – other vegetable oils can also be used, like avocado oil, sunflower oil, canola oil or peanut oil.
- Worcestershire sauce – to add a wonderful umami flavor to the marinade.
- Apple cider vinegar – this ingredient adds another level of acidity to help tenderize and flavor the meat.
- Dijon mustard – the vinegar in the mustard also helps tenderize the meat, and the flavor of the dijon adds a wonderful tanginess to the marinade.
- Dried Italian seasoning – I like to use my homemade seasoning mixes whenever possible. Just click the link to the left. It’s easy to whip up in less than 5 minutes! Of course, you can also use premade Italian seasoning, found in the spice aisle at the grocery store.
- Minced garlic – I recommend fresh minced cloves for the best flavor.
- Black pepper
- Red pepper flakes – these add just a touch of spice and flavor. Feel free to leave them out if you’re sensitive to spice.
Instructions
I’ve included step by step photos below to make this recipe super easy to follow at home. For the full detailed recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Marinate the steak. Combine lemon juice, low-sodium soy sauce, olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, apple cider vinegar, dijon mustard, Italian seasoning, minced garlic, black pepper and red pepper flakes in a gallon size zipper bag or large bowl. Add the steak to the bag, or bowl, and marinate for at least 20 minutes. I recommend 1-8 hours for the most flavorful, tender skirt steak.
- Note: I do not recommend marinating for more than 8 hours, or the acidity of the marinade will start to break down the proteins in the meat and can cause the steak to become mushy.
- Heat a grill. Preheat a grill over high heat. Use tongs to remove the steak from the marinade, shake off any excess marinade, then place the steak of the grill. Discard the bag of marinade.
- Grill the steak. Grill the steak over high heat for 5 minutes per side.
- Rest the steak. Remove the steak from the grill and place it on a large cutting board. Loosely cover the steak with foil and let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
How to cut a skirt steak
To get the most tender pieces of skirt steak, make sure to cut it against the grain.
To do this, you’ll want to start by cutting the grilled skirt steak across the grain into three large pieces.
Next, you’ll slice each of these pieces of steak against the grain into slices as thin or thick as you’d like.
What to serve with skirt steak
My favorite thing to pair with a grilled skirt steak is chimichurri sauce. The freshness of this herb-forward sauce is the perfect match for grilled steak. I also like to finish the steak by sprinkling a little flaky sea salt on top.
Now when it comes to sides, you can pair everything from mashed potatoes, to salad with this steak and you’re going to have a winning meal. I recommend starting with one of the side dish recipes listed below, and decide which one is your favorite to pair with grilled skirt steak!
- Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
- Cheesy Grilled Potatoes
- Air Fryer Baked Potato
- Baked Sweet Potatoes
- Crispy Smashed Potatoes
- Sauteed Mushrooms
- Grilled Brussels Sprouts
- Broccoli Salad
- Blue Cheese Salad
- Grilled Zucchini
How to cook the steaks in a skillet
If you don’t have a grill, you can still use this delicious skirt steak marinade recipe to make an epic steak at home. Simply use a cast iron skillet or grill pan, if available. If not, use the heaviest, largest skillet you have.
Turn the stove on to high heat. Once the skillet is hot, use tongs to remove the skirt steak from the marinade. Pat the steak dry, but do not rinse the marinade off of the steak. Add the steak to the hot skillet and cook for 5-7 minutes per side. Remove the steak from the skillet and let it rest on a cutting board for 10 minutes before slicing.
Recipe tips
- Always use tongs to remove the skirt steak from the bag of marinade and transfer it to the grill. This is the cleanest and safest way to move the meat from the marinade to the grill.
- Always marinate the steak whole, then slice it after it’s been cooked. This will give you the juiciest, most flavorful marinated, grilled skirt steak.
- This marinade is also great for other cuts of steak. You can use it to marinate flank steak, bottom round steak, top round steak, sirloin flap, flat iron steak or hanger steak.
- To make this recipe gluten free, I recommend using coconut aminos to replace the soy sauce. This soy sauce alternative is soy-free, gluten-free and contains much less sodium. For this reason, I do recommend adding 1/2 teaspoon salt to the marinade if you replace the soy sauce with coconut aminos.
- This recipe can be used to marinate up to 2 pounds of steak. You can cut the recipe in half for 1 pound of meat, or double it for 4 pounds of meat.
- The marinade can be made ahead of time. Simply mix all of the marinade ingredients together and store them in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Just remember to avoid marinating the meat for more than 8 hours, so that it does not become mushy.
- Do not rinse the marinade off of the steak before cooking. If you’re grilling the steak, it can go straight from the marinade onto the grill. If you’re cooking the steak in a skillet, I do recommend patting the steak dry before adding it to the skillet. When placing steaks on the grill, any excess marinade will drip through the grill grates. When cooking the steaks in a skillet, the marinade has no where to go, so it will stay in the skillet and you won’t get that beautiful sear on the outside of the steak.
More steak recipes to try
With over 100 beef recipes on the blog, I know you’ll find tons of delicious steak recipes to try! These six recipes are fan favorites and sure to be a hit in your kitchen.
- Sous Vide Steak
- Steak Tacos
- Grilled Steak Skewers
- New York Strip Steak with Peppercorn Crust
- Grilled Ribeye Steak Kabobs
- Steak Salad
And if you love this skirt steak marinade, be sure to check out my other popular marinade recipes, including tri tip marinade, sirloin steak marinade, pork chop marinade and grilled shrimp marinade.
More recipes to grill
Don’t miss this epic post where I share my Top 10 Grilling Tips and be sure to check out these popular recipes to toss on the grill!
Skirt Steak Marinade
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup lemon juice
- ⅓ cup low-sodium soy sauce
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning, click link for the recipe
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 pounds skirt steak
Instructions
- Combine the lemon juice, low-sodium soy sauce, olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, apple cider vinegar, dijon mustard, Italian seasoning, minced garlic, black pepper and red pepper flakes in a gallon size zipper bag or large bowl.
- Add the skirt steak to the bag, or bowl, and make sure it's completely covered in the marinade.
- Place the marinating steak in the fridge to marinate for at least 20 minutes. I recommend 1-8 hours for the most flavorful, tender skirt steak.
- To grill the marinated skirt steak, preheat a grill over high heat. (Refer to the notes below for how to cook the steak in a skillet on the stove.)
- Use tongs to remove the steak from the marinade, shake off any excess marinade, then place the steak of the grill. Discard the bag of marinade.
- Grill the steak over high heat for 5 minutes per side.
- Remove the steak from the grill and place it on a large cutting board. Loosely cover the steak with foil and let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
- Slice the skirt steak against the grain. To do this, you’ll want to start by cutting the grilled skirt steak across the grain into three large pieces.
- Next, slice each of these pieces of steak against the grain into slices as thin or thick as you’d like.
- Optionally serve with chimichurri sauce on the side, or drizzled over the steak, and a sprinkling of flaky sea salt on top.
Notes
- To cook the marinated steak on the stove:
- Use a cast iron skillet or grill pan, if available. If not, use the heaviest, largest skillet you have.
- Turn the stove on to high heat.
- Once the skillet is hot, use tongs to remove the skirt steak from the marinade. Pat the steak dry, but do not rinse the marinade off of the steak.
- Add the steak to the hot skillet and cook for 5-7 minutes per side.
- Remove the steak from the skillet and let it rest on a cutting board for 10 minutes before slicing.
- To make this recipe gluten free, I recommend using coconut aminos to replace the soy sauce. This soy sauce alternative is soy-free, gluten-free and contains much less sodium. For this reason, I do recommend adding 1/2 teaspoon salt to the marinade if you replace the soy sauce with coconut aminos.
- This recipe can be used to marinate up to 2 pounds of steak. You can cut the recipe in half for 1 pound of meat, or double it for 4 pounds of meat.
- The marinade can be made ahead of time. Simply mix all of the marinade ingredients together and store them in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Just remember to avoid marinating the meat for more than 8 hours, so that it does not become mushy.
- This marinade is also great for other cuts of steak. You can use it to marinate flank steak, bottom round steak, top round steak, sirloin flap, flat iron steak or hanger steak.
Nutrition Facts
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2 Comments on “Skirt Steak Marinade”
Hiya Whit…
Quick observation for clarity —
Am I correct in assuming that when cutting the steak initially into 3 pieces that it should be cuts WITH the grain, followed by the slices against?
Great recipe btw!
Yes, you’ll want to start by cutting the skirt steak with the grain into three large pieces. Next, you’ll slice each of these pieces of steak against the grain into slices as thin or thick as you’d like. Thanks for the comment, glad you enjoyed the recipe!