Grilled Skirt Steak

at a glance
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 6 minutes
Servings 4 servings
5 from 1 vote

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Grilled skirt steak cooks up in a jiffy and delivers a rich, flavorful, deliciously charred end product in under 10 minutes of cooking time!

Sliced skirt steak on a round cutting board with a slicer knife.

Grilled Skirt Steak Recipe 

Skirt steak is hands down my favorite cut of beef (a close 2nd would be ribeye–give me all the marbled meat!). When grilled just right, skirt steak will melt in your mouth and has a buttery texture on the inside and rich, smoky flavors on the outside. This is a great cut of meat for grilling and is easy to cook for even the most novice of grillmasters. If you’re not a big griller or haven’t ever grilled before, don’t be intimidated! You’ve got this!

Grilled Skirt Steak Ingredients 

For a really simple and delicious grilled skirt steak, you only need a few ingredients. 

Skirt steak ingredients on a gray and white marble surface.
  • 1 pound of flank steak
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • Drizzle of olive oil

Ingredient Modifications

While skirt steak completely shines on its own in flavor and texture, here are some ideas of how you can add a little more to your dish if you so desire.

  • Use a marinade. Marinate your steak for 30 minutes (or up to 24 hours) prior to cooking. This coconut aminos-based marinade adds a subtle sweetness to the meat, but you can add any flavor combinations you love to the marinade.
  • Make a spice rub. Chili powder, paprika, cumin, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper make for a really tasty dry rub that you can apply just before grilling for a spiced skirt steak.

How to Grill Skirt Steak

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  1. Prep the meat. If you are going to marinate your meat, mix up your marinade and pour it over top of the skirt steak in a casserole dish or plastic bag. Marinate for 30 minutes or up to 24 hours. If you are not using a marinade, brush a little olive oil over the surface of the skirt steak and simply season with sea salt and cracked black pepper. 
  2. Heat the grill. Heat your grill to a high heat of 450-500℉ or heat your grill pan on the stove over high heat. 
  3. Grill. Place your skirt steak on the hot grill and grill for 3-5 minutes on each side.
  4. Rest the steak. After grilling, allow the meat to rest for 5 minutes.
  5. Slice. Using a sharp knife, slice the steak against the grain into thin slices.
  6. Serve and enjoy!
Two cooked steaks and chef's knife with black handle sitting on top of cutting board with three medium rare slices cut from one steak

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Beef Recipes

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Q Do you cut skirt steak before or after cooking?
A

For this grilled skirt steak recipe, you’ll want to wait to cut your meat until after it’s been grilled and rested. This gives you the surface area to grill while also keeping the meat nice and juicy. If you are using skirt steak for another recipe, like beef fajitas or beef stir fry, you’ll want to cut your skirt steak beforehand so that the marinade can soak deeper into the meat. 

Q How do you cut skirt steak?
A

To cut your skirt steak, you’ll want to use a sharp slicing knife and cut against the grain. The “grain” is the parallel lines in the meat that are made by the muscle fibers. You want to cut perpendicular to those lines to help reduce the length of the muscle fibers, making for a more tender bite of meat. 

Q How should skirt steak be cooked?
A

Skirt steak is best enjoyed medium-rare (130-135℉) to medium (135-145℉). It has the propensity to become tough and chewy when overcooked. Cook it quickly over high heat for a tender steak. 

Q Is skirt steak good for grilling?
A

Skirt steak is great for grilling and is my favorite cut of beef to grill. It has a large surface area to develop delicious, charred flavors and the high heat from the grill makes for ideal cooking conditions. 

Q Does skirt steak need to be marinated?
A

Skirt steak takes very well to marinades and absorbs flavors beautifully, but it definitely doesn’t have to be marinated if you want a really clean, organic flavor. 

Q How do you make skirt steak more tender?
A

The key to tender skirt steak is to make sure you don’t overcook the meat. Skirt steak is a thinner, tougher cut of meat and is most tender when cooked to medium-rare (130-135℉) to medium (135-145℉). 

Q Does skirt steak get more tender the longer you cook it?
A

No, skirt steak does not get more tender the longer you cook it. Longer cooks on high heat have the opposite effect, resulting in a chewier, tougher piece of meat. 

Q How long does it take to grill skirt steak?
A

Grilled skirt steak cooks up super fast! You just need 3-5 minutes per side to achieve a medium-rare to medium cook. 

Q How long does skirt steak last?
A

Stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, your cooked skirt steak will last up to 5 days. 

Sliced skirt steak on a round cutting board.

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Grilled Skirt Steak Recipe

By: Melissa Guevara
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time: 5 mins
Cook Time: 6 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Grilled skirt steak cooks up in a jiffy and delivers a rich, flavorful, deliciously charred meat in under 10 minutes of cooking time!

Ingredients  

For Simple Grilled Skirt Steak:

  • 1 pound flank steak
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • drizzle of olive oil

Skirt Steak Marinade:

  • 1/2 cup coconut aminos
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon granulated garlic (or 3 cloves fresh, minced)

Instructions

  • If you are going to marinate your meat, mix up your marinade and pour over top of the skirt steak in a casserole dish or in a plastic bag. Marinate for 30 minutes or up to 24 hours. If you are not using a marinade, brush a little olive oil over the surface of the skirt steak and simply season with sea salt and cracked black pepper.
  • Heat your grill to a high heat of 450-500℉ or heat your grill pan on the stove over high heat.
  • Place your skirt steak on the hot grill and grill for 3-5 minutes on each side.
  • After grilling, allow the meat to rest for 5 minutes.
  • Using a sharp slicing knife, slice the steak against the grain into thin slices.
  • Serve and enjoy!

Nutrition Information

Nutrition Facts
Grilled Skirt Steak Recipe
Amount per Serving
Calories
185
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
9.2
g
14
%
Saturated Fat
 
2.9
g
18
%
Cholesterol
 
68
mg
23
%
Protein
 
24.3
g
49
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Meet the Author
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Melissa Guevara

Melissa spends the bulk of her time writing, managing our content calendar, and lending a hand in recipe shoots. She values time spent exploring outdoors with her family and baking all things sourdough.⁠
Get to know Melissa

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Kiara says

    Kiara —  07/25/2022 At 13:58

    5 stars
    The steak marinade made these steaks so delicious! Definitely recommend taking the extra 30 mins to marinate them.

    • Melissa Guevara says

      Melissa Guevara —  07/25/2022 At 15:11

      We are glad that you loved the marinade! It is really tasty! Thank you for taking the time to share with us! -Team F&F