Skirt Steak with Chimichurri Sauce

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This is a classic steak dish from Argentina, the home of steak cooking outside of Texas! A delicious piece of Skirt Steak with Chimichurri Sauce, the traditional sauce of Argentina must be one of the most satisfying meals you can prepare. A beautifully marinated piece of Skirt steak, cooked to a perfect medium rare then topped with a delicious, herby sauce with a little bit of kick. It’s a great dish for outdoor grilling, for pairing with some delicious starchy sides, or for a starter to some delicious tasting tacos

Best way to cook Skirt Steak

There is only one way to properly cook a Skirt Steak, and that is hot! Get your cooking surface as hot as it can get, then give the beautiful piece of Skirt a quick seer on each side. 2 minutes maximum is what we’d recommend on each side before you pull it off the heat to rest. Skirt steak is a thinner cut of meat, so it doesn’t require as long to cook as some thicker cuts of meat like Tenderloin or Ribeye

Skirt Steak is a great option for a steak dinner as it is a much more affordable piece of meat. It also has a load of flavor, and absolutely loves soaking up a delicious marinade. The steak does require a bit more preparation than other cuts, as it typically has quite a bit of silver skin on it. Please take your time and do remove the silver skin before cooking as it will otherwise be quite tough and unpleasant to eat

Finally, and this may be a controversial take here: We recommend cooking the Steak while it is still cold. Many websites and chefs recommend that the meat needs to be at room temperature, however for Skirt Steak we have found that you get the perfect combination of a beautiful dark outside crust with a perfectly cooked medium rare inside if you cook the steak cold. This is because the steak is quite thin. Leaving it to room temperature before cooking means to achieve a medium rare result, you cannot get a great crust. To get a great crust, the meat will be overcooked. Trust us on this one, cook the steak cold and you’ll get a perfect result

Simple Marinade for the Skirt Steak

We’d highly recommend putting that Steak into a marinade overnight if possible to maximize the flavor. You can be creative with your marinade; however, we’re keeping ours very traditional with the classic combination of Cumin, Coriander Powder, Paprika, Garlic, then some Olive Oil and Lemon Juice for that much needed acidity. An addition that we absolutely love for all our Steak Marinades is a heaped spoon of good quality Dijon Mustard. Steak loves mustard, and it adds a beautiful depth of flavor to the steak. Finally, a little bit of Honey works wonders in this marinade. It adds sweetness and helps to caramelize the steak when cooking

Finally, to finish off our Skirt Steak and Chimichurri Sauce we need the sauce of course! Our delicious Spicy Chimichurri Sauce recipe is packed full of flavor and has a kick of spice from the addition of Jalapeños. These are an optional addition however if you can handle a little bit of heat we highly recommend it. The pairing of the herbaceous Chimichurri Sauce with the richness of the Skirt Steak is delicious

Skirt Steak with Chimichurri Sauce Recipe

Ingredients

For the Steak

• 1 ½ lbs. Skirt Steak
• 1 tsp. Cumin
• 1 tsp. Paprika
• 1 tsp. Coriander Powder
• 4 Garlic Cloves, finely diced
• 2 tbsp. Olive Oil
• Juice of ½ a Lemon
• 2 tsp. Salt
• 1 tbsp. Dijon Mustard
• 1 tsp. Honey
  
  

For the Chimichurri Sauce (detailed recipe can be found here)

• 1 cup Fresh Parsley
• ½ cup Fresh Oregano (Alternatively 2 tsp. of Dried Oregano)
• 1 large / 2 medium Jalapenos
• 1 Shallot, peeled and quartered
• 1 tsp. Red Wine Vinegar
• 4 Garlic Cloves, peeled
• Juice from 2 Lemons
• ⅓ cup Olive Oil
• 2 tsp. Salt
  
  

Instructions

1. Prepare the Skirt steak by removing the silver skin and any excess fat. If the Steak is in 1 large piece, cut into smaller, evenly sized portions that will easily fit within your frying pan or grill
2. In a small bowl combine the Cumin, Paprika, Coriander Powder, Garlic Cloves, Olive Oil, Lemon Juice, Dijon Mustard, Honey, and 2 tsp. Salt. Mix well to combine
3. Place the skirt steak into a large Ziplock / freezer bag then pour over the Marinade. Close the bag and massage the marinade into the Steak well. Refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours, preferably overnight
   
   

Prepare the Sauce

4. Combine all the ingredients into a blender and blend well to combine. Depending on the spice levels you require you may want to dial back the Jalapeños. We would recommend adding a little bit, tasting, then adding more to hit your spice level preference
5. Pour the Chimichurri Sauce into a serving bowl and refrigerate until you are ready to serve. The Chimichurri will keep very well in the fridge for up to 1 week after it has been prepared
   
   

Cooking the Steak

6. Set your pan or grill to its hottest setting and wait until the grilling surface begins to smoke. We want to cook this steak at the highest temperature as possible
7. Remove the Steak from the fridge and cook immediately once taken out of the fridge. Given the steak is thin, cooking it when cold ensures you will get a beautiful, dark, caramelization on the outside and a perfectly cooked medium rare
8. Cook the Steak on high heat for 1 ½ – 2 minutes on each side, until the internal temperature reads 115 degrees. Remove the Steak from the heat and rest for 5 minutes to let the juices settle
9. Finally, Cut the Steak into bite sizes pieces and serve with a generous helping of Chimichurri Sauce on top
   
   

There you have it! A perfectly cooked Skirt Steak with Chimichurri Sauce. To ensure the best eating experience, cut the steak against its grain. By cutting it this way the meat will become a lot less chewy to eat, which your guests will thank you for

This recipe goes well with so many sides, so just head over to our sides page and pick your favorite. One side we highly recommend is our Sheet Pan Potatoes and Beans dish. Super easy to make and pairs exceptionally well with this dish. It’s the side that is featured in the photos on this recipe page

Happy Cooking!