5 Skirt Steak Marinade Recipes (Video)

These 5 skirt steak marinade recipes are freezer-friendly and quick and easy to prepare with a few pantry ingredients. They make the perfect steak marinades for grilling, sautéing, slow cooking, pressure cooking, meal prep, and more. You can use them with any type of steak, not just skirt steak!

5 Best Steak Marinade Recipes:

These easy and quick steak marinade recipes include the following:

• Taco Steak Marinade: with only 3 ingredients you can get super -tasty fajitas and more.
• Chimichurri Steak Marinade: Many fresh herbs are packed into this zesty, classic Argentinian sauce that serves a double purpose - as a marinade and as the sauce to serve with the steak itself. This is my favorite steak marinade recipe of them all!
• Italian Marinade: Tangy and prepared with a blend of Italian seasonings.
• Korean Steak Marinade: This makes the perfect combo of sweet and savory. Another tasty beef marinade!
• Middle Eastern Steak Marinade: A marinade with a great range of flavors --tangy, herbal, nutty, and toasty flavors.

How to 5 Easy Skirt Steak Marinade Recipes

Although we used these marinades to tenderize skirt steak, you can tenderize or flavor any other type of steak of your choice such as flank steak, sirloin steak, pork steak, and more.

We chose skirt steak because it is a cheaper cut that can be marinated for less time than other steaks. Moreover, it is the cut of choice for making fajitas, arrachera (marinated skirt steak for tacos), Chinese stir-fry, Cornish pasties, and churrasco. As you can see, you can prepare many dishes using a single cut of meat! Here is how to make the steak marinades and cook skirt steak:

1. Before starting, prepare the skirt steak. Place it on a cutting board, remove the top fat and silver skin, cover with a plastic sheet, and pound the meat with a kitchen hammer on both sides until it is about ¼-inch thick. Slice the steak into 3-4 pieces to fit in into the pan where it will cook.
2. Make the marinade: Simply mix the ingredients together in a sealable plastic bag and place the steak in it. Shake to combine!
3. Then, squeeze the bag to remove as much air as possible, seal, and let the steak marinate at room temperature for 20 minutes maximum. If you marinate longer, the meat flavors will get lost.
4. Next, remove the steak from the bag and pat dry to remove excess moisture from the marinade. This is so the steak can properly sear and get a nice brown crust.
5. To cook the skirt steak, heat a large cast-iron skillet or griddle over high heat for about 3-5 minutes or until super hot and add the oil. It will shimmer! Place the steak(s) flat (do not overcrowd the pan), lower the heat to medium-high, and cook the steak for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until medium-rare.
6. Transfer the steak(s) to a plate and tent with foil. Let it rest for 3-5 minutes and squeeze the juice of a lime on top.
7. Cut into thin slices against the grain and enjoy with chimichurri sauce on top and/or another garnishes of your choice, such as pickled red onions, tortilla, cheese, etc.

If using another type of steak, marinade for 30 minutes to up to 24 hours, depending on the thickness of the steak and how tough it is. Tough cuts come from the brawny parts of the cow such as legs and shoulders as well as nearby areas. 

If marinating for more than 30 minutes (not skirt steak), make sure to store it in the fridge. Let the meat come close to room temperature for even cooking.

If freezing, transfer the steak packs (not skirt steak) to the freezer, and freeze for up to 3 months. Let the marinade/steak thaw in the fridge completely (about 24 hours or more). Or to speed up the process, you can submerge the sealed steak pack in a bowl of cold water in the fridge until it’s fully thawed. When ready to cook, remove the steak from the marinade, discard the liquid, and let the steak rest on a plate for 20 minutes at room temperature before cooking.

How to tenderize skirt steak

1. Make sure to choose a premium or select skirt steak. 'Select' is the lowest grade and the most budget-friendly, but the meat is leaner and tougher.
2. Pound the steak on both side until ¼-inch thick to break down connective tissue. Use the flat side of a mallet!
3. (optional) Score after pounding to tenderize the steak and keep it from shrinking too much as it cooks. I usually don’t do that because you may end up with a less juicy piece of steak (more juices come out). But if you want to score it, etch shallow, crosshatched cuts in the steak about ½ inch apart using the tip of a sharp knife.
4. Marinate the steak for 20 minutes maximum using one of the 5 steak marinade recipes. The acidity (vinegar, lemon juice, wine,etc) in the marinade will help tenderize the meat and infuse flavor!
5. Cook the steak at high heat quickly. Because skirt steak is thin, you can easily overcook it. Sear the outside for 2-3 minutes on each side in a sizzling skillet, or over the red-hot coals of a grill. 
6. Let the meat rest tented with foil for 3-5 minutes before slicing.
7. Slice into thin strips, always against the grain.

 Marinade to Steak ratio: 

You can use less or more, but I usually recommend around ½ cup marinade per 1 pound of any cut of steak. This will be enough to tenderize and flavor the meat!

Marinade Times:

• Fridge marinade time: It depends on the cut of meat and the thickness of the steak. The tougher the cut and thicker the steak, the longer  time marinating is needed. If using skirt steak, despite its being a tough cut, it is thin. A 20-minute marinade is enough to tenderize the meat and infuse flavor. If using another type of steak, you can marinade from 30 minutes to 24 hours.
• Freezer marinade time: I usually recommend marinating the steak packs in the freezer for up to 2-3 months, except skirt steak which is so thin that that the meat flavors can get lost.

Marinade Safety:

• Thaw steak properly: It may be tempting to “quick-thaw” frozen steak, but food safety guidelines advise that you always thaw steak slowly in the fridge. It usually takes around 24 hours to thaw. To speed the process up, you can place the steak pack in a bowl of cold water, then place in the fridge until the steak pack has completely thawed.
• Don’t cook partially-frozen steak, otherwise the steak will cook unevenly. Make sure the steak is fully thawed and has come close to room temp.
• Don’t baste the steak with the same liquid that you marinade it in. Instead, make extra to use as a basting liquid.
• Use high-heat oils to cook your steak over high heat. Olive oil, for example, has a higher smoke point than extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil. Grapeseed and safflower oils also work well.

Equipment:

Choose one of the following:

• Freezer bags: Use strong freezer plastic bags to prevent leaks and keep the process freezer- friendly. A gallon Ziploc bag is what I prefer to use for my skirt steak marinade because you can easily remove excess air before sealing and then discard it after marinating.
• Meal prep containers: Although you can use them to marinade steak, don’t use them for freezing because you can’t eliminate all of the excess air inside. But for a quick marinade (20 minutes to 24 hours), they work well.
• Everyday bowls: Because you can’t remove the excess air, bowls should be used for for quick marinades (20 minutes to 24 hours). Just mix the ingredients, cover with a sheet of foil or plastic wrap, and store either at room temp (up to 30 minutes) or in the fridge (up to 24 hours). Do not freeze them!
• Instant-Read Thermometer: However you choose to cook your steak, having an instant-read thermometer handy to ensure that your steak is cooked through. The FDA recommends cooking your beef to a minimum of 145°F (63° C) with a 3-minute resting time. 

How Long to Marinate Steaks?

It depends on the cut of meat and the thickness of the steak. The tougher and thicker the steak, the longer it can be marinated. But steaks should rest in the marinade for 20 minutes maximum for skirt steak (room temp) or up to 8 hours in the fridge. The acidity of the marinade may break down the proteins and turn the outer layer, where the marinade penetrates, mushy. It is more noticeable if broiling, sautéing/searing, or grilling because you are really looking for a crust with those methods. 

 

How Long to Cook Skirt Steak?

If searing at medium-high heat, it may take around 2-3 minutes per side for medium-rare (130 – 135 °F). This is for a ¼-inch thick skirt steak. If thicker, it will take a little longer. The meat will continue to cook while resting and before slicing.

What are the Best Cuts for these Steak Marinades?

Pretty much any tough cut of meat needed to tenderize and/or flavor. Skirt steak, New York strip steaks, rib eye, top sirloin, flank steak, petite sirloin, or flat iron can benefit from the marinades. But of course tender cuts such as filet mignon, wagyu or Kobe don’t need to marinade.

What is the Difference Between Prime, Choice, and Select Beef Steak?

• Prime beef comes from young cattle and has a good amount of marbling (streaks of fat). It’s the best and most expensive grade of beef.
• Choice beef steaks are more budget-friendly than prime, but they don’t have quite as much marbling.
• Select beef steak is the lowest grade and has a better price. But the meat is leaner and not quite as tender as prime and choice.

How to Tell When Steak is Done?

According to the USDA, 145°F (63° C) is a safe temperature for beef to kill off any harmful bacteria.

Using an instant read thermometer is the best way to check when the steak is done and avoid overcooking. To do that, just insert the thermometer through the side of the steak horizontally and go to the center of thickest portion. Avoid touching any bone! You may guess by the color of the center, but some steaks are naturally lighter than others and you don’t want to cut into a steak during cooking. That will make it lose some of the juices!

Here is a list of steak doneness by temperature:

Rare: 125 – 130 °F or 51-54 °C (not recommended for food safety)

Medium rare: 130 – 135°F or 54-57°C (the best for skirt steak to not wind up tough)

Medium: 135 – 145 °F or 57-62 °C

For Medium well: 145 – 150 °F or 62-65°C

Well: 150 – 160 °F or 65-71 °C

Can I Cook Marinated Steak on the Stovetop?

Yes, you can! Just cook in an oiled grill pan or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Make sure to dab steaks with paper towels to remove some of that excess moisture before cooking for a better sear and so that the marinade doesn’t burn in the pan. Depending on the thickness and the cut of meat, cook for 2-3 minutes per side (¼-inch thick skirt steak) or for 3 – 5 minutes per side for 1-inch thick steaks.

Why Let Steak Rest off Heat?

That 3-5 minute rest period allows the juices to evenly redistribute and seal in. If you cut into it early, the juices will end up on the plate instead of in the steak. The steak will be less juicy!

What Should I Serve with Steak?

• Roasted carrots and parsnips
• Instant Pot Brussels Sprouts
• Butternut squash
• Cauliflower mac and cheese
• Microwave mac and cheese

 

 PIN & ENJOY!

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