Grilled Skirt Steak with Chimichurri Sauce

Salt the meat while the grill heats. Pepper it heavy. This is where everything starts, not when it hits the fire.

Why You’ll Love This Grilled Skirt Steak Chimichurri

Takes 29 minutes total—12 minutes of actual prep, 17 on the grill. Real weeknight dinner, not a weekend project. Skirt steak cooks fast because it’s thin, which means the crust forms before the inside dries out. The chimichurri sits at room temperature and cuts through all that richness without needing much else. Two-ingredient seasoning—salt and pepper—lets you taste what you’re actually cooking. Resting the meat is the only step that matters. Skip it and you’ll see the juice pool on your plate instead of staying inside where it belongs. Slices thin naturally. Grain runs short, so you don’t need a knife skills tutorial. Works cold the next day, maybe even better.

What You Need for Easy Grilled Steak

Skirt steak. One and a half pounds. Trim the edges if there’s weird gristle, but mostly it comes ready. Kosher salt—coarser than table salt, stays on the meat instead of dissolving into nothing. Freshly ground black pepper. Not the pre-ground stuff. Grind it yourself or ask the butcher. Two tablespoons olive oil for the grill grates and to finish. Half a cup of chimichurri sauce—room temperature, not cold from the fridge. Salsa verde works if that’s what you have, or make your own with herbs and lime. The sauce matters more than anything except the steak itself.

How to Make Grilled Skirt Steak with Fresh Herbs

Pat the steak completely dry with paper towels. Moisture steams it. You want a crust, not steam. Once it’s dry, massage salt into the meat surface—don’t hold back. Then pepper. Coarse grind, generous. This isn’t the time to be delicate.

Heat the grill. Get the grates hot. Oil them while they’re heating—fold a paper towel, soak it in olive oil, grab it with tongs, run it over the grates a few times. Stops the sticking. Prevents flare-ups from oil dripping onto flame.

Place the skirt steak over medium-high heat. Not directly over flame if you can help it. The edges will burn while the center stays cold and sad. You want even brown, which means indirect or medium heat depending on your grill. Listen for the sizzle. Steady sizzle is the sound you’re after—not a roar, not a whisper. Four minutes a side if the heat’s right. Press it with your finger after the first flip. Should be springy but firm. That’s medium rare. If it’s mushy, leave it longer. If it’s hard, you overcooked it. Feel, not time. Timing changes with how hot your grill actually gets.

How to Get Grilled Steak Crust and Juicy Inside

Remove it from heat. Don’t slice it yet. Tent it loosely with foil—not sealed tight, just resting. Seven minutes. This is where the magic happens. Fibers relax. Juices redistribute throughout instead of running out the moment you cut into it. Skip this and you lose everything that made the steak worth cooking.

After resting, slice thin against the grain. Skirt steak’s got a short grain, so this isn’t complicated. Across the fibers instead of parallel. Makes it tender, makes it easy to eat. Takes maybe two minutes. Then plate it and immediately top with chimichurri or salsa verde while the meat’s still warm. Herbs pop when they hit heat. Acid from the herbs cuts through the richness. That’s the whole thing.

Grilled Steak Tips and Common Mistakes

If you don’t have a grill, cast iron skillet works. Very hot, oil it well, same timing. Flip twice max. Rest the same seven minutes. Texture won’t be identical but it comes close.

Skipped the resting step? You’ll see juice pooling on the plate. That’s moisture that should’ve stayed in the meat. You’ll taste the difference—it’s drier, less flavorful. Not ruined, just not what it should be.

Over-peppered it? Add a dab of avocado or drizzle mild oil on top after plating. Balances it out. Doesn’t fix it but helps.

The chimichurri sitting cold in the fridge kills the flavor. Room temperature is the only way. Pull it out 10 minutes before you start cooking.

Grilled Skirt Steak with Chimichurri Sauce

By Emma

Prep:

12 min

Cook:

17 min

Total:

29 min

Servings:

4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds skirt steak trimmed and patted dry
• Kosher salt for massaging
• Freshly ground black pepper generously
• 2 tablespoons olive oil for grill and finishing
• 1/2 cup chimichurri sauce at room temperature === substitution: 1/2 cup salsa verde with fresh herbs and lime juice for twist

Method

1. 1 Pat steak with paper towels until visibly dry; prevents steaming, helps crust form.
2. 2 Massage salt thoroughly into meat surface; don't be shy. Freshly cracked black pepper next; coarser grind preferred.
3. 3 Heat grill grates while oiling liberally—use tongs plus folded paper towel soaked in oil. Avoid flare-ups, sticking tragedy.
4. 4 Place skirt steak over indirect heat. You want medium-high but no direct flame contact to avoid burning edges and raw centers.
5. 5 Cook about 4 minutes a side; listen for steady sizzle. Steak should start to brown evenly. Press with finger, springy but firm is medium rare. Adjust time by feel, not clock.
6. 6 Remove slab, rest uncovered but tented loosely with foil for 7 minutes. Critical step—juices redistribute or you'll lose everything once sliced.
7. 7 Slice thin, always against the grain. Across fibers means tenderness, effortlessness. Chop too soon or parallel and jaws get tired fast.
8. 8 Top each portion with room temperature chimichurri or salsa verde alternative; herbs pop, acid cuts through fat. Serve immediately.
9. 9 If grill unavailable try cast iron skillet, very hot and oil well. Flip twice max. Rest same.
10. 10 Skipped resting? You'll see juice pooling on plate—waste and less flavor intensity.
11. 11 Over peppered? Balances if you add a dab of avocado or drizzle mild oil on top after plating.

Nutritional information

Calories

320

Protein

35g

Carbs

2g

Fat

18g

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Frequently Asked Questions About Beef Steak Dinner

Can I marinate skirt steak beforehand? Doesn’t need it. Salt and pepper work better than sitting in vinegar. Marinade makes the edges mushy before the inside cooks through.

What if my grill doesn’t get hot enough? Everything takes longer. Maybe 6 minutes a side instead of 4. The sizzle will tell you—if it’s barely hissing, it’s not hot enough.

Is skirt steak the same as flank? No. Flank’s bigger, takes longer, grain runs different. Skirt’s thin and fast. Different cuts, different cooks.

Can I cook it medium or well-done? Yeah. Medium is maybe 6 minutes a side. Well-done is pushing 8. But it gets dry fast. Skirt steak’s lean. Medium rare is where it shines.

How do I know when it’s actually done? Feel it. Press the meat with your finger—should push back but not be hard. A meat thermometer reads 130-135°F for medium rare. But feel is faster and more accurate if you do it a few times.

What’s the best way to slice it? Thin, against the grain. Skirt steak’s grain is short and obvious. Slice perpendicular to those lines. Makes every bite tender instead of chewy.