This Skirt Steak Marinade is a family favorite and is completely foolproof for the juiciest and most tender skirt steaks you’ve had! It’s sweet, zesty, and full of umami flavor - exactly what you want for a steak marinade!
My Dad completely swears this is the only marinade you’ll ever need for a skirt or flank steak. It yields such a tender texture and robust flavor that my Dad has used this as his go-to marinade at every restaurant he’s worked at in the last several years.
What is Skirt Steak?
Skirt steak comes from the diaphragm muscle of the cow. It is typically coarse and tough in texture if it is not marinaded.
It also needs to be cut against the grain for the most tender texture. It does well when it is cooked to medium-rare or medium, but doneness is truly up to you and what you like.
Ingredient Notes
Skirt steak - If you can’t find this cut, this skirt steak marinade does exceptionally well for flank steak as well - we’ve used it for both cuts of meat with good results.
Vegetable oil - You can also use light or cooking olive oil or canola oil.
Lemon and lime juice - This can be fresh or bottled. They both yield good results.
Pineapple juice - This is a key ingredient as pineapple juice contains an enzyme called bromelain that breaks down proteins and is one of the best meat tenderizers.
Soy sauce - This gives a salty, umami flavor to the steak. I tend to use the lower sodium soy sauce so that I can have control over how much salt is used.
Garlic and red onion - You don’t have to mince these finely or uniformly. Just a rough chop will do.
Brown sugar and sweet Thai chili sauce - These are the sweet elements of the marinade, which gives the steak a good amount of caramelization when seared and deepens the flavor.
Chili powder and cumin - These spices add smokiness and depth of flavor.
Dijon mustard - You can also use spicy brown mustard or even yellow if that’s what you have on hand.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Add the oil, juices, and soy sauce to a large mixing bowl or Pyrex measuring cup (I used a 4-quart Pyrex).
Step 2: Then, add the garlic, red onion, spices, mustard, and Thai chili sauce to the bowl.
Step 3: Pour the marinade over the steak in a ziplock bag or baking dish. Seal the bag or wrap the dish with plastic wrap tightly. Store in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
Step 4: Make sure your grill is preheated and remove the steaks from the marinade (also, make sure to discard the used marinade!). Grill the steaks for about 6-8 minutes on each side or until your desired doneness is acquired. Allow the steaks to rest for 10 minutes, then slice them against the grain in thin slices.
Expert Tips
Allow the steaks to rest for about 10 minutes after grilling. Ideally, you should also let the steaks rest for 30 minutes at room temp just before grilling.
Don’t keep any leftover skirt steak marinade that was in contact with the meat.
Cut the steak only after it has cooked and been rested, not when it is raw.
If you don’t have a grill, try searing over medium-high in a cast iron skillet.
Steak Cooking Temperatures
Here are the general internal steak temperatures based on doneness:
- Rare: 120°–125°
- Medium Rare: 130°–135°
- Medium: 140°–145°
- Medium Well: 150°–155°
- Well Done: 160°–165°
For skirt steak, it generally tastes best at medium-rare to medium. You want to pull your steaks from their heat source about 5 degrees before your preferred temperature using an internal meat thermometer.
Leftovers and Storage Tips
Store cooked leftovers in the fridge for 3-4 days or up to 3 months in the freezer.
You can make your marinade and keep it in the fridge for up to 4 days before you intend to marinate your steaks.
To reheat your leftover skirt steak, gently warm them on the stovetop, bake in an oven set to 250 degrees F, or in the microwave in 30-second increments. To keep from drying out, add a touch of beef broth to your reheating dish or pan.
Sides to Serve with Steak
We’re a steak and potatoes kind of family, so I’d definitely recommend checking out our Truffle Mashed Potatoes. The umami flavor of the truffles is the perfect flavor complement to steak. You can also serve marinated skirt steak with our Air Fryer Ranch Carrots.
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Skirt Steak Marinade Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- ¼ cup lime juice
- ¼ cup pineapple juice
- ½ cup soy sauce
- 2 cloves garlic roughly chopped
- 1 small red onion roughly chopped
- ⅓ cup brown sugar loosely packed
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons Thai sweet chili sauce
- 2 ½ lbs. skirt steak
Instructions
- Whisk all of the ingredients except for the steak together in a large mixing bowl.
- Add the skirt steak to a large ziplock bag or baking dish. Then, add the marinade on top. If using a ziplock bag, store the sealed bag in a large mixing bowl before placing in the fridge to marinade in case it leaks. Or, if you’re using a baking dish, cover the dish with plastic wrap then place in the fridge.
- Marinate the steak for at least 1 hour or up to 12 hours.
- When ready to cook, sear the steak on each side for about 6-8 minutes on each side or until internal temperature reaches desired doneness.
- Allow steaks to rest for 10 minutes after removing from heat. Then, slice the steak against the grain and serve immediately.
Notes
- Rare: 120°–125°
- Medium Rare: 130°–135°
- Medium: 140°–145°
- Medium Well: 150°–155°
- Well Done: 160°–165°
Nutrition
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Pat says
Wow!!! This gave the steak so much flavor! Very tender too!!!