How to Cook Skirt Steak on the Grill?

Skirt steak is one of the best cuts for grilling because of its thinness and rich fat content. When grilled over flame, the exterior caramelizes beautifully while the inside still stays tender and juicy. However, this also means it can easily be overcooked, so you’ll still need some tricks to achieve the perfect result. In this guide, I’ll cover the basics of skirt steak and will take you through the best marinade recipe, the grilling instructions, and the ideal skirt steak internal temp to ensure you impress both yourself and your guests every time. 

What is Skirt Steak?

Skirt steak comes from the plate section of the cow, right below the ribs. It’s a long, thin muscle that runs along the belly, and because that muscle does a lot of work, it’s packed with flavor but needs careful handling.

You’ll actually find two types at the butcher. The inside skirt is thinner and tends to cook faster. The outside skirt is thicker, more marbled, and is usually found in restaurants because it’s a bit harder to find. If you spot an outside skirt, grab it. The extra fat means more flavor and a bigger window between perfectly cooked and overcooked.

Skirt Steak vs. Flank Steak

Skirt steak and flank steak usually sit next to each other in the meat case, both flat, both lean, both cheaper than strip steaks. But they’re different cuts. Skirt steak is longer, thinner, and has a looser, more open grain. Flank steak comes from further back, near the rear legs. It’s thicker, wider, and the fibers run tighter.

Flavor wise, skirt wins. It has more intramuscular fat, which means it tastes beefier. Flank is still good, especially with a marinade, but it doesn’t have that same rich punch. For grilling, skirt behaves differently, too. It cooks faster because it’s thinner. And that open grain soaks up marinades in a couple hours, while flank needs more time.

If a recipe calls for one and you’ve got the other, you can swap them. Just adjust your cook time and watch the temperature.

RELATED: How to Grill Flank Steak?

The Best Skirt Steak Marinade Recipe

Marinating skirt steak is just as important as the cooking method itself. Some people simply hit it with salt and call it done, but my skirt steak marinade recipe has the perfect balance of acidity, fat, and seasonings to enhance the flavor and help break down the longer muscle fibers.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 4 cloves garlic, minced fine
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin

Instructions:

Step 1: Whisk everything together in a bowl. Drop your skirt steak into a zip-top bag, pour the marinade over, and squish it around so every surface gets coated. Stick it in the fridge.

Step 2: Stick the steak in the fridge. It needs at least 2 hours, but don’t let it go past 12. The acid will start breaking down the meat too much, and you’ll end up with mushy texture instead of tender.

Step 3: Pull the steak from the bag and let the excess drip off before 30 minutes you cook. Then grab paper towels and pat it dry.

How Long to Cook Skirt Steak on the Grill?

Skirt steak cooks very quickly due to its thickness. The cooking time will largely depend on this as well as your desired doneness, but generally, you’re looking at:

Time charts are helpful, but they lie sometimes. The skirt steak internal temp is what actually matters, and I always cook this cut to a medium-rare, that is, 130°F~135°F.

This is where a wireless meat thermometer changes everything. Before the steak hits the grate, insert the probe into the thickest part of the meat, and you can watch the temperature climb from your phone or Apple Watch without needing to hover. 

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4-Probe Wireless Smart Meat Thermometer

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How to Grill Skirt Steak?

Follow these steps to grill the best skirt steak in your own backyard.

Step 1: Preheat your grill to high heat, about 450°F to 500°F. For gas grill, crank all burners. For charcoal, build a two-zone fire with coals banked on one side.

Step 2: Pull your marinated skirt steak from the fridge while the grill heats, and let it sit on the counter for 30 minutes to take the chill off.

Step 3: Insert the probe of your wireless thermometer into the thickest part of the steak. Set the target temperature on your phone to 130°F for medium-rare.

Step 4: Oil the grate. A paper towel dipped in oil and run across the hot grate works fine.

Step 5: Sear the skirt steak over the hottest part of the fire. Not flipping. No poking. No checking every thirty seconds. Let the crust form. After 2-4 minutes, flip once, and let the other side do its thing. Now watch your thermometer app or display.

Step 6: Take the steak off the heat when the thermometer reads 130°F. Transfer it to a cutting board and tent it loosely with foil. Let it rest 5-10 minutes before cutting.

RELATED: Sous Vide Flank Steak Recipe

How to Cut Grilled Skirt Steak Properly?

This is the last trick to get every bite of your skirt steak tender. Look at the rested steak and find the direction of the muscle fibers. They run lengthwise. You need to slice perpendicular to those lines. Against the grain.

To do this, you can cut the long steak crosswise into 3 or 4-inch sections. Now look at each piece. The fibers will be running in a certain direction. Turn the piece so your knife cuts across those fibers, not with them. Slice thin, about a quarter inch thick. That’s it. Every bite short, tender, and easy to chew.

Serve it up with whatever you like. Tacos, rice and beans, grilled vegetables, or just a pile of it on a plate with chimichurri spooned over top. Skirt steak doesn’t need much. It does its own talking.