Skirt Steak Marinade
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Equal parts salty, tangy, and garlicky, this simple, easy, Skirt Steak Marinade will soon become your go-to marinade for summer grilling.
Looking for delicious steak recipes? Try Steak with Mushrooms and Onions, the BEST Sirloin Steak, and Quick Steak Marinade.
I love a good steak on the grill. And it doesn’t have to be the fanciest piece of steak either. I’ve found with the right marinade any steak can taste amazing, be moist and juicy, and cook up to perfection. This has been my go-to skirt steak marinade for quite some time now, but you can really use it on any cut of steak you like, and it would be amazing on pork tenderloin too!
Ingredients
- Skirt Steak — If you can’t find skirt steak at your grocery’s meat counter or by asking the butcher, you can also use a flank steak or a hangar steak.
- Balsamic Vinegar — I’ve found the salty/sweet richness of balsamic is the perfect ingredient for skirt steak. I try to use a quality brand but in a marinade you could really use any balsamic vinegar you have on hand.
- Soy Sauce or Worcestershire Sauce — My go-to is soy sauce (I tend to go for low-sodium since I’m also adding salt as an ingredient) but you can use Worcestershire in a pinch too.
- Apple Cider Vinegar — The addition of apple cider vinegar adds another depth of flavor that you won’t want to skip. Any apple cider vinegar you have is good.
- Minced Garlic — Mince your own or use a scoop out of a jar of minced garlic, either works just fine.
- Salt — I use kosher, fine-grain salt but you can use any fine-grain salt.
- Olive Oil — I use extra virgin olive oil, I’ve found that it works well in marinades. Any good brand will do.
Here’s How You Make It
- First, combine the balsamic, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, garlic, salt, pepper, and olive oil in a bowl and whisk vigorously. (photo 1)
- Next, combine the steak and marinade in a Ziploc bag, making sure to press out any excess air, and then seal tightly. (photo 2)
- Marinate the steak on the counter for 30 minutes or pop it in the fridge to marinate up to 2 hours. When you’re ready to grill, use tongs to transfer the steak to a preheated grill or a cast iron pan over medium-high heat. (photo 3)
- Cook the marinated skirt steak for 6-8 minutes on each side or til it’s cooked to your desired doneness. Let the skirt steak rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving. (photo 4)
Why This Recipe Works
Easy — Putting together this skirt steak marinade is soooo easy. You put everything in a sealable container and wait 30 minutes before grilling — that’s it!
Delicious — I LOVE how this grilled skirt steak tastes after marinating and then being grilled. I’ve used way fancier marinades and this easy skirt steak marinade is by far my favorite.
Versatile — You can use this marinade for really any cut of steak and for pork tenderloin or pork chops too.
Great for guests — Skirt steaks can feed about 4 people. Grill up a couple (double the marinade) if you have guests. The more, the merrier I say!
Frequently Asked Questions
You might not find a cut of meat at the grocery or butcher labeled “skirt steak.” It could be called instead London boil or flank steak. Both will work well in this skirt steak marinade but pay attention to whether or not your particular cut is a bit more muscly, as that kind of meat might need a little more time to marinade (go for the two-hour mark in this case).
We love steak at my house but we also love all the sides that you can serve with steak. Here are some of my favorites, in no particular order:
– This corn salad is chock full of roasted corn, cucumbers, tomatoes, bacon, and feta and is served with an out-of-this-world delicious herby dressing.
– I love a good Mexican rice dish as a side for just about anything we’re grilling out — Mexican or not.
– A yummy, simple, iceberg lettuce wedge salad with blue cheese dressing, bacon bits, and croutons really hits the spot with this grilled skirt steak.
– On that note, if you want to take your meal a little more on the homestyle route, try making a side of Mac and cheese. Need a recipe? (I got you covered with this simple Instant Pot Mac and Cheese.)
– Why not roast some veggies while you’re at it, like asparagus or green beans?
– Another delicious homestyle side are these garlic mashed potatoes.
– Add some rolls (these 1 Hour Buttermilk Dinner Rolls are a great recipe to try) or copycat Olive Garden Breadsticks along with a copycat Olive Garden salad for a most delicious summer meal.
– Fries are a great route to go too, whether you choose Grilled Sweet Potatoes, wedges, or air-fried (like my Baked Garlic Sriracha Fries, and Air Fryer Potatoes).
My own (and buy my own groceries too) I eat steak more often — even if it’s not a special occasion. There are so many cuts of steak you can usually find one that’s budget friendly and will taste amazing if you cook it the right way.
But overall I think people enjoy eating steak because it’s a more expensive cut of beef (thereby elevating it to that “special occasion” status). It’s also delicious. It’s flavorful, juicy, and tender (when cooked correctly, of course). And, if you buy the right kind of steak you don’t need much seasoning at all for it to be delicious all on its own.
Expert Tips
- For the most evenly cooked steak, let the meat rest once for about 30 minutes before grilling (if you’ve refrigerated it to marinade) to come to room temperature. Then, let the steak rest again for about 10 minutes after you pull it off the grill or out of the oven to lock in those juices before you slice it.
- Any leftover skirt steak will keep in the fridge for about 5 days in a sealed container.
- You can freeze this cooked skirt steak for up to 5 months (but it’s better to just eat any leftovers).
- Throw away any leftover marinade from the bag or container the steak was marinading in.
- If you want to make the marinade ahead of time, you can make it up to 4 days in advance and store it in the fridge until you’re ready to use it. I store mine in a Mason jar with a lid, then shake it up before pouring it over the steak 30 minutes to 2 hours before I’m wanting to grill.
- When cooking more than one steak at a time, and to ensure doneness, use a meat thermometer. A rare steak is done at 125℉, medium-rare is 130-135℉, medium is 140-145℉, and medium-well is 150℉.
More Steak Recipes
For more delicious ways to enjoy steak on the grill, head on over to my popular posts for Mushroom Sauce for Steak, Flank Steak with Chimichurri Sauce, and Cilantro Lime Marinated Steak.
- Steak with Mushrooms and Onions
- Garlic Butter Steak and Potatoes
- Grilled Tri-Tip Steak with Tiger Sauce
- Blue Cheese Steak Sauce
Did you make this recipe? FANTASTIC. Please rate the recipe below and be sure to tag me on social when you share a photo on social – I love seeing what you’re up to in the kitchen!
Skirt Steak Marinade
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds skirt steak
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- ¼ cup soy sauce, or worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Combine balsamic, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, garlic, salt, pepper, and olive oil and whisk vigorously.
- Combine steak and marinade in a ziploc bag, press out excess air, seal.
- Marinate 30 minutes or up to 2 hours. Use tongs to transfer steak to a preheated grill or cast iron pan over medium-high heat.
- Cook for 6-8 minutes on each side til cooked to desired doneness. Rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
- For the most evenly cooked steak, let the meat rest once for about 30 minutes before grilling (if you’ve refrigerated it to marinade) to come to room temperature. Then, let the steak rest again for about 10 minutes after you pull it off the grill or out of the oven to lock in those juices before you slice it.
- Any leftover skirt steak will keep in the fridge for about 5 days in a sealed container.
- You can freeze this cooked skirt steak for up to 5 months (but it’s better to just eat any leftovers).
- Throw away any leftover marinade from the bag or container the steak was marinading in.
- If you want to make the marinade ahead of time, you can make it up to 4 days in advance and store it in the fridge until you’re ready to use it. I store mine in a Mason jar with a lid, then shake it up before pouring it over the steak 30 minutes to 2 hours before I’m wanting to grill.
- When cooking more than one steak at a time, and to ensure doneness, use a meat thermometer. A rare steak is done at 125℉, medium-rare is 130-135℉, medium is 140-145℉, and medium-well is 150℉.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I just want to say, after reading all the comments, that overcooking is the main reason for a skirt steak to be tough. From experience, it is best to cook this type of meat to medium rare, just a small amount of pink in the middle. The 2nd most important thing is to ALWAYS cut this meat across the grain. I can’t stress this enough. Also I think it best to cook it on high heat, fast. Try it!!
This is excellent! This is going to be my go to for skirt, flank, and chicken!
Sooo delicious! Used flank steak and made a salad with blue cheese. had both soy sauce and wostercestershire (sp?) so did half of both. The Hubs said to add it to the rotation. Thanks for a fab recipe
Sounds great! Glad it turned out well 🙂
We have been making skirt steak at home for quite some time, but got bored with the various marinades over time. Suddenly, a recipe based on Balsamic Vinegar is PERFECT! We love this ingredient, and it makes all the difference. For folks having trouble with “toughness,” add 1/4 cup Orange Juice to Tiffany’s recipe, let it sit overnight in the fridge (or a day longer) and it will be the best of the best. We top it off with Balsamic Glaze (we actually put a line of Cholula and a line of Balsamic Glaze on the plate, and set the cooked skirt steak on top) Perfect! Thank you, Tiffany!
I’m so glad you enjoy this recipe so much! Thank you for your review 🙂
Pretty good
Decided to make this recipe, but realized partway through that I didn’t have apple cider vinegar, and didn’t have time to run out. No worries! I used wine in its place, and with that was able to then reduce the marinade with a little corn starch too to make a delicious wine sauce. Sorry for making something a little different, but wanted to throw this out there as a recommendation!
We found this to be the toughest piece of beef we’ve ever tried to eat. Marinated for 5 hours and sliced as suggested. Any suggestions on how to use this leftover steak?
I’m sorry it didn’t turn out great for you! I would make sure you’re cutting against the grain, the measurements for the marinade are all correct and that the meat is covered by it. Cook at medium-high heat and that you’re not overcooking the steak. You can also opt for a different cut as there is an “outer” and “inner skirt steak. You can try and use an “outer” if you didn’t this time around. Hope this helps for next time! As for leftovers, you can see my “What to Serve with Skirt Steak?” to see what else to pair with the steak alone or you can make steak fajitas, steak salad, beef and broccoli stir fry, or a steak pasta!
I found this recipe, after eating something similar at a local restaurant. I love the taste, and will likely try it again, but the skirt steak definitely didn’t get tender after about 3 hours in the fridge. Even slicing against the grain, it was still pretty chewy. Not sure if I did anything wrong, but open to ideas to improve it. Thanks
I’m sorry this happened! I would make sure the measurements for the marinade are all correct and that the meat is covered by it. Cook at medium-high heat and that you’re not overcooking the steak. You can also opt for a different cut as there is an “outer” and “inner skirt steak. You can try and use an “outer” if you didn’t this time around. Hope this helps!
Not counting the steak your pictures show one more ingredient than the recipe calls for? Recipe calls for 7 items but picture shows 8?
What am I missing?
I don’t know what’s the cup top left
Sorry for the confusion! You’re correct the top left container needs to be removed from the image. That issue will be fixed asap. Thank you for bringing that to my attention!😊