We’ll be the first to tell you that a steak dinner at home can be romantic and sexy and fun. While we often turn to a cast iron ribeye or slow roasted tenderloin for date night in, there is something so fantastic about this skirt steak recipe that just checks all the boxes! For one, it soaks up the delicious citrus marinade that is vibrant, with just a little heat. But the real star of the show is the cilantro chimichurri!
Chimichurri is my actual love language. It’s an uncooked sauce made from vinegar, oil, garlic, and fresh herbs originating from Argentina and Uruguay. Give me all things vinegar-based, because I am totally about the tanginess that comes from acidic sauces. It is often served over grilled meats. Here’s why this recipe works:
- No lengthy overnight marinades — because there is fresh citrus juice, you don’t want the steak to sit too long. 1 to 2 hours will do the trick!
- Quick cook time! The skirt steak gets broiled — it cooks in 3-4 minutes per side, based on thickness.
- Leftovers are a bonus! Our cilantro chimichurri comes together in minutes. In addition to pouring generously over the skirt steak, you can use the sauce in a hundred different ways! (With fries! Over seafood or chicken! Tossed with roasted veggies!)
Ingredients For Citrus Marinade and Cilantro Chimichurri
For the citrus marinade:
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Garlic
- Fresh citrus: 1 orange, juiced; 2 limes, juiced
- Dried spices: cumin, chili powder, Kosher salt, black pepper
- Jalapeño
- Cilantro
For the cilantro chimichurri sauce:
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Red wine vinegar
- Shallot
- Garlic
- Red pepper flakes
- Kosher salt
- Cilantro
Our favorite garnishes: sliced radishes, finely chopped sweet or white onion, fresh cilantro, and lime wedges
How To Cook Skirt Steak
For a super quick cook time, broil the steak! It’s extremely easy, and means that even when our grill is covered in a foot of snow, we can cook steak and get a fabulous sear without using the stove top and making a smoky mess.
- Make the citrus marinade. Combine steak marinade ingredients in a large container or Tupperware. Add skirt steak, then cover tightly and refrigerate for up to 1-2 hours.
- Cook the skirt steak. When ready, preheat broiler to high. Place skirt steak on a parchment lined rimmed baking sheet, allowing excess marinade to drip off. Broil on high about 3-4 minutes per side, depending on the thickness, until medium rare, about 125-130 F.
- Let the steak rest, then serve. Before slicing, allow the steak to rest for 10 minutes. Thinly slice across the grain, then serve immediately with cilantro chimichurri, chopped onions, and any additional garnishes.
We recommend the Thermapen MK4 to check for doneness on all meats!
How To Make Cilantro Chimichurri
Okay, listen up folks! If you like light, vibrant, acidic sauces, this cilantro chimichurri is for you! You know, unless you absolutely hate the taste of cilantro. (It always amazes me that these people exist!)
This recipe is adapted from my more classic chimichurri sauce, which uses a combination of fresh cilantro and parsley, along with a Fresno chile (similar in spice level to a jalapeño). In place of a fresh chile, we’re using dried red pepper flakes. We keep all these ingredients on hand regularly, so it’s easy to pull together on a whim!
Combine all cilantro chimichurri ingredients together in a measuring cup, then whisk to combine. Done!
Leftover chimichurri: when sealed and stored properly in a refrigerator, chimichurri will keep for up to 2 weeks.
To learn more about the history and origins of authentic chimichurri sauce, check out this article.
Best Side Dishes
We definitely recommend making a big batch of sweet potato fries with our homemade chipotle aioli (yessss, please!)! Other options we love:
- Any vegetable that will help sop up excess cilantro chimichurri: we particularly love brussels sprouts and oven roasted broccoli
- Black beans or refried beans
- White rice
- Creamy polenta
- Roasted plantains or tostones
- Grilled corn
- Avocado tomato salad
Wine Pairings!
As part of my Date Night In series, I’m offering up a few wine suggestions to serve alongside. Because the cilantro chimichurri is highly acidic, you’re going to want to stick with wines that mirror that (aka: have a higher acidity).
Red wine: Call us old fashioned, but if we’re serving a traditionally Argentinian dish, we’re inclined to pair this with robust, full-bodied Malbec, which has a great natural acidity and lots of juicy fruit notes. Another option would be either Cabernet Sauvignon or Syrah.
Rosé wine: Just gonna come out and say it: we love steak with rosé (all day!). It’s a natural pairing. We sound like a broken record, but go with a crisp, acidic rosé to stand up to the vinegar in the chimichurri. We recommend either Grenache rosé or Caberner Sauvignon rosé.
White wine: While we 100% recommend enjoying this with red wine or rosé, if you’re really wanting to go white, we recommend a crisp Sauvignon Blanc. Its high acidity will be able to stand up to the chimichurri.
Cannot wait to hear what you think of this recipe!
If you make this Skirt Steak with Cilantro Chimichurri, please let us know by leaving a review and rating below!
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For more Latin-inspired recipes, check out the following:
- Barbacoa inspired braised lamb tacos
- Leftover turkey enchilada skillet
- Sweet potato fries with chipotle aioli
- Avocado tacos
- Frittata with chicken chorizo, manchego, and roasted peppers
Skirt Steak with Cilantro Chimichurri Recipe
Ingredients
For The Steak
- 1 ½ – 2 lbs skirt steak
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup cilantro finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 limes juiced
- 1 orange juiced
- 1 jalapeño seeded and thinly sliced
- ½ Tbsp cumin
- 2 tsp Kosher salt
- 2 tsp chili powder
- ¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
For The Cilantro Chimichurri
- ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup red wine vinegar
- 1 cup cilantro finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 medium shallot finely chopped
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Make the citrus marinade. Combine steak marinade ingredients in a large container or Tupperware. Add skirt steak, then cover tightly and refrigerate for up to 1-2 hours.
- Cook the skirt steak. When ready, preheat broiler to high. Place skirt steak on a parchment lined rimmed baking sheet, allowing excess marinade to drip off. Broil on high about 3-4 minutes per side, depending on the thickness, until medium rare, about 125-130 F.
- Make the cilantro chimichurri. Combine all chimichurri ingredients together in a measuring cup, then whisk to combine.
- Let the steak rest, then serve. Before slicing, allow the steak to rest for 10 minutes. Thinly slice across the grain, then serve immediately with cilantro chimichurri, chopped onions, and any additional garnishes.
Notes
- Leftover chimichurri: when sealed and stored properly in a refrigerator, chimichurri will keep for up to 2 weeks.
- To cook steak closer to medium, increase cook time to 4-5 minutes per side.
Let us know your thoughts!