How To Make Skirt Steak With Italian Chimichurri

Everyone is going to go crazy for my delicious Grilled Skirt Steak with Italian Chimichurri. With easy-to-follow instructions and step-by-step photos, this dish is going to be all anyone talks about at brunch or dinner!

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This Skirt Steak with Italian Chimichurri uses my absolute favorite cut of beef for sharing with a group, skirt steak. Why? Skirt steak comes from a very busy muscle in the cow (the diaphragm), and busy muscles are naturally packed with flavor. When cooked and sliced properly (more about that below), skirt steak is tender, delicious, and a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.

I absolutely love steak, in all its forms, but the sneaky star of this recipe is the Italian Chimichurri I've created. Following my instructions, you'll have an amazing Italian steak on your plate, but then you'll drizzle on the Chimichurri sauce... Oh. My. Your brunch or dinner has just leveled all the way up!

What is Chimichurri?

Commonly found in Uraguay and Argentina, chimichurri is an oil based sauce, made with fresh herbs, similar to my salsa verde, except that it is brightened with a splash of red wine vinegar and fresh chilis or dried red pepper flakes. I adapted this traditional recipe to use herbs that are more commonly associated with Italian cooking.

I swapped out the red wine vinegar with a bright white balsamic vinegar and used red pepper flakes (commonly dried calabrian chilis) for a touch of spice. It's perfect with grilled meats and amazing mixed with mayonnaise or aioli to spread on a breakfast sandwich!

Ingredients & Substitutions

There are two very distinct parts to this recipe for grilled skirt steak, each of which is delicious on its own. Therefore, I have two ingredient photos, and will go over all the major players from each one and how you can make changes, if needed. Let's go through it:

Italian Skirt Steak Ingredients

• Skirt Steak - Skirt steak is a very long piece of meat, so to marinate it, I have you slice it into 3-4 pieces - just the right size to fit into a zip top bag, or a small shallow baking dish, along with the marinade. In general, I like to have about ¼-½  pound of steak for each person. If you can't find skirt steak, hanger steak or flank steak are good substitutions.
• Lemon juice and zest - I have yet to find a bottled lemon juice that is even half as good as fresh lemon juice. And do you know what comes free with the purchase of a lemon? Zest! Buy a lemon.
• Olive oil - I normally use extra virgin olive oil for the marinade and the chimichurri, but you should use the best olive oil that you can afford.
• Garlic and Basil - You're going to get the best flavour from fresh garlic and fresh basil, but in a pinch, you can substitute with a half teaspoon of garlic powder and a half teaspoon of dried basil whisked together with the rest of the ingredients before pouring onto your steak.

Italian Chimichurri Ingredients

• Fresh herbs - Traditional chimichurri normally uses parsley and dried or fresh oregano, and sometimes cilantro. Because we're going Italian, we are using parsley, flat leaf or curly is fine, fresh basil, and fresh oregano, if you can find it. If you can't find fresh oregano, you can substitute with a teaspoon of dried oregano. I would not use dried parsley or basil in this fresh herb sauce.
• Olive oil - The flavor of the olive oil is most prevalent here in the chimichurri, so if you can only afford a bit of the good stuff, use it there.
• White balsamic vinegar - This is a lighter, gentler version of regular dark balsamic vinegar. It has a more floral, milder flavor than its darker cousin, and won't discolor the sauce. It's an aesthetic thing for me, but I want this to be light and bright both in flavour and in appearance.
• Garlic and seasonings - I like to grate my garlic with a zester or microplane so that I don't have any big chunks of garlic in my chimichurri sauce. If you don't have fresh garlic, you can use a half teaspoon of garlic powder in its place. You're going to salt and pepper to taste, and add red pepper flakes if you like a little spice. If you are spice intolerant, feel free to leave it out.

See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.

Grilling skirt steak

Whether you're firing up the grill or staying indoors, there’s a simple way to get that perfect char on your skirt steak:

• Grill: Use a paper towel to spread a light film of vegetable oil on the grates before preheating your grill to high heat. Remove the steak from the marinade and pat the excess off with a paper towel. Grill for 3 to 5 minutes per side, depending on thickness, until nicely charred and cooked to your preferred doneness. (Skirt steaks have a skinny end and a fat end, so I place the skinny ends to the outside of the grill, where the heat is less intense.)
• Grill Pan: Heat a cast iron grill pan over high heat until lightly smoking. Lightly oil the pan with a high smoke point oil (like avocado oil) and cook the steak for 3 to 5 minutes per side. Open a window and grab a fan because this is going to get smoky!
• Broiler: Set your oven rack 4 to 6 inches from the broiler and preheat on high. Place the steak on a foil-lined baking sheet and broil for about 3–4 minutes per side, watching closely to avoid burning.

With all methods, allow the steaks to rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing against the grain.

What does it mean to cut meat "against the grain"?

The Wrong Way ❌ In this photo you can see the lines on the surface of the steak running in the same direction as my knife. Cutting "with the grain" means slicing in the same direction as the natural lines, or muscle fibers, in the meat, which can make each bite chewier and a bit tougher.

The Right Way ✅ In this photo you see me holding my knife across the natural lines, or muscle fibers, in the meat. Cutting the meat "against the grain" means slicing across those lines, which shortens the fibers and results in a more tender, easier-to-chew piece of steak.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Okay now that we know how to cook your steaks and how to slice them properly, let's go over all the rest of the prep so that you can get down to eating!

Step 1: Add sliced basil on top of your steak in a large baking dish or zip top bag. Place all of your marinade ingredients in a jar and shake to mix. Pour all over the steak and turn to be sure everything is evenly covered. Marinate for at least 30 minutes, up to 4 to 6 hours. Don't marinate overnight as this can change the texture of your steak.

Step 2: Add the garlic, salt, and vinegar to the food processor and pulse to chop the garlic. Add the parsley, basil, and oregano and pulse to chop finely. Add red pepper flakes, if using.

Step 3: With the motor running, drizzle in the oil in a thin stream, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed. This should only take about one minute and leave a lot of the herbs chunky. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as desired.

Step 4: Transfer to a bowl and let sit until ready to use. You can make this up to 3 days ahead. Store in a container with a lid adding oil on top to keep the color fresh and bright.

Step 5: Cook your steaks outside on your grill, or inside using a grill pan or your broiler. If you would like to test your temperature with an instant—read thermometer, aim for 130-135°F for medium rare, 135-145°F for medium, and for medium-well, aim for 145-155°F. Please don't ask me for a well-done temperature. I just can't. Have mercy on me.

Step 6: Follow the instructions above for slicing your steaks against the grain.

Finish: Drizzle your steaks with your delicious Italian chimichurri, placing some into a serving bowl for everyone to add to their heart's desire.

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