Marinated Skirt Steak with Simple Summer Salad

Cinco de Mayo is this Saturday, and I’m celebrating with this zesty Lime and Cilantro Marinated Skirt Steak. Paired with a simple summer salad, this is an easy weeknight meal. 

Table of Contents

One of the things I love most about buying a side of beef is that it challenges me to cook with beef cuts I otherwise might never have purchased.

Skirt steak is one of those cuts. Before last year, I had never cooked this long, thin cut of beef, but when my side included two packages of it, I decided it was high time I learn!

After doing a bit of research, and learning more about the different Grades of Beef, I opted to marinate the steak and use it for tacos. But then, the steak turned out to be so incredibly flavorful and juicy, we nixed the tacos and ate the steak all by itself.

(*minus the few scraps of leftovers that made a dynamite Skirt Steak Sandwich).

Guys. You know something crazy is happening if I turn down a taco, ESPECIALLY when it’s a steak taco (remember these Grilled Flank Steak Tacos? OMG). But when steak is this good, all of those toppings are just a distraction.

Skirt steak is rapidly moving up on my list of favorite beef cuts. It’s flavorful, easy to cook, and can be made in under 10 minutes. Hard to beat that on a busy weeknight!

Here are a couple of quick tips for preparing an awesome skirt steak worthy of being the main event!

1. Marinate that sucker. Flank and skirt steaks both benefit from marinades. For this one I chose a citrusy lime, cilantro, and garlic mixture that’s similar to our Mexican Chicken Marinade. The skirt steak just soaks it right up! For acidic marinades like this one, you’ll need to limit your soaking time to 30 minutes to an hour as it can make the meat go soft if left longer. Always marinate meat in the fridge, not at room temp!
2. High heat, short cooking time. This is a great cut to prepare in a cast iron skillet or on the grill. You’ll want the heat turned up pretty high, so the steak quickly gets a nice sear. Because the steak is so thin, you’ll only need to cook it for a few minutes on each side. I prefer to leave this cut at a medium rare to medium for optimum flavor and tenderness. You can check out Ohio Beef’s Grilling Guide for temperature and time guidelines for all of your favorite cuts of beef. Because every grill is different, I always recommend using a meat thermometer (<affiliate) to make sure you don’t overcook it–aim for 140 degrees for medium rare and 155 for medium.
3. As with all steaks, you’ll want to let it rest, tented with foil, for a few minutes after removing it from heat. The temperature will rise about another 5 degrees during this time.
4. After resting, slice the steak thin against the grain. This allows your knife to do the hard work of slicing through the tough fibers, and let’s your teeth enjoy a tender, gorgeous bite of steak.

You could certainly use the steak for tacos or fajitas, but I love to serve it exactly as you see here–with a simple summery salad on the side.

For this one, I kept with the Mexican-inspired marinade and tossed arugula, sweet corn, onion, and cherry tomatoes in a honey lime vinaigrette. It’s such a quick thing to throw together with whatever spring or summer produce you have around.

Feel free to swap out the greens, but definitely use fresh off the cob sweet corn–it really makes a difference! And if you crave some homemade crouton crunch, this Melba Toast recipe is a good place to start, or these Air Fryer Croutons.

I plan to keep this meal on the rotation all summer long. It’s so light and refreshing. Paired with a glass of Watermelon Lemonade Margaritas, this is the perfect way to kick your feet up and celebrate the start of summer!

You can find more tips for picking and cooking beef cuts at Ohio Beef’s website! Ohio is home to over 17,000 beef farming families, but the Ohio Beef community extends far beyond the farmers! 

Community leaders, animal caretakers, environmentalists, and nutritionists are all committed to bringing safe, nutritious beef to your table throughout the year.

When you pick up your next steak for dinner, you can know the people behind it are passionate about the land, animals, and processes that make it possible!

More Steak Recipes?

For more beefy goodness, be sure to check out our Steak and Shrimp Scampi, this Sous Vide Filet Mignon, or our Cast Iron Skillet Ribeye.

Cilantro Lime Marinated Skirt Steak and Simple Salad

This zesty skirt steak is so juicy, tender and flavorful thanks to a quick cilantro lime marinade!

5 from 4 votes

Print Pin

Prep Time: 15 minutes mins

Cook Time: 12 minutes mins

Total Time: 27 minutes mins

Servings: 2 servings

Calories: 1297kcal

Ingredients

 

1x2x3x

For the salad:

• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 – 2 Tablespoons honey (to taste)
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• Several handfuls arugula
• Cooked corn kernels (freshly cut off the cob)
• Cherry tomatoes (halved)
• Thinly sliced red onion
• Salt and Pepper (to taste)

For the steak:

• 1 1/2 – 2 lbs. skirt steak
• 1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro
• 1/4 cup lime juice (about 2 limes)
• 3 cloves garlic (minced)
• 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• Pinch cayenne
• 1/2 cup olive oil

Instructions

• Remove the skirt steak from the packaging. There will likely be a thick layer of marbled fat one side. Use a sharp, thin knife to cut away most of the fat. It’s fine if a few small patches remain. 
• Whisk together the cilantro, lime juice, garlic, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Whisk in the olive oil. Place the skirt steak in a plastic bag or a shallow baking dish. Add the marinade, making sure the steak is coated on both sides. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour. 
• Meanwhile, prepare the salad. To make the vinaigrette, whisk together the lime, olive oil, honey, cumin, and garlic powder until combined. Place some of the vinaigrette at the bottom of a large bowl. Top with the arugula, corn, tomatoes, and onion. Toss until well coated. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 
• To prepare the steak, heat a grill or a cast iron skillet over medium high heat. If you're using a skillet, you may have to cut the skirt steak in half and cook in two batches so it will fit. Heat a swirl of olive oil in the skillet or coat the grill grates with oil. Take the steak out of the marinade and place it directly on the grill or skillet.
• Sear for 4-5 minutes then flip and continue to cook another 4-5 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 135 for medium rare or 160 for medium. Place the steak on a cutting board, tent with foil, and rest for at least 5 minutes. When ready to serve, slice steak in thin slices against the grain. Serve with arugula salad. 

Notes

• For acidic marinades like this one, you’ll need to limit your soaking time to 30 minutes to an hour as it can make the meat go soft if left longer. Always marinate meat in the fridge, not at room temp!

Course Main Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword cilantro lime steak, marinated steak

Nutrition

Calories: 1297kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 74g | Fat: 106g | Saturated Fat: 21g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 10g | Monounsaturated Fat: 70g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 214mg | Sodium: 813mg | Potassium: 1134mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 337IU | Vitamin C: 21mg | Calcium: 49mg | Iron: 7mg

Did You Make This Recipe?Leave a review, Mention @NeighborFoodie, or tag #neighborfoodies!