Grilled Skirt Steak with Avocado Chimichurri Sauce

September 19, 2019 By Whip & Wander 54 Comments

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A perfect balance of savory + sweet + citrusy

This Grilled Skirt Steak with Avocado Chimichurri is the kind of dish that I could literally put on the menu every single week and both the fella and I would still be excited to eat it. Skirt steak is a notoriously flavorful cut that is just made to be soaked in a great marinade – and let me tell you friends, this marinade is killer! Topping it off with my creamy Avocado Chimichurri Sauce makes this dish a perfect balance of savory + sweet + citrusy that is just begging to be added to your regular menu rotation.

Serve this Grilled Skirt Steak with Avocado Chimichurri with

Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice for a low-carb dinner
Smashed Potatoes
Roasted veggies such as cauliflower, broccoli, and sweet potatoes
A stack of warm corn tortillas
A side of seasoned beans and a swirl of sour cream

Let’s talk about the marinade for a moment

Have you ever tasted a marinade so good that you consider drenching all foods in it thereafter? That’s how I feel about the marinade for this Grilled Skirt Steak. It’s equal parts sweet + garlicy + citrusy, with just a tiny hint of mild spice. Let’s break it all down:

Garlic Oil – As a SIBO sufferer I don’t tolerate whole garlic very well, so instead I use a great garlic-infused oil. Trader Joe’s makes an excellent Garlic-Infused Olive Oil, though you can feel free to substitute whole garlic + olive oil if you don’t have a garlic intolerance like me. I’ve included a measurement for this swap in the recipe below.
Lime Juice + Zest – It always breaks my heart a little bit when people juice citrus and completely ignore the gorgeous pure flavor in the zest. This recipe uses both zest and juice to add pure lime flavor and a complex acidity to the sauce. Two of the most well-loved tools in my kitchen are my zester/microplane and my citrus juicer.
Orange Juice + Zest – The same goes for the orange in this marinade. Zest that orange beauty up because the natural oils in its skin are responsible for big bright + sweet flavors in this marinade.
Coconut Aminos – Coconut aminos is generally made from two simple ingredients: coconut tree sap and sea salt, which is why I love having it on hand. It provides excellent salty + umami flavors in this dish. You can generally find this sauce on Amazon or at Whole Foods.
Worchestershire Sauce – This sauce is equal parts savory + sweet + and vinegary. Though you can easily find gluten-free Worcestershire sauce these days, it can be harder to find a Paleo-friendly version. If you are looking for a Paleo swap, I suggest omitting the Worcestershire in favor of an additional tbsp of Coconut aminos.
Dijon Mustard – A good Dijon mustard is my secret weapon in so many great dishes. A small amount of good Dijon will often offer a bit of complex spiciness to a dish and I think it does wonders for this marinade. My favorite Dijon mustard is this one by Edmond Fallot.
Dried Oregano – This adds a flavor profile that’s both peppery and bitter + and an aroma that’s slightly sweet and minty.
Sea Salt – Good salt can make a world of difference in any dish. My favorite salt staple is this Jacobsen Salt Co. Sea Salt. It’s a great medium/fine coarse salt and I love that I’m supporting a local Portland business.
Cracked Black Pepper – I highly suggest using cracked peppercorns in this dish (and all dishes that call for pepper) rather than the preground alternative because there is so much more flavor. These are the peppercorns and grinder I use.

How to make a great grilled skirt steak

Choose a quality steak. Whether you’ve got a favorite local butcher or you’re buying from a reputable grocery, make sure that you’re starting out with great quality meat. There are two kinds of skirt steak that you might find. The first is the outside skirt steak, taken from the plate of the cow (below the rib, between the brisket and flank) which is often wide and flat. The second is the inside skirt steak, taken from the flank and is often thinner and narrower. The latter is what I use for this recipe as it’s most easily found where I live, but both cuts work equally well.
Let the meat marinade for as long as possible! We’re talking a minimum of 30 minutes (on the low, low and very unadvisable end or up to the night before (on the best end) if you want to maximize the flavors and tenderness of the steak. Trust me friends, put this steak to marinade the night before and then sit back and be wowed by the flavors!
Sear it briefly over high heat. Flank steak is generally very thin and therefore cooks very quickly, about 2-3 minutes per side on a piping hot grill for a medium-rare steak.
Let it rest. Once cooked, allow the Grilled Skirt Steak to rest for 10 minutes in order to lock the juices in and preserve the tenderness.
Cut against the grain. Because this cut of meat has coarse muscle fibers, you’ll want to cut it against the grain for the most tender eating experience.

Tools needed

A gas or charcoal grill
Tongs
A large glass bowl with a lid for marinading
A citrus zester/microplane + juicer
Measuring cups and spoons
An instant-read meat thermometer (optional)
A good chefs knife
A cutting board (I prefer bamboo for this)

I don’t have a grill, can I cook the steak another way?

Yes, of course! Skirt steak cooks best over quick high heat. If you don’t have a grill, the steak can be cut down to size and cooked in a piping hot cast-iron pan for 3-4 minutes per side.

Don’t forget about the gorgeous green sauce

I like to serve this Grilled Skirt Steak with my creamy Avocado Chimichurri Sauce. It provides the perfect creamy + bright + acidic bite to compliment the sweet + savory flavors of the marinaded skirt steak and can be made in a quick 5 minutes. Grab the recipe here!

Alternatively, if you’d prefer to serve this Grilled Skirt Steak with a different sauce, you’ll find plenty of delicious options here!

Leftovers (If there’s such a thing)

Leftovers may be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4 days. My choice method for reheating this Grilled Skirt Steak is by warming the meat up over the stove in a cast-iron pan.

A note for special diets

This Grilled Skirt Steak is grain-free, gluten-free, refined sugar-free, dairy-free, low-carb, and friendly for Paleo, Keto, Whole30, and Low-FODMAP diets.

The marinade calls for Worcestershire sauce, many of which are gluten-free but not Paleo. If you follow a strict Paleo diet the tbsp of Worcestershire sauce may be swapped for a tbsp of additional coconut aminos.