Grilled Skirt Steak Skewers Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How long does it take to cook skirt steak on the grill? ›

Skirt steak is a lean, thin cut of meat, which means for the best results you need to cook it hot and fast. You'll only need 3 to 4 minutes per side for a golden brown, crispy crust that gives way to a decadently juicy, pink interior. Ideally, go for rare to medium-rare and no longer.

Skirt steak is thin and lean, so going past medium-rare or medium doneness will yield an extremely dry and chewy steak. Cook it hot! Cook it fast with high heat, instead of low heat for slow cooking. There is not much connective tissue in skirt steak.

Cut skirt steak crosswise (with the grain) into 8-inch-long pieces. Working with 1 piece at a time, cut lengthwise (against the grain) into 1-inch strips. (If any of the pieces are thicker than 1/4 inch, carefully butterfly thick pieces crosswise and open up to create larger 1/4-inch-thick pieces.) Set aside.

Since skirt steak is a thin cut of meat, you want a very hot fast cook to sear the meat on the outside without overcooking. On a hot grill you will cook it 3 to 4 minutes per side or until it's your desired level of doneness. You can move it around over the fire to get a nice consistent char on the surface of the meat.

Let the steak cook, undisturbed, until you've achieved a golden-brown sear. Flip the steak and repeat on the other side. For a medium-rare cook, the steak should feel slightly soft (rare) at the thickest part of the steak when poked. All in all, you're looking at cooking the steak 2-4 minutes per side.

Marinating skirt steak with an acid such as citrus or vinegar chemically breaks down the tough fibers so it not only becomes buttery tender but drinks up notes of the marinade whether that's lime juice, lemon juice, orange juice, soy sauce, Worcestershire, or vinegar.

If the fibers of the meat are lined up and long then you have carved it incorrectly and it will be hard to eat. Skirt steak is prized for its flavor but must be cut against the grain of the meat or else it is hard to chew.

Cook It Hot And Fast

Because skirt steak is thin and relatively lean, it can become dry and chewy if overcooked. So your target is rare to medium-rare. If you prefer it a bit more well done, it will still be good, you'll just want to slice it thinner.

The best way to cook Skirt steak is quickly and over high heat. This thin cut is perfect on the grill, seared in a skillet, broiled in the oven, or even cooked in a smoker. You will just need to ensure your Skirt steak temperature is correct to not overcook your meat.

Beef tenderloin: My favorite cut for shish kabobs, as it stays tender without much work. It's not quite as robust in flavor as other cuts of meat, so I like to marinate it for a couple of hours in the fridge.

What cut of steak is best for kebabs? ›

Choose the Best Beef Cut for Kabobs

Relatively tender, without a need for extensive marinating, Sirloin (from top to tip) is lean and fits into a balanced diet — plus, it's budget-friendly . Other good beef choices for kabobs are Flat Iron or Strip Steak and even Tenderloin.

Quick Answer. Your steak is chewy and tough most likely because the cut of steak was not tender to begin with. Another reason your steak is chewy and tough could be that you overcooked or undercooked the steak. Your steak could also be chewy and tough because you didn't let it rest long enough after cooking it.

Mechanical tenderizers, like my Marinade Turbocharger, use a series of razor sharp needles to cut tough meat fibers, thereby tenderizing the meat. You can also break down meat fibers by pounding with hammer-like meat tenderizers or even a cast iron skillet.

This should only take 2-3 minutes on the first side and 2 minutes on the other side. It's a very quick cook time, and as a general rule, once both sides are browned, you can assume that the interior is cooked to medium-rare.

For the perfect medium-rare Skirt steak (recommended) broil in the oven for 5–7 minutes, turning about 1 minute before the halfway point. A meat thermometer should read 130°F.

Prepare the grill for cooking over high heat (500°F). Grill the steak over direct high heat , with the lid closed, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the steak registers 125°F (or your preferred doneness), 6 to 8 minutes for medium rare, turning once or twice.