Skirt Steak Marinade

This easy Skirt Steak Marinade is made with lime juice, Worcestershire sauce, and pantry spices, and gives you tender, flavorful steak in as little as 30 minutes. It was originally developed for tacos, but it's just as good with rice bowls, salads, potatoes, or grilled veggies.

We eat a lot of skirt steak at our house, especially once grilling season hits. It's a nice change from chicken and tastes amazing when properly marinated and grilled. Slice it thin over mashed potatoes, pile it into rice bowls, toss it on a salad, or tuck it into warm tortillas with all the toppings - it works just about anywhere.

The trick is giving it a little help before it hits the grill, and this is the marinade I keep coming back to.

I originally made this skirt steak marinade for tacos - specifically the skirt steak tacos on this site - so it has lime, cumin, coriander, chili powder, and just enough Worcestershire sauce to round everything out. It definitely belongs in a corn tortilla, but it's not only for taco night. We've used it with rice, roasted vegetables, cheesy mashed potatoes, and fresh salads, and it always works.

Best of all, it's simple. Two limes, a handful of spices, olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, and about 30 minutes are all you need.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• It works for more than tacos. I first made this for skirt steak tacos, but it's just as good with potatoes, rice, roasted vegetables, or a big dinner salad. It also marinates flank steak, chicken thighs, and pork well.
• It's easy. Everything gets whisked together in one bowl - olive oil, lime juice, Worcestershire sauce, and spices. No blender, no chopping, no extra steps.
• It's fast. The steak only needs 30 minutes in the marinade before it's ready to cook. If you have time to let it sit for 2 to 4 hours, even better, but you don't have to plan your whole day around it.
• It uses ingredients you probably already have. No specialty ingredients. Just pantry spices, limes, olive oil, and Worcestershire sauce.

Key Ingredients

• Skirt steak. Skirt steak is thin, flavorful, and great for high-heat cooking. It has a loose texture that soaks up marinades well and cooks quickly, which makes it good for weeknight dinners.
• Worcestershire sauce. This adds a little richness and just enough sweetness to balance the lime and spices. It's one of those ingredients you don't necessarily pick out, but you'd miss it if it weren't there.
• Lime juice. Fresh lime juice brightens the marinade and helps tenderize the steak. Bottled lime juice just doesn't taste the same here, so use fresh if you can.
• Cumin and coriander. These give the marinade that warm, slightly earthy character that works so well with skirt steak - especially good if you're using it for tacos, but at home in other preparations too.
• Chili powder. Adds a little warmth and smokiness without making the marinade overly spicy.

How To Make Skirt Steak Marinade

Step 1: Make the marindae. Whisk together the olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, and lime juice in a small bowl. Add the cumin, coriander, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Whisk until everything is combined.

Step 2: Marinate the steak. Place the skirt steak in a shallow dish or zip-top bag. Pour the marinade over the steak and turn it a few times so it's well coated. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 4 hours.

Step 3: Grill the steak. Remove the steak from the marinade and let the excess drip off. Heat a grill or cast-iron skillet over high heat. Cook for 2 to 4 minutes per side, until the outside is nicely charred and the inside is cooked to your liking. For medium-rare, aim for about 130° F.

For grilling: preheat the grill to at least 500° F. Grill the steak for 3 to 4 minutes per side, pulling it at about 130° F for medium-rare.

Step 4: Rest and slice. Transfer the steak to a cutting board and let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Then slice it thinly against the grain before serving. You can see how I did this in the image above. Slice the steak into sections (I did three above), then turn the steak and slice into strips against the grain. You'll get a much better texture for each strip this way. Add to tacos, on top of a salad, in a grain bowl, or alongside mashed potatoes!

Expert Tips

• Marinate the skirt steak for at least 30 minutes, but longer if you can. Thirty minutes will still give you good flavor, but 2 to 4 hours is even better. If you're planning ahead, add the steak to the marinade in the morning and cook it that night.
• Pull the steak from the fridge before cooking. Letting it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes helps it cook more evenly.
• Use high heat. Skirt steak is best when it gets a good char on the outside while staying tender inside. A hot grill or cast-iron skillet is what gives you those browned, deliciously caramelized edges.
• Check the temperature early. Skirt steak is thin, so it cooks fast. A meat thermometer is the easiest way to avoid overcooking it. Pull it around 130° - 140° F for medium-rare to medium.
• Let it rest before slicing. Give the steak 5 to 10 minutes to rest before cutting into it. This keeps the juices inside the steak instead of all over the cutting board.
• Slice against the grain. This is the big one with skirt steak. The muscle fibers are easy to see, so cut across them, not with them. It makes a real difference in tenderness.

Variations and Substitutions

• Use lemon instead of lime. Lime is my first choice, especially if you're using the steak for tacos, but lemon will work in a pinch.
• Make it milder. If you want less heat, reduce the chili powder or leave it out.
• Add soy sauce. A tablespoon of soy sauce gives the marinade a little extra saltiness it pairs well with the Worcestershire sauce. If you add it, you may want to slightly reduce the salt.
• Use avocado oil. Avocado oil works well if you prefer it over olive oil, especially for high-heat cooking.
• Try it on other proteins. This marinade also works with flank steak, chicken thighs, chicken breasts, and pork tenderloin. Keep the marinade time shorter for chicken and pork - the lime juice works faster on leaner proteins.

Make Ahead, Storage and Freezing

Make ahead: The marinade can be made 3 to 4 days in advance and stored in a sealed jar in the refrigerator. Give it a good stir before using. You can also place the steak directly in the marinade and refrigerate it for up to 12 hours before cooking.

Storage: Leftover cooked steak keeps in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. I like to reheat it quickly in a hot skillet for 1 to 2 minutes. The microwave works, but it can make the steak tougher.

Freezing: You can freeze raw skirt steak in the marinade for 1 to 2 months. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator before cooking. I wouldn't leave it much longer than that - the lime juice can start to change the texture of the meat over time.

Skirt Steak Marinade Frequently Asked Questions

What To Serve With Skirt Steak

• Skirt Steak Tacos. My favorite way to use this marinade, with quick pickled red onions, lime crema, cotija, and warm corn tortillas.
• Instant Pot Mexican Rice. Fast, fluffy, and a natural fit for a Mexican-inspired steak dinner.
• Slow Cooker Pinto Beans. Start them in the morning and serve them alongside the steak, or mash them up for an easy taco side.
• Potatoes. I love skirt steak with creamy, cheesy mashed potatoes, or even roasted baby potatoes.
• Veggies. Garlic green beans, bacon brussels sprouts, or blistered shishito peppers, air fryer zucchini fries - these all go great with this marinated skirt steak.

More Delicious Steak Recipes

Made this skirt steak marinade? Drop a star rating and leave a comment below - I want to hear how it was and exactly what you served it with.