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.

Expect skirt steak to cook for about 10-15 minutes on the grill, depending on your desired level of doneness. You'll also need 5-10 minutes for the steak to rest and about 45 minutes to prepare the steak with a dry brine.

For the perfect medium-rare Skirt steak, grill for 5–7 minutes, turning about 1 minute before the halfway point. A meat thermometer should read 130°F. Rest your Skirt steak for 5 minutes before serving, covering lightly with foil.

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.

Overcooking: One of the most common causes of a tough and chewy steak is overcooking. When a steak is cooked for too long, the muscle fibers can become tough and chewy, and the meat can become dry and flavorless. Low-quality meat: The quality of the meat can also play a role in the tenderness of a cooked steak.

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.

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.

Sirloin optimizes cost, juiciness, and flavor for shish kebab. If budget is not in question, filet mignon, porterhouse, and a ribeye are ideal, according to The Spruce Eats. These cuts don't require a marinade and should be cooked to rare or medium-rare to maximize their flavor.

What is the best cut of steak for kabobs? ›

The best cut of beef for kebabs is definitely filet mignon. Other excellent beef options include Porterhouse, and if it looks good at the butcher or in the meat counter, also try a rib-eye. They all grill nicely and don't require a marinade to make them tender.

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.

Acid from the lemon juice and apple cider vinegar tenderizes the beef. Salt from the soy sauce flavors the beef. Olive oil helps the steak achieve a delicious char on the outside. Worcestershire sauce adds a wonderful layer of unami flavor.

Grill the steak over high heat , with the lid closed, until the center of the steak registers 125°F (or your preferred doneness), 6 to 8 minutes for medium rare, turning once or twice. Remove from the grill, and rest at room temperature, indoors, for 3 to 5 minutes.

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.

During this time, the internal temperatures of the steak should read 125° for rare, 135° for medium rare, and 145° for medium doneness. For thinner steaks, like flank and skirt, you're better off just using the broiler for about 10 to 12 minutes, depending on your desired doneness.

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.