5 Store-Bought Marinades Perfect for Skirt Steak

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With so many different cuts of beef, there are plenty of steaks to satisfy every meat eater’s appetite. If you’re looking for something on the leaner side -– both in terms of price and fat content -– skirt steak is an excellent pick. A thinner cut of beef often used to prepare carne asada dishes, skirt steak is ideal as it takes on the flavors of whatever marinade you use and also grills exceptionally quickly. Marinating skirt steak adds flavor and gets it to the right consistency for cooking. Choose a store-bought marinade that has a fair amount of acidity and enzymes, both of which work by breaking down connective tissue in the meat to get it tender and allow the flavors to fully permeate. Try a chimichurri, black pepper marinade, shallot sauce, Dijon mustard, or ponzu sauce for delicious results.

Because skirt steak errs leaner than many other cuts, you’ll want to find a way to supplement the lack of fat. A thoughtfully selected marinade provides both taste and texture for a bold and delectable dish. Whether you’re serving your steak sliced, in tacos, or alongside grilled veggies or a salad, you can pick the right marinade to tenderize your skirt steak and tie all of the flavors together. Using a store-bought skirt steak marinade is an especially good idea if you’re pressed for prep time and want a reliable option that’s low effort and effective.

Knowing that the definitive best sauce for steak frites is chimichurri and that the classic dish often calls for using a cut of skirt steak, it seems an obvious pairing of marinade to meat. This herb-rich sauce from Argentina is a tangy and flavorful condiment, traditionally made using olive oil, garlic, white wine vinegar, and a variety of green herbs. This combination of acidity and earthy flavors highlights the natural flavors of skirt steak, whether you’re planning to serve it with a side of French fries or not. There are a number of different ways to prepare chimichurri, but the quickest method is opening a bottle of quality chimichurri sauce, such as Gaucho Ranch chimichurri sauce, and letting the marinade flow freely.

Noting that skirt steak is a thinner cut of beef, it doesn’t need an excessively long time to marinate. A good rule of thumb is to marinate your skirt steak between four and six hours but no more than 12 hours to avoid allowing the meat to get mushy. If time is of the essence, even a quick 30-minute marinade should suffice, particularly with a bold sauce like chimichurri. Looking at the variety of store-bought chimichurri marinades, it’s easy to select one with your favorite zingy and herbal flavors for the very best skirt steak marinade.

Combining the naturally rich and buttery flavor of a skirt steak with a sharp bite of spicy black pepper provides a balance between the two tastes for a cohesive and delicious dish. Medallion steaks are the traditional choice for steak au poivre, but you can just as easily prepare it using skirt steaks. If you’re cutting strips of steak to saute in a Chinese-inspired black pepper sauce, skirt steak also works marvelously. To truly make the most of your meat marinade, grab a bottle of store-bought sauce with a black pepper-forward flavor profile, like Allegro black pepper marinade, for unforgettable flavor.

After letting your meat sit and soak up all of the flavors, pop it on the grill for about three to four minutes on each side, ensuring it has fully cooked through. For medium-rare doneness, confirm it has reached a temperature between 125 to 130 degrees Fahrenheit. Get creative with your cooked skirt steak by fusing the black pepper-flavored beef with complementary or contrasting cuisines by serving it up in street tacos, over a bed of greens, or mixed into a vegetable stir-fry.

Packing a punch of pungency that’s close to but slightly sweeter than an onion, shallots are an ideal choice for pairing with just about any cut of beef. When shallots are fried, roasted, or cooked, the heat brings out a sweeter and more jammy consistency, making these the ultimate choice for a skirt steak marinade. The process for preparing shallots can be rather tricky given their size and the ease with which they can burn. For more streamlined steak preparation, opt for a store-bought jar like Vigorous Mountains fried shallot sauce to maintain consistency of flavor with minimal effort.

There are a number of ways to prepare a shallot sauce to use as a marinade, but the simplest is finding your preferred bottled brand and starting there. A little bit goes a long way with such a pungent sauce, and you can ensure the flavors will fully infuse into your skirt steak to get it ready for grilling. Try serving your freshly cooked steak with a generous scoop of steamed white rice, then top everything off with a hearty handful of crispy onion straws for even more complementary flavors.

One half of the two-ingredient marinade that will elevate your skirt steak, Dijon mustard can certainly hold its own when used as a prep or finishing sauce. The tangy and complex flavor of Dijon mustard lends itself well as a skirt steak marinade, helping to tenderize the meat and create a mouthwatering taste. You can either use Dijon mustard on its own or mix it with hot sauce, minced garlic, or balsamic vinegar for even deeper flavor. Of course, if you’d rather use a bottled sauce that’s easy to grab and go, try something like Maille x Mike’s Hot Honey Dijon mustard for the ultimate combination of sweet and heat.

Making the most of a Dijon mustard skirt steak marinade comes with finding the right flavors, not just to use on your meat but to serve alongside the finished product. For a twist on classic comfort food, pair your cooked steak to a helping of creamy garlic mashed potatoes or potatoes au gratin. You’ll want something to counter the extra tangy tastes of the Dijon mustard and provide a well-balanced meal. This skirt steak dish would also go well with a side of braised mustard greens or string beans for more wholesome nutrition.

As with many of the other choices mentioned, using a sauce with a heavy presence of acidity works brilliantly to tenderize and break down the connective tissue in red meat. Ponzu is a citrus-forward sauce that’s typically used in Asian cuisine with a number of different applications. Of the different variations of ponzu sauce, one that includes lime, like Kikkoman ponzu with lime, has the ultimate tenderizing properties for use as a skirt steak marinade.

Because of the intensity of the acidic citrus ingredients, you’ll want to marinate your skirt steak for no more than four hours to prevent it from changing the texture of your meat and making it too tenderized and soft. Keeping your pantry well stocked with store-bought sauces like ponzu and soy sauce is an excellent idea for a quick and simple marinade that yields big flavor.

Once you’ve marinated your skirt steak in the ponzu and taken care to cook it fully, there are plenty of different meals in which you can include it. Try slicing the meat and including it in a bao bun sandwich with pickled vegetables and a spicy mayo. You can also serve it in a nutritious cucumber salad with scallions or shredded carrots. With the time saved using a store-bought marinade, you can spend more time truly savoring your cooking and enjoying your skirt steak however you please.