How to Cook Skirt Steak
Skirt steak is a specialty cut of meat that is perfect for fajitas. Steak lovers choose their favorite Skirt steak recipes to prepare Mexican Skirt steak fajita tacos, known as “arrachera.” One of the best ways to cook Skirt steak is by cutting your Skirt steak to make arrachera, which combines flavor-filled seasoned steak with lime juice, guacamole, salsas, and tortillas. It is the perfect meal for your next cookout! Properly prepared, Skirt steak is a quick, delicious option for any meal. 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. While Skirt steak is thin, the muscle fibers are strong and can be tough. Carving Skirt steak against the grain transforms it into tender indulgence. The instructions below tell you how to cook Skirt steak, how to slice it, and more. We've also included a chart that will tell you how long to cook Skirt steak, depending on the cooking method you choose (be sure to use a meat thermometer for best results). Once you learn how to prepare Skirt steak, this quick, easy, and flavorful cut will become one of your favorites!
How to Grill Skirt Steak
Grilling Skirt steak is a sought-after cooking method — you can choose your favorite Skirt steak recipe, marinade, or seasoning to prepare a wonderful meal. If you choose to use a marinade, place your steak in a bowl or resealable plastic bag and add the marinade. Use enough marinade to cover the meat completely or and be sure to turn the steak a few times while marinating. Your marinade recipe should tell you how long to marinate your Skirt steak. For the sake of food safety, always refrigerate the meat while marinating. Before cooking, remove your Skirt steak from the marinade and allow excess marinade to drain away.
Typically, a Skirt steak is a very thin, long piece of meat. If you wish, cut the steak into 3&ndash4 sections for individual portions to make it easier to slice after cooking. Because of the thin cut, it is critical to follow the correct grill time, depending on your desired degree of doneness (see chart below).
Skirt steak grilled can be completed with either of the following grill methods:
- Charcoal Grilling
- Gas Grilling
Regardless of which method you choose, be sure your meat is completely thawed before placing your Skirt steak on the grill. We recommend thawing in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours. If you prefer marinated Skirt steak, it's best to wait until it is fully thawed. Marinating while defrosting can make the surface texture of the meat mushy. Once thawed, remove your steak from the refrigerator approximately 30–40 minutes before cooking to allow the steak to come to room temperature. For those who enjoy seasoning your Skirt steak, we recommend using Kansas City Steak Original Steak Seasoning.
How to Cook Skirt Steak on a Charcoal Grill
Preheat your grill on high. Place steaks over the hottest part of the grill, and sear both sides for 1–2 minutes. Then move to medium, ash-covered coals and continue to grill for the times listed in the Cooking Times Chart below. Turn about 1 minute prior to the halfway point.
How to Cook Skirt Steak on a Gas Grill
Preheat your grill on high. Sear both sides for 1–2 minutes, then reduce to medium heat and continue to grill for the times listed in the Cooking Times Chart below. Turn about 1 minute prior to the halfway point.
- Follow the directions for how long to grill Skirt steak. 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. The temperature of the meat will continue to rise about 5°F during this time (this is called "carryover cooking"). The final temperature will read 135°F.
- To check the degree of doneness, use a meat thermometer to measure the Skirt steak temperature.
- Resting Skirt steak is important because the heat of cooking pulls the juices in the meat toward the surface; if you slice into it immediately after cooking, those flavorful juices will end up on your plate, not in your steak. Allowing your steak to rest will give the juices time to sink back in and throughout the meat, keeping it moist and flavorful.
- Make sure your carving knife is sharp (See our Expert Tips for How to Sharpen a Knife and Expert Tips for How to Carve a Steak).
- Take a good look at your Skirt steak and note which direction the fibers are running. Slide your knife back and forth across those fibers — across the grain — cutting your Skirt steak into slices. Keep each slice no more than ¼ inch thick.
- To make each bite extra tender, hold your knife blade at a 45° angle; this is called "cutting on the bias." Cutting against the grain this way exposes more surface area in each fiber and keeps the fibers from being stacked directly on top of each other in each slice of meat, further weakening the bonds that hold them together.
How to Cook Skirt Steak in the Oven
Cooking Skirt steak in the oven is a great choice for preparing your favorite Skirt steak tacos or Skirt steak churrasco. Broiling Skirt steak in the oven provides similar results to grilling when you can’t get outside. Typically, a Skirt steak is a very thin, long piece of meat. If you wish, cut the steak into 3–4 sections for individual portions to make it easier to carve after cooking. Select a Skirt steak marinade for the oven or a delicious seasoning. If you have a Skirt steak marinade for the oven, it's best to wait until your steak is thawed to apply. Marinating while defrosting can make the surface texture of the meat mushy. We recommend thawing in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours. Once thawed, remove your steak from the refrigerator approximately 30–40 minutes before cooking to allow the steak to come to room temperature.
If you choose to use a marinade, place your steak in a bowl or resealable plastic bag and add the marinade. Use enough marinade to cover the meat completely or and be sure to turn the steak a few times while marinating. Your marinade recipe should tell you how long to marinate your Skirt steak. For the sake of food safety, always refrigerate the meat while marinating. Before cooking, remove your Skirt steak from the marinade and allow excess marinade to drain away. If you do not want to marinate your Skirt steak, season it as desired; we recommend using Kansas City Steak Original Steak Seasoning. For more information, visit our How to Cook Steak in the Oven page.
Set your oven to “broil” and preheat for 10 minutes.
To cook your seasoned or marinated Skirt steak to the proper temperature in the oven, follow the directions below:
- Place your Skirt steak in the oven to broil on the rack of a broiler pan, and position the broiler pan in the oven so that the surface of the steak is 3–4 inches from the heat. Broil to desired doneness, according to the Measuring Doneness and Cooking Times Chart listed below.
- 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.
- After removing from the oven, rest your Skirt steak for 5 minutes before serving, covering lightly with foil. The temperature of the meat will continue to rise for as much as 5°F during this time (this is called "carryover cooking"). The final temperature will read 135°F.
- To check the degree of doneness, use a meat thermometer to measure the internal temperature of your Skirt steak.
- Resting Skirt steak is important because the heat of cooking pulls the juices in the meat toward the surface; if you slice into it immediately after cooking, those flavorful juices will end up on your plate, not in your steak. Allowing your steak to rest will give the juices time to sink back in and throughout the meat, keeping it moist and flavorful.
- Make sure your carving knife is sharp (See our Expert Tips for How to Sharpen a Knife and Expert Tips for How to Carve a Steak).
- Take a good look at your Skirt steak and note which direction the fibers are running. Slide your knife back and forth across those fibers – across the grain – cutting your Skirt steak into slices. Keep each slice no more than ¼ inch thick.
- To make each bite extra tender, hold your knife blade at a 45° angle; this is called "cutting on the bias." Cutting against the grain this way exposes more surface area in each fiber and keeps the fibers from being stacked directly on top of each other in each slice of meat, further weakening the bonds that hold them together.
How to Cook Skirt Steak on the Stove
A mouth-watering pan seared Skirt steak provides superb flavor and a rich golden-brown color. If you're wondering how to cook Skirt steak on the stove, simply follow these instructions and you'll have mastered one of the quickest, easiest ways to put delicious beef on the table, even on a weeknight. The two sets of directions below are options for your favorite Skirt steak recipe in a pan, depending on your chosen slice.
Choose a Skirt steak marinade or seasoning to get started. If you have a Skirt steak marinade for the stove top that you would like to use, it's best to wait until your meat is thawed. Marinating while defrosting can make the surface texture of the meat mushy. We recommend thawing in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours. Once thawed, remove your steak from the refrigerator approximately 30–40 minutes before cooking to allow the steak to come to room temperature.
If you choose to use a marinade, place your steak in a bowl or resealable plastic bag and add the marinade. Use enough marinade to cover the meat completely or and be sure to turn the steak a few times while marinating. Your marinade recipe should tell you how long to marinate your Skirt steak. For the sake of food safety, always refrigerate the meat while marinating. Before cooking, remove your Skirt steak from the marinade and allow excess marinade to drain away. If you do not want to marinate your Skirt steak, season it as desired; we recommend using Kansas City Steak Original Steak Seasoning.
For pan-seared Skirt steak on the stove that is cooked to the perfect medium-rare temperature, follow these steps for best results:
- Preheat a heavy non-stick skillet over medium heat until hot, for about 5 minutes. A very hot pan delivers the best sear for your Skirt steak in a skillet.
- Add 1–2 tbsp. of vegetable oil or butter to the skillet (enough to coat the bottom) and immediately place the Skirt steak in the hot skillet.
- For the perfect medium-rare Skirt steak on the stove, sear in a skillet for 8–11 minutes, turning about 1 minute before the halfway point. A meat thermometer should read 130°F.
- Use a meat thermometer to check your Skirt steak temperatures, which will ensure your cuts of meat are cooked to the perfect level of doneness.
- Rest your Skirt steak for 5 minutes before serving, covering lightly with foil. The temperature of the meat will continue to rise for as much as 5°F during this time (this is called "carryover cooking"). The final temperature will read 135°F.
- Resting Skirt steak is important because the heat of cooking pulls the juices in the meat toward the surface; if you slice into it immediately after cooking, those flavorful juices will end up on your plate, not in your steak. Allowing your steak to rest will give the juices time to sink back in and throughout the meat, keeping it moist and flavorful.
- Make sure your carving knife is sharp (See our Expert Tips for How to Sharpen a Knife and Expert Tips for How to Carve a Steak).
- Take a good look at your Skirt steak and note which direction the fibers are running. Slide your knife back and forth across those fibers – across the grain – cutting your Skirt steak into slices. Keep each slice no more than ¼ inch thick.
- To make each bite extra tender, hold your knife blade at a 45° angle; this is called "cutting on the bias." Cutting against the grain this way exposes more surface area in each fiber and keeps the fibers from being stacked directly on top of each other in each slice of meat, further weakening the bonds that hold them together.
Skirt steak is a versatile cut of beef; pre-sliced and pan-seared, it is perfect atop pasta, a salad or in a stir fry. For pan-seared, pre-sliced Skirt steak on the stove, select a marinade or seasoning and use the following directions:
- To pre-slice your Skirt steak, place it back in the freezer for just 15 minutes; this will firm up the meat and make it easier to slice.
- Make sure your carving knife is sharp (See our Expert Tips for How to Sharpen a Knife and Expert tips for How to Carve a Steak).
- Take a good look at your Skirt steak and note which direction the muscle fibers are running. Slide your knife back and forth across those fibers – across the grain — cutting your steak into slices. Keep each slice no more than ¼ inch thick.
- To make each bite extra tender, hold your knife blade at a 45° angle; this is called "cutting on the bias." Cutting against the grain this way exposes more surface area in each fiber and keeps the fibers from being stacked directly on top of each other in each slice of meat, further weakening the bonds that hold them together.
- Heat a heavy skillet, a cast iron skillet, or wok over high heat until hot, for about 5 minutes. A very hot pan delivers the best sear.
- If you are stir-frying, simply follow your Skirt steak recipe directions from this point forward.
- For the perfect pan-fried Skirt steak slices to top pasta, rice, potatoes, or a salad, add 1–2 tbsp. of vegetable oil or butter to the skillet (enough to coat the bottom) and immediately place Skirt steak slices in the hot skillet.
- Sear the slices for 4–7 minutes, turning frequently with tongs, until you see each slice is cooked to the desired level of doneness. Remove and serve immediately.
Cast iron Skirt steak that is cooked to the proper temperature will provide a delicious cut of meat with a deep brown crust and an excellent finish. Follow the same set of directions as you would if cooking a Skirt steak on the stove in a non-stick skillet. For more information, visit our How to Cook Steak in a Cast Iron Skillet page.
Specialty Skirt Steak Cooking
There are two outstanding alternative methods for cooking Skirt steak. For a boost of flavor and an excellent finish, consider smoking your Skirt steak or preparing sous vide Skirt steak for your next dinner. If you have a Skirt steak marinade recipe you would like to use, it's best to wait until your meat is thawed. Marinating while defrosting can make the surface texture of the meat mushy. We recommend thawing in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours. Once thawed, remove your steak from the refrigerator approximately 30–40 minutes before cooking to allow the steak to come to room temperature. If you choose to use a marinade, place your steak in a bowl or resealable plastic bag and add the marinade. Use enough marinade to cover the meat completely or and be sure to turn the steak a few times while marinating. Your marinade recipe should tell you how long to marinate your Skirt steak. For the sake of food safety, always refrigerate the meat while marinating. Before cooking, remove your Skirt steak from the marinade and allow excess marinade to drain away. If you do not want to marinate your Skirt steak, season it as desired; we recommend using Kansas City Steak Original Steak Seasoning.
Some of the best Skirt steak recipes are enjoyed by preparing this cut of meat with a smoker. Smoking time varies greatly depending on the cut of meat, thickness of the cut, quality of smoker, smoke and smoke retention, wind, etc. It is best to use a meat thermometer and base doneness off of your Skirt steak’s internal temperature. Determine how long to smoke Skirt steak and how to cook it to the perfect temperature by following the directions below.
Note: Steaks cooked under 130°F should not be cooked longer than 2½ hours at a time due to food safety concerns.
To begin, fire up your smoker and preheat it to 225°F.
- Place your marinated well-seasoned steak onto the grates of your smoker, close the lid, and smoke the meat until the steaks reach about 10°F below the desired internal doneness temperature (see our Measuring Doneness Chart below).
- You can check for smoking doneness by your Skirt steak’s internal temperature. Temperatures are as follows:
- Rare: 115°F
- Medium-Rare: 125°F
- Medium: 135°F
- Medium-Well: 145°F
- Next, preheat a skillet over high heat (this can be done on a grill or in your kitchen). Once hot, lightly coat the bottom of your skillet with a high smoke point oil such as avocado oil, canola oil, or grapeseed oil.
- Place the steaks in the skillet and sear them for approximately 2 minutes on each side. Cook until the steaks reach approximately 5°F less than your final desired internal temperature.
- Remove steaks from the skillet and allow them to rest for 5–10 minutes, covering lightly with foil. The temperature of the meat will continue to rise about 5°F during this time (this is called "carryover cooking").
- To check the final degree of doneness, use a meat thermometer to measure the internal temperature of your Skirt steak.
- Resting steak is important because the heat of cooking pulls the juices in the meat toward the surface; if you slice into it immediately after cooking, those flavorful juices will end up on your plate, not in your steak. Allowing your steak to rest will give the juices time to sink back in and throughout the meat, keeping it moist and flavorful.
A Skirt steak cooked with the sous vide method helps remove the guesswork from the cooking process, in that your meat will be prepared perfectly to your desired doneness, every time. Sous vide uses a low-heat, long-time cooking process which allows for evenly cooked steaks from end to end and guarantees every bite is as tender and juicy as the first. Enjoy your sous vide Skirt steak as fajitas or stir fry with wonderful marinade or seasoning.
Note: Steaks cooked under 130°F should not be cooked longer than 2½ hours at a time due to food safety concerns.
Here are the steps to follow when using the sous vide method:
Prepare It
- Preheat your water bath: Fill your sous vide container up with warm water and set the sous vide device to the appropriate Skirt steak cooking temperature for the desired doneness. The sous vide device should be set as follows:
- Rare: 122°F
- Medium-Rare: 129°F
- Medium: 135°F
- Medium-Well: 145°F
- Repackage your Skirt steak into a sous vide heat-stable bag. We recommend seasoning your steak with Kansas City Steaks Original Steak Seasoning for an enhanced flavor or selecting a flavor-filled Skirt steak marinade, prior to repackaging and cooking in the sous vide.
Cook It
- Make sure the water bath has fully reached the desired temperature for cooking before adding in the steak.
- Place the packaged steak in the water bath and allow it to cook for the recommended amount of time, based on your desired degree of doneness. Skirt steaks between 1–1½ inches should be cooked to the desired temperature for 2–4 hours.
- Once your steaks are finished cooking, remove them from the sous vide and take the steaks out of the packaging.
- Preheat a skillet over high heat for about 5 minutes (this can be done on a grill or in your kitchen). A hot skillet delivers the best sear.
- Lightly coat the bottom of your skillet with high smoke point oil such as avocado oil, canola oil, or grapeseed oil. Place your steaks on the skillet and sear for approximately 2 minutes on each side. Sear until the steaks reach the final desired Skirt steak internal temperature, according to the Measuring Doneness Chart below.
- The sear will give your steaks the rich golden-brown color and enhanced flavor that is typically associated with grilled steaks.
- Serve immediately. Unlike other methods of cooking steak, the low-heat and long-time cooking technique used in sous vide does not draw the juices of the meat to the surface so additional resting time is not needed.
Cooking Times for Skirt Steak
Select a cooking method for your Skirt Steak and follow the recommended cooking times for the best results. For perfect doneness, we recommend you use a meat thermometer and use the Measuring Doneness Chart, below.
Measuring Doneness for Skirt Steak
Remove when your steaks are 5°F less than the temperatures listed.
The centers will continue to warm as they rest.
Skirt Steak Recipes
Looking for a specific recipe, marinade, seasoning or rub for Skirt Steak? Check out our most popular Steak Recipes below or click Steak Recipes to view our recipe library.