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Churrasco Steak (Grilled Skirt Steak) with Tangy Chimichurri Sauce

Learn how to make a delicious churrasco steak recipe with grilled skirt steak marinated in garlicky citrus mojo marinade and served with a flavorful chimichurri sauce. Just like in South Florida!

Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Total Time
40 mins
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 323 kcal
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: South American

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs skirt steak inner skirt preferred
  • 2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Mojo Criollo Churrasco Marinade
  • 1 cup Sour orange juice or mix 3:1 ratio orange juice to lime juice
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 6 garlic cloves minced
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • 2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Chimichurri Sauce
  • 1/4 cup flat leaf parsley
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro optional*
  • 1/4 cup fresh oregano
  • 3 cloves garlic peeled
  • 1/2 small shallot peeled
  • 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tsp kosher salt

Instructions

Make the Marinade
    Cup of Yum
  1. Whisk together all the mojo criollo ingredients in a mixing bowl. This can be made up to a week ahead of time.
Make the Chimichurri Sauce
  1. Tear the herb leaves from their stems and add them to the bowl of a food processor or blender.
  2. Add the garlic cloves, shallot, red pepper flakes, kosher salt, red wine vinegar, and extra virgin olive oil to the container of the blender or food processor.
  3. Pulse to start the blending a couple of times, then blend on low speed until the garlic, herbs, and shallot are chopped finely into small pieces.
  4. Chimichurri sauce can be used immediately but tastes even better if it sits at room temperature for an hour or two before serving or is made the night before for the flavors to mingle together.
Make Churrasco
  1. Marinate the skirt steak in a plastic zip top or large mixing bowl with the marinade for at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours in the fridge. This step is optional, but it does impart tenderness to the skirt steak.
  2. Take the marinated steak out of the fridge 45 minutes before cooking to rest. Before cooking, season with the kosher salt and ground black pepper.
  3. USING A CHARCOAL GRILL: make sure the charcoal coals are white and hot, and use a grill thermometer, we want the heat to be 450-500 degrees F (232 to 260 degrees C)orUSING A GAS GRILL: set it to 450 degrees F (232 degrees C) and oil the grates generously.Once the grill is preheated, grill the marinated skirt steak for 4 minutes on each side for medium-rare. OR ON THE STOVE: On a grill pan on the stove, use high heat. Sear the skirt steak on each side for 3 minutes for medium-rare.
  4. Let the steak rest on a cutting board or plate, covered with aluminum foil, for at least 5 minutes before cutting.
  5. Serve thinly sliced AGAINST the grain, topped with Chimichurri Sauce..

Notes

  • Cilantro can be substituted for more parsley instead.
  • If you can't find sour orange juice, use 2 parts fresh squeezed orange juice to one part lime or lemon juice.
  • Flank steak, which is another long muscle coming from the belly area, is a cut that is a perfect substitute for skirt steak. It's lean and tough like skirt steak that does well being cooked quickly to medium rare.
  • Skirt steak is a loose muscle, you can literally kind of pull it apart when raw, so marinades permeate it very easily! You can give it a quick 30 minute soak in marinade and see a real impact in flavor; I wouldn't marinate more than 3-4 hours otherwise the steak will start to get mushy.
  • Flank and skirt steak should be sliced thinly and against the grain. What that means is that you'll see the muscle lines on your steak (they're easier to see when the steak is raw) and you want to cut it perpendicular to those lines; so not cutting along them, but against them like you're crossing t's.
  • Cutting your steak against the grain is cutting the muscle fibers into shorter pieces, making them more tender to eat.
  • Chimichurri sauce can be used immediately but tastes even better if it is made ahead of time.

Nutrition Information

Serving 5.3ounces Calories 323kcal (16%) Carbohydrates 3g (1%) Protein 33g (66%) Fat 20g (31%) Saturated Fat 5g (25%) Polyunsaturated Fat 2g Monounsaturated Fat 11g Trans Fat 1g Cholesterol 95mg (32%) Sodium 1.267mg (0%) Potassium 504mg (14%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 0.3g (1%) Vitamin A 328IU (7%) Vitamin C 4mg (4%) Calcium 51mg (5%) Iron 4mg (22%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 6servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 323

% Daily Value*

Serving 5.3ounces
Calories 323kcal 16%
Carbohydrates 3g 1%
Protein 33g 66%
Fat 20g 31%
Saturated Fat 5g 25%
Polyunsaturated Fat 2g 12%
Monounsaturated Fat 11g 55%
Trans Fat 1g 50%
Cholesterol 95mg 32%
Sodium 1.267mg 0%
Potassium 504mg 11%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 0.3g 1%
Vitamin A 328IU 7%
Vitamin C 4mg 4%
Calcium 51mg 5%
Iron 4mg 22%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.