Skirt Steak Marinade for Tacos and Fajitas

This skirt steak marinade is a bright, garlicky mix of lime, orange juice, soy sauce, cumin, chili powder and cilantro that turns a thin, beefy cut into the filling for great tacos and fajitas. Marinate the steak for 2 to 8 hours, sear it in a ripping-hot pan or on the grill for just a few minutes per side, then slice it thinly across the grain.

Below you’ll find the ingredients, how long to marinate skirt steak (and why lime juice puts a limit on it), the difference between inside and outside skirt, step-by-step cooking, food safety, serving ideas and storage. The printable recipe card is at the bottom.

Why You’ll Love This Skirt Steak Marinade

Skirt steak has loads of flavor, a loose grain that soaks up a marinade quickly, and a thin shape that cooks in minutes. A good skirt steak marinade plays to all of that.

• Big flavor, pantry ingredients: citrus, garlic, soy sauce and a few spices you probably already have.
• Fast cooking: 2 to 4 minutes per side over very high heat.
• Two dinners in one: serve it as street-style tacos or sizzling fajitas with peppers and onions.
• Make-ahead friendly: stir the skirt steak marinade together in the morning and the steak is ready by dinner.
• Works on other cuts: flank, flap (bavette) and flat iron steak all take to it well.

It’s close in spirit to a carne asada marinade, with a little soy sauce added for savory depth and better browning.

Ingredients for Skirt Steak Marinade

This skirt steak marinade makes enough for 1½ to 2 pounds of steak, which serves 6 as tacos (about 2 tacos each) or 4 to 5 as fajitas.

For the marinade

• Olive oil or avocado oil, ⅓ cup (80 ml). Oil carries the fat-soluble flavors from the garlic and spices into the meat.
• Fresh lime juice, ¼ cup (60 ml), from about 2 limes.
• Fresh orange juice, ¼ cup (60 ml), from about 1 orange. It adds sweetness and softens the lime.
• Low-sodium soy sauce, 3 tablespoons (45 ml). Adds salt, savory flavor and color.
• Garlic, 4 cloves, minced.
• Jalapeño, 1, minced (remove the seeds for less heat).
• Fresh cilantro, ½ cup (about 8 g), chopped, stems included.
• Ground cumin, 1 teaspoon, and chili powder, 1 teaspoon.
• Dried oregano, ½ teaspoon, Mexican oregano if you have it.
• Brown sugar, 1 teaspoon. Helps the crust brown.
• Diamond Crystal kosher salt, 1 teaspoon (or ½ teaspoon table salt), and black pepper, ½ teaspoon.

For the steak and serving

• Skirt steak, 1½ lb (680 g), preferably outside skirt, trimmed of silver skin.
• High-heat oil, 1 tablespoon, for the pan or grill grates.
• Small corn tortillas, 12 (6-inch), or 8 flour tortillas (8-inch) for fajitas.
• Toppings: diced white onion, chopped cilantro, lime wedges, salsa or guacamole.
• For fajitas (optional): 2 bell peppers and 1 large onion, sliced into strips, plus 1 tablespoon oil.

Equipment You Need

• A gas or charcoal grill, or a 12-inch cast iron skillet or grill pan.
• A gallon zip-top bag or a shallow glass or ceramic dish. Avoid reactive aluminum with acidic marinades.
• Tongs and an instant-read thermometer.
• A sharp knife and a cutting board with a juice groove.
• A small saucepan, only if you want to boil leftover marinade into a sauce.

Inside vs Outside Skirt Steak

Skirt steak comes from the diaphragm muscle, and there are two kinds. Most supermarkets sell inside skirt; outside skirt usually goes to restaurants and butcher shops, so you may need to ask for it.

Both work with this skirt steak marinade, and both show up in most skirt steak recipes. Inside skirt is thinner, so stay at the shorter end of the cooking time. If the steak is very long, cut it into 5- to 6-inch pieces so it fits your pan and is easier to flip.

How to Make Skirt Steak Marinade (Step by Step)

1. Mix the marinade

In a bowl or large measuring cup, whisk the oil, lime juice, orange juice, soy sauce, garlic, jalapeño, cilantro, cumin, chili powder, oregano, brown sugar, salt and pepper. Taste a drop: a good skirt steak marinade should be bold, a little salty and tangy. If you’d like a sauce later, set aside ¼ cup now, before it touches raw meat.

2. Prep the steak

Pat the skirt steak dry and trim any silver skin or thick fat. Cut long steaks into 2 or 3 pieces.

• For thick outside skirt, you can lightly score the surface in a shallow crosshatch so the marinade gets in.
• Don’t pound it; skirt is already thin.

3. Marinate

Put the steak in the zip-top bag, pour in the skirt steak marinade, press out the air and seal. Massage the bag so every surface is coated and lay it flat in the fridge. Marinate for at least 30 minutes and ideally 2 to 8 hours, turning the bag once. Don’t go much past 12 hours (see the chart below).

4. Get the grill or pan very hot

Take the steak out of the marinade, let the excess drip off and pat the surface lightly with paper towels. A drier surface browns faster. Discard the used marinade.

• Grill: heat to high, about 500 to 550°F (260 to 290°C), with clean, oiled grates.
• Cast iron: heat the skillet over medium-high to high for 4 to 5 minutes, add 1 tablespoon oil and wait until it shimmers and just starts to smoke.

5. Sear the steak

Lay the steak down and leave it alone. Cook for 2 to 4 minutes per side, depending on thickness and heat, until a dark crust forms. Work in batches in a skillet so the pan doesn’t crowd and steam. Check the thickest part with a thermometer and pull it at about 130°F (54°C) for medium-rare or 140°F (60°C) for medium.

6. Rest

Move the steak to a cutting board and rest it for 5 minutes, loosely tented with foil. The temperature rises a few degrees and the juices settle, so less ends up on the board.

7. Slice across the grain

This step matters more for skirt steak than almost any other cut. The muscle fibers run across the width of the steak, so:

1. Cut the steak with the grain into 4- to 5-inch sections.
2. Turn each section 90 degrees.
3. Slice thinly, about ¼ inch, across the grain and slightly on an angle.

Sliced this way, each strip has short fibers and stays tender. Sliced with the grain, the same steak is stringy and chewy.

8. Serve as tacos or fajitas

For tacos, warm the corn tortillas in a dry skillet for 30 seconds per side, then fill with steak, onion, cilantro and salsa. For fajitas, cook the pepper and onion strips in the hot skillet with oil and a pinch of salt for 6 to 8 minutes, until charred at the edges, then toss with the sliced steak and serve with warm flour tortillas.

How Long to Marinate Skirt Steak

Skirt steak is thin and loose-grained, so it picks up a skirt steak marinade faster than thick steaks. Acid from lime juice mainly works on the surface. Given too much time, it breaks down the outer layer of protein and the steak can turn mushy or mealy, with a grayish look before it even hits the heat.

Need to marinate overnight or for up to 24 hours? Make the skirt steak marinade without the lime juice and squeeze fresh lime over the cooked steak instead. Always marinate in the refrigerator, never on the counter.

Skirt Steak Doneness and Food Safety

The FoodSafety.gov safe minimum temperature chart lists 145°F (63°C) with a 3-minute rest for whole beef steaks. That’s medium. Many cooks prefer skirt steak medium-rare, which falls below that guideline; if you choose it, you’re doing so knowing it’s under the official minimum. Skirt steak turns tough and dry past medium, so pull it on time either way.

• Never reuse raw marinade as a sauce or baste once it has touched raw meat, unless you bring it to a full rolling boil for at least 1 minute first.
• Keep a clean portion: the ¼ cup you set aside in step 1 is safe to drizzle over the sliced steak.
• Use a clean plate and tongs for the cooked steak, not the ones that held it raw.
• Mechanically tenderized (bladed or needled) beef should be cooked to at least 145°F, since surface bacteria can be pushed inside. Check the label.

Tips for the Best Skirt Steak Marinade

• Use fresh citrus. Bottled lime juice tastes flat and harsh in a skirt steak marinade.
• Don’t skip the oil. It coats the meat and carries garlic and spice flavor; acid alone makes a thin, sour marinade.
• Use low-sodium soy sauce so the steak doesn’t get too salty over a long marinade.
• Pat the steak before cooking. Wet steak steams and turns gray instead of charring.
• Go hotter than you think. Skirt is thin, so it needs very high heat to brown before the inside overcooks.
• Watch for flare-ups on the grill: oil and sugar drip and flame. Move the steak to a cooler spot for a few seconds if needed.
• Always slice across the grain, even for fajitas.

Easy Variations and Substitutions

• No soy sauce: use coconut aminos, or leave it out and add another ½ teaspoon kosher salt.
• Smoky chipotle: add 1 to 2 minced chipotles in adobo plus 1 teaspoon adobo sauce.
• No orange juice: use 2 tablespoons water plus 1 teaspoon honey.
• Beer marinade: replace the orange juice with ¼ cup Mexican lager.
• Cilantro-free: use flat-leaf parsley and a little extra lime zest.
• Other cuts: the same skirt steak marinade works on flank steak (add 1 to 2 minutes per side), bavette (flap) steak or flat iron steak. For a thick cut cooked in a pan, see our cast iron skillet steak.
• Chicken: use the skirt steak marinade on boneless thighs for 2 to 6 hours and cook to 165°F (74°C).

What to Serve With Skirt Steak

Steak cooked in this skirt steak marinade is built for tortillas, but it’s just as good on a plate or in a sandwich.

• Tacos: corn tortillas, white onion, cilantro, lime and salsa verde.
• Fajitas: charred peppers and onions, flour tortillas, sour cream and guacamole.
• Sides: Mexican rice, charro or black beans, elote or grilled corn, pico de gallo.
• Bowls: rice, beans, lettuce, corn and avocado with the sliced steak on top.
• Sandwiches: leftover slices are great in our steak sandwich with caramelized onions.

More ideas for the grill: our picanha steak with chimichurri, and beef fajita ideas for more ways to fill a tortilla. Browse all our steak recipes, including more skirt steak recipes and weeknight cuts.

Grilling the steak? Follow this guide on how to grill steak for times and flare-up control.

How to Store, Freeze and Reheat

• Raw, marinating: up to 12 hours in the fridge in this skirt steak marinade (because of the lime).
• Marinade only: mix the skirt steak marinade without the cilantro up to 2 days ahead and keep it covered in the fridge; stir in the cilantro just before using.
• Raw, freezer: freeze the steak in the bag with the marinade (without the lime juice for best texture) for up to 3 months. It marinates as it thaws overnight in the fridge; add fresh lime juice before cooking.
• Cooked: refrigerate within 2 hours in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days.
• Cooked, freezer: freeze sliced steak for 2 to 3 months.
• Reheat: toss the slices in a hot skillet for 1 to 2 minutes with a splash of water or broth until heated to 165°F (74°C). Avoid long microwaving, which toughens thin slices.

These times follow the FoodSafety.gov cold food storage chart.

Skirt Steak Troubleshooting

Skirt cooks in minutes, so small slips show up fast. Here’s how to spot and fix the most common ones.

Prefer a thick steak with even color from edge to edge? That’s a different technique; see our sous vide steak guide.

Leftover Skirt Steak: Three Quick Meals

Thin slices reheat in seconds, so leftovers make an easy second meal. Use cooked steak within 3 to 4 days.

Steak quesadillas (serves 2)

1. Chop 1 cup (about 150 g) leftover steak into small pieces.
2. Scatter it over 2 flour tortillas (8-inch) with 1 cup (113 g) shredded Monterey Jack, then fold them in half.
3. Cook in a dry skillet over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes per side, until the cheese melts and the filling is hot, 165°F (74°C).

Steak and egg hash (serves 2)

Brown 2 cups (about 300 g) diced cooked potatoes in 1 tablespoon oil for 8 to 10 minutes. Add 1 cup chopped steak and ½ onion, diced, and cook 3 minutes more, until the steak reaches 165°F (74°C). Make two wells, crack in 2 eggs, cover and cook until the whites are set.

Steak salad (serves 2)

• 4 cups chopped romaine, 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes and 1 sliced avocado
• 1 cup cold sliced steak
• Dressing: 3 tablespoons (45 ml) olive oil, 1 tablespoon (15 ml) lime juice, ¼ teaspoon ground cumin and a pinch of salt

Toss just before serving; the lime dressing echoes the skirt steak marinade. For more ideas, browse our leftover steak recipes.

Skirt Steak Marinade FAQs

How long should skirt steak marinate?

At least 30 minutes, ideally 2 to 8 hours. With a lime-based marinade, don’t go much past 12 hours, or the surface can turn mushy.

Is skirt steak the same as flank steak?

No. Both are thin, flavorful cuts sliced across the grain, but skirt comes from the diaphragm, is thinner, and has a looser, more open grain. Flank is wider, leaner and a bit thicker.

Can I use this as a carne asada marinade?

Yes. Carne asada is usually skirt or flank steak marinated in citrus, garlic and spices and grilled hot, which is exactly what this is.

Can I cook skirt steak in a skillet instead of a grill?

Yes. A preheated cast iron skillet over high heat gives a great crust in 2 to 4 minutes per side. Cook in batches and turn on your vent fan.

Why is my skirt steak tough?

Usually it was sliced with the grain or cooked past medium. Pull it at 130 to 140°F (54 to 60°C) and always slice thinly across the grain.

Can I use leftover marinade as a sauce?

Only if you boil it for at least 1 minute first. Better yet, set aside a clean portion before adding the raw steak.

Skirt Steak Marinade Recipe Card

Calories are an estimate per serving (2 corn tortilla tacos) based on USDA FoodData Central values for beef skirt steak, the oil absorbed from the marinade, corn tortillas and toppings. Fajitas with flour tortillas and peppers will be higher.

Chef Emma

Skirt Steak Marinade for Tacos and Fajitas

Skirt steak marinated in lime, orange juice, soy sauce, garlic, jalapeño, cilantro and cumin, seared hot and fast, sliced across the grain and served as tacos or fajitas.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Marinate (30 min to 12 hours) 2 hours hrs

Total Time 2 hours hrs 40 minutes mins

Servings: 6 servings

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mexican, Tex-Mex

Calories: 390

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

Marinade

• 1/3 cup olive oil or avocado oil 80 ml
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice 60 ml, about 2 limes
• 1/4 cup fresh orange juice 60 ml, about 1 orange
• 3 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce 45 ml
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 1 jalapeño minced, seeded for less heat
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro about 8 g, chopped
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano Mexican if possible
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt or 1/2 tsp table salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

Steak

• 1 1/2 lb skirt steak 680 g, preferably outside skirt, trimmed
• 1 tbsp high-heat oil for the pan or grates

To serve

• 12 small corn tortillas 6-inch, or 8 flour tortillas for fajitas
• 1/2 white onion finely diced
• chopped cilantro, lime wedges and salsa to taste
• 2 bell peppers sliced into strips, for fajitas (optional)
• 1 large onion sliced, for fajitas (optional)
• 1 tbsp oil for the fajita vegetables (optional)

Equipment

• Grill or 12-inch cast iron skillet
• Gallon zip-top bag
• Instant-read thermometer
• Tongs

Method

 

1. Whisk all the marinade ingredients together. Set aside 1/4 cup in a clean container to use as a sauce later, if you like.
2. Pat the steak dry, trim silver skin and cut long pieces into 2 or 3 sections. Put it in a zip-top bag with the rest of the marinade, press out the air and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, ideally 2 to 8 hours, and no more than about 12 hours.
3. Heat a grill to high (500 to 550°F / 260 to 290°C) or a cast iron skillet over high heat with 1 tbsp oil until it just smokes.
4. Remove the steak from the marinade, let it drip and pat lightly dry. Discard the used marinade.
5. Sear the steak 2 to 4 minutes per side, in batches if using a skillet, until well browned. Pull at about 130°F (54°C) for medium-rare or 140°F (60°C) for medium; USDA recommends 145°F (63°C) with a 3-minute rest.
6. Rest the steak 5 minutes. Cut it with the grain into 4- to 5-inch sections, turn each section and slice thinly across the grain.
7. For tacos, warm the corn tortillas and fill with steak, onion, cilantro, lime and salsa.
8. For fajitas, cook the pepper and onion strips in the hot skillet with 1 tbsp oil and a pinch of salt for 6 to 8 minutes until charred at the edges, toss with the sliced steak and serve with warm flour tortillas.

Notes

Don’t marinate much past 12 hours with the lime juice or the surface can turn mushy; for longer marinating, leave the lime out and squeeze it over the cooked steak. Never use raw marinade as a sauce unless it has been boiled for at least 1 minute. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours for 3 to 4 days. Calories are an estimate per serving (2 corn tortilla tacos) from USDA FoodData Central values.