This juicy, tender, and delicious churrasco steak recipe is a childhood favorite of mine living in Miami, Florida. Skirt steak is marinated in a garlicky-citrus mojo, quickly grilled and served with punchy chimichurri, a perfect summer weeknight dinner in just 45 minutes!
We are still grilling for the STAT Grilling Series this summer, and next up is an update to one of my childhood favorites: an easy, juicy, flavor-packed and done-in-less-than-an-hour churrasco steak!
Churrasco is a way of life for me; I lived my adolescence and part of my adulthood in South Florida, where hole-in-the-wall eateries and mom and pop Hispanic restaurants always have grilled chicken and steak served with mountains of white rice and black beans on deck. These memories are exactly why I brought this post to the blog back in 2016.
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Grilled Churrasco, an Easy Dinner!
Restaurant-worthy churrasco steak sounds challenging. Fancy, even. But it could not be more simple!
Whip up a mojo marinade, soak in all those delicious flavors, and grill to tender, juicy perfection, that's all you need to do. As for the herbaceous sauce, throw all the ingredients into a food processor or blender. It's easy, simple, and so, so delish.
What is Churrasco Steak?
The term churrasco actually refers to any grilled meat over an open flame, most often beef and usually a thin cut like skirt steak, originating from the Pampas region of South America, which consists of Uruguay, central-eastern Argentina, and the Rio Grande do Sul region of Brazil, where gauchos wrangle the descendants of wild cattle brought over by Spanish colonizers who lost control of them.
In 1950's South Florida, immigrants from Nicaragua introduced beef churrasco in restaurants: juicy marinated skirt steak served with chimichurri sauce. This is how I was introduced to it, at a mom and pop in Miami!
Churrasco and Chimichurri Ingredients
Full ingredients, measurements, and printable instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
For Chimichurri
Chimichurri sauce is a vibrant and herbaceous, garlicky sauce with a touch of heat from Argentina. It's made with fresh herbs and chilies and I absolutely love it on so many things!
- Fresh Cilantro, Parsley, and Oregano - cilantro is optional, it's not a part of the authentic Argentinian recipe. So soap-gene people don't have to add it!
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Red Wine Vinegar - you can use lemon juice instead if you don't have the vinegar.
- Garlic
- Shallot - this is a smaller allium with a more subtle onion flavor, so using it raw here won't be as strong as using a red or white onion.
- Red Pepper Flakes
- Salt and Pepper
For the Mojo and Steak
Mojo marinade is not traditional at all to South American churrasco and its usage is not what you'll find in their restaurants. I use it because skirt steak is notoriously tough and it also absorbs the flavors of marinade very easily, it's how I had it in Miami.
Cuban mojo marinade is made with citrus juice, garlic, and olive oil, so it really has no relation to traditional churrasco at all...it's just something I have done since cooking my own churrasco over a decade ago, and it is delish on basically any protein.
- The perfect cut of steak - now this depends on your preference, but we're using traditional skirt steak here. I talk more about the best cut of meat for churrasco in the section below.
- Sour Orange Juice - this is often found in bottles by Badia in the hispanic aisle of the grocery store if you can't find the actual oranges. Can't find either of them? Use two parts fresh squeezed orange juice with one part lime juice or lemon juice.
- Many Cloves of Garlic.
- Oregano
- A touch of Cumin
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Salt and Pepper
What cut of meat is best for Churrasco?
There are three cuts I love for churrasco: skirt steak, flank steak, and flap meat—all full of flavor and perfect for the grill.
- Skirt steak is my go-to. It’s a long cut from the diaphragm muscles with loose, beefy fibers that soak up a marinade like nobody’s business. There are two kinds: the inner skirt (what you’ll find at most grocery stores) and the outer skirt (a butcher shop gem). It can be a little tough, but trust me, a good marinade works wonders.
- Flank steak is the hearty option. It’s thicker than skirt steak and comes from just behind the plate. Still beefy and versatile, but keep that thickness in mind when cooking—you don’t want to overdo it.
- Flap meat, or bavette, is like the more tender, laid-back cousin of skirt steak. It’s lean, full of delicate flavor, and just as grill-friendly. If you spot it labeled as “sirloin tip,” grab it—it’s worth it!
How to Make Churrasco Steak with Chimichurri Sauce
Make the Chimichurri Sauce
Step 1 | Place all the ingredients into a food processor and blend until the herbs and garlic are well minced. Remove from the food processor and put into a bowl. Cover and place in the fridge until ready to use.
Make the Marinade and Marinate the Steak
Step 2 | Whisk together all the mojo marinade ingredients together or give them a blitz in the food processor.
Step 3 | Pour the marinade over the steak in a large bowl. Use tongs to ensure the steak is fully covered and submerged in the marinade. Marinate the skirt steak for at least 30 minutes, and preheat your grill or indoor grill pan on high heat about 5-10 minutes before cooking to get it to 350 degrees F.
Grill the Steak
Step 4 | Pat the steak dry, season with salt, then carefully place the skirt steak on the grill. This is important, we don't want any flare ups from the fire touching you and we want beautiful grill marks on the steak. Cook the steak for 3-4 minutes on medium-high heat on each side for medium rare.
Step 5 | Using grill tongs, carefully remove the steak from the grill and place the steak onto a cutting board or platter. Let the steak rest for 5 minutes before slicing against the grain.
Step 6 | Serve the grilled steak with chimichurri sauce and sides!
How to Cut Churrasco Steak
Many blogs will show you the incorrect way to cut a skirt steak! It made for a pretty photo to slice up the length of the steak, I know -- I have done it, too!
But it is only tender when you slice the steak against the grain. Otherwise, it'll be like chewing leather, especially because skirt steak is already a tough cut!
So here's my step by step process to cutting your grilled skirt steak:
Step 1 | Look for the 'grain' of the steak. There are pretty obvious lines that run down the steak, whether you use flap steak, skirt steak, or flank steak. You want to eat the steak cut perpendicular to those lines! It cuts the muscle fibers, so each bite is tender.
Step 2 | Use a sharp knife and cut the long steak into sections with the grain.That sounds contradictory, right? We are cutting the steak into more bite-sized pieces, otherwise you're just cutting very long strips of beef! Slice a couple of inches along the skirt steak as shown.
Step 3 | Cut the portions into thin strips perpendicular, not parallel, to the cuts you've just made. You can also serve each portion as their own steak to be sliced against the grain.
Pro Tips For The Perfect Grilled Skirt Steak
- Marinate, but keep it short - Skirt steak only needs 15-30 minutes, up to 4 hours max, to soak up the marinade. Its loose fibers make it absorb marinades easily, but too much time (especially overnight) can leave it falling apart and mealy. Trust me, less is more here!
- Chimichurri loves a head start - Make it ahead if you can—the flavors get better with time and it keeps for two weeks in the fridge. No time? Fresh chimichurri is still amazing!
- Prep mojo criollo early, too - Mojo marinade lasts two weeks in the fridge, so it’s perfect for meal prep.
- Marinate at room temp - For short marinades (under 2 hours), leave the steak on the counter. It’s safe and helps it cook evenly on the grill.
What sides go well with churrasco?
- I grew up eating churrasco steak with black beans and rice, maduros, and tostones. This is a South Florida kind of thing, where the cultures of different Latin American and Hispanic countries are often blended together.
- Use up the rest of that chimichurri and make chimichurri roasted potatoes or chimichurri potato salad!
- Eat your grilled skirt steak with sautéed asparagus, grilled corn on the cob. garlic butter mushrooms, or fresh burrata caprese salad.
Storage and Reheating
- Store leftover churrasco steak in an airtight container for up to 4 days. It's best to keep them in larger portions, slicing off what's being eaten at that moment, so they reheat without overcooking.
- Reheat your leftover steak in the oven at 325 degrees F for 8-10 minutes or until it's heated through completely.
- For any leftover chimichurri and unused churrasco marinade, they can be kept in their own separate airtight containers and used for other dishes.
FAQs
No grill? No problem! Use a cast iron skillet or grill pan on the stovetop for a great sear, or cook the steak under a high broiler for that charred flavor.
Start with a clean grill, leftover residue can cause food to stick. Oil the grates lightly with a paper towel and tongs, and pat the steak dry before seasoning. Make sure the grill is preheated to high heat to create a good sear, and let the steak cook undisturbed until it naturally releases from the grill.
Equipment
- Grill Pan or Grill
- Paper Towels
Psst, use any leftovers to make these recipes!
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Churrasco Steak (Grilled Skirt Steak) with Tangy Chimichurri Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 lbs skirt steak, inner skirt preferred
- 2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Mojo Churrasco Marinade
- 1 cup sour orange juice, or mix 3:1 ratio fresh orange juice to lime juice
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh oregano, or ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Chimichurri Sauce
- ¼ cup flat leaf parsley
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro, optional*
- ¼ cup fresh oregano
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled
- ½ small shallot, peeled
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice, or red wine vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
Make the Marinade
- Whisk together all the mojo criollo ingredients in a mixing bowl. This can be made up to a week ahead of time.1 cup sour orange juice, ¼ cup olive oil, 6 garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon fresh oregano, ½ teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, 2 teaspoon kosher salt
Make the Chimichurri Sauce
- Tear the herb leaves from their stems and add them to the bowl of a food processor or blender.¼ cup flat leaf parsley, ¼ cup fresh cilantro, ¼ cup fresh oregano
- 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 cloves garlic, ½ small shallot, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil, 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 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.
- 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
- Marinate the skirt steak in a plastic zip top or large mixing bowl with the marinade for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours in the fridge. This step is optional, but it does impart tenderness to the skirt steak.2 lbs skirt steak
- Take the marinated steak out of the fridge 45 minutes before cooking to rest. Before cooking, pat the steak dry and season with the kosher salt and ground black pepper.2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- USING A CHARCOAL GRILL: make sure the charcoal coals are white and hot, and use a grill thermometer, we want the heat to be around 450-500ºF (232 to 260ºC)orUSING A GAS GRILL: set it to 450ºF (232ºC) and oil the grates generously.Once the grill is preheated, grill the marinated skirt steak for 4 minutes on each side for medium-rare. orON THE STOVE: On a cast iron grill pan or griddle on the stove, use high heat with a bit of high heat oil like canola. Sear the skirt steak on each side for 3 minutes for medium-rare.
- Let the steak rest on a cutting board or plate, covered with aluminum foil, for at least 5 minutes before cutting.
- Serve thinly sliced AGAINST the grain, topped with the Chimichurri Sauce with your favorite sides..
Recipe Notes
Substitutions
Cilantro can be substituted for more parsley instead.Slicing Skirt or Flank Steak
- Find the grain: Look for the lines running through the meat (easier to see when it’s raw).
- Cut across, not with: Slice perpendicular to those lines, like crossing your t’s.
Chef's Tips for Steak Success
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- Dry before grilling: Pat off excess marinade so the steak chars instead of steaming.
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- Marinating tips: 30–60 minutes is plenty, any longer and the citrus turns the meat mushy.
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- No Grill? Cook the steak on a cast iron plancha (a griddle), or on a large cast iron skillet or grill pan
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- Target temps (we pull 5°F early, carryover heat finishes it): Rare 120°F, Medium-rare 130°F, Medium 135–140°F
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