Churrasco (Latin Grilled Skirt Steak)

Let me tell you about Churrasco, one of my very favorite grilling recipes. First you marinate skirt steak in a flavorful blend, then grill it to perfection. But wait for the best part… then you smother it in a fresh and vibrant Chimichurri sauce.

This is what carnivorous dreams are made of!

I love a good steak. Anything from a juicy Ribeye seared in a cast iron skillet to a smothered Italian-style Steak Pizzaiola will always put a smile on my face.

But today’s recipe just might be my favorite way to cook steak. It’s better than any Brazilian steakhouse.

What is Churrasco?

If you’re new to churrasco, you’re in for a treat! The term means “barbecue” in Brazil, but the dish is also very popular all over South America, the Iberian region, and the Latin Caribbean islands, in various forms.

The version I’m presenting you with today, grilled skirt steak served with chimichurri sauce, is most commonly associated with Brazilian and Argentinian cuisines. I first came across it years ago at a Brazilian steakhouse (or churrascaria) in Miami, and I also found it on many menus during our trip to Puerto Rico.

It’s an easy and simple dish without any fancy ingredients, but oh man, those flavors are just perfect.

Ingredients

Churrasco

• Steak – Skirt steak is most traditional. I love it here because it has a natural rich, bold flavor. That being said, you can use any cut of your choice, just keep in mind that the cooking time will vary. My second pick would be flank steak.
• Extra virgin olive oil – Really, you could use any oil, but after trying them all, I like the flavor EVOO provides the best.
• Lime juice – Freshly squeezed, please. That bottled stuff has no place here.
• Brown sugar – This balances out the acidity of the lime juice, and it adds a little caramelization when grilling the steak.
• Soy sauce – A classic marinade ingredient. I don’t use so much as to overpower the other flavors, just give a slight touch of umami.
• Herbs and spices – Dried oregano, cumin, salt and pepper.

Chimichurri Sauce

• EVOO – Making another appearance here.
• Fresh parsley – This is kind of the main flavor component. Don’t skimp on it.
• Red wine vinegar – It gives the sauce a necessary tang. I have made the sauce with lemon juice as a substitute, and it works very well.
• Garlic – Yep, it’s pretty much a must in Latin food.
• Red chili pepper – To give a touch of heat. Sometimes my local supermarket doesn’t have them in stock, so I replace it with ½ teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes.
• Oregano – Either fresh or dried work, just take note of the different amounts of each in the recipe card.
• Salt and pepper – To taste, as always.

Easy Churrasco Recipe

1. Marinate the steak: This is where I add the flavors to the beef. I just whisk together all of the marinade ingredients, then seal the beef in a zip-top bag with the marinade and stick it in the fridge. I really recommend marinating overnight for top flavors, but at a minimum you can get away with 2 hours. If you like more citrusy flavors, you can swap the marinade I give here for our Mojo Marinade.

2. Make the chimichurri: Chop and mix. You can refrigerate it if you make it well ahead of time, then bring it out for an hour to come up to room temperature. I usually just cover it and let it sit on the counter until it’s time to serve.

3. Grill the steak: First, I take the marinating steak out of the fridge for 30-60 minutes before grilling. This allows it to come to room temperature for more even cooking. Then I heat the grill to about 450 degrees and brush the grates with a little oil. I cook the skirt steak for three minutes covered, then flip it. I continue cooking, uncovered, and monitor the internal temperature with an instant-read thermometer. As soon as it hits 130 degrees, I pull it off the grill and let it rest for 5-10 minutes.

4. Serve: Once the steak has rested, I slice it thinly against the grain and serve it up with that delicious chimichurri sauce.

Serving Suggestions

This steak is so good that we usually just serve it with some crusty bread and a simple side salad.

If you want to go all out with a big Latin feast, think some rice dish like Arroz con Gandules or Cilantro Lime Rice, some beans like my Cuban Frijoles Negros or Puerto Rican Habichuelas Guisadas, and either Tostones or Maduros.

It also goes great with mofongo, which is a Puerto Rican dish made of mashed fried plantains. We’ll be cooking that for you in the future, I promise.

So there you have it friends, one of the very best steak recipes you could ever cook. Trust me when I tell you, those South Americans know how to cook their steak. But if you’ve ever been to a Brazilian steakhouse you already know that.

If you try it, please leave a star rating and comment, we love to hear from you. And be sure to stay in the loop by subscribing to our newsletter or following us on Pinterest.

More Can’t-Miss Steak Recipes:
Bistec Encebollado
Garlic Butter Steak Bites
Grilled Flank Steak
Palomilla Steak
Crying Tiger
Steak Fajitas

Churrasco (Latin Grilled Skirt Steak)

Yield: 4-6 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

My easy Churrasco Recipe is based off of one of South America's most popular dishes. Skirt steak gets marinated, grilled, and then smothered in chimichurri sauce.

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Ingredients

Churrasco

• 1.5 pounds skirt steak
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• ¼ cup lime juice
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1.5 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper

Chimichurri

• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
• ½ cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp dried oregano (or 1 Tbsp fresh oregano)
• ½ red chili pepper, deseeded and finely chopped
• salt, to taste
• black pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Place skirt steak in a large zip-top bag. Whisk together marinade ingredients (olive oil, lime juice, garlic, brown sugar, soy sauce, oregano, cumin, salt and pepper) in a bowl, then pour the marinade into the bag with the steak. Make sure the steak is well coated. Squeeze as much air out of the bag as possible, seal it, then marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.
2. At some point while the steak is marinating, whisk together all chimichurri ingredients. If it will be more than a few hours before serving, cover it with cling wrap and store it in the refrigerator, and remove it from the fridge to come to room temperature an hour before serving. (Alternately, you can briefly microwave it until it comes to room temperature)
3. Remove the marinated skirt steak from the fridge 30-60 minutes before cooking. Heat grill over medium-high heat to 450°F and brush the grates with oil.
4. Grill the skirt steak for 3 minutes, covered. Flip and cook an additional 3-5 minutes uncovered (this will depend on the thickness of the cut), until it reaches an internal temperature of 130°F, measured with an instant read thermometer. Remove to a cutting board or platter and allow to rest for 5-10 minutes.
5. Slice the churrasco against the grain and serve with chimichurri.

Nutrition Information

Yield 6 Serving Size 1
Amount Per Serving Calories 536Total Fat 44gSaturated Fat 10gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 32gCholesterol 67mgSodium 732mgCarbohydrates 7gFiber 1gSugar 3gProtein 29g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Welcome to GypsyPlate! I'm Alpana, former wordwide tour manager and professional caterer, now full time blogger. I love exploring cuisines from around the world, and my recipes have been featured on sites such as MSN, Parade, Brit + Co, CNET and AOL. You can explore my entire collection of sortable recipes in my Recipe Index or learn more about me here.