A really delicious balsamic skirt steak recipe to make for your next summer cookout! Skirt steak marinated quickly with balsamic & olive oil, grilled until juicy and tender, then topped with a tangy, slightly spicy red pepper relish. Serving the steak with a really simple raw zucchini salad…an essential summer side dish.
balsamic skirt steak – the details
You’ll start by marinating the skirt steak with balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and garlic. It’s a really simple marinade that results in a rich & savory finished product. After just 45 minutes out at room temperature, the steak is ready to grill.
My favorite thing about skirt steak is how quickly it cooks. Best done over a really hot grill, it’ll develop a nice crust as it sears. Yet the meat will remain tender and juicy on the inside. Let it rest before slicing, and make sure to slice it against the natural grain of the meat. Cutting it with the grain will result in a chewy texture.
The topping is where all the sweet and spicy flavor comes in. The red bell and fresno peppers get a nice smoky flavor on the grill, then they’re chopped up and tossed with more balsamic, olive oil, honey, and herbs. It’s the perfect mixture to spoon over the juicy steak.
Lastly, a quick raw zucchini salad to serve alongside. You’ll take a zucchini and peel it until you reach the seedy core. Discard the core, and toss all the beautiful strips of fresh summer zucchini with olive oil, lots of lemon, and parsley. Top it with a generous coating of freshly grated parmesan cheese for the perfect side.
And if you wanted to add on a starch to complete the meal, I’d highly recommend this creamy corn fettuccine!
If you’re looking for more summer dinner recipes, here are a few to try:
Green Goddess Salmon with Peach Salad
Charred Eggplant Pasta with Tomatoes & Goat Cheese
Skillet Shrimp with Creamy Chipotle Sauce
Balsamic Skirt Steak with Red Pepper Relish
balsamic marinated grilled skirt steak with a sweet & spicy red pepper relish, plus a raw zucchini salad alongside
servings: 4
Ingredients
Balsamic Skirt Steak
- 1 ½ lbs skirt steak
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
- kosher salt
- freshly cracked black pepper
- flaky sea salt (optional)
Red Pepper Relish
- 2 red bell peppers
- 1 red fresno pepper
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp chopped parsley
- 1 tbsp chopped oregano
Zucchini Salad
- 1 ¾ lbs zucchini, shaved with a peeler (seedy core discarded)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp lemon zest
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp chopped parsley
- ½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- For the balsamic skirt steak, combine the skirt steak, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, garlic, and a generous pinch of salt and pepper in a mixing bowl. Allow the steak to sit, submerged, for 1 hour in the fridge. Transfer to room temperature and let sit for another 20 minutes.
- For the red pepper relish, heat the grill over high heat. Place the red bell peppers and red fresno pepper onto the grill. Cook the peppers for 6-8 minutes, or until blackened, turning them to char all sides. Remove the fresno (it should be tender). Lower the grill heat and cover the lid. Cook the bell peppers for about 12 more minutes until tender.
- Allow the peppers to cool slightly. Peel off and discard the charred skin and stems. Finely chop the peppers. Add them to a bowl with the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, honey, parsley, and oregano. Toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
- For the zucchini salad, combine the shaved zucchini, olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, and parsley in a bowl. Toss to combine. Let sit for at least 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Raise the grill heat to medium-high. Lightly oil the grill. Grill the skirt steak for about 3 minutes, or until a nice crust forms. Flip and continue to cook to your desired doneness, about 3-4 more minutes for medium.
- Transfer the steak to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes. Thinly slice the steak against the grain. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt and serve with the red pepper relish on top and the zucchini salad alongside. Top the zucchini with the parmesan cheese.
shop the dish: balsamic skirt steak with red pepper relish
I made this for dinner last night and the whole family loved it! It was heathy and flavorful!