Balsamic vinaigrette, a pantry staple doubles as a flavor packed, simple marinade for my Balsamic Vinegar Steak.  This marinade whips together in 5-minutes and the longer the skirt steak marinates (up to 24 hours) the more flavorful!

Skirt Steak Nutrition

My Balsamic Vinegar Steak can be part of a healthy diet with portion control.  The recommended serving size is three ounces, which is slightly smaller than a deck of cards.  Try thinly slicing the steak to make it feel like a larger and more satiating serving size. This recipe calls for 1 ½ pounds or 24 ounces of skirt steak.  This would provide 8, 3 ounce servings.

In a 3 ounce portion of my Balsamic Vinegar Steak there is about 160 calories, 25 grams of protein, and 6 grams of fat (2.3g saturated fat) with an additional 30-50 calories per serving for the marinade.  My marinated skirts steak is also is a great source of iron and zinc, meeting 10% and 30% of the daily recommended intake.¹

Pan-Seared Skirt Steak

For all you apartment dwellers and steak lovers that do not have a grill, you can grill my Balsamic Vinegar Steak on the stove top.  A cast-iron pan or grill is ideal because it evenly distributes heat ensuring your steak is uniformly cooked to perfection. A grill pan has ridges that will give my Balsamic Vinegar Steak the desired char and natural grill look and requires less oil.

The ridges allow for the steak juices to drip off the meat, just like on the grates of a grill, this ensures the steak is not boiling in its own juices.  When using a grill pan the heat is conducted into the ridges so the meat in contact with metal will cook faster and give us the desired char.

Cooking Temperature

In my humble, beef loving opinion it’s best to sear steaks, so make sure to preheat the pan to medium-high heat before placing my Balsamic Vinegar Steak on.  Grill the steaks 2-3 minutes, then flip and cook another 2-4 minutes for medium rare.  I recommend checking the steak with a thermometer to ensure it is cooked and safe to eat.

To check the temperature, horizontally insert a thermometer into the thickest part of my Balsamic Vinegar Steak.  The USDA recommends cooking all steaks to at least 145℉, which will give you a medium-rare steak.  The temperature for medium steaks should read 160℉ and well done is 170℉.²  Regardless of your Balsamic Vinegar Steak cooking preferences you should always let the steak rest before cutting.  A rest period of 3-5 minutes will allow the juices to concentrate, otherwise all that flavor will just flow away leaving you with a dry steak!   

Skirt Steak Marinade

A marinade is used to impart flavor and aroma into any cut of meat.  It’s a common myth that the acid, in this case the balsamic vinegar will tenderize the meat.  Most chefs say that the acid does not penetrate below the surface of the meat. It certainly coats the surface with a delicious flavor! Just make sure to not marinate for more than 24 hours, the acid can cause the meat to become firmer.

Marinade Tips

This marinade mixes together in less than 5 minutes and the only thing you need to chop is the garlic! Alternatively, you can mix it all in a blender or food processor.  Place all the ingredients in your blender except the oil and blend everything together.  Slowly drizzle in the avocado, grapeseed or other neutral, high smoke-point oil to ensure the marinade emulsifies.

Let’s Get Cooking!

My Balsamic Vinegar Steak can be ready in less than 30 minutes and is deliciously tender and flavorful.  I love serving it with a side of starchy vegetables and a side salad.  It also makes a yummy sandwich sliced thin and served on an onion roll or brioche bun.

Similar Pages

Looking for more beefy good recipes? Try my Pepper Beef Stir Fry, Sous Vide Skirt Steak or my Dutch Oven Pot Roast.  If you need some side dish recommendations try my Greek Yogurt Potato Salad, Stuffed Sweet Potatoes,  Spinach Berry Salad or my Crunchy Romaine Salad with Yogurt Dressing.

References

1. Skirt Steak. Beef – It’s What’s For Dinner. https://www.beefitswhatsfordinner.com/cuts/cut/2882/skirt-steak. Accessed April 26, 2020.
2. Safe Minimum Internal Temperature Chart. https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/food-safety-education/get-answers/food-safety-fact-sheets/safe-food-handling/safe-minimum-internal-temperature-chart/ct_index. Accessed April 26, 2020.

Balsamic Vinegar Steak

5 from 4 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Course

Keyword: beef, skirt steak, sous vide steak

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Author: Chef Abbie Gellman RD

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons maple sugar or maple syrup
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 1 teaspoon crushed dried rosemary
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon ground pepper
• 1 1/2 pounds skirt steak cut crosswise into 2-4 equal pieces
• 1 tablespoon avocado or grapeseed oil

Instructions

• In a resealable plastic bag, combine vinegar, sugar, garlic, rosemary, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Add meat to marinade, and turn to coat. Let marinate at room temperature at least 15 minutes, or cover and refrigerate up to 1 day.
• In a grill pan over medium-high heat, add oil. Remove steaks from marinade, allowing excess to drip off. Grill steaks 2 to 3 minutes then flip and cook another 2-4 minutes for medium-rare. Transfer to a plate; cover loosely with aluminum foil, and let rest 5 minutes.

Video