You’ve just stumbled upon my secret tamarind steak marinade that produces SO much flavor, while keeping the skirt steak incredibly juicy and irresistibly delicious! This low-effort Asian Marinated Skirt Steak recipe comes together with only 6 ingredients!
🎥 Video: Watch How to Make the Recipe
Asian Marinated Skirt Steak
Marinades make the EASIEST Entrees when you wanna eat goooood without putting much effort… like tangy Lemongrass Chicken or charred & juicy Kalbi. But surprisingly though, my fave powerhouse ingredient has been slept on social media, so I’ll let you in on my secret marinade ingredient. Tamarind! It’s a flavor bomb that’s lip puckeringly zesty with subtle notes of caramel AND it tenderizes the skirt steak! Speaking of which…
🥩 Tips for Choosing the Best Steak
Skirt steak is my ideal choice for this marinated beef recipe because it’s one of the more affordable cuts that’s easy to find! Plus, it’s easy to turn this tough cut of beef into SUPERRR juicy, tender, & flavorful steak using this quick tamarind Asian marinade & correct slicing techniques (more on that in a sec)!
When shopping, grab beef that’s uniform in thickness from end to end for even cooking with plenty of marbling throughout. That fat melts while cooking to keep it super juicy! Lastly, the meat should be bright cherry-red in color, otherwise, grey, brown, or dull looking beef means it’s old. Bleh.
If you can’t find skirt steak at the store, don’t worry! Just swap it for any of the following:
- Hanger steak
- Flap steak (bavette)
- Flat Iron steak
🥢 Asian Steak Marinade
You only need 5 ingredients for this Asian steak marinade, aka it’s the easiest marinade everrrr. Just mix all the ingredients together until the sugar has dissolved – BOOM done.
- Tamarind Paste: This is the key ingredient that gives the marinade that tangy, subtle caramel flavor! The acid also helps tenderize the beef. You can find it at local Asian markets or just make tamarind paste at home in a few minutes. It’s only 2 ingredients & SUPER easy, then use any extra to make a refreshing Mango Salad or crispy Tamarind Chicken Wings as Easy Appetizers!
- Soy Sauce: Use regular soy sauce for the saltiness or you can swap it for coconut aminos.
- Oyster Sauce: This adds subtle sweetness & umami. It’s easily found in the Asian market or aisle – Lee Kum Kee is my fave brand!
- Dark Brown Sugar & Black Pepper
See recipe card for quantities.
✨ Marinated Steak Tips
1. Massage & Vacuum Seal for BEST Marinating Results
Once your marinade is mixed & ready, massage the steak in the marinade to help with absorption, making sure it gets into all the nooks & crannies! Then, fully submerge your steak in the marinade by creating a makeshift vacuum seal. Massaging then marinating meat in a vacuum seal breaks down tough proteins for even more tender, juicer, & flavorful meat much quicker compared to traditional marinating!
2. Create Homemade Vacuum Seal
Put the marinated steak in a Ziploc leaving the zipper about an inch open, then slowly submerge the bag into a sink or big bowl of water. The water pressure will perfectly contour the plastic to the meat, forcing out every last pocket of air. Alternatively, you can handroll the Ziploc to push out the air. Seal it closed right before the seal hits the water line.
If you’re using a bowl & plastic wrap as a cover, press the plastic wrap starting from the center of the bowl outwards to reduce air bubbles. Easy vacuum seal!
3. Allow Cooked Steak to Rest Before Slicing
After you’re done cooking the steak, ALWAYS allow the meat to rest for at least 5-10 minutes. I KNOW it looks glorious & tempting to slice into it now, but all of its delicious juices will spill out onto the cutting board instead of your salivating mouth. Allow the meat to rest & redistribute its delicious juices – it’s worth the wait!
⏲️ How Long to Marinate Skirt Steak
The general rule of thumb to marinate the skirt steak is 2-4 hour hours, or up to 24 hours in the fridge – depending on how much acid is in the marinade. For this Asian marinated skirt steak recipe, I recommend marinating it no longer than 24 hours for peak flavor & tenderness.
For other highly acidic marinades using concentrated citrus fruits (like pineapple, kiwi, lime, or lemon), the marinating time reduces significantly. The protein enzymes break down quickly, especially when using thin beef cuts like skirt steak, which could result in beef that’s mushy, slimy, or falling apart to the touch.
Generally, you’ll know the beef is done marinating when it’s plump & holds its shape.
🔪 How to Slice Skirt Steak
Slicing against the grain for tough cuts of beef like skirt steak is crucial to transform tough & chewy slabs of beef into melt-in-your-mouth tender morsels!
First, cut the long strip of skirt steak into manageable 4-6 inch pieces along the grain (aka the same direction of the muscle fibers). Then, turn each piece to slice thinly against the grain (against the muscle fibers) at a 45-degree angle.
Serve it up with chewy bouncy Garlic Noodles, a crunchy Cucumber Salad, or steamed rice!
🥡 More Skirt Steak Recipes
Having leftover skirt steak is the perfectttt reason to make a quick stir-fry – especially when you need a quick dinner! These One-Pot Dinner Recipes are the perfect example of how to stretch out a bit of steak into a filling budget-friendly meal in under 30 minutes!
- Steak Fried Rice is an Asian Takeout recipe classic that comes together in 15 minutes & best enjoyed on the couch with a cold fizzy drink & your fave show.
- Beef Pad See Ew is a deeply savory dish with delicious charred noodles and crunchy Chinese broccoli. This recipe gives your local Thai restaurant a run for its money!
- Beef Yaki Udon Noodles is a quick comfort food you won’t feel guilty about because it’s packed with veggies and conveniently made with frozen noodles.
- Beef Lo Mein made with chewy golden noodles, ribbons of crisp veggies, & juicy morsels of steak ready to be in your tummy faster than delivery!
🥗 What to Serve with Asian MarinadeD Beef
Let’s get cooking!
Get into my secret stash of Goody-Packed Newsletters with meals planned for you & time-saving tips! Want step-by-step videos of how to make my recipes too? I gotchu over at my youtube channel. Aight, enough chatting, more eating!
Asian Marinated Skirt Steak Recipe
Watch How to Make It!
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons tamarind paste
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce or coconut aminos
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 pounds skirt or flap steak*
Instructions
- In a container or ziplock, combine tamarind paste, soy sauce, oyster sauce, & brown sugar, & black pepper until sugar has dissolved.
- Add steak and massage into steak until evenly coated. Cover with plastic wrap or seal Ziplock & push out as much air as possible, then marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours, ideally overnight.
- Heat a large skillet on medium heat. Once hot, add about 2 tablespoons of oil then add steak to sear for about 3-5 minutes on each side for medium-rare, or until your preferred doneness. Keep a close eye & adjust heat if needed to prevent the sugars from burning. Cooking time may vary slightly depending on the thickness of your steak & your preferred doneness.
- Remove from pan, allow steak to rest for 10 minutes, then thinly slice WITH the grain into about 4-inches wide, then turn the steak to slice AGAINST the grain at about 45° angle to create thin tender strips. Enjoy with hot rice, sliced cucumbers, and/or salad!
Notes
- Tamarind Paste: For this recipe, I’m using homemade Tamarind Paste made with Thai seedless tamarind concentrate mixed & strained with hot water, which can be made ahead of time (full steps & tamarind recipe here). When shopping, keep in mind that Thai tamarind paste/concentrate is NOT the same as Indian tamarind paste/concentrate.
- Steak: Skirt steak is one of the more affordable & accessible beef cuts, however, hanger steak, flap steak (bavette), or flat iron steak would work too.
Nutrition
Exact calculations may vary. For the most accurate nutritional information, use your preferred nutrition calculator, actual ingredients, and quantities used for the recipe. Please consult with your physician or registered dietitian if more precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.
