Texas de Brazil Churrasco Marinade
This Texas de Brazil-inspired churrasco marinade combines fresh lime juice, garlic, cumin, soy sauce, olive oil, and honey to make tender, flavorful grilled steak. Thread the marinated skirt steak onto metal skewers and grill it over high heat for an easy Brazilian steakhouse-style dinner at home.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Marinate Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 minutes
- Total Time: 53 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Grilling
- Cuisine: Brazillian Inspired
Ingredients
Scale
For the churrasco marinade
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- ⅓ cup freshly squeezed lime juice
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon freshly minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 tablespoons honey or packed brown sugar
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For the steak
- 2 pounds inner skirt steak or flank steak
- Chopped fresh parsley or cilantro, for garnish
- Chimichurri sauce or garlic herb butter, for serving, optional
Instructions
- Add the olive oil, lime juice, soy sauce, minced garlic, cumin, honey, kosher salt, and black pepper to a medium bowl. Whisk until the honey dissolves and the marinade is thoroughly combined.
- Cut the skirt steak into wide strips against the grain if you plan to cook it on skewers. Leave the steak whole if you prefer to grill it directly on the grates.
- Place the steak in a large zip-top bag or shallow nonreactive dish. Pour the marinade over the meat and turn it several times to coat every surface.
- Seal the bag and refrigerate the steak for 30 minutes to one hour. Avoid marinating skirt steak overnight because the acidic lime juice can make its surface mushy.
- Remove the steak from the refrigerator approximately 20 minutes before grilling. If using skewers, fold each marinated steak strip into loose S-shaped curves and thread it securely onto long metal skewers.
- Preheat an outdoor grill to high heat, approximately 450–500°F. Clean and lightly oil the grill grates.
- Remove the steak from the marinade and let the excess drip away. Discard any marinade that has come in contact with raw meat.
- Place the churrasco skewers on the hot grill. Cook for approximately 2–3 minutes per side, turning as needed, until the exterior is browned and lightly charred.
- For medium-rare steak, remove the skewers when the thickest section of meat reaches 130–135°F. Cook to your preferred level of doneness.
- Transfer the skewers to a clean platter and let the steak rest for 5 minutes.
- Sprinkle with chopped parsley or cilantro. Serve directly from the skewers or remove the steak and slice it thinly against the grain. Serve with chimichurri or garlic herb butter, if desired.
Notes
- Inner skirt steak is ideal because it is flavorful, relatively thin, and cooks quickly. Flank steak, flap steak, flat iron steak, or sirloin can also be used.
- Always marinate raw meat in the refrigerator.
- Do not marinate skirt steak for longer than one hour. Thicker cuts can marinate for up to three hours.
- Metal skewers work best because they do not need to be soaked and hold up well over high heat.
- Cooking times will vary according to the thickness of the steak and the temperature of your grill.
- To cook the steak without skewers, grill the whole skirt steak for approximately 3–4 minutes per side. Rest it for 5–10 minutes before slicing against the grain.
- To cook indoors, use a hot cast-iron skillet or grill pan and work in batches to avoid crowding.
- For a gluten-free marinade, replace the soy sauce with certified gluten-free tamari.