Churrasco with Chimichurri Sauce

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This Portuguese-inspired grilled skirt steak is marinated in a flavorful citrus garlic mojo criollo sauce and then grilled for one juicy and tender cut of meat. Churrasco is extremely easy to prepare at home and can be made in under 40 minutes and served with Chimichurri Sauce made using fresh ingredients.

Churrasco on a wooden board topped with fresh chimichurri sauce.

Why This Recipe Works

This prevalent cuisine in Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina can be brought to your home for an extremely easy weeknight meal or an exquisite dish for entertaining. This traditional Latin American dish is made from skirt steak, the section of the cow referred to as the beef plate primal cut, which can often be a tough piece of meat.

Not this skirt steak though! After marinating it in a citrus mojo sauce and then searing it on the grill you’ll end up with an extremely juicy and tender piece of meat. I’ve added my favorite chimichurri sauce recipe to go on top for added flavor.

Churrasco with chimichurri sauce is not only full of flavor but also full of healthy ingredients. The spices, herbs, and oil in this recipe are packed with nutrients.

Ingredients Needed

This recipe starts with marinating the skirt steak in a mojo sauce, which I prefer to make a large batch of and keep stored in my fridge. There are many versions of mojo sauce, but the one here is inspired by the Cuban mojo criollo marinade, which is a tangy garlic sauce bursting with flavor.

Churrasco with chimichurri ingredients in various bowls.

Ingredients Notes:

Garlic Cloves: this recipe calls for 1/3 cup of minced garlic, which could take a minute if you plan on peeling and mincing the garlic yourself. To save time I prefer to buy jarred minced garlic.
Minced Onion: you can use either fresh or dried minced onion, but as I mentioned above to save time I prefer to purchase dried minced onion.
Olive Oil: for the olive oil in the chimichurri you’ll want to use a high-quality version so it has the best flavor. I recommend using an organic Italian-made one.

Pro Tip: The Brazilian way of seasoning the steaks after they have marinated is to pat the meat dry and then season it with Rock Salt. This salt is not shown in the image of the ingredients but I highly recommend using it to season the steak versus table salt. If you can’t find rock salt you can use Maldon Sea Salt. In addition to the salt, I recommend freshly ground black pepper or using a mortar and pestle to crush whole peppercorns.

Step-by-Step Instructions

There are 3 main steps when preparing churrasco which are marinating the steak, preparing the chimichurri, and grilling the meat. For the best flavor marinate the steak overnight and prepare the chimichurri sauce the night before.

Mojo Criollo Marinade

This marinade is a Cuban-inspired mojo criollo. Typically, mojo criollo is made using sour orange juice, which you can use, but for simplicity, I use fresh-squeezed orange juice.

Churrasco with chimichurri process steps 1 and 2.

Mix up the marinade. In a medium-sized mixing bowl combine all the marinade ingredients. Place the steak in a gallon-size resealable bag or a baking dish and pour the marinade on top.
Marinate in the fridge. Cover or seal and place it in the fridge to marinate for a minimum of 30 minutes. The best flavor will be reached between 6 hours to 24 hours of marinated.

Chimichurri Sauce

Prepare the chimichurri. Place all the chimichurri ingredients into a food process and pulse until it’s ground down to fine pieces, but not a paste. Pour the ingredients into a bowl or jar and allow the flavors to marinate together for 30 minutes (or overnight).

Churrasco

Drain and season. Heat your grill to 350º F (if using a grill plate heat the plate over medium-high heat) and drain the marinade from the steak. Pat the steak dry and season with salt and pepper. Note: to make this true churrasco slice the piece of meat into 3 or 4 equal-sized pieces.
Grill. Grill the steak for 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until the internal temperature reached 155º F for a rare steak to 165º F for well done.
Serve. Slice the steak against the grain and serve with chimichurri on top.

Steak Skewer Instructions

You have the choice of grilling the entire piece of meat or slicing it and grilling them on skewers. To make skewers cut the steak into 2-inch wide strips and weave 3 to 4 pieces on large metal grilling skewers. Cook on the grill for 4 to 5 minutes per side.

In carne asada, the entire piece of meat is cooked and then sliced and used for other dishes such as fajitas. You can still grill the entire piece of meat for this recipe, however, when preparing a traditional churrasco you’ll need to slice the meat into 3 to 4 equal parts. After it’s grilled slice the meat against the grain for the most tender pieces of meat.

Helpful Equipment

Instant Read Meat Thermometer. Get your meat to the perfect temperature by using a meat thermometer.
Grill Pan. In case you don’t have a grill or it’s too cold outside for grilling a grill pan works great for making this recipe.
Garlic Press. If you prefer fresh garlic for your marinade and chimichurri sauce then I recommend using a garlic press, which cut the garlic down into perfectly sized granules.
Zester. You’ll need fresh orange zest for the marinade and this handy tool is the perfect way to get the zest from the orange.

Serving Suggestions

This steak has so much flavor you won’t need to add anything too robust to accompany it. Below are some mild, yet delicious options for side dishes.

Rice
Grilled Vegetables
Cucumber and Tomato Salad
Potatoes

Sliced churrasco with chimichurri sauce on top.

Storage Information

This meal is best served minutes after it comes off the grill, but if you end up with leftovers place them in an air-tight container in the fridge. It will last for up to 2 days. Since leftover steak doesn’t heat super well I suggest serving it chilled over a salad instead.

Recipe Notes and Tips

Save time during prep. Purchase minced garlic in the jar and dried minced onion and make sure to get enough. You’ll need 1/3 cup of garlic and 1/2 of minced onion.
Slice the meat against the grain. When slicing the meat make sure to cut it against the grain otherwise you’ll end up with really tough meat.
Always marinate in the fridge. Don’t leave your meat out on the counter to marinate otherwise bacteria growth could occur.
To prevent steaming and encourage browning of the meat pat it dry after you’ve removed it from the marinade. Then you can season it with salt and pepper for some added flavor. Let the meat sit at room temperature though for 30 minutes prior to grilling it for and even searing.
For the best flavors marinate the steak overnight and prepare the chimichurri sauce the night before too. Then grill the steak just before you plan on serving it.
Use the chimichurri sauce for all kinds of other recipes. It’s great on fish or chicken, salads, or even on top of eggs.

FAQs

Can I use other cuts of meat?

Yes. Both flank steak and iron steak will also work for making this recipe, however, these cuts do tend to be slightly tougher than the skirt steak, but still delicious.

How long should I marinate the skirt steak?

Ideally, you would marinate the skirt steak for a minimum of 6 hours, but no more than 24 hours otherwise the muscle fibers will start to break down. At a very minimum, you’ll want to marinate it for 30 minutes.

How should I cut the skirt steak?

When grilling I prefer to place the entire piece of meat on the grill, however, you can slice it into thirds if it’s a large piece. When you cut it you’ll want to slice against the grain. The grain is the direction all the lines go so place your knife opposite the grain and slice at a slight angle for perfect tender pieces.

If you made this Churrasco with Chimichurri Sauce recipe I want to hear all about it! Share a photo and tag me on Instagram using @AimeeMarsLiving and #AimeeMars so I can see your beautiful work. Enjoy!

Churrasco with Chimichurri Sauce

Why This Recipe Works