Juicy, charred steak cubes tossed in bright, herbaceous chimichurri with garlicky, tangy notes and a silky butter glaze; served hot from the skillet and perfect with rice, salad, or tucked into tortillas.
Weeknight Steak Bites with Lively Chimichurri
Charred, juicy cubes of skirt steak get a shot of bright, garlicky herb sauce—ready fast and endlessly adaptable for rice bowls, salads, or tacos.
This recipe is for the nights you want something that feels fancy but cooks in minutes. Bite-sized pieces of skirt steak get super-hot skillet treatment so the outsides caramelize while the centers stay juicy. A punchy chimichurri—parsley, cilantro, shallot, garlic, red wine vinegar, lemon, a drizzle of olive oil and a kiss of red pepper flakes—keeps every bite fresh, tangy, and herb-forward instead of heavy.
Make the chimichurri first so the flavors can marry: finely chop the herbs, shallot, and two garlic cloves, then whisk them with vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper and let it sit at room temperature for at least five minutes. Pat the steak dry and cut into 1-inch pieces, toss with the remaining salt and pepper, and heat a heavy skillet (cast iron is ideal) until it's very hot. Add canola oil that shimmers, then sear the steaks in a single layer without crowding—those charred edges are everything. If you like, finish with a small knob of butter off the heat for a glossy glaze.
Toss the hot steak cubes with the chimichurri just before serving so the herbs stay bright, or spoon sauce over each portion. Serve straight from the skillet with rice, a crisp salad, or tucked into warm tortillas. Chimichurri keeps well in the fridge (bring to room temp before using), which makes this a perfect weeknight shortcut: the sauce can be made ahead, the steak cooks in a flash, and dinner comes together in under 30 minutes.
Ingredients
How to Make One-Skillet Chimichurri Steak Bites
- Make the chimichurri first so flavors can marry: finely chop the parsley, cilantro, shallot, and 2 garlic cloves, then transfer to a medium bowl.
- Whisk together the chopped herbs and aromatics with the red wine vinegar, juice of the lemon, 2 tablespoons olive oil, red pepper flakes, 1/2 teaspoon salt (from the total) and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper; taste and adjust; set aside at room temperature for at least 5 minutes.
- Pat the steak dry and cut into 1-inch bite-sized pieces, then toss the pieces with the remaining 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper.
- Heat a large heavy skillet (preferably cast iron) over high heat until very hot, then add the canola oil and swirl to coat; the oil should shimmer but not smoke heavily.
- Add the steak bites in a single layer (work in two quick batches if necessary to avoid crowding) and sear undisturbed for 2–3 minutes until deeply browned, flip and cook another 1–2 minutes for medium-rare or longer to desired doneness.
- Reduce heat to medium-low, add the butter and the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil plus the remaining 2 minced garlic cloves, stir and toss the steak in the pan for 30–45 seconds to glaze and pick up any fond.
- Remove the skillet from heat, transfer the steak bites to a serving bowl, spoon most of the chimichurri over the hot steak and toss to coat, reserving a few tablespoons of chimichurri for serving.
- Garnish with sliced green onions and serve immediately; store any leftover steak and chimichurri separately and reheat steak briefly in a hot skillet before topping with fresh chimichurri.
Recipe Card
One-Skillet Chimichurri Steak Bites
Juicy, charred steak cubes tossed in bright, herbaceous chimichurri with garlicky, tangy notes and a silky butter glaze; served hot from the skillet and perfect with rice, salad, or tucked into tortillas.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 12 min
- Servings
- 4
Ingredients
Instructions
- Make the chimichurri first so flavors can marry: finely chop the parsley, cilantro, shallot, and 2 garlic cloves, then transfer to a medium bowl.
- Whisk together the chopped herbs and aromatics with the red wine vinegar, juice of the lemon, 2 tablespoons olive oil, red pepper flakes, 1/2 teaspoon salt (from the total) and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper; taste and adjust; set aside at room temperature for at least 5 minutes.
- Pat the steak dry and cut into 1-inch bite-sized pieces, then toss the pieces with the remaining 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper.
- Heat a large heavy skillet (preferably cast iron) over high heat until very hot, then add the canola oil and swirl to coat; the oil should shimmer but not smoke heavily.
- Add the steak bites in a single layer (work in two quick batches if necessary to avoid crowding) and sear undisturbed for 2–3 minutes until deeply browned, flip and cook another 1–2 minutes for medium-rare or longer to desired doneness.
- Reduce heat to medium-low, add the butter and the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil plus the remaining 2 minced garlic cloves, stir and toss the steak in the pan for 30–45 seconds to glaze and pick up any fond.
- Remove the skillet from heat, transfer the steak bites to a serving bowl, spoon most of the chimichurri over the hot steak and toss to coat, reserving a few tablespoons of chimichurri for serving.
- Garnish with sliced green onions and serve immediately; store any leftover steak and chimichurri separately and reheat steak briefly in a hot skillet before topping with fresh chimichurri.
Nutrition
- Carbohydrates
- 4
- Saturated Fat
- 12
- Sodium
- 820
- Fiber
- 1.5
- Unsaturated Fat
- 31
- Protein
- 36
- Fat
- 43
- Cholesterol
- 125
- Trans Fat
- 0
- Calories
- 540
- Sugar
- 1.5