Grilled Skirt Steak Couscous Salad (Printable)

Smoky grilled skirt steak with Mediterranean couscous, crisp vegetables, and tangy herb dressing

# What You'll Need:

→ For the Skirt Steak

01 - 1 lb skirt steak
02 - 1 tbsp olive oil
03 - 1 tsp kosher salt
04 - ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
05 - ½ tsp smoked paprika
06 - 1 clove garlic, minced

→ For the Couscous

07 - 1 cup couscous
08 - 1¼ cups boiling water
09 - 1 tbsp olive oil
10 - ½ tsp salt

→ For the Salad

11 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
12 - 1 cup cucumber, diced
13 - ½ cup red onion, thinly sliced
14 - ⅓ cup Kalamata olives, pitted and halved
15 - ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
16 - ¼ cup fresh mint, chopped

→ For the Dressing

17 - 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
18 - 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
19 - 1 tsp Dijon mustard
20 - 1 tsp honey
21 - ½ tsp salt
22 - ¼ tsp black pepper

# Directions:

01 - Preheat grill or grill pan to high heat.
02 - Pat the skirt steak dry. Rub with olive oil, salt, pepper, smoked paprika, and minced garlic. Let rest at room temperature while preparing couscous.
03 - Place couscous in a heatproof bowl. Add boiling water, olive oil, and salt. Cover and let sit for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
04 - In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, honey, salt, and pepper for the dressing.
05 - Grill the skirt steak for 2–3 minutes per side for medium-rare, or until desired doneness. Transfer to a plate, cover loosely with foil, and let rest for 5 minutes.
06 - In a large bowl, combine couscous, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, olives, parsley, and mint. Drizzle with dressing and toss gently to combine.
07 - Slice the skirt steak thinly against the grain.
08 - Arrange couscous salad on a serving platter or individual plates. Top with sliced steak. Serve immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The dressing pulls double duty, brightening the steak while making every grain of couscous sing
  • You get that restaurant-style grilled flavor without any fancy techniques or equipment
  • The whole dish comes together in under 40 minutes but tastes like you spent all afternoon on it
02 -
  • Always slice skirt steak against the grain or it will be tough and chewy no matter how perfectly you grill it
  • The couscous keeps absorbing dressing as it sits, so do not dressed it more than 30 minutes before serving
  • Resting the steak is not optional, those juices need time to redistribute or they will all spill out on the cutting board
03 -
  • Marinate the steak for up to 2 hours if you have time, it makes a noticeable difference in flavor
  • Grill extra steak and slice it for leftovers the next day, it is even better in sandwiches or over salads

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