Bloody Mary Skirt Steak
Updated Jun 11, 2025, Published May 26, 2025
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With all the zesty flavors of your favorite brunch cocktail, Bloody Mary Skirt Steak is a bold twist on steak night. Marinated in a blend of tomato juice, horseradish, Worcestershire, spices, and, oh yes, vodka, this steak is tender, juicy, and packed with personality!
Why This Recipe is a Keeper!
Here’s a skirt steak recipe that’s perfect for grilling season or anytime you want to shake things up!
This Bloody Mary Skirt Steak recipe is:
- Easy: Simple prep, marinate, grill, and simmer the marinade into a bold sauce.
- Flavor-Packed: Inspired by the bold, zesty flavors of a classic Bloody Mary—think tomato juice, horseradish, Worcestershire, celery seed, vodka, tangy lemon, and a splash of hot sauce delivers the perfect balance of umami and spice.
- Versatile: Serve in crusty rolls, on salads, or with sides like roasted potato wedges and my Garlic Green Beans.
- Entertaining-Ready: Unique, make-ahead friendly, and guaranteed to get people talking!
Bloody Mary Skirt Steak transforms everyday ingredients into something bold and unexpected. Skirt steak’s natural beefy flavor shines when marinated, grilled, and sliced against the grain, while the reduced marinade becomes a tangy, spicy steak sauce with just the right touch of sweetness. It’s everything you love about a Bloody Mary–in steak form!
How to Make Bloody Mary Skirt Steak:
Recipe Ingredients:
Here’s everything you’ll need to make this skirt steak recipe, along with how to prep the ingredients. See the recipe card below for the exact quantities.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions:
- Tomato Juice: You can also use vegetable juice such as V-8 juice.
- Vodka: Use regular (unflavored) vodka, or for a non-alcoholic substitute, use half water and half white vinegar (two tablespoons each).
- Horseradish: Use anything labeled “prepared” horseradish, which generally contains horseradish, vinegar, and salt.
- Worcestershire: I use widely available Lea & Perrins. If you have a fish allergy, use a vegan Worcestershire sauce.
- Celery Salt: Made from celery seeds and salt, celery salt is essential in a Bloody Mary.
- Skirt Steak: Each cow has two types of skirt steak: the inside skirt and the outside skirt (pictured above is an outside skirt). If you’ve tried skirt steak before and found it tough, it was likely the more common inside skirt. The outside skirt is more marbled, making it both more tender and more expensive. It’s also harder to find at grocery stores, as it’s often reserved for restaurants. The Fresh Market carries only outside skirt steaks. Alternatively, you can use flank steak for this recipe. (Full disclosure: The skirt steak pictured above is not the final one you see because I tested the recipe a second time.)
Step-By-Step Instructions:
- Gather and prep all the ingredients.
- In a small bowl, combine tomato (or vegetable juice), lemon juice, vodka, garlic, horseradish, Worcestershire, Tabasco, and celery salt. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.
- Transfer to a zipper-top bag. Drop the skirt steak into the bag, remove excess air, and seal, ensuring it is immersed in the marinade. Marinate in the refrigerator for 12 hours or as long as 24 hours.
- When ready to grill, drain the marinade into a small saucepan. Add the honey. Gently squeeze or scrape the skirt steak to remove any excess marinade from the meat into the saucepan. Pat the skirt steak dry.
- Bring the marinade to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. Keep warm.
- Preheat an outdoor grill to high heat or a grill pan inside to medium-high heat. If using a grill pan, drizzle 1 tablespoon of oil onto the grill pan. Grill the steak for 3-5 minutes on the first side and 2-3 minutes on the second side or to the desired doneness. (130 degrees is medium-rare).
- Tent with aluminum foil and let rest 5 minutes before slicing.
- Cut in half or into thirds with the grain, then slice against the grain.
- Serve the steak with the sauce. Garnish with sliced green olives, celery leaves, and lemon wedges if desired.
Chef Tips and Tricks:
- Always let the steaks rest before slicing. When a protein, such as a skirt steak, rests, the juices redistribute throughout the meat, resulting in a juicier, more flavorful steak with better texture and moisture retention. Five minutes for a steak this size will be enough. Tent it with foil to keep it warm.
- It is very important to slice skirt steak against the grain. Because skirt steaks are so long, I slice them in half or thirds first with the grain and then against it into smaller slices.
- Skirt steaks are thin, so they cook quickly! Even if they get a little overdone, the smoky char on the meat, slicing it against the grain, and serving it with this Bloody Mary sauce will still make it tender and flavorful.
Money-Saving Tip:
- As I mentioned, there are two types of skirt steak: inside and outside. While the inside skirt isn’t quite as tender, it’s much more budget-friendly, and this flavorful marinade helps tenderize it beautifully.
Recipe faqs:
Can I use a flank steak in this recipe?
Yes, definitely! Flank steak is a great and widely available alternative to skirt steak. Since it’s a thicker cut, it will require a bit more cooking time. Be sure to slice it against the grain, just like you would with skirt steak.
can i make this skirt steak recipe ahead of time?
Skirt steak holds up very well to long marination, so you can marinate it up to a day in advance. However, you don’t want to cook it ahead of time and reheat it. The sauce can be simmered ahead of time, refrigerated and reheated.
Serve with:
- Green Chile au Gratin Potatoes
- Spinach Parmesan Ranch Twice Baked Potatoes
- Roasted Onions (Muffin Pan Method)
- Fried Cabbage
More great Skirt Steak recipes you’ll love!
- Grilled Marinated Skirt Steak with Peperonata
- Grilled Skirt Steak with Black Bean Corn and Tomato Salad
- Thai Beef Lettuce Wraps
Get all my beef recipes at Beef Recipes – From A Chef’s Kitchen.
Bloody Mary Skirt Steak
With all the zesty flavors of your favorite brunch cocktail, Bloody Mary Skirt Steak is a bold twist on steak night! Marinated in a blend of tomato juice, horseradish, Worcestershire, spices, and vodka, this steak is tender, juicy, and packed with personality.
Ingredients
- 1 cup tomato juice, or vegetable juice
- 1/4 cup lemon juice, from 1 large lemon
- 1/4 cup vodka
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce, or other hot sauce
- 1 teaspoon celery salt, plus plain salt to taste if desired
- 1 (1 to 1 1/2 pound) skirt steak, trimmed of excess fat, or flank steak
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, or avocado oil
- 2 tablespoons honey, or to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Celery leaves, olives and lemon wedges, for garnish if desired
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine tomato (or vegetable juice), lemon juice, vodka, garlic, horseradish, Worcestershire, Tabasco, and celery salt. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.
- Transfer to a zipper-top bag. Drop the skirt steak into the bag, remove excess air, and seal, ensuring it is immersed in the marinade. Marinate in the refrigerator for 12 hours or as long as 24 hours.
- When ready to grill, drain the marinade into a small saucepan. Add the honey. Gently squeeze or scrape the skirt steak to remove any excess marinade from the meat into the saucepan. Pat the skirt steak dry.
- Bring the marinade to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. Keep warm.
- Preheat an outdoor grill to high heat or a grill pan inside to medium-high heat. If using a grill pan, drizzle 1 tablespoon of oil onto the grill pan.
- Grill the steak for 3-5 minutes on the first side and 2-3 minutes on the second side or to the desired doneness. (130 degrees is medium-rare). Tent with aluminum foil and let rest 5 minutes. Cut in half or into thirds with the grain, then slice against the grain.
- Serve the steak with the sauce. Garnish with sliced green olives, celery leaves, and lemon wedges if desired.
Notes
SUBSTITUTIONS:
- Vegetable juice, such as V-8, can also be used.
- Can also use flank steak instead of skirt.
- An outside skirt is preferable. While the inside skirt isn’t quite as tender, it’s much more budget-friendly, and this flavorful marinade helps tenderize it.
- NON-ALCOHOLIC SUBSTITUTE: Use 2 tablespoons water and 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar.
- Always let the steaks rest before slicing. Tent it with foil to keep it warm.
- Always slice skirt steak against the grain. Because skirt steaks are so long, I slice them in half or thirds first with the grain and then against it into smaller slices.
- Skirt steak holds up very well to long marination, so you can marinate it up to a day in advance. However, you don’t want to cook it ahead of time and reheat it.
- The sauce can be simmered ahead of time, refrigerated, and reheated.
Nutrition
Serving: 1Calories: 255kcalCarbohydrates: 15gProtein: 19gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 54mgSodium: 857mgPotassium: 452mgFiber: 1gSugar: 12gVitamin A: 511IUVitamin C: 28mgCalcium: 31mgIron: 2mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
I’ve been looking for the perfect marinade for skirt steak and I have found it!! How did I never think of Bloody Mary before?! Perfect combination of spicy and savory. Just so good. Thank you for sharing another winner!
Hi, Traci. Thanks so very much. I’m happy you enjoyed it and didn’t find it bland. Not sure what happened in that other response. Nonetheless, appreciate your trying the recipe and taking the time to come back and comment and rate.
We felt this recipe didn’t have enough flavor. Very bland marinade.
Hi, Mikki, I’m surprised to hear it came out bland for you; the marinade ingredients are actually quite bold (2 tablespoons horseradish to 1 cup tomato juice, Worcestershire, Tabasco, garlic which is then reduced which always intensifies flavors), so I wonder if something might have gone off in the process. Everyone’s taste preferences are different, though. Thanks for the feedback.