This has been my go-to summer steak for the last several years and I have some audacity to have gatekept it for so long. Mostly, we’ve been too busy eating it for me to grab the camera and shoot it and then sit down and write the recipe, which is hilarious as that’s, like, my whole job. But my brain softens in the summer, especially when my kids are away at sleepaway camp, as they are now, and we quickly lose whatever tethers we had to things like to-do lists, responsibilities, and adulting. And while I do not expect a skirt steak with a cherry tomato and sweet corn salad to shake the cooking internet off its axis, there are a bunch of tips tucked into this recipe that make it a reliable favorite, and I hope become part of your repertoire too.
This is easily scaled up for more people, and the salad keeps well so you shouldn’t feel rushed. My perfect summer spread with this would include this Herbed Summer Squash and Potato Torte, the Obsessively Good Avocado and Cucumber Salad, and then definitely some Cheesecake Bars with All The Berries. But if it’s just you, I like the way the steak-salad combination always feels like a full meal.
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Summer Steak with Corn and Tomatoes
- 1 1/4- to 1 1/2-pound skirt steak
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon sweet or hot smoked paprika
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 ears fresh corn
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 4 scallions, thinly sliced (white and green)
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
- 1 jalapeño, seeds removed, finely chopped
- 1 cup finely-chopped fresh herbs such as parsley, mint, basil, chives, or a mix thereof
Steak
Salad
Make corn and tomato salad: Cook the corn your favorite way; I use the grill. Heat your grill to a high heat. Shuck the cobs, removing any stringy bits, and lightly oil the cobs. Place directly on the grill and cook until charred spots form, rotating the cobs as needed. This can take about 5 to 10 minutes, depending on how robust your grill is. Set the cobs aside to cool slightly while you make the dressing.
Pour olive oil, cider vinegar, kosher salt, many grinds of black pepper, and minced garlic in a medium-large bowl and whisk to combine. When corn is cool enough to handle (with a towel, if needed), cut the kernels from the cob and add to the dressing in the bowl. Scatter tomatoes, jalapeño, scallions, and herbs on top of the corn in layers, but I don’t bother mixing it at this point. I like the corn to marinate and gently pickle in the dressing while I cook the steak. Do ahead: Corn salad can be made 1 hour in advance. If you’d like to make it even earlier, I’d leave the herbs off until right before serving so they don’t discolor.
Cook the steak: On a grill: Heat your grill to high for 10 minutes before using it. I like my (small, gas) grill as ripping hot as I can get it for a skirt steak, since it’s so thin and I want to get color on the outside before it overcooks in the center. Lightly oil the grill and the steak, cooking for 2 minutes on the first side, then flipping it and cooking it for 2 minutes on the second side for medium-rare. Transfer to a cutting board to rest for 5 to 7 minutes.
On the stove: Heat your heaviest skillet, ideally cast-iron (this is my forever go-to) over high heat for several minutes, until the pan is smoking hot. Lightly coat it with a neutral oil and add the steak. If you had to cut yours into a few segments, you might only be able to cook two at a time. Cook for 2 minutes on the first side, then flip the steak and cook it for 2 minutes on the second side for a medium-rare steak. Transfer to a cutting board to rest for 5 to 7 minutes.
Assemble and serve: Stir tomato-corn salad to mix the ingredients and taste, adjusting seasoning if needed. Once the steak has rested, cut it across the grain into 1/4- to 1/2-inch thick slices. Arrange steak fanned on a serving platter and drizzle any juices that have collected on the cutting board over it. Season lightly with additional salt and pepper. Spoon some tomato-corn salad over it, leaving the rest in a bowl on the side for adding more at the table. Eat right away.
Previously
6 months ago: French Onion Baked Lentils and Farro
1 year ago: Summer Pea Salad with Unexpected Dressing
2 years ago: Roasted Tomatoes with White Beans
3 year ago: Frozen Strawberry Daiquiris
4 years ago: Collard Greens with Cornmeal Dumplings
5 years ago: Corn Salad with Chile and Lime
6 years ago: Grilled Zucchini Ribbons with Pesto and White Beans
7 years ago: Grilled Pizza and Confetti Party Cake
8 years ago: Peaches and Cream Bunny Cake
9 years ago: Green Beans and Almond Pesto and Very Blueberry Scones
10 years ago: Sticky Sesame Chicken Wings and Brownie Ice Cream Sandwiches
11 years ago: Slow-and-Low Dry Rub Oven Chicken and Grilled Bacon Salad with Arugula and Balsamic
12 years ago: Blackberry Gin Fizz and Bacon Corn Hash
13 years ago: Skirt Steak with Bloody Mary Tomato Salad and Flatbreads with Honey, Thyme, and Sea Salt
14 years ago: Bread and Butter Pickles, Blue Cheese and Red Potato Tart, Zucchini and Ricotta Galette and Porch Swing
15 years ago: Mediterranean Pepper Salad, Cherry Brown Butter Bars and Watermelon Lemonade
16 years ago: Chopped Vegetables, Watermelon, and Feta Salad
17 years ago: Rosanne Cash’s All-American Potato Salad and Ratatouille’s Ratatouille
Thanks as always for the perfect recipe at the perfect time! Happy July 4th, Deb!
Huge fan, Deb. With a question: how do you tenderize skirt steak so that it’s not chewy? (Like, REALLY chewy.) I have the worst time with skirt steak no matter how I make it. Is grilling the answer? I usually grill flank.
Skirt steak is a lot more tender than flank; are you slicing AGAINST the grain?
I almost exclusively cook skirt steak straight from the freezer so it gets nicely browned and charred all over without having to worry at all about over cooking it! If I’m thinking ahead, I’ll season the steak then freeze it, but usually I just rub some oil and seasoning on the frozen meat and plop it on the grill. I wish I had peak summer corn and tomatoes to make this with, but since it’s mid-winter I’ll make it with the sad bits I can get and imagine how much better it will be in 6 months!
4 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar seems like a lot to me and it’s not the usual fat/acid ratio for a salad dressing… is it possible you meant 4 teaspoons or is it actually meant to be that acidic? Maybe with the corn it balances it out?
Made as written and it was delicious.
The apple cider vinegar overwhelmed the corn salad. Too much.
It’s tablespoons, and we’re marinating/lightly pickling the corn. You can start with less and add more if you want more zip, no harm.
This looks delicious! Why is the steak first cooked on the grill and then again in a skillet? Wouldn’t the grill cook it sufficiently by itself?
I believe you cook it *either* on the grill *or* in a pan?
It’s an either/or, directions for however you want to cook it.
Timely recipe—thank you!
Couldn’t get a skirt steak from my co op, but used flank steak and followed recipe as written. It was absolutely delicious! Served with some nice sourdough and was very happy.
A reminder to turn on the ventilation would be useful to add to the indoor instructions….😘
Okay, I’ll be the annoying asker of the obligatory question… can this be done without the brown sugar to some of the same results? I am allergic to sugar (and, incidentally, corn LOL)
Thank you, Deb! Another gorgeous easy light summer recipe, knocked it out of the park!
Easy and delicious! Made exactly as written except added an extra corn on the cob to use up what we had. Another commenter mentioned that the recipe had too much apple cider vinegar which made me a little nervous. However, I thought it was perfect as written! Will definitely make again.
Oh my, this hit the spot. That brown sugar rub and the cider vinegar – mmm mmm mmm. 10/10 would make again.
Where is the garlic? I don’t see it referenced in the receipe. Thank you!
Came her for the same reason! Just getting ready to get started and was looking for when I need it. I’m going to throw it in with the tomatoes and jalapenos and herbs.
Whoops; it goes in with the vinaigrette. Now fixed. Sorry for the trouble!
Deb – skirt steak is very expensive right now at my grocery. What do you think about subbing hangar steak or flank steak?
Either will work, just need a little more cooking time. Hangar is actually my favorite, it’s just harder for me to find.
Highly recommend this recipe. It’s fabulous and a quick and easy supper—love the cooking directly from fridge method—the rub makes a perfect crust which complements the corn/tomato combo. Quite simply: summer in your mouth. Once again Deb, you never disappoint.
This was AMAZING! My husband said it is absolutely fit for company! Deb never fails!
Please incorporate a link or button to allow moving directly to the recipe rather than having to read through the blog.
If you look at the top, there’s a button that says “Jump to Recipe”.
Home run, Deb – absolute perfection.
Made this on the stove top – huge hit with the fam.
This corn salad is a winner!!!! I didn’t even make the steak part of it yet (though I’m planning to). I had the corn & tomatoes on a bed of lettuce one day, and with some chunked-up avocado the next day. Definitely going into my summer rotation.
I made this yesterday day for lunch. Delicious!
Made this last night with portobello mushrooms instead of beef. Wonderful mix and DH and I polished off the whole thing for dinner. Really a great combo, especially the marinating corn kernels.
I made this with flank steak and three corn cobs instead of two. I didn’t adjust the other measurements. I used a good handful of mint as the herb. The salad tasted even better than it looked–it was certainly a “make-again” meal!
This was amazing! I quadrupled it for 10 people, made it with flank steak (no skirt available), marinated it in the fridge for about 4 hours. Rave reviews from everyone! Served it with smashed/crispy potatoes and grilled asparagus. Perfect and super easy summer meal.
Omg this was a HUGE hit, DH literally licked his plate. The dry rub was a bit salty for us, so I’ll probably cut the salt by 1/3 next time (and there will definitely be a next time). I rarely do flank steak anymore because it’s super $$ where we are, but splurged on a pack from Costco—could see doing this with sirloin sometime, with an adjusted cooking time (we like our beef really rare, so a thicker steak would actually work better for us). Added an avocado to the salad because I had one that needed using, and did mint and basil for the herbs. So so good—thanks Deb!!
I made this last night for a party of 8 and it was excellent! I served it with the squash and potato torte and a green salad. Much of the prep can be done in advance, which makes it perfect for entertaining. I have rarely gotten such compliments on a meal.
I made this! So wonderful. I had to prep in advance so I prepped the steak overnight and cooked the steak and corn the day before. Huge hit for a crowd with no leftovers. One note: I used kosher steak and would reduce the salt added to the spice mixture. One tablespoon made it a touch too salty. But again, no leftovers!! Thank you Deb :)
Any chance the steak would be good in an air fryer? It’s so miserably hot in NYC I can’t bear to turn on my oven or stove top.
Such a good summer dinner! Good for entertaining too because it can all be done ahead. Wouldn’t change a thing (but I did forget to get jalapeño at the store… but we also have toddlers in the mix)
I made this and served with your “exceptional grilled chicken”, cause no steak in the larder at present. It was sooooooo gooooood! Next time with the steak!
Absolutely delicious! Added cilantro and fire roasted jalapeños. Don’t skip this one.
Made it with flank steak. Microwaved the corn in the husks for 4 minutes. This is a keeper!
I make your recipes frequently but rarely comment. I made this last night with hangar steak and it was SO good, especially for such an easy, quick recipe! I’ll be making it again for sure.
I made this for the second time in as many weeks and didn’t change a thing. Delicious Summer meal!
Has anyone tried this with a strip steak which does lend itself to slicing but wondering if the taste/texture would be conducive here?
Hi all!
I made this for a crowd – quadrupled it!
Added some thin sliced red onions and served it on a mix of mixed greens and romaine tossed in a similar (fast, improvised :)) dressing to further bulk to our a little and because it seemed additionally delicious. Easy to hold the jalapeños and corn from one dish for some keto-eating friends. Widespread appreciation from the eaters :).
This is a fantastic recipe!! Thank you!
Deb, you’ve done it again. Perfect summer dinner, minimal stove time even without a grill. The acidity of the dressing perfectly offsets the sugar in the steak rub. And I’ve never met a fresh corn and tomato combination I didn’t like. So simple, so easy, so delicious.
This recipe is so good! I couldn’t find skirt steak so made it with flank steak. Delicious!
This was so, so good. We made it exactly as written and it was one of the best things we’ve eaten this summer. Thanks for a winning recipe!
I think you are my muse for summertime recipes with corn. I LOVE corn, and it always feels like the season is so short. I want to eat it in every possible way. I’ve made your Tomato-corn cobbler, Corn Butter Farro, Corn-Bacon-Parmesan Pasta, Bacon Corn hash, Corn Fritters (life changing), steak and corn tacos, Corn Salad With Chile and Lime…the list goes on. And I love all of them. I know it will only be a matter of time until I make this one—probably just as soon as my small-town grocery store gets in another shipment of corn!
Update: just ate this for dinner. Steak was elk sirloin from my freezer, the cherry tomatoes, basil and oregano were from my garden and the scallions from my mom’s garden. Top-notch delicious!
I made this last night, and it was delicious! I bulked it up with some air-fried sweet potatoes because it was after a big day of sport, and everyone cleaned their plates and went looking for more. Needless to say, it’ll be in my rotation. I pre-made as much as I could, and it was an economic, delicious and quick dinner. Thanks again deb!
Totes forgot the herbs in the salad. It’s still good, though!
This was so good! Perfect for summer
I made this one tonight and it was so good! The meat especially!
This was so delicious. It was revelatory for me, in fact. I used flank steak instead of skirt. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
In case anyone is wondering, this works great with flatiron steak as well, although it’s a little thicker so needed an extra minute on each side.
This was sooo delicious! Thank you!
Wow!! What a winning recipe! I have made this twice as written and seriously enjoyed the brown sugar rub. The first time was for a small dinner party of four and the second time was for 12. Still enjoying the leftovers and hate to see it go. Definitely will make this again! Thanks, Deb
Our family thoroughly enjoyed this meal! We had planned it for company who had to cancel. I had already made the corn salad (unmixed, without the herbs as Deb suggested) and it sat in the fridge for 3 days until we ate it last night. It was easy and scrumptious! Thanks for another winning recipe.
Followed this to the letter on the stovetop (cast iron) and it was flawless. My family raved.
Amazing! So easy and simple but the flavors pack a punch (made it with fresh basil and parsley). I am already looking forward to leftovers tomorrow.
This is my summer go-to recipe. We would eat it every night of the week! We’ve renamed it “Nicky” steak b/c my daughter invited her friend Nicky over for dinner and she couldn’t stop eating it!