Bife de chorizo is one of the most popular cuts at any Argentine barbecue: it comes from the upper sirloin, has a strip of fat along one edge, and is known for coming out browned and crisp outside, juicy and pink inside.
The name has nothing to do with chorizo sausage — it refers to the cut’s elongated shape, similar to a chorizo link, and it’s a classic staple of any Sunday asado.
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Argentine Grilled Sirloin Strip
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 22 minutes
- Total Time: 32 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Argentine
Ingredients
Nutrition
- Calories: 450
Ingredients
- 2 pieces of bife de chorizo (sirloin strip steak), 3 to 5 cm / 1.2 to 2 in thick (2 thick steaks)
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- to taste of coarse salt
- to taste of ground black pepper (optional)
- 1 cup of chimichurri, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Bring the meat to room temperature, take the steaks out of the fridge a few minutes before cooking so they don’t hit the grill too cold.
- Season, rub the steaks with a little olive oil and season generously with coarse salt and pepper.
- Get the grill good and hot, make sure you have even embers and strong heat before placing the meat down; you can grease the grate with a trimmed piece of fat from the steak itself.
- Cook the first side, place the steaks on the grill and let them cook for 10 to 12 minutes without moving them, depending on thickness and desired doneness.
- Flip only once, turn each steak with tongs (never a fork, to avoid losing juices) and cook another 10 to 12 minutes on the other side.
- Check doneness, for a juicy medium-rare, plan on about 20 minutes total; for a more well-done result, up to 35 minutes, depending on thickness.
- Rest and serve, remove the steaks from the grill, let them rest a few minutes so the juices redistribute, and serve with chimichurri.
Tips for getting it right
- Always use tongs to flip the meat, never a fork, to avoid piercing it and losing its juices.
- Don’t flip it too many times: a single turn is enough to get a good sear on both sides.
- Letting the steak rest a few minutes before cutting helps it stay juicier.
- Choose steaks of even thickness so they cook uniformly.
Traditional variations
- Some grills serve it bone-in, known as bife de chorizo con hueso or bife ancho.
- It’s also prepared on a griddle or cast-iron skillet when a grill isn’t available.
How to serve
Bife de chorizo is served as the main dish, freshly cut and piping hot straight off the grill.
It’s classically paired with chimichurri, tomato salad, and french fries or ember-baked potatoes.
Recommended sides
- Chimichurri
- Tomato salad
- French fries
- Red wine
Did you know?
The name “bife de chorizo” has nothing to do with the sausage — it refers to the cut’s elongated shape, similar to a chorizo link.
It’s one of Argentina’s most popular cuts and is also known in other countries as a “strip loin” or “New York strip,” though with slight differences depending on local butchering.
Frequently Asked Questions
It comes from the upper sirloin, a cut with a strip of fat along one edge that helps keep it juicy during cooking.
It depends on thickness and desired doneness: 10 to 12 minutes per side is typical for a 3 to 5 cm steak, with about 20 minutes total for medium-rare and up to 35 minutes for well-done.
Piercing the meat with a fork releases its internal juices and dries it out; tongs let you flip it without losing that juiciness.
Resting allows the juices to redistribute inside the steak, giving a juicier result when it's cut and served.
