Steak Tacos
Steak Tacos are a filling and delicious addition to taco night! Made with flank steak and an easy marinade the beef is grilled to perfection and tucked into warm tortillas with your favorite toppings.
Don’t forget add a squeeze of lime for some freshness!
Steak tacos are an easy and elevated way to serve beef tacos! Add your favorite toppings for a dish your family and guests will rave over.
The Best Steak for Tacos
Any cut of beef will do, actually! I use flank steak for this recipe (and things like mongolian beef or fajitas). Other great options include skirt steak, sirloin or ribeye (reduce marinating time to 1 hr for sirloin or ribeye).
Tougher cuts of meat will require longer marinating in order to tenderize the meat, but marinating is the real trick to perfection in this recipe. This recipe offers two ways to grill the steak, on the grill, and on the stovetop. Either way, it’s easy peasy!
Tips for Beef for Tacos
MARINATE Allow for time to marinate steak. This can be done overnight so prep it before bed (or in the morning) and you’ll have a quick meal when you get home.
REST AFTER COOKING Allow a few minutes rest time once the beef comes off the grill to keep it tender and juicy.
CUTTING When cutting the steak, you want to make sure you cut it across the grain. Before you marinate the meat, you will see long fibers in the meat, you want to cut across (and not with) the fibers.
CUBE THE BEEF Some people serve the steak in strips in tacos but I find that cubing it makes them much easier to serve.
How to Make Steak Tacos
These steak tacos are as easy as 1, 2, 3!
- Marinate: Marinate steak at least an hour or overnight.
- Grill: Grill beef (per recipe below). Remove from heat and let it rest to seal in all the savory juices.
- Cut and Serve: Cut steak into 1/2 inch long strips and then the strips into small pieces.
Serve warm into corn tortillas and add your favorite toppings (check out mine below)! Most street tacos come in portions of three at a time and are sprinkled with a bit of cilantro, and topped with pico de gallo, sour cream, or guacamole.
Steak Taco Topping Ideas
The best way to serve steak tacos is to have a variety of toppings available so guests can build their own steak taco.
- Sauces: Sour cream, Pico de gallo, guacamole, mango salsa
- Flavorful: Sliced black olives, sliced jalapenos, green chiles, lime wedges, cilantro
- Veggies: Diced tomatoes, white onions, or avocado slices
- Crunchy: Cabbage slaw, chopped lettuce
- Cheeses: Cotija cheese, Monterey jack cheese, cheddar cheese
Taco Favorites
Easy Steak Tacos
Steak Tacos use pieces of juicy marinated steak topped with pico de gallo and guacamole, wrapped in a warm tortilla!
Add fresh lime juice, orange juice, olive oil, garlic, cilantro, cumin, salt and pepper in a blender. Pulse until smooth.
Pour the marinade over the flank steak and marinate for at least 1 hour or overnight. (If using sirloin or ribeye, marinate for a maximum of 1 hour). Remove the steak from the marinade and allow excess to drip off. Season with additional salt to taste.
Preheat the grill or grill pan to medium-high heat. Cook about 4-5 minutes per side (125 to 130°F for medium-rare).
Rest steak for about 5-7 minutes before cutting. Cut steak into ½” slices across the grain and then cut into bite-sized pieces
Serve in warmed tortillas with desired toppings such as pico de gallo, guacamole, sour cream, and cilantro.
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- Marinate – Marinate the steak for maximum flavor. Flank steak is a tougher cut and should be marinated for at least one hour or up to 12 hours.
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- Rest After Cooking – Let the beef rest for a few minutes after cooking to lock in the juices.
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- Cut Across the Grain (Important!) – Cut the steak across the grain, or the steak will be tough. Before you marinate the meat, you will see long fibers in the meat, you want to cut across (and not with) the fibers.
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- Cube the Beef While some recipes use strips of beef in tacos, I find cubes easier to serve and eat.
Serving: 1taco | Calories: 219 | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 51mg | Sodium: 309mg | Potassium: 391mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 71IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 49mg | Iron: 2mg
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Beef, Dinner, Entree, Main Course
Cuisine American, Mexican© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
