JUMP TO RECIPE
4.92 from 61 votes
Get ready for some amazing steak tacos with this recipe... it's got just the right amount of kick and sweetness in the incredible marinade. Taco night just got an upgrade! Plus, I'm showing you how to grill them, pan fry them, AND broil them.
![Quick & Easy Steak Taco Recipe (1) Quick & Easy Steak Taco Recipe (1)](https://i0.wp.com/www.proportionalplate.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Steak-Tacos-9.jpg)
TABLE OF CONTENTS hide
1 Why You Should Make this Recipe
3 How To Make The Best Steak Tacos
5 More Tacos!
6 Steak Tacos Recipe
Why You Should Make this Recipe
There are three things that make a great taco: marinating the meat overnight, cooking down the marinade to use it as a sauce, and heating up the tortillas. This recipe does all three.
By combining citrus juice with oil, garlic, oregano, and chili powder, it infuses the steak with a rich flavor ready to grill and slice for the perfect juicy steak slices. Then, the rich steak is balanced by a light, fresh pico de gallo and a squeeze of sharp lime.
The base ingredients for the taco filling can be paired with whatever kind of tortilla you like, or even with a lettuce wrap. My choice is a white corn tortilla heated up over direct flame.
Ingredients & Substitutions
![Quick & Easy Steak Taco Recipe (2) Quick & Easy Steak Taco Recipe (2)](https://i0.wp.com/www.proportionalplate.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Steak-Tacos-Ingredients-1.jpg)
skirt steak - I use skirt steak in this recipe because it is thin, which means it has more surface area to absorb all the marinade. It also cooks quickly. You can substitute with other cuts of meat, but either pound it with a tenderizer or slice it long and thin to replicate skirt steak.
orange & limes - I use fresh but you can use bottled, too. You will need approximately ½ cup of orange juice and ¼ cup of lime juice.
chili powder - if you are looking for more of a kick, cayenne pepper tastes great in this recipe.
agave - you can substitute with honey or brown sugar.
How To Make The Best Steak Tacos
Before you even get to the tacos, take some time to prepare the delicious Pico de Gallo salsa! Mix the salsa ingredients in a bowl, and set aside. This can be made a day in advance.
You will need these ingredients for the steak part of your steak tacos:
The key step to great tasting steak taco is the marinade. Marinate your skirt steak in the refrigerator overnight in the mixture of orange juice, lime juice, olive oil, agave, minced garlic, oregano, chili powder, and salt (photo 1). Mix up the ingredients with a whisk (or your hand, see photo 2) and then add the steak (photo 3).
![Quick & Easy Steak Taco Recipe (3) Quick & Easy Steak Taco Recipe (3)](https://i0.wp.com/www.proportionalplate.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Step-by-Step-Steak-Marinade.jpg)
NOTE: Try to take the steak out twenty to thirty minutes before you intend to cook it. This gets the steak to room temperature so it can cook more evenly.
There are a few different methods you can use: grilling, broiling, or stovetop cooking in a pan.
- BROIL: Turn your broiler on high. Let it heat for one minute after the flame comes on. Next, put your skirt steak in the oven and cook it for five minutes. Then, remove steak from the oven. Leave the oven on, and the oven door open. Flip the steak over. Put back into the oven. Cook the steak until the internal temperature reads ~135 for medium-rare. This should take another four or five minutes.
- GRILL: Grill for 3-5 minutes per side. Cook the steak until the internal temperature reads ~135 for medium-rare. This should take another four or five minutes.
- PAN: Cook over medium heat for 3-5 minutes per side. Cook the steak until the internal temperature reads ~135 for medium-rare. This should take another four or five minutes. (See photo 1 below.) I use a cast-iron pan.
Whichever cooking method you choose, set the steak aside and let it rest for five to ten minutes.
![Quick & Easy Steak Taco Recipe (4) Quick & Easy Steak Taco Recipe (4)](https://i0.wp.com/www.proportionalplate.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Steak-Tacos-5.jpg)
In the meantime, pour the juices from the marinade into a saucepan. Bring the sauce to a boil, then lower to a simmer. This process will reduce the amount of marinade by half. It should take ten to fifteen minutes. See photo 2 below.
![Quick & Easy Steak Taco Recipe (5) Quick & Easy Steak Taco Recipe (5)](https://i0.wp.com/www.proportionalplate.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Cooking-Skirt-Steak-Tacos.jpg)
Once the sauce is ready, slice the steak into even pieces, slicing against the grain (the long muscle fibers in the meat). See photo 3 above.
Assemble your tacos for serving with the cabbage on the bottom, then the steak, then top with the salsa. You can also add avocado, cilantro, cheese, and whatever topics you like.
For the final touch, add a squeeze of lime and drizzle the reduced sauce on top.
Tips, Tricks, & FAQs
For maximum flavor, marinate your meat overnight if you can, If not, try to marinate for at least 2 hours minimum. When you remove the steak from the marinade to cook it, reserve the leftover marinade. It makes a delicious sauce to drizzle over your finished tacos!
My favorite ways to cook the steak are under the broiler and on the grill because you get slightly charred edges that taste incredible with the marinade. However, all 3 ways of cooking that I have described below taste delicious (grill, broil, pan).
Whichever way you choose to cook the steak, use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature. Cook until the thermometer reads 135F in the thickest part of the meat for medium-rare.
How do you cook the meat evenly?
Try to take the steak out twenty to thirty minutes before you intend to cook it. This gets the steak to room temperature so it can cook more evenly.
What kind of steak is good for tacos?
You really could make tacos with any type of steak that you prefer, though different types will cook and taste very different. I like to use skirt steak, flank steak, or chuck steak. These types are budget-friendly, and when cooked in the right way, they are tender and hold amazing flavor. My preference is skir steak because it is already sliced thin enough to easily absorb all the marinade flavors.
What kind of beef is used for tacos?
Flank steak and skirt steak are the most common choices. If you wanted to switch out steak for a more American beef taco, using lean ground beef makes for a tasty taco filling. It's also easy to mix ground beef with vegetables or other ingredients to make an all-in-one taco filling.
Are steak tacos healthy?
Steak tacos that you buy from a restaurant may have a lot of hidden calories, but when you make steak tacos at home it's easy to be in control of the recipe and create a healthy meal. A non-fried corn or flour tortilla are among the healthier options. You could even substitute the tortilla for a lettuce leaf or similar. Then, the lean steak and vegetables that make up this recipe are all nutritious and healthy ingredients. Like in these lettuce cups.
What is asada?
The word asada itself translates to roasted/grilled. It is a method of cooking meat that imparts fantastic flavor. The classic taco filling, carne asada, is sliced skirt or flank steak marinated in a mixture of citrus juices (orange, lemon, lime) salt, pepper, cilantro, garlic and other add in ingredients that vary by recipe. Marinades, whatever type, usually have acidic ingredients as the base. The marinated steak is then grilled until tender and juicy.
Is flank steak kosher?
No. Flank steak comes from the rear of the cow, so it is not kosher. If you find flank steak in a kosher market, it is likely a cut of chuck that they trimmed to look like flank steak. So if you're looking for kosher steak tacos, grab the skirt steak or chuck steak at your local kosher market.
![Quick & Easy Steak Taco Recipe (6) Quick & Easy Steak Taco Recipe (6)](https://i0.wp.com/www.proportionalplate.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Steak-Tacos-8.jpg)
More Tacos!
If you love this recipe, check out these other kosher meat-eater recipes here or try some of these favorite tacos:
- Salmon Fish Tacos (Baja-Style)
- Chicken Tacos with the BEST Marinade
- Swordfish Tacos with Tomatillo Salsa
- Grilled Baja Fish Tacos
★ Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating below!★
I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME onINSTAGRAM,FACEBOOK,TWITTER, andPINTERESTto see more delicious food and what I’m up to.
Print Recipe
4.92 from 61 votes
Steak Tacos Recipe
Sweet & tangy skirt steak tacos cook up quickly and are filled with flavor. Marinate overnight and they're ready in 35 minutes!
Prep Time20 minutes mins
Cook Time15 minutes mins
Total Time35 minutes mins
Course: Main, Main Course
Cuisine: American, Mexican
Diet: Gluten Free, Kosher
Servings: 4
Calories: 740kcal
Author: Candice
Ingredients
Steak Marinade
- 2 lb. skirt steak or chuck
- 1 orange juiced, ~½ cup
- 2 limes juiced, ~¼ cup
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup agave honey, or brown sugar
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste
Pico de Gallo Salsa
- 1 large tomato diced
- ½ red onion diced
- 1 jalapeño finely diced, seeds removed for a milder salsa
- 1 lime juiced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
Tacos
- flour or corn tortillas heated just before serving
- 2 avocados sliced (or smashed if fancy looks don't matter to you)
- ¼ purple cabbage shredded or very thinly sliced
- limes cut in wedges, for serving
Instructions
Salsa: Mix ingredients in a bowl. Set aside. Can be made a day in advance.
Marinade the steak in the refrigerator 20 minutes to overnight in the orange juice, lime juice, olive oil, agave, minced garlic, oregano, chili powder, and salt. Take it out of the refrigerator 20-30 minutes before you cook it.
Pour the juices from the marinade in a sauce pan. Bring to boil, lower to a simmer, and reduce the marinade by half. Takes 10-15 minutes. You can cook your steak in the meantime.
BROIL
Turn your broiler on high. Let it heat for one minute after the flame comes on. Next, put your skirt steak in the oven and cook it for five minutes. Then, remove steak from the oven. Leave the oven on, and the oven door open. Flip the steak over. Put back into the oven. Cook the steak until the internal temperature reads ~135 for medium-rare. This should take another four or five minutes.
GRILL
Grill for 3-5 minutes per side. Cook the steak until the internal temperature reads ~135 for medium-rare. This should take another four or five minutes.
PAN (Stovetop)
Cook over medium heat for 3-5 minutes per side. Cook the steak until the internal temperature reads ~135 for medium-rare. This should take another four or five minutes. (See photo 1 below.) I use acast-iron pan.
Let rest 5-10 minutes before slicing against the grain and serving.
Assemble your tacos with the cabbage on the bottom, then the steak, and top with the salsa. A squeeze of lime makes it just right. Drizzle the reduced sauce on top.
Video
Notes
Marinade overnight if you can, 2 hours minimum. I like to take the leftover marinade, bring it to a boil, and simmer it for 20-30 minutes. It reduces down into a delicious sauce.
Take the steak out twenty to thirty minutes before you intend to cook it. This gets the steak to room temperature so it can cook more evenly.
Whichever cooking method you choose,set the steak aside and let it rest for five to ten minutes to rest before cutting.
Recipe inspired by Giada de Laurentis's fajitas.
Nutrition
Calories: 740kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 53g | Fat: 43g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 136mg | Sodium: 325mg | Potassium: 1696mg | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 1855IU | Vitamin C: 84.6mg | Calcium: 154mg | Iron: 5.8mg
Did you try this recipe?Don't forget to leave a rating and/or comment! And tag @ProportionalPlate on TikTok or Instagram... I'd love to see what you're making.
This post was originally published in July of 2018, but was republished with new photos, step by step instructions, tips, and multiple cooking methods in November 2020. It was republished again in April 2021 to include a video.