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GET IT NOWMy Steak Tacos Recipe Is A Zesty, Easy Taco Tuesday Hit
These steak tacos started as a weeknight dinner experiment, but quickly turned into a family favorite. I’ve made lots of taco recipes (including my barbacoa tacos, which are great for slow days), but I wanted something faster — and what better way than to put my favorite steak methods to good use. After a few rounds of testing, this steak tacos recipe earned a spot in our regular taco night rotation. Here’s why:
- Zesty, garlicky, tender steak – My steak taco marinade is bright from lime juice, bold from garlic and chili powder, and fresh from lots of chopped cilantro. This combo leaves the beef melt-in-your-mouth tender! It’s a riff on my carne asada, but without the cumin and jalapeño, so it has more of a clean, zesty kick.
- Simple ingredients – Many steak taco recipes call for a long list of spices and fillings, but I kept this one simple on purpose. Just the key staples for maximum flavor.
- Perfect for Taco Tuesday – These are fast, flavorful, and family friendly. Even my kids usually ask for seconds.
If you need an easy, family-friendly win for dinner, grab your skillet and make these with me!
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here I explain the best ingredients for my skirt steak tacos recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.
Steak Taco Marinade:
- Steak – I think the best steak for tacos is outside skirt steak, which you might have seen me go on (and on) about in my skirt steak recipe. It has the kind of tenderness that taco dreams are made of! You can also use hanger steak (which I love even more but can rarely find), sirloin steak, or flank steak.
- Olive Oil – I use it in the marinade and for searing. Avocado oil works great, too.
- Lime Juice – For flavor but more importantly, to tenderize the steak. You can swap in lemon juice or just about any vinegar for a similar effect.
- Flavor Boosters – I tested several seasoning combos, and was pleasantly surprised that a short list of minced garlic, fresh cilantro, chili powder, sea salt, and black pepper gave me just as much flavor as a much longer list. You can easily use taco seasoning in place of the spices, and if you’re not a cilantro fan, try parsley or just leave it out.
The Fixings:
- Tortillas – I use corn tortillas because they’re gluten-free, but feel free to use any kind you love. My almond flour tortillas are great here, too! I’ve even enjoyed these steak tacos wrapped in lettuce leaves.
- Fresh Fixings – Roma tomatoes, red onions, and avocado for a bright, colorful combo. Sometimes I add shredded lettuce for extra crispness, or taco slaw when I’m craving creamy.
- Cotija Cheese – I used a pretty small amount because Cotija has a strong flavor. I recommend using more if you swap it for something milder, like shredded Mexican cheese or cheddar.
- Cilantro – Or sometimes I do green onions instead.
How To Make Steak Tacos
I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.
- Marinate the steak. Pat the steak dry and place it in a zip lock bag. Add the marinade, seal, and massage it in. Marinate in the fridge for a few hours or overnight.
- Cook until tender. Add the steak to a large cast iron skillet and cook to your desired doneness. For the best sear, try not to move it around too much except to flip.
- Cool and slice. Transfer the steak to a plate, cover loosely with foil, and let it rest for a few minutes. Then, slice thinly against the grain. (I usually prep my taco fixings while I wait.)
- Build your steak tacos. Layer the steak into warm tortillas. Stuff them with tomatoes, red onions, avocado, Cotija cheese, and fresh cilantro. I save extra lime wedges for serving!
My Tips For Cooking & Assembling
- Skirt steak is usually pretty long, so I cut it in half to fit my skillet. Sometimes it comes that way, but not always.
- I like to marinate the steak overnight. Three hours is the minimum, but overnight makes it more tender. Just don’t go past 24 hours or it starts getting mushy.
- American chili powder is actually a blend of spices, rather than just chilies. This one I use has organic chili powder, oregano, coriander, garlic, allspice, and cloves. I love it as a shortcut in this steak taco recipe without needing to mix a bunch of individual spices.
- For the best sear, use a cast iron skillet and get it super hot. A drop of water should sizzle right away before the steak goes in.
- Want to grill your steak instead? You can use the instructions from my grilled sirloin steak, it’ll just be a little faster with skirt steak.
- Don’t rely on time alone to cook steak tacos. I use an instant-read thermometer (not a probe, since we’re flipping often). See my skirt steak post for the time and temperature chart! I recommend 135 degrees F for medium-rare.
- “Finely diced” is subjective, but I find smaller pieces stay inside the tacos better when eating them. The tomatoes and onions should not be big chunks but should not be minced like garlic either.
- Slice the steak as thinly as you can. Not only does this make it more tender when sliced against the grain, I also love the texture inside the steak tacos so much more when it’s thin.
- Warm your tortillas. I usually pop them in the air fryer for 1-2 minutes, but the oven or microwave works too. Either way, wrap them to keep them soft (use foil for the oven, a damp paper towel for microwave). Heating them makes them more pliable and less likely to break with all the fillings these steak tacos have.
- Taco holders make assembling and serving so much easier. These are the kind I have and they’re great. That being said, for these pictures I simply propped the tacos against each other and this works just fine!
- Feel free to add a sauce. I didn’t because I found that the tomatoes and tender steak made these steak tacos juicy enough. But if you want something extra, try a drizzle of queso, a dollop of sour cream, or swap the tomatoes for fresh salsa.
Steak Tacos
My steak tacos recipe makes juicy, flavorful skirt steak with fresh toppings, all in 20 minutes. It's easy, fun, and perfect for taco night!
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Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.
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Pat the steak dry with paper towels and place it into a large zip lock bag.
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In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, garlic, cilantro, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Pour the marinade over the steak, seal the bag, and massage the marinade into the meat.
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Marinate the beef in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours, but no more than 24 hours. (The meat can get mushy after that.)
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Remove the steak from the marinade and discard the marinade. Pat the surface dry.
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Preheat a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Once it’s very hot (a drop of water added to it should sizzle away), add a tablespoon of olive oil.
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Add the skirt steak to the pan and sear for 2-3 minutes per side for rare, 3-4 minutes per side for medium rare, 3.5-4.5 minutes per side for medium, 4-5 minutes per side for medium well, or 4.5-6 minutes per side for well done. For a nice sear, due to the short cook time, do not move the steak around except to flip.
The time will vary depending on your steak thickness and pan, so use a meat thermometer to be sure – 120 degrees F (49 degrees C) for rare, 130 degrees F (54 degrees C) for medium rare, 140 degrees F (60 degrees C) for medium, 150 degrees F (66 degrees C) for medium well, and 160 degrees F (71 degrees C) for well done. Steak temperature will increase by an additional 5 degrees when resting in the next step.
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Transfer the steak to a cutting board or plate. Tent with foil and rest for 5 minutes, then slice against the grain.
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To assemble the steak tacos, layer slices of beef into your tortillas, then top with tomatoes, red onions, avocado, a light sprinkle of Cotija cheese, and some fresh cilantro leaves.
LAST STEP: Leave a rating to help other readers, or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram. I’d love to hear from you!
Maya’s Recipe Notes
Serving size: 2 steak tacos
- Tips: Check out my recipe tips above to help you get the most tender steak with the best sear, how I build my tacos, and a few of my favorite variations.
- Storage: Keep the steak, toppings, and tortillas in separate containers in the fridge for a few days. I like turning the steak into a quick taco salad the next day.
- Meal prep: You can marinate the steak ahead of time and chop the toppings in advance to make taco night super easy.
- Reheat: Warm the steak gently in a skillet, just until warm.
- Note on nutrition info: I used half of the steak taco marinade in the calculation, because about half is discarded.
I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy.
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Steak Tacos
Serve Them With
Honestly, these steak tacos usually make a meal for my family all on their own. Oleg and I add a skinny margarita or pina colada for weekends!
When I have more time, I start us off with a big bowl of baked tortilla chips with guacamole, avocado salsa, or taco dip. And if you want a side, I recommend cilantro lime cauliflower rice, elote corn, or avocado corn salad.
6 Comments
Dianna Sanchez
0This recipe turned out so yummy and super easy to make.
Wholesome Yum D
0Awesome, Dianna! I’m thrilled you found it both simple and tasty
veronica cheban
0I love Mexican food, and this recipe is so quick to make, but I always skip the cilantro bcuz I don’t like the smell.
Wholesome Yum D
0Veronica, I’m so glad you loved it and totally get skipping the cilantro if it’s not your thing!
Sally Edward
0This was a great recipe made with venison steak without the tacos, but used as a salad with greens from garden!
Wholesome Yum D
0That sounds delicious, Sally! I love that you used venison and garden greens — such a fresh, creative way to enjoy it!