Steak Tacos

Make Ahead and Storage

Keeps in the fridge for 2 days. Reheat the steak briefly in a hot pan.

Making Steak Tacos

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1. Mix the lime juice, oil, garlic, cumin, chilli powder and salt and rub over the steak. Leave for 15 minutes.

   Mark done Start 15 min timer

2. Sear the steak in a very hot pan for 3 minutes a side. Rest for 5 minutes, then slice thin across the grain.

   Mark done Start 3 min timer

3. Warm the tortillas in a dry pan for 20 seconds a side.

   Mark done

4. Fill with the steak, onion, coriander and salsa, and serve with lime.

   Mark done

Related guide: Prep, cook and total time.

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Tips for Success

• Slice thin across the grain.
• Keep the marinade short.
• Rest the steak before slicing.
• Warm the tortillas until pliable.

Behind the Recipe

Slice the steak across the grain and as thin as you can. That is the single most useful instruction, because a thin slice of seared steak is tender and a thick one is chewy.

Mix the lime juice, oil, garlic, cumin and chilli powder and rub it into the steak. Leave it for 15 minutes while you chop the onion and coriander. A short marinade is enough, because acid toughens meat if it stays too long. Get the pan very hot. The steak should sizzle loudly when it hits, and develop a dark crust in 3 minutes a side.

Rest the steak for 5 minutes, then slice. Warm the tortillas on a dry pan for 20 seconds a side so that they are soft and a little charred.

Pile the meat onto the tortillas and top with the onion, coriander, a squeeze of lime and a spoonful of salsa. Skirt steak has the most flavour, though flank or sirloin are fine if sliced just as thin.

Good Alongside

Lime wedges · Refried beans · Guacamole · Mexican rice

Sides from the same cuisine on this site: Instant Pot Black Beans, One Pan Mexican Rice, Pan de Muerto.

Changing the Recipe

• Lemon is the everyday swap for lime in this kind of dish — the acidity plays the same role even though the flavour is not identical.
• An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the stand-in usually given when you are out of fresh garlic; it will not brown the same way, and it burns easily, so add it with the liquid.

Questions About Steak Tacos

Steak Tacos Nutrition Facts

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central figures (SR Legacy). A calculation, not a laboratory analysis: brands, cuts and how you measure change the real numbers. How the figures are worked out.

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