Go Back
Two steak tacos on a wooden board with lime wedges, onion, and cilantro scattered around.
Print Recipe
5 / 3 votes

Steak Tacos

For these steak tacos, flavorful flank steak is marinated in a spicy paste of garlic, jalapeno, cumin, and cilantro and then seared until medium-rare. The tacos are garnished with pickled red onions and lime.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time1 hour 15 minutes
Course: Mains
Cuisine: Tex Mex
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 588

Ingredients

For the marinade

  • 1/2 cup packed cilantro leaves
  • 3 medium scallions, chopped coarse
  • 3 medium garlic cloves, chopped coarse
  • 1 medium jalapeño chile (for a less intense heat, discard the seeds)*, roughly or finely chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/4 cup mild vegetable oil
  • 1 tablespoon juice from 1 lime
  • One (1 1/2- to 1 3/4-pound) flank steak*, trimmed and cut lengthwise (with the grain) into 4 equal pieces
  • Salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
  • Ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

For the tacos

  • Twelve (6-inch) corn tortillas*, warmed
  • Cilantro leaves, for serving
  • Minced white onion or pickled red onion, for serving
  • 1 lime, cut into wedges for serving
  • Cotija cheese, for serving (optional)
US - Metric

Instructions

Make the marinade

  • Pulse the cilantro, scallions, garlic, jalapeño, and cumin together in a food processor until finely chopped, 10 to 12 pulses, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the oil and process until the mixture is smooth and resembles pesto, about 15 seconds, again scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Scoop 2 tablespoons of the herb paste into a large bowl, stir in the lime juice, and forget about it until just before serving.
  • Using a fork, poke each piece of steak 10 to 12 times on each side. Place the steak in a large baking dish, rub all sides of the steak evenly with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and then coat with the cilantro paste. Wrap the steaks with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 to 60 minutes.
  • Scrape the cilantro paste off the steak and sprinkle all sides evenly with the sugar and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Heat the oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Carefully place the steak in the skillet and cook until well browned on the first side, 3 to 5 minutes. Flip the steak and sear until well browned on the second side, 3 to 5 minutes.
  • Using tongs, hold each piece of steak so a cut side is against the skillet and continue cook, turning as necessary to brown all sides well, to the desired doneness. [Editor's Note: We strongly encourage you to cook this only until medium-rare as flank steak tends to become really quite tough when cooked to medium or well done.] Place the steak on a carving board, loosely tent it with foil, and let rest for at least 5 minutes.

Assemble the tacos

  • Meanwhile, warm the tortillas by placing each one over the medium flame of a gas burner until slightly charred, about 30 seconds per side, or by stacking them and wrapping them in aluminum foil and placing them in a warm oven. Keep the warmed tortillas wrapped in a kitchen towel or foil until ready to use or they'll dry out.
  • Slice the steak on the diagonal and against the grain into 1/8-inch-thick strips, then chop into smaller pieces, if desired. Dump the sliced steak into the bowl with the reserved cilantro-lime mixture and toss to coat. Season the steak with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon a small amount of the sliced steak into the center of each warm tortilla and serve immediately, passing the cilantro, onions, lime wedges, and Cotija cheese, if using, separately. Originally published August 31, 2009.

Nutrition

Serving: 1portion | Calories: 588kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 41g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 102mg | Sodium: 127mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 2g