Cheesy Skirt Steak Tacos

Five folded beef tacos on a speckled green and white tray, served with a small bowl of red salsa, a spoon, and fresh cilantro garnish.

Cheesy Skirt Steak Tacos

These delicious Skirt Steak Tacos are the perfect recipe for a busy weeknight and are loaded with flavor. The whole family will love them!

Course Main

Cuisine Mexican-Inspired

Keyword tacos, steak

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 25

Marinating time 10

Total Time 45

Servings tacos

Calories 450kcal

Author Maria Koutsogiannis

Ingredients

For the steak

1 1/2 lbs (650-680 grams) frozen skirt or flank steak (make sure to freeze in a single layer), cut into thin slices using a knife while frozen
1/2 cup fresh squeezed orange juice (about 2-3 navel oranges)
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
3 large garlic cloves, peeled
½ cup diced white onion
¼ cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
¼ tsp dried oregano
¼ tsp chili powder
2 tbsp capers, drained from their brine
¼ cup pickled hot banana peppers, drained from their brine
2 tsp brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt

For serving

10 - 6-inch soft corn or flour tortillas
3 cups grated mozzarella cheese or monterey jack cheese
Serve with salsa of choice

Instructions

To make the quick steak marinade, add the orange juice, olive oil, garlic cloves, diced onion, cilantro leaves, cumin, smoked paprika, dried oregano, chili powder, capers, banana peppers, brown sugar and salt to a food processor and blend until smooth.
Pour the steak marinade into a medium-sized bowl.
Add all of the frozen, knife sliced steak pieces to the marinade in the bowl, toss to fully coat and let sit for 10-20 minutes or until the steak pieces have thawed.
Heat a flat top grill to medium-high heat, about 400F.
Oil the flat top well and when the flat top is hot, add all of the steak pieces, spreading into a single layer on the flat top. Cook for about 1 ½ minutes, flip and then cook for another 1 ½ minutes.
Remove the steak pieces from the grill and let it rest for 5 minutes.
Assemble the tacos: Lay the tortillas out on a cutting board or even a large baking sheet. Divide the cheese between 10 soft tacos, sprinkling the cheese over each tortilla. Then layer the cooked steak pieces on one side of each tortilla.
Heat a flat top grill or a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add a drizzle of olive oil and when the flat top or pan is hot, lay 2 tortillas at a time in the pan or as many that will fit on the flat top grill (don’t fold them over yet). Let them cook for about 1 minute until the cheese starts to melt, then use a spatula to fold over the tortilla to close it. Cook the tortillas for 1-2 more minutes per side until crispy. Repeat until all tacos are cooked.
To serve, pull the taco apart and add a tablespoon or two of your favourite salsa. Fold the taco back up and enjoy!

Notes

If you don't have a flat top grill, use a large non-stick skillet instead to cook the steak.
While this is a great hack for frozen steak, you can definitely make this recipe with fresh steak too.
Go the extra mile and add some shredded cheese to the grill before placing the tacos on top to create a crispy cheese coating on the outside.

Nutrition