These restaurant quality Steak Tacos are surprisingly quick and easy! These flavorful and tender tacos can be made on the stove, grill, and even in the oven.
It’s no secret that Trevor and I love going out for Friday Night Mexican Night! Since having kids, however, that’s become more of a challenge. Our solution? Homemade steak tacos! These are seriously so delicious, but don’t be intimidated, because they’re also seriously so easy!
Ingredients
- Marinade: Orange Juice, Lime Juice, Lemon Juice, Honey – the combination of orange, lime, and lemon juice not only flavor the steak, they also help break the steak down to ensure it’s ultra tender. Fresh or bottled may be used. The honey provides a sweetness to balance out the brightness from the juices. Any sweetener such as sugar, agave, or maple syrup should be just fine.
- Seasoning: Salt, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, Cumin, Chili Powder, Pepper – this simple, homemade seasoning blend adds so much flavor to the steak without overpowering it. Feel free to use your favorite combination of spices or use a pre-made blend such as your favorite taco seasoning!
- Steak – flank steak is used in the original recipe, because it’s flavorful, versatile, and relatively affordable. It can, however, end up tough if not cooked or sliced correctly, so be sure look at our How to Cook and How to Cut for best practices.
Best steak for tacos
Skirt steak and flank steak are most commonly used for tacos, because they have good flavor, are easy to cook, and are cost effective! Because both of these cuts of beef are pretty lean, it’s important to not overcook and to slice against the grain (more on both below).
How to season steak for tacos
Today we’re using a simple combination of salt, onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, chili powder, and pepper. These spices add a ton of flavor without overpowering the taste of the beef. You could keep the seasonings even more simple with just salt and pepper, make them spicy by adding cayenne, or take a short-cut and use your favorite packet of store-bought taco seasoning!
How to make
- Place steak into a gallon sized baggie with orange juice, lime juice, lemon juice, and honey, then allow to marinate in the fridge.
- Discard marinade, then rub both sides of the steak with salt, onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, chili powder, and black better.
- Cook on the stove, in the oven, or on the grill until the desired internal temperature has been reached.
- Rest, slice, then serve with your favorite taco fixins!
How to cook
On the stove
- Place steak in hot, oiled pan, cover, sear for 2 to 3 minutes until well browned, then flip and sear, covered, for an additional 2-3 minutes, or until steak is cooked to your liking.
- Cover with foil and allow to rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving.
In the oven
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F, then place steak onto a silicone mat lined baking sheet.
- Bake in preheated oven for 10-20 minutes, or until the steak is done to your liking.
- Cover with foil and allow to rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving.
On the grill
- Preheat grill to 400 degrees F then grill steak for 7-9 minutes per side or until steak is cooked to your liking, flipping once.
- Cover with foil and allow to rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving
What temperature should steak be?
Everybody has an opinion on what temperature the perfect steak is:
- Rare: 125 degrees F
- Medium-rare: 135 degrees F
- Medium: 145 degrees F
- Medium-well: 150 degrees F
How to cut steak for tacos
After the steak has been cooked to the desired temperature, allow it to rest for 5-10 minutes so the fibers in the meat have a chance to relax and the juices redistribute aka what makes the steak moist and flavorful.
Now, it’s time to cut. Simply use a sharp knife to cut across the grain of the steak (cut perpendicularly to the lines). Cutting against the grain means the muscle fibers will be shorter, which means the steak will be less chewy and more tender.
How to serve
These steak tacos can be served in any tortilla you’d liked topped with a variety of fixings!
- Corn or flour tortillas
- Chimichurri
- Cilantro lime sauce
- Cashew Queso
- Guacamole
- Pico de gallo
- Pickled red onions
- Sour cream
- Crumbled feta
- Onions
- Cilantro
How to store
Leftover steak can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. I don’t recommend freezing the leftovers, since it’s already been sliced and you’ll run the risk of the steak drying out.
– Jennifer
Steak Tacos
Equipment for this recipe
Ingredients
- ¼ cup orange juice
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 pound flank steak
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Topping Ideas
- Flour or corn tortillas
- Chimichurri
- Cilantro lime sauce
- Vegan cashew queso
- Guacamole
- Pico de gallo
- Pickled red onions
- Sour cream
- Onions
- Crumbled feta
- Cilantro
Instructions
- Place orange juice, lime juice, lemon juice, and honey into a gallon sized baggie, stir, then add in the steak.
- Seal and allow to marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes or ideally in the fridge for 8 hours.
- In a small bowl, stir together salt, onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, chili powder, and pepper until combined. Set aside.
- Remove the steak from the marinade (discard the marinade), then rub both sides of the steak with the spice mixture. Be sure to press it in with your fingers to help the rub adhere to the meat.
- Add oil to a large sauté pan, then heat over medium-high/high heat for 5 minutes.
- Place steak in the hot pan, cover, then sear for 2 to 3 minutes until well browned.
- Flip, cover and cook an additional 2-3 minutes, or until the steak has reached your desired internal temperature.*
- Remove, cover with foil, and let rest for 5-10 minutes.
- Slice steak against the grain, then serve with your favorite taco fixings and enjoy!
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Notes
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Nutrition Information
*Note: Nutrition information is estimated and varies based on products used.