I think that everyone needs a really good steak taco recipe in their back pocket, and this one is mine. Skirt steak is one of my favorite cuts for tacos because it has that big, beefy flavor and a loose grain (i.e. the muscle fibers are more open and pronounced), which makes it especially great for soaking up all of the flavors from a marinade. I like to top my steak tacos with a diced avocado salsa and hatch chili cilantro lime crema, so I’ve included the full recipes to those below!

STEAK:

INGREDIENTS:

– 2-3 lbs Skirt Steak
– 1/2 cup olive oil
– Juice of 2 limes
– 3 cloves of Garlic, diced
– 4 tbsp finely chopped Fresh Cilantro
– 2 tsp Cumin
– 2 tsp Dried Oregano
– 2 tsp Salt
– 2 tsp Pepper

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the steak with the other ingredients and mix well.
2. Cover with a lid and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 6 hours.
3. Before cooking, take the bowl out of the fridge and let the steak come to room temperature, blot off excess marinade so that the surface of the steak is really dry (this helps you get a better sear), and then grill at a high heat for 3-5 minutes on each side. Let rest for 5 minutes before cutting the steak against the grain (i.e. cut in the opposite direction that the long fibers are running).

If you don’t have access to an outside grill, a cast iron grill pan is a great alternative!

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About 30 minutes before you want to grill the steak (so, while the steak is out of the fridge coming to room temperature), you can start prepping the toppings.

DICED AVOCADO SALSA:

INGREDIENTS:

– 2 Roma Tomatoes, diced
– 1 Large Avocado, diced
– 1/2 Red Onion, diced
– 2 Jalapeños, diced
– 3 tbsp finely chopped Fresh Cilantro
– the juice from 1/2 of a Lime
– 1 tsp Salt
– 1 tsp Pepper

INSTRUCTIONS:

Combine all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl and let sit in the fridge before serving.

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HATCH CHILI CILANTRO LIME CREMA:

INGREDIENTS:

– 1 charred Hatch Chili with the skin and seeds removed
– 1/2 cup Fresh Cilantro
– 8 oz Sour Cream
– Juice of 1 Lime
– 2 tsp Salt
– 1 tsp Pepper

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Turn your gas burner to high heat (see below if you do not have a gas stove) and place the pepper directly on the metal grate over the burner.
2. Use long tongs to turn the pepper every 30-60 seconds until the skin is blistered and blackened on all sides.
3. Wrap the pepper in tin foil and let rest for about 10 minutes to allow it to continue cooking and steaming. This step helps the skin peel off easier.
4. Scrape the blackened skin off of the pepper and discard the skin.
5. Add the peppers and the remaining ingredients into a food processor and pulse until smooth.

If you don’t have access to a gas stove (or an open flame scares you), here’s how you can achieve the same result using your broiler:

1. Turn your oven to high broil and set the rack near the top.
2. Rub the peppers lightly with a little olive oil and lay in a single layer on a foil-lined baking sheet.
3. Broil for 5-7 minutes until the top side blisters and turns black.
4. Flip the peppers with tongs and broil for another 5-7 minutes.
5. Continue with steps 3-5 above, and enjoy!

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Assemble all of the above on your favorite tortillas and a lot of cojita cheese. I hope that you enjoy these tacos as much as we do!