Marinated Skirt Steak Street Tacos
Charred jalapeño marinade meets high-heat searing. These tacos deliver taquería-level flavor without the special equipment or all-day wait.
Ingredients
For the Meat Marinade
- 1.5 lb skirt steak
- 6-8 cloves garlic – whole and skin on
- 1 large jalapeno – whole
- ¼ cup neutral oil (such as grapeseed or canola)
- 2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 limes, juiced
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- salt to taste
To Make Your Tacos
- 8-12 Corn Tortillas Street Taco Size (about 4 inch diameter)
- Onion – chopped
- Jalapeno – sliced
- Cilantro - roughly chopped
- Lime juice
- Hot sauce (like Tapatío – our favorite)
- Jalapeño and Roasted Corn Salad
Instructions
Prep the Steak
- Cut the skirt steak into halves or thirds so the pieces fit easily in your marinating bag and are manageable on the cooking surface. Pat the meat completely dry with paper towels. Any surface moisture will prevent the marinade from sticking and will mess with the sear later.1.5 lb skirt steak
- Place the steak on a wire rack set over a baking sheet and refrigerate uncovered while you make the marinade. This dries the exterior even more and gives you time to build the marinade.
Make the Marinade
- First, char the aromatics. Heat a small skillet or frying pan over medium-high heat. No oil needed. Add the whole garlic cloves (skins on) and the whole jalapeño. Turn them every minute or so until you see brown and black spots forming all over. This takes about 5 to 6 minutes. You want some char, not incineration, but don't be timid. The darker spots add flavor. Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes.6-8 cloves garlic – whole and skin on, 1 large jalapeno – whole
- Once the garlic and jalapeño are cool enough to handle, peel the skins off the garlic cloves. They should slip right off. Remove the stem from the jalapeño. If you want less heat, slice it open and scrape out the seeds and ribs. If you want the heat, leave them in.
- Next, blend the marinade. Put the garlic and jalapeño in a blender, food processor, or tall container for an immersion blender. Add the oil, salt, lime juice, lemon juice, cumin, and smoked paprika. Blend until completely smooth. Taste it. It should be bright, smoky, and well-seasoned. If it tastes flat, add a pinch more salt.¼ cup neutral oil , 2 teaspoon kosher salt, 3 limes, juiced, 1 lemon, juiced, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, salt to taste
Marinate the Steak
- Pour the marinade into a zip-top bag. Add the skirt steak and seal the bag, squeezing out as much air as possible. Massage the bag so the marinade coats every surface. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, flipping the bag halfway through. If you've got time, go up to 4 hours. Beyond that, the acid can start to make the texture mushy.
Prep your Garnishes
- While the steak marinates, chop your onion, slice your jalapeños, and roughly chop your cilantro. If you want (we love this), put the chopped onion and sliced jalapeños in a small bowl of ice water with lime juice (a whole lime is fine) and a pinch of kosher salt. Let them sit for 30 to 60 minutes. The lime juice mellows the onion's sharpness and adds a brightness.Onion – chopped, Jalapeno – sliced, Cilantro - roughly chopped, Lime juice
Cook the Steak
- When you're ready to cook, heat your cast-iron skillet, grill pan, or outdoor grill to high heat. You want it smoking hot. If you're using a skillet or grill pan, give it at least 5 minutes to preheat. If making this indoors, turn your vent fan over your stove on because the marinade will create a good amount of smoke as it caramelizes in the pan.
- Remove the steak from the marinade and let any excess drip off. Do not add extra marinade to the pan. Place the steak on the hot surface and leave it alone for 2 to 3 minutes. You should hear a sizzle immediately. Flip and cook another 2 to 3 minutes. You're looking for a dark crust on the outside and medium doneness inside. Skirt steak is thin, so it cooks fast. Don't walk away.
- Once cooked, transfer the steak to a cutting board and let it rest for 5 minutes. While it rests, warm/char your tortillas. Slice the steak across the grain into thin strips. Taste a piece and add salt if needed.
Assemble and Serve
- Load the charred corn tortillas with sliced steak, top with onion, jalapeño, cilantro, a squeeze of lime, and hot sauce. Serve immediately.Hot sauce (like Tapatío – our favorite), Jalapeño and Roasted Corn Salad
Notes
Substitutions:
- Skirt Steak: Flank steak or flat iron steak are the closest substitutes
- Jalapeño: Use serrano or habanero for more heat, or poblano for less heat.
- Cooked skirt steak holds up pretty well in the fridge. Let the steak cool to room temperature, then transfer it to an airtight container. It'll keep for 3 to 4 days.
- The marinade can be made ahead and stored in the fridge for up to a week. If you want to meal prep, you can marinate the steak for up to 4 hours, then cook it fresh when you're ready to eat
- When you reheat it, do it gently. A skillet on medium heat for a minute or two should warm it up without a bunch of overcooking.
- The leftover cooked skirt steak can be frozen for up to 3 months. Defrost fully in the refrigerator then reheat following the instructions above.
- Corn tortillas freeze well if you separate them with parchment paper and seal them in a freezer bag. They'll keep for a few months and thaw quickly.
- Don't skip the resting step: Cutting into the steak immediately after cooking means all the juices run out onto the cutting board instead of staying in the meat. Five minutes is all you need.
- Slice thin and against the grain: Skirt steak has long muscle fibers. Cutting with the grain means you're eating those long fibers, which makes it chewy. Cutting across them shortens the fibers and makes every bite tender.
- Double up on tortillas: Street tacos traditionally use two small tortillas per taco. It's not just for structural integrity. The double layer soaks up the juices without falling apart and gives you a better tortilla-to-filling ratio.
- Warm tortillas properly: The best method is directly over a gas burner for a few seconds per side until they're lightly charred and pliable. If you don't have gas, a dry skillet works.
- Don't overload the tacos: A street taco should be two or three bites, not a full meal in one tortilla. A few strips of steak, a pinch of onion and cilantro, and a squeeze of lime. A few drops of hot sauce if you like and that's it!
Nutrition
Calories: 387kcalCarbohydrates: 26gProtein: 40gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 107mgSodium: 1301mgPotassium: 654mgFiber: 4gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 306IUVitamin C: 10mgCalcium: 68mgIron: 4mg
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