Skirt Steak Tacos (Tacos De Arrachera)

Make Skirt Steak Tacos (Tacos De Arrachera) with juicy skirt steak marinated in a classic Mexican Carne Asada marinade. Topped with fresh cilantro, onions, and a creamy Avocado Hot Sauce for the most delicious homemade tacos you’ll ever try!

Skillet, indoor, outdoor grill and Blackstone instructions included! Pair with homemade Passion Fruit Juice or some cold beers for the perfect taco night!

Skirt Steak Tacos (Tacos De Arrachera)

These are our favorite Carne Asada Tacos!

If you’re wondering if Carne Asada tacos and Arrachera tacos are the same: Arrachera is the cut and Carne Asada simply means “grilled meat”.

So all Arrachera Tacos are Carne Asada tacos but not all Carne Asada tacos are made with Arrachera! 🙂

These Skirt Steak Tacos are:

• Juicy with lots of delicious marinated meat.
• Just like the ones at your favorite taco spot!
• Quick to cook: perfect for weeknight dinner and bbqs!
• Topped with zesty cilantro, fresh onion, and creamy Avocado Hot Sauce!
• Customizable!
• Perfect for summer or Taco Tuesday!
• Naturally gluten free and dairy free.

Ingredients for Skirt Steak Tacos

Skirt steak or flank steak is best for these tacos because that’s the type of cut used in Mexico. It absorbs the marinade quickly, cooks beautifully and stays juicy. We like our skirt steak medium rare or rare but you can cook it to your favorite temperature!

Lime juice, for the marinade (it makes the meat tender and brightens the flavor) and for topping!

Beer, optional, just a splash of a light beer, if you plan on serving beer, open one early and add a splash to the marinade, if you’d be buying beer just for the marinade, you can skip it and it’ll still taste delicious. Beer makes beef juicier, more tender + adds flavor!

Oil, a good marinade always has some fat to get all the flavors to blend evenly into the meat! Oil also keeps the meat juicier when grilling or cooking!

Jugo Maggi or Worcestershire sauce, for extra flavor! Jugo Maggi is *the* go-to Mexican ingredient when it comes to meat: it’s a dark liquid made with concentrated beef broth and a hint of soy sauce so it really adds depth and flavor but you can also use Worcestershire sauce!

I don’t recommend plain soy sauce because it makes the meat taste way too soy sauce-y.

Garlic, for flavor.

Onion, for flavor, for the marinade and diced for topping!

Salt and pepper.

Spices, optional. Mexican marinades don’t usually have spices in them (sometimes a hint of cumin) but you can add cumin, chili powder, paprika if you know that’s how you prefer meat! It’s more Mexican-American but still delicious! We don’t add any to these because we love making them food truck-style!!

Cilantro, fresh, for topping.

Tortillas, white corn, flour or yellow corn. We like the small 4-inch (10 cm) tortillas and do 3 tacos per person! If you’re feeling from scratch-y, we love these Homemade Mexican Flour Tortillas!

STEP TWO: Heat the tortillas. Heat a skillet or grill until hot without greasing it. Once hot, add the tortillas and heat for 15-30 seconds per side, the darker spots might char a bit, it’s okay. The meat will cook quickly so the tortillas will still be warm, make sure the toppings are ready.

STEP THREE: Cook the meat. You can choose the method. Cooking times can vary depending on how thick your skirt steak is, mine is 1.5-inch to 2-inch (4 to 5 cm) thick. Always let rest for about 5 minutes after cooking before slicing!

• Skillet: Pre-heat a cast-iron until very hot over high heat, lightly grease with oil, add the steak and cook for 4-5 minutes per side without moving.
• Indoor grill: Preheat until very hot, lightly oil the steak, cook for 3-4 for minutes with the lid closed or for 4-5 minutes without the lid.
• Outdoor grill: Preheat on high, oil the grates, grill uncovered for 3-4 minutes per side rotating once.
• Blackstone: Preheat on high, lightly oil the griddle, cook for 4-5 minutes per side without moving.

STEP FOUR: Slice the meat against the grain about 1/4-inch or 0.5 cm, you can also chop it into bite size pieces once sliced. To cut against the grain, look for the lines in the meat, if they go horizontally, cut vertically!

STEP FIVE: Assemble the tacos! For each taco, add 3-4 tablespoon meat (if chopped) or a few slices, top with cilantro, onion and sauce to taste! Serve hot!

Variations

Cheesy: Add some queso fresco, Pepper Jack, Monterey Jack, Mexican blend or your favorite cheese when assembling your tacos (add on top of the meat so it melts)!

Zesty: Add our Lime Pickled Onions for zestier tacos (also they’re pink!!!).

Milky: Add some Crema Agria (sour cream), it’s delicious with our creamy Avocado Hot Sauce or on its own!

Spicy: Add our creamy Chipotle Crema!

Crunchy: Add sliced radishes!

Storing and Reheating Instructions

Store any leftover meat in the refrigerator for up to 1-2 days. I recommend storing the meat separately so you can reheat it separately and make more tacos or throw it into a taco bowl or rice bowl!

Reheat in a hot skillet over medium heat with a splash of oil or even beef broth for about 30-60 seconds or until hot!