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How to Make The Best Steak Tacos

The best steak tacos are full of juicy, tender beef and are perfect for Taco Tuesday lovers. A great cut of steak topped with taco seasoning rub, cooked and sliced thin with avocado, pico de gallo, and your favorite toppings will be flavorful bites from start to finish! 

best steak tacos

Taco Tuesday is a favorite staple to almost every meal plan and if you want to step it up a notch, then you must try using Angus beef when making steak soft tacos. My family loves when I make Porterhouse steak, but when it comes to making tacos, I don't need this fancy cut of meat. 

I'll share what I think is the best cut of steak for tacos, my easy spice rub hack to cook the beef, and what toppings taste great with these soft tacos! 

Steak Taco is made with delicious Strip Steak.

This delicious post is sponsored by Moyer Angus Beef and does not change that all opinions are my own.

Best cut of steak for tacos

When looking for the cut of beef that is best for tacos, choose what is known as a “flap” cut or a steak that has a lot of marbling, AKA, F-A-T. Yes, you want to see a lot of white in your cut of steak, because when this is cooked, the fat will render (melt) which ensures a juicy mouthwatering outcome every time. 

The best steak for tacos recipe is either skirt steak or flank steak. These are the “flap” cuts I mentioned above and when marinated and grilled, they are so tender and juicy! Tip: slice these steaks AGAINST the muscle grain so it stays tender rather than tough. 

Other steak alternatives: 

  • Sirloin – (which tastes great in our sirloin pasta salad!
  • London Broil is best marinated before roasting, but a perfect option to use leftovers for tacos! We have also used this for our tasty London Broil steak salad
  • Strip steak is another tender option- great on the grill and in homemade steak tacos. 
Spice mix on steak for tacos

Ingredients for steak tacos recipe

Ingredients for this Taco Tuesday meal are very simple and taste best when everything is super fresh. The only shortcut tip I have for this recipe is the seasoning for steak tacos. I like to make my own spice mix, but when pressed for time, a packet of taco seasoning works just fine! 

  • NY Strip Steak is what I used to make this recipe. You can find this cut in the meat section of the store or at the butcher counter. 
  • Taco Seasoning Mix can be your favorite brand or make your own.
  • Flour tortillas I like to make soft steak tacos, but if you like crispy taco shells, then that will work too! 
  • Cheddar cheese shredded cheese is a given on tacos, right?
  • Pico de Gallo, or fresh salsa– This is super fresh and really adds so much flavor with just a small amount. 
  • Avocado (optional)- I like adding chopped avocado to beef tacos. 
  • Sour cream my other favorite ingredient for tacos. I like this on nachos and potato pancakes too! 
  • Spinach or lettuce

How to make the best steak tacos

Homemade steak tacos are really so easy to make! The hardest part is waiting the five minutes to let the meat rest before slicing! 

To begin, you will want to preheat a cast iron skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat with a tablespoon of oil. 

Next, pour a small amount (about a teaspoon) of olive oil on the steak and rub it on both sides. Sprinkle half of the taco seasoning on one side of steak.  

When the pan is hot, place steak in pan seasoned side down. Sprinkle remaining spice mix on top. 

Cook steak for 4 to 5 minutes per side for medium-rare or until a thermometer reads 135 degrees. 

Remove cooked steak and place on cutting board to rest for 5 minutes. 

sliced steak on plate

Cut the steak against the muscle grain for tenderness. You can leave as is or cut into bite-sized pieces. 

Place steak in tortillas and get ready to smother with all your favorite toppings! 

Toppings for easy steak tacos 

When I was growing up, tacos consisted of the “box kit” variety, complete with a spice packet, refried beans, and hard corn shells that fell apart with one bite, spilling my carefully constructed center of spicy ground beef, shredded iceberg lettuce, shredded cheese and chopped tomatoes all over my plate.

Now with soft taco shells, the sky is the limit for toppings such as:

  • Pico de Gallo
  • Avocado
  • Shredded cheese
  • Sour cream
  • Lime juice
  • Fresh cilantro
  • Spinach or lettuce

What I love about this type of meal is the blank canvas they provide. Whether you want veggie tacos, fish tacos, lobster tacos, ground beef, shaved steak tacos, turkey, or in this case  Angus Beef steak, you really can’t go wrong with your choice. 

best steak tacos

What to Serve with Steak Tacos

We really like to have a spinach salad when eating steak, so for this particular recipe, I used baby spinach instead of green leaf or iceberg lettuce and some fresh Pico de Gallo was perfect for some added flavor.

You can also try 

The beauty of tacos is you can customize to what you really love. 

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recipe for steak tacos

The Best Steak Tacos  

Yield: 4

The Best Steak Tacos

Steak Taco is made delicious with Moyer Beef Angus Strip Steak.

The best steak tacos are full of juicy, tender beef and are perfect for Taco Tuesday lovers. A great cut of steak topped with taco seasoning rub, cooked and sliced thin with avocado, pico de gallo, and your favorite toppings will be flavorful bites from start to finish! 

Cook Time 8 minutes
5 minutes
Total Time 13 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 Beef Strip Steak
  • 1 Tbsp canola oil
  • 2 Tbsp Taco seasoning mix
  • 1 avocado, diced
  • Shredded cheddar cheese
  • Baby spinach
  • Corn or Flour soft taco shells
  • Pico de Gallo

Instructions

  1. Place steak on a plate and let come to room temperature (about 20 min).
  2. Cover the top side of steak with 1 Tbsp taco seasoning mix.
  3. Place canola oil in a 10” Cast iron skillet and heat over medium-high heat until very hot.
  4. Place Beef steak seasoned side down in the pan.
  5. Sprinkle remaining tablespoon of the taco seasoning mix on top of the steak.
  6. Cook for 5 minutes.
  7. Turn and cook another 5 minutes. (Add an additional 2 minutes if you like your steak well done).
  8. Remove from pan and set on plate or cutting board to rest for 5 minutes.
  9. Prepare your taco toppings.
  10. Slice steak into strips, then into small bite-sized cubes.
  11. Line soft taco shells with a few baby spinach leaves, then cheese, and steak. Top with Pico de gallo and avocado.

Notes

Enjoy with a side dish of Spanish Rice!

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1 Servings

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 432Total Fat: 23gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 43mgSodium: 456mgCarbohydrates: 40gFiber: 6gSugar: 3gProtein: 19g

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The Best Steak Tacos

Original post: 10/4/17

Updated Post: 8/28/20

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