Next time taco night comes around, you need to try this recipe for flank steak tacos. Rich and flavourful flank steak marinated in chipotle in adobo and spices then grilled, before being piled into tortillas with all your favourite toppings.
These chipotle steak tacos are seriously easy to make too. They’re perfect for a weeknight dinner since you can marinate the steak ahead of time and the steak cooks so quickly.
Then there’s all the taco toppings. I’ve gone a bit fancy here with my jalapeno relish and a quick 4 ingredient tangy coleslaw, but both take just minutes to make. A little sour cream, slice of avocado and some fresh coriander/cilantro creates the most perfect combination. You can just use some finely sliced jalapenos or none at all and use whatever veggies you love.
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Ingredients
The ingredients are all very simple to get hold of and budget-friendly too.
Jump to the recipe for full ingredients and instructions.
- Flank steak is a fairly lean but flavourful cut of beef and very affordable. You can swap it for other cuts as well. Skirt steak is very interchangeable with flank but you could use hangar steak or rump steak too. They’ll all give you a good flavour.
- Chipotles in adobo sauce come in tins and have an amazing flavour being tangy, spicy and smoky all at once. And from someone (aka me) who doesn’t generally like anything with a smoky flavour, I’m an absolute convert to chipotle in adobo. You won’t use a whole tin so see my notes in the how to section to see how to store it.
- Spices: A few spices, namely paprika, ground cumin, salt and dried oregano, get added to the sauce for extra flavour, along with just a little brown sugar for balance.
- Red wine vinegar in the marinade does a great job of tenderising the flank steak. You can also swap it for lime juice, lemon juice or add a double quantity of orange juice. The citrus flavours are very common in a carne asada which is flank steak marinaded similarly to this one.
- Oil helps to moisten the meat, being quite lean but it also helps the spices to release their full flavour. You can use plain vegetable oil or an extra virgin olive oil in the marinade for added flavour. Just use a neutral flavoured vegetable oil for cooking though.
- Garlic for a bit of oomph and umami.
- Tortillas: You can’t have flank steak tacos without tortillas. Flour tortillas or corn tortillas both work here. Make sure to warm them first as it softens the tortillas and they’re just nicer served warm. I toast mine over a stove burner to get a little char on them at the same time as softening them.
How to make flank steak tacos
These tacos are so easy to make. While the steak is marinated, as little as half an hour is fine but overnight is even better.
Jump to the recipe for full ingredients and instructions.
1. Puree the chipotle in adobe sauce
The first thing I do when I open a tin of chipotles in adobo is empty it all into a spice grinder and blend it to a paste. It takes less than a minute and this way none of the flavour will get wasted and it’s easy to use. Take what you need for the marinade, then freeze the rest in an ice cube tray, transferring to an airtight container in the freezer once solid. This way you can take just as much as you need, when you need it.
2. The flank steak marinade
Combine the marinade ingredients in a wide shallow bowl or glass container. Add the steak and make sure it’s well coated all over. Cover and chill for up to 24 hours but just 1/2 an hour is fine.
3. Cook the steak
Heat a heavy based stainless steel or cast iron skillet or frying pan over medium-high heat with some oil then add the steak. Cook it, turning every 2-3 minutes. Before every turn brush on a little of the leftover marinade, then flip. Don’t leave any uncooked marinade on the beef – it needs contact with the pan for a couple of minutes each time.
I cook my steak for about 12 minutes – the thinner parts turn out about medium while the thicker parts are closer to medium-rare. You can cook it to your liking but, being a tough cut of meat, flank steak does stay more tender if it’s still a bit pink in the middle. You’re looking for around 54-57°C/130-135°F internal temperature on a meat thermometer for medium-rare. For medium take it to 57–63°C/135–145°F.
4. Rest the steak then slice
I know many don’t like taking the time to rest a steak but it really does benefit from it. As the meat cooks it tightens up. Resting the steak relaxes it and allows the juices to redistribute throughout the meat. A good rule of thumb is to rest for half the cooking time so 6-7 minutes is good here.
Transfer the chipotle flank steak to a cutting board and slice it across the grain into thin slices. You can then chop it further if you like into small chunks but I love the look of a couple of long beautiful slices in a taco. As it rests, some juices will seep out of the meat – don’t let it go to waste, drizzle it right over the cooked steak and serve.
If you slice your steak into nice thin strips you’ll get 3 or more slices in every taco. It’s so succulent and juicy though, so good luck not just eating it all straight off the board.
Taco toppings
One of the great things about taco night and these flank steak tacos is how fun they are to customise. You can use all your favourite toppings and combinations and set them all out on the table for everyone to create their very own perfect taco.
For these steak tacos, I made a super quick (we’re talking a few minutes) tangy coleslaw of just 4 ingredients – the recipe for that is in the recipe notes below. Then I added a slice of avocado and topped that with 3 slices of chipotle flank steak. I added some lovely fresh dollops of jalapeno relish (another really quick recipe that’s tangy, sweet and spicy and seriously good), a sprinkling of red onion and a drizzle of sour cream. Here’s some more ideas;
- Salad: Pico de Gallo is a classic with tacos as it adds freshness and tang. A coleslaw works great too. But you can just use some plain shredded lettuce, diced tomato or capsicum (red peppers) too. And what is a taco without some form of avocado.
- Sauce: Sour cream works great as a sauce but the chipotle lime crema from my baja tacos or the avocado ranch from my pork belly tacos are sensational too. You can also add a store-bought salsa – green salsa (tomatillo salsa) works great here. Chimichurri sauce would be great too.
- Thick sauce-like toppings like guacamole or refried beans are great here.
- Tang: While you get a bit of tang from some veggies and some sauce a good hit of it is great in tacos which are often quite rich in flavour. You can do this with a simple squeeze of lime juice but I adore adding things like my pink pickled onions to tacos. So good.
- Cheese: There was a time I added cheese to every single taco and that cheese was cheddar – I’m sure that comes from the ground beef tacos I grew up with. That’s not a bad thing but, over time I’ve realised that not every taco needs cheese or that different cheeses work too! Authentic Mexican tacos would have Cotija cheese or maybe queso fresco though that’s quite mild. I can’t easily find cotija here so feta is actually a great substitute. It looks great all crumbled on top and adds both creaminess and flavour.
Tips and tricks
- You can marinate the meat up to 24 hours in advance which can help with a quick meal in the evenings but even half an hour is good.
- Meat cooks quicker and more evenly when it’s not cold, so take the flank steak out of the fridge 30 minutes prior to cooking.
- Use a carving fork or similar to turn the steak. Sometimes I find tongs, though I still often use them, can be slippery when trying to move meat in a pan. So as not to drop it and splash oil at yourself, use a carving fork or even a dinner fork to help you turn the meat.
- Slice thinly and across the grain. Flank steak is a tougher cut (but you get the bonus of loads of flavour) and as long as you slice it right, it’s still lovely and tender. If you aren’t sure how to “cut across the grain” locate the direction the grain is running in. Aim that grain so that it’s pointing directly at you, then turn the steak 90° and slice that way.
Storage and making ahead
The steak for these flank steak tacos can be made ahead and kept in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-4 days. It’s best to slice only what you need and leave the rest whole or you may overcook it on reheating.
You can also freeze it for up to 3 months in an airtight container.
Leftovers
Leftover steak can be stored as per the above notes or you can save it for some flank steak quesadillas or flank steak fajitas later in the week.
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Ingredients
- 600 g flank steak (or skirt steak)
- ¼ cup chipotle in adobo sauce minced
- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon water
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon brown sugar
- 10-12 corn tortillas or flour tortillas
- see notes for suggested toppings
For best results, always weigh ingredients where a weight is provided
Equipment
- Heavy based frying pan or skillet
- Dish or container
Instructions
- If you haven’t already, mince the chipotle in adobo sauce in a blender, small food processor or even a spice grinder until it’s a puree. Any leftover after this recipe can be frozen in ice cube trays and used at another time.
- In a medium bowl, combine the ¼ cup chipotle in adobo sauce, 1 tablespoon of the oil, vinegar, water, garlic, paprika, cumin, oregano, salt and sugar. Mix them well.
- Add the steak into the marinade and turn over a few times to coat well. Marinate for up to 24 hours (even ½ an hour is good though), taking the bowl out of the fridge half an hour before you want to cook it.
- Heat the remaining oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat, then add the steak. It should sizzle straight away. Cook for 12-15 minutes or until done to your liking, turning every 2-3 minutes. Baste with the remaining marinade right before every turn.Basting: Make sure the marinade you baste with is in contact with the pan for at least 2 minutes. Don’t leave any uncooked on top of the steak.Temperature: To get the steak to medium-rare, aim for around 54-57°C/130-135°F internal temperature on a meat thermometer. For medium take it to 57–63°C/135–145°F.
- While the steak cooks, prepare your sides.
- Rest the steak on a plate for 5 minutes under a foil tent, then slice thinly, across the grain and into smaller chunks if you prefer.
- Serve immediately while hot with all the toppings in the middle of the table.
- Please take a moment to leave a comment & rating. It's appreciated and so helpful.
Notes
- Tablespoons: I use a standard Australian 20ml tablespoon (equal to 4 teaspoons). Check yours before measuring.
- Vinegar: You can swap the vinegar for apple cider vinegar, lemon juice or lime juice. Even orange juice is lovely in double quantity.
- Taco toppings: The tacos shown here were topped with:
– Tangy slaw (recipe below)
– Avocado
– Jalapeno relish
– Diced red onion
– Sour cream - Tangy slaw recipe: Finely slice ½ medium head of cabbage. Add the juice of two limes (roughly 2 tablespoons), ⅓ cup sour cream, 1 teaspoon sugar. Mix well. You can swap the lime juice for lemon juice or even orange juice.
- Nutrition details are approximate only – scroll below the recipe to find the full nutritional information.
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