Flat iron steak is an inexpensive but totally flavorful cut of meat, especially when marinated in a citrus adobo sauce to make my favorite steak tacos.
Mexican Steak Tacos
Whether it’s 10 people or just two, having people over for a weekend meal doesn’t have to put the host into a stress-induced coma. The trick is to serve a popular main (with a twist) that can be prepped ahead and have your guests put their hands to work.
This grilled steak tacos recipe is part of my Weekend Eats series, where I’m sharing a seasonal recipe idea for what to have for dinner come Saturday and Sunday, with the occasional breakfast or brunch thrown in.
I’ve made these steak tacos a bunch of times and that’s how I knew they’d be the perfect dish for my Smudge’s birthday celebration with the family. They’re always pretty relaxed affairs, but my goal this time was to have EVERYTHING done ahead of time so I could sit back and actually have fun. I’m always jealous of my sister-in-law Ginni who makes this happen when we head to her house.
And guess what? Smudge may have gotten all the presents, but success was mine.
What’s in These Grilled Steak Tacos?
The key to a truly epic steak taco is all in the marinade. For the steak taco marinade, you’ll need:
- Orange juice
- Garlic
- Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- Fresh cilantro
- Cumin
- Cinnamon
- Kosher salt
Besides that, you’ll need your steak of choice and your favorite taco toppings. Easy!
How to Make Grilled Steak Tacos
Poke holes in the steak with a knife, then seal inside a baggie along with the marinade ingredients. Pop that into the fridge to soak up all the flavor.
Once the steak has had time to marinate, bring the meat to room temperature and then grill to your desired doneness. Before slicing the meat, let it sit on a cutting board for a good 10 minutes or so.
Meanwhile, heat the tortillas on the grill. Then, you’re ready to load up your grilled steak tacos.
What’s the Best Steak for Tacos?
Everyone loves steak. It sounds so luxe. But feeding steak to a crowd is a $pendy proposition. However, the flat iron is a very affordable cut and totally delicious, especially after a marinade. It makes for perfect taco fillings. Flat iron is akin to flank steak, but has a bit more fat, hence the lower price tag and the more delicious bite.
Our Go-To Taco Toppings
You can pile whatever taco toppings you want onto these Mexican steak tacos. But our favorite toppings include:
- Sliced avocado or Guacamole
- Salsa or Pico de Gallo
- Chopped onion
- Tomatoes
- Cilantro
- Queso fresco
- Grilled limes
- Jalapeños
- Shredded cheese
- Sour cream
Tips for Making the Best Steak Tacos
For a group of about 15, we prepared 4 flat iron steaks with not much to spare. I’m putting that down to the second-time returns I saw happening after the first round.
Normally I marinate the meat overnight or at least all day for max flavor. But I’ve made these even with just 1 hour of marinade time and they turned out just as smoky and adobo flavored. Take note for your own timetable.
Assembling the tacos is put into the hands of our guests for them to come up with their own combinations of flavors or whether to load ’em up, or keep ’em lean.
More Easy Taco Recipes to Make
- Blackened Fish Tacos with Creamy Avocado Sauce
- Slow Cooker Smoky Pulled Pork Tacos
- Just Like Taco Bell Tacos
- Breakfast Tacos
- Easy Shredded Chicken and Zucchini Tacos
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment below or take a photo and tag me on Instagram or Twitter with #foodiecrusheats.
Grilled Steak Tacos
Ingredients
For the Marinade:
- 1 cup orange juice
- 2 cloves garlic , peeled
- 2 chipotle peppers plus 2 tablespoons adobo sauce from the can
- ½ cup cilantro leaves and stems (or a large fistful)
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
For the Tacos:
- 1 ½ pounds flat iron steak
- Sliced avocado
- Chopped tomato
- Chopped onion
- Chopped cilantro leaves
Instructions
Marinate the Steak:
- Poke holes in the steak with a large knife, taking care to make the holes with the grain. Add the steak to a gallon size freezer bag.
- Add the orange juice, garlic cloves, chipotle peppers and adobo sauce, cilantro, cumin, cinnamon and kosher salt into a blender. Puree until smooth then pour into the freezer bag with the steak, seal and refrigerate for 1 hour up to overnight.
Make the Steak Tacos:
- Let the steak come to room temperature before grilling, about 20 minutes. Oil grates with grapeseed oil and preheat it on high heat.
- Reduce the heat to medium-high and grill the meat for 10 minutes on each side or until cooked to desired doneness.
- Allow the steak to rest on a platter, covered with foil, for 10 minutes before cutting.
- Warm the tortillas over a gas flame or on the grill. Assemble the tacos with sliced avocado, chopped onion, tomatoes, cilantro, queso fresco, and a squeeze of grilled limes or sliced jalapeño if you like.
Nutrition
Candles, Presents and More. OH MY!
Best friends, aunts, uncles, cousins, grammies and grandpa. There’s no better reason to gather the fam than to celebrate another year down the drain. Although when you’re turning 11, it’s all up from here. So, now that the bellies are full, let’s get this party started!
Happy birthday Smudge. Your mama and daddy love you to pieces.
Hey thanks for coming to our party! My little family thanks you. You’ve seen my favorites, now I’d love to know yours. What do you HAVE to have along with tacos? Or birthdays?
That’s it folks, have a great day and make something good!
We send good emails. Subscribe to FoodieCrush and have each post plus exclusive content only for our subscribers delivered straight to your e-mail box.
Craving more life balance, less stress, and better health? Check out my Nourished Planner, the daily planner to help create simplicity and under-schedule your life.
Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter for more FoodieCrush inspiration.
As always, thank you for reading and supporting companies I partner with, which allows me to create more unique content and recipes for you. There may be affiliate links in this post of which I receive a small commission. All opinions are always my own.
Made this yummy recipe today ! My only question is the steak was too chewy. Flavor was amazing. Marinated since 9am yesterday ??!! Any suggestions ? Will make this again for sure
I made this tonight with a flank steak and it was delicious! I couldn’t believe how good the flavor was after only marinating for 5 hours. Thank you for sharing the recipe!
I tried the marinade recipe. Super easy and smelled great. But no one was in love with it, including me. We all agreed it does not have an authentic Mexican flavor. I chose this recipe because most Mexican marinades call for lime juice, which I didn’t have. Yours… Orange juice. Fantastic, I have an orange tree. Orange juice made it taste sweet, not tangy like lime juice. I thought the cinnamon was unusual but what the heck its just a small amount. The cinnamon was obvious and distracting from Mexican meat. Sorry, but I had to promise never to make it again.
Heidy felicidades! Tu menú de cumpleaños sí que es autentica comida mexicana!
Hugs
Made the steak tacos tonight, unfortunately the flat iron steak I bought was tasteless even after eight hours in the marinade. I usually use ribeye for my steak tacos and think I will stick with that. Your pictures are beautiful, and I’m sure you have a better meat store than I do:-)
What a beautiful plate. So many colors. Those tortillas look perfectly cooked too. There’s just nothing like a perfectly charred tortilla when it comes to tacos. Great pictures too.
Beautiful! Happy birthday to your daughter! :D
And these steak tacos!! Swoon!
Your daughter is such a doll. Looks like a wonderful Birhtday party…..being the juvenile that I am, I had to laugh at your dog sniffing butt picture:)
BEAUTIFUL FAMILY! ❤️ Thany You so much for sharing Smudge’s Birthday Bash! A Big Happy Birthday to her! I’m drooling over the dinner you served! ❤️. Delish!!! ❤️ I can’t wait to cook this meal! As soon as my kitchen if finished being remodeled….it’s on! ❤️
Steak tacos are the best, these look killer!
What kind/brand of tortillas did you use?
Hi Marcia, my favorite are white corn tortillas made locally by a company called Don Julio.
What a fun party!! That marinade sounds amazing.
I love having guests put things together themselves. My fiancé and I recently had a joint birthday party with make your own ice cream sandwiches, which was a huge hit :).
Love this post and all the party pics! Happy Birthday to your beautiful girl! And thanks for the watermelon love. XO
Awh, loved this post, Heidi. . Happy birthday to your beautiful Smudge!