I am fairly certain we all have a common thread… our LOVE of tacos! Oh my goodness, so much flavor, so much texture, such a variety of ingredients. There’s absolutely no right or wrong recipe other than creating what you like… wait…what you LOVE! I crave so many taco varieties, which most include protein with this recipe being one of my very favorites. I developed this recipe years, and years ago when I was taking classes at the Culinary Institute of America in Napa, California. Fast forward many years, I tweaked my recipe for Beef Loving Texans and now I tweak again as recipes and ingredients are often evolving.
This recipe uses flank steak which requires marinating 6 hours to overnight (I am a fan of overnight) to allow the flavors to enhance the beef and tenderize. This beef cut is high in protein, low in fat, and absorbs the marinade perfectly. I use a balance of oils and acids to create a perfect marinade. You can reduce the amount of salt if that’s a concern, increase the spice or completely omit the jalapeño peppers. I just love the flavor combination. Using my knowledge of flavor profiles, I combined ingredients such as tequila, soy sauce, garlic, orange juice, shallots, jalapeño peppers to create a palette of flavors that enhance.
Tex-Mex Street Tacos
Ingredients
- 2 pounds flank steak
- ¼ cup silver tequila
- 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 lime juiced
- ¼ cup orange juice
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 jalapeño pepper ribs and seeds removed, finely chopped
- 1 shallot finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons cilantro chopped
- Cotija cheese crumbled
- 16 corn tortillas
- Toppings: Minced white onion chopped cilantro. Optional toppings: Cojita cheese, lime wedges, pico de gallo (recipe follows)
PICO DE GALLO (YIELDS 2 CUPS)
- 4 tomatoes seeded and chopped
- ½ cup red onion chopped
- 2 green onions white and green parts, thinly sliced
- 1 jalapeño pepper ribs and seeds removed, minced
- ¼ cup cilantro chopped
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 lime juiced
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
Instructions
- Place tequila, soy sauce, garlic, lime juice, orange juice, olive oil, salt, black pepper, jalapeño pepper, shallot and cilantro in a freezer-proof zip-top bag. Add flank steak. Seal and marinate 6 hours to overnight in the refrigerator.
- Preheat gas or charcoal grill to 400°F.
- Remove meat and discard marinade. Place steaks on oiled grates and grill for approximately 4-6 minutes on one side or until moisture starts to pool on the top and beef releases easily from the grates with tongs. Flip once, grilling on the other side for 4-6 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 145°F with a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the steak. Transfer steaks to a platter and let rest for 3 minutes before slicing against the grain, into ¼-inch thick strips.
- Warm the tortillas for 30 seconds on each side in a dry skillet or on the grill.
- Stack 2 tortillas, add beef, toppings and lime juice if desired.
- Combine pico de gallo ingredients in mixing bowl and toss thoroughly.
Serve this with my salsa and guacamole recipes, add your favorite taco toppings, and enjoy!
Would this also work with chicken or would I need to make adjustments?
Hi Julie!
Yes! I have tried this recipe using 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Reduced the tequila to 2 tablespoons and shorten the marination time to 30 minutes to 2 hours as you will be marinading for flavor and not tenderization. Grill to 160 degrees internal temperature. Let me know your results! Enjoy!!!
Tiffy