Smoky Steak Street Tacos
These hand-held tortillas are stuffed with incredibly tender and juicy steak, shredded Mexican cheese, and a little pico de gallo. Craft a simple marinade, choose your favorite cut of steak, and dinner is on the table in minutes.
My simple marinade transfers any cut of steak into a show-stopping street taco. It’s smoky, savory, and thanks to a hit of brown sugar, caramelizes beautifully on the meat.
I used ribeye for these street tacos, but you can use whatever cut you want. Note that sirloin is super lean and can get tough if overcooked. When using leaner cuts like sirloin, cook them to medium or medium-rare.
Have fun with your toppings. I chose pico de gallo and shredded cheese and called it a day. There’s so much flavor in this steak, you don’t need anything else. That said, great additions include sour cream, diced avocado, and shredded lettuce. You can also swap in Mexican cheeses like cotija and oaxaca for the shredded cheese blend.
Smoky Steak Street Tacos
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for cooking the steak
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce, or tamari, or liquid aminos of choice
- 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 1/4 pounds steak of choice, such as sirloin, ribeye, skirt steak, or flank steak
For serving
- Street taco-size tortillas, flour or corn
- Salsa or pico de gallo
- Shredded Mexican cheese
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, soy sauce, lime juice, brown sugar, garlic, cumin, chili powder, paprika, and oregano. Transfer the mixture to a shallow dish or resealable bag and add the steak.
- Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, and up to 12 hours.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Remove the steak from the marinade and add to the hot pan. Reserve the marinade.
- Cook for 4 to 5 minutes per side, until you reach your desired level of doneness.
- Meanwhile, transfer the marinade to a small skillet and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer until the mixture reduces to a thick glaze.
- Transfer the steak to a cutting board and let stand for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Slice the steak across the grain into thin strips. Toss the steak with the reduced marinade.
- Serve the steak with the tortillas and desired toppings.