Description
These Grilled Steak Tacos with Avocado Salsa offer a vibrant, smoky, and fresh flavor profile perfect for an easy and delicious meal. Marinated skirt steak grilled to juicy medium-rare is paired with a tangy tomatillo-based avocado salsa and traditional taco toppings, served on warm corn tortillas. A fantastic recipe for taco night that brings together charred vegetables, citrus, and fresh herbs for an unforgettable Mexican-inspired dish.
Ingredients
Scale
Salsa Verde:
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 1 pound tomatillos (husks peeled and rinsed well)
- ½ yellow onion (sliced in half)
- 2 cloves garlic (skins peeled)
- 1 jalapeño (sliced in half, seeds removed for mild heat)
- ¼ cup water
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro
- Juice of 1 lime (around 2 tablespoons, plus more to taste)
- ½ teaspoon dry oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (plus more to taste)
- 1 ripe avocado
Grilled Steak Tacos:
- 16 ounces skirt steak (cut into 6-inch sections, substitute flap steak or flank steak)
- Juice of 1 orange (around ¼ cup)
- Juice of 1 large lime (around 2 tablespoons)
- 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro (divided in half)
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon freshly-cracked black pepper
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon dry oregano
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 6 green onions
- 6 corn tortillas
- ¼ cup finely chopped white onion (for serving)
Instructions
- Prepare Salsa Verde: Preheat a frying pan over medium heat and add avocado oil. Once shimmering, add tomatillos, yellow onion, garlic, and jalapeño. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are lightly charred. Add water and cook for about 3 minutes, letting the liquid reduce by a quarter and the tomatillos soften until fork-tender.
- Blend the Salsa: Transfer the cooked vegetables to a blender. Add cilantro, lime juice, oregano, salt, and ripe avocado. Pulse until smooth or to your preferred consistency. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt or lime juice if desired. Refrigerate the salsa covered until ready to serve; it will last up to 3 days.
- Marinate the Steak: In a bowl, combine skirt steak with orange juice, lime juice, half of the chopped cilantro, paprika, salt, onion powder, black pepper, smoked paprika, ground cumin, and oregano. Toss to coat thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate the steak for 1 to 6 hours to allow flavors to meld.
- Grill the Steak and Green Onions: Preheat your grill to 500°F (475°F if using a ModiFire Grill Grate) or heat a heavy skillet or griddle over medium-high heat. If grilling, add avocado oil to the steak and toss. If using a skillet, add oil to the pan and heat until shimmering. Place the steak sections and green onions onto the grill or pan. Cook the steak for about 4 minutes on one side to develop grill marks or a deep sear and the green onions for 2 minutes. Flip both and continue cooking the steak for another 4 minutes to reach a medium-rare internal temperature of 125°F, and the green onions for 1 more minute. Remove from heat and let the steak rest for at least 6 minutes before slicing into small cubes.
- Warm the Tortillas: While the steak rests, warm the corn tortillas on the grill or skillet for 10-15 seconds per side. Alternatively, warm them directly over an open gas stovetop flame using a heat-safe wire rack for the same period per side.
- Prepare Toppings: In a small bowl, mix the remaining chopped cilantro with the chopped white onion. This mixture will be used as a garnish on the tacos.
- Assemble the Tacos: Spread diced steak evenly over each tortilla. Top with a generous amount of avocado salsa. Garnish with the cilantro and onion mixture. Serve with the charred green onions on the side, extra avocado salsa, and lime wedges for squeezing to taste.
Notes
- For milder salsa, remove jalapeño seeds; for more heat, leave them in.
- Steak can be marinated up to 6 hours but no longer to maintain texture.
- Use a meat thermometer to check steak doneness for perfect medium-rare.
- Leftover salsa can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Flour tortillas can be substituted, but corn tortillas are preferred for authenticity.
- If a grill is not available, a heavy skillet or griddle works great for cooking steak and vegetables.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Grilling and sautéing
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 taco
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 480mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 18g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 23g
- Cholesterol: 60mg
Keywords: grilled steak tacos, avocado salsa, Mexican tacos, tomatillo salsa, street tacos, skirt steak tacos
