Carne Asada Street Tacos

These Carne Asada Street Tacos are loaded with flavorful grilled steak, pickled onions, cilantro, jalapeno rings, queso panela, and drizzled with a chipotle ranch.  The end result is truly a taco lovers delight with a unique combination of flavors that work in perfect harmony together.

My family loves it when I tell them this is on the menu for the week.  I like to serve them with Mexican Shrimp Cocktail and Corn Salad with Easy Lime Vinaigrette.

Cinco de Mayo is right around the corner and what better way to celebrate than with some tasty street tacos.  With some advanced preparation like making the pickled onions and marinating the steak these are easily double for even a weeknight.  There are no special tricks or techniques here so even the even the novice chef can make this recipe.

How to make Carne Asada Street Tacos

Make the pickled onions – simply heat to boiling a little cider vinegar, water, and sugar.  Then pour over some thinly sliced red onions in a bowl. Let cool and then store in an airtight container in the fridge while you marinate the steak.

Marinate the skirt steak – combine the steak, lime juice, orange juice, garlic, cilantro, vegetable oil, jalapeno, cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper in a ziploc bag.  Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours up to overnight.  Preheat grill to 400 degrees.  Grill about 7 minutes on each side.  Then loosely cover and let rest for about 10 minutes.

Prepare the chipotle ranch dressing – combine 1/2 cup of your favorite ranch dressing with 1 finely chopped smoked chipotle pepper and 1 tablespoon of the adobo sauce that they are packed in.

Assemble the tacos – thinly slice the steak against the grain.  Divide the steak evenly between the tortillas.  Then add the cilantro, jalapenos, crumbled cheese, and drizzle with the chipotle ranch.

Recipe notes and helpful tips:

• The pickled onions can be made up to 3 days in advance. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
• Flank steak can be substituted for skirt steak.  It is best to marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours up to overnight.
• Thinly slice the steak against the grain using a sharp knife.
• Both skirt and flank steak are best cooked medium rare to medium.  If cooked much longer they become tough and chewy.
• The chipotle ranch dressing can be mixed up to 2 days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
• Queso panela is a white smooth curd style cheese made from cow’s milk.  Crumble or shred over the tacos.  Cotija cheese works as a good substitute.
• If your taste buds are sensitive to heat than add half the amount of chipotle pepper and adobo sauce to the ranch.

WHAT ARE CHIPOTLE PEPPERS AND WHERE DO YOU FIND THEM?

Chipotle peppers are jalapeno peppers that have been aged, dried and smoked.  They are earthy, robust and smokey yet still incredibly spicy.  You can find them canned with adobo sauce in the Mexican food section of most local grocery stores. Adobo sauce is a slightly sweet tangy rich reddish brown sauce made with ground ancho and guajillo chiles.

The combination of the two is a taste sensation. One chopped chipotle pepper with a little bit of the adobo sauce can take your Mexican and southwestern recipes over the top. Store the remaining chipotle peppers in adobo sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one month or freeze for up to 6 months.

More Tex Mex recipes you will love!

• Easy Chicken Enchiladas
• Mexican Lasagna
• Mexican Stuffed Peppers
• Beef Enchilada Casserole
• Mexican Pizza
• Chile Relleno Casserole

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