These Steak Tacos are loaded with juicy, citrus-marinated grilled steak and your choice of fresh, flavorful toppings-keep them simple or go all out with chimichurri, pico de gallo, and quick pickled onions! Video.
These Steak Tacos with Chimichurri are one of my all-time favorite recipes for summer entertaining. We served them often at our catering events, where they were always a hit-guests would continually come back and ask for the recipe. That's always a good sign!
Growing up in Southern California, Mexico was close enough for frequent trips, giving my family the chance to experience so many different regional Mexican foods. And whenever I go back, my mission is pretty much always the same: find the best tacos!
While these aren't traditional Mexican tacos, they come pretty close to my perfect taco. The steak is marinated with fresh orange and lime, garlic, cilantro, and warm spices, then grilled until juicy and lightly charred. Top them simply with onion, cilantro, and lime, or add my favorite-Chimichurri Sauce-for a bright, herby burst of flavor.
Why you’ll love this Steak Taco recipe!
Big, bold flavor. A citrusy marinade with garlic, cilantro, cumin, coriander, and chili powder infuses the steak with flavor before it ever hits the grill.
Juicy with a smoky char. Flank or skirt steak cooks quickly over high heat, giving you beautifully charred edges while keeping the center tender and juicy.
Make them your own. Keep things classic with onion, cilantro, and lime, or pile on chimichurri, pico de gallo, grilled onions, and something pickled.
Great for entertaining. Marinate the steak ahead, prep your toppings, and grill just before serving for an easy, festive taco night.
Steak TacoS Ingredients
- Flank or skirt steak - Both are flavorful cuts that cook quickly over high heat and are perfect for tacos. If using skirt steak, pound it to an even thickness for quick, even cooking.
- Carne asada marinade - Fresh orange and lime juice, soy sauce, olive oil, garlic, and cilantro make a savory, citrusy marinade that tenderizes and flavors the steak. Cumin, coriander, chili powder, and smoky adobo sauce are optional additions.
- Grilled onions & scallions - Optional, but delicious! They become sweet, smoky, and lightly charred alongside the steak.
- Chimichurri sauce - Fresh cilantro, parsley, lime, garlic, jalapeño, cumin, and coriander create a bright, herby sauce that really makes these steak tacos shine.
- Pico de gallo - Tomatoes, onion, scallions, serrano, cilantro, garlic, and lime add juicy freshness and a little heat.
- Quick pickles - Make them with radishes, carrots, onions, or cauliflower for a bright, tangy crunch, or substitute our Pickled Red Onions.
- Tortillas - Small corn or flour tortillas work well, but a corn-flour blend is my favorite. Homemade tortillas are wonderful here, too.
- Optional toppings - Keep it simple with lime and cilantro, or add avocado, queso fresco or cotija, sour cream, hot sauce, Chipotle Mayo, Guacamole, or Mexican Cabbage Slaw.
*See recipe card for detailed measurements.
How to Make Steak Tacos
Step one: Marinate. Make the marinade and marinate the steak for at least 30 minutes, or overnight. Place it in a covered baking dish, turning from time to time, or a sealed Ziploc bag.
Step Two: Make the sides. Chimichurri Sauce, Quick pickles (radish, onion, carrot or whatever you like) or Pickled Red Onions, and simple Pico de Gallo Salsa. If feeling ambitious, I’ve added more sides at the bottom of the post to really create a Mexican Feast! You can make all the sides a day ahead!
Step three: Grill! Bring the marinated flank steak to room temp before grilling. Preheat your grill to med-high. Cook to medium-rare, roughly 5-7 minutes per side. You could also cook this on a grill pan. A little charring is good here. Remember to let the meat rest for 10 minutes covered with foil.
Step four: Tortillas. Lightly grill tortillas them or toast them over a gas-flamed stovetop, until they just begin to bubble. Keep them warm by stacking them and wrapping with a clean kitchen towel, and place in a wide bowl. Place everything out for guests to assemble.
Step five: Thinly slice the steak across the grain, into thin bite-size strips and lay on a big cutting board, topped with a generous amount of the Chimichurri sauce. (Or leave it on the side).
Chef’s Tips
- Keep it simple. You don't need to make every topping! For an easy weeknight dinner, make the steak and choose one sauce and two or three toppings. For entertaining, go all out and create a taco bar with chimichurri, pico de gallo, quick pickles, grilled onions, avocado, and all the fixings.
- Divide and conquer. Brian and I usually make these together-I marinate the steak and prep the toppings while he handles the grill. With the steak marinated ahead, we can have everything on the table in about 30-40 minutes.
- Prep ahead for entertaining. Make the chimichurri, pico de gallo, and quick pickles ahead, and marinate the steak. When guests arrive, all that's left is grilling the steak, onions, and tortillas.
- Get the grill nice and hot. High heat creates those delicious charred edges while keeping the steak juicy and tender inside.
- Let the steak rest. Give it 5-10 minutes after grilling before slicing so the juices have time to redistribute.
- Slice against the grain. This is especially important with flank and skirt steak. Slice thinly across the muscle fibers for the most tender bite.
- Warm the tortillas. Give them a quick turn on the grill just before serving. Warm, lightly charred tortillas make a surprisingly big difference.
- Vegan option: For vegans and vegetarians, use grilled portobello mushrooms as the “steak” or Mexican spice-rubbed tofu (see recipe notes). Everything else can stay the same!
- No Grill? Pat the meat dry and pan-sear in an oiled cast iron skillet over medium-high heat to develop a crust. Lower heat to medium. And right when it is done, add a splash of the marinade and cook it off.
Storage & Reheating
- Store leftover steak and toppings in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator. The cooked steak will keep for 3-4 days.
- For the best texture, reheat the steak briefly in a hot skillet just until warmed through-you don't want to overcook it. Warm the tortillas separately, then assemble the tacos with the chilled sauces and toppings.
- The chimichurri, pico de gallo, and quick pickles can all be made ahead, making these steak tacos especially easy for entertaining or meal prep.
What to Serve with Steak Tacos
For a fun taco-night spread, serve Steak Tacos with Cilantro Lime Rice or Spanish Rice, Mexican Pinto Beans, and Mexican Slaw.
Set out plenty of toppings, too-Chimichurri Sauce, Pico de Gallo, Guacamole, Pickled Onions, Pickled Jalapeños, and Tomatillo Salsa are all delicious.
For entertaining, arrange everything on a large board or platter and let everyone build their own tacos. Add a pitcher of Mezcal Margaritas, and you have a party! 🎉
Hope you enjoy these Grilled Steak Tacos with chimichurri sauce! Let us know what you think in the comments below!
Check out more of our high-protein, gluten-free recipes! If you love grilling, you may also enjoy more of our Memorial Day recipes! Love watching while you cook? Explore more of our recipe videos!
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Steak Tacos Video
Grilled Steak Tacos with Chimichurri Sauce
- Prep Time: 60 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 mins
- Yield: 16 tacos 1x
- Category: beef, Dinner, entertaining, Main
- Method: grilled
- Cuisine: American, Mexican
- Diet: Dairy-Free, high protein
Description
Juicy Grilled Steak Tacos made with citrus-marinated flank or skirt steak and topped with fresh chimichurri. Keep them simple or load them up with pico de gallo, quick pickles, grilled onions, avocado, and all your favorite taco toppings. Perfect for summer entertaining!
Ingredients
- 2 lbs Flank Steak (or pounded skirt steak, organic grass-fed is best)
- 1–2 large, sliced sweet onions for grilling (optional)
- 1 bunch scallions for grilling(optional)
Carne Asada Marinade:
- Juice of 1 orange ( 1/3 cup)
- Juice of 2 limes (1/4 cup)
- 1/3 cup soy sauce
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar ( optional)
- 4 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro (stems ok)
- optional: 1/2 teaspoon of any or each cumin, coriander or chili powder.
- optional 1–3 teaspoons adobo sauce ( from canned chipotles) This adds a nicely smoky flavor!
Chimichurri Sauce:
- 1 bunch Cilantro or about 1 cup packed (small stems OK)
- 1 bunch Italian Parsley- about 1 cup packed (thin stems OK)
- 1/4 cup fresh lime juice (1-2 limes)
- 1/2 cup olive oil, or more
- 1/4 cup chopped onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 of one jalapeño pepper
Simple Pico De Gallo:
- 4 vine-ripe tomatoes, chopped
- 1/2 medium red onion, chopped
- 2 green onions, white and green parts, sliced
- 1 Serrano chili, minced
- 1 handful fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 1/2 limes, juiced
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Quick Pickles: ( or substitute Pickled Red Onions)
- 2 cups mix of sliced radishes, onion, or carrots, cauliflower, or whatever you like
- 1 cup vinegar
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 Tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon whole peppercorns or whole coriander seed
- A few sprigs of cilantro
- Tortillas: 12 small tortillas. Homemade tortillas are nice! Or, try a Corn and Flour blend- my favorite!
Garnish Ideas:
- Lime wedges, Chipotle Mayo, avocado slices, Mexican cabbage slaw, crumbled queso fresco or cotija cheese (optional), Tapatio or hot sauce, sour cream, guacamole, cilantro, Mexican Pinto Beans
Instructions
- Steak Instructions: In a large bowl, mix together ingredients for the marinade. Place steak and onions in the bowl and toss with marinade. Let sit at room temp for at least 30 minutes, turning occasionally. (Or marinate for up to 3 hours in the fridge, bringing to room temp before grilling.) Pre-heat the grill to mediump-high heat. Grease the grill. Grill steak on med-high heat to the desired doneness. I usually cook to medium-rare, 5-7 mins each side. Grill the onions and scallions untio tender and charred. A little char is good on the steak here too. Let rest for 10 minutes, covered in foil, before thinly slicing the meat across the grain.
- Chimichurri Sauce: Either chop everything finely and place all ingredients in a bowl, or alternatively place all dry ingredients in a food processor, pulsing several times until chopped. Add oil, lime juice, cumin, coriander, and salt. Pulse repeatedly until combined, but not too smooth. Add more oil if you want a looser sauce. Set aside in a small serving bowl.
- Pico De Gallo Salsa: Finely dice tomato, onion, jalapeño and cilantro. Season with salt, pepper and lime. Sometimes I’ll add diced avocado and a couple splashes of Tapatio hot sauce. Place all in a bowl, mix and let sit for 15 min to 1 hour (makes 2 Cups)
- Quick Pickles: In a small saucepan, combine water, vinegar, sugar, salt and peppercorns or coriander seeds. Add your choice of sliced radishes, slivered onions, thinly sliced carrots or whatever else you like. Bring to a boil. Remove and place in freezer for 10-15 minutes (or refrigerate until cold). Remove and place in a serving bowl or jar. Top with a little fresh cilantro. Or you could make pickled red onions instead.
- Tortillas – lightly grill, until soft and pliable (or grill directly on a gas burner. flipping and turning for 30 seconds) wrap up in a towel, to prevent drying.
- Serve everything together, along with any additional garnishes.
Notes
Vegan Option: Seared Mexican Rubbed Tofu: Use your favorite taco seasoning, or make your own using this spice rub recipe. Cut tofu into strips, coat with spice rub and sear all sides in a hot skillet with a little oil. I will often start with coating and searing one piece of tofu first,and test for salt.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: one taco with chimichurri
- Calories: 202
- Sugar: 3.6 g
- Sodium: 331.5 mg
- Fat: 8.5 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Carbohydrates: 17.5 g
- Fiber: 2.7 g
- Protein: 14.9 g
- Cholesterol: 34 mg
This is my go to skirt steak recipe, so tender and tasty.
Nice to hear Ryan. Thanks for taking time to let us know!
Has the recipe been updated? I could have sworn when I first made this years ago there was a note about how to do the steak on the stove/oven if a grill wasn’t available.
Hi RG, no, I haven’t updated this recipe. But if I were doing it without a grill, I’d use an oiled grill pan on the stove or a cast-iron skillet to sear the meat (pat it dry first) on each side. Once seared, finish it with a little splash of the marinade (for flavor) and let it cook off. Hope that helps!
The marinade and the chimichurri were so delicious! And I used mushrooms, in addition to the steak -everything was wonderful and flavorful!
Glad you enjoyed Sara! Thanks for taking time to review.
Great carne asada recipe. Yum!
Great to hear! Thanks for taking time to review.
Made these last night and they were amazing. Love the chimichurri sauce and the pico de gallo salsa. So fresh and yummy! I marinated Portobello mushrooms, red bell pepper, and onion in the same marinade for the non-meat eaters and they were delicious. A new family favorite!
Thank you for the recipe!!
Great to hear this Jennifer! Appreciate your review.
This recipe was so flavourful, i’ve never had steak so delicious before! I will definitely be making again!
Great to hear Maddi!
I made these tonight and they were so good. I marinated the steak overnight and it absolutely paid off. The chimichurri was surprisingly easy to make and added such a bold, fresh punch to the tacos. My husband said they were some of the best tacos I have ever made, which felt like a win.
So glad you both enjoyed these Sara! Appreciate your review.
Great recipe! Just a heads up your metric measurements only change for half of the items. For example it does not change for the orange juice (1/3 cup). It’s a bit frustrating!
Glad you enjoyed these. And sorry about the metric conversion, it is glitchy!