These Baja Steak Tacos are loaded with tender grilled skirt steak marinated in a zippy, slightly spicy marinade and topped with cotija cheese, radishes, and bright fresh cilantro. Your taste buds will thank you for this one!
Easy Mexican Street Tacos Recipe
These are easily some of my favorite tacos of all time. They are made with super simple, flavorful ingredients that shine bright. Juicy, grilled skirt steak is marinated in a zingy, zesty marinade of lime juice, garlic, serrano chili peppers, and just a hint of brown sugar. Sliced against the grain, the steak is loaded into mini tortillas along with salsa verde, crisp radishes, crumbled cotija cheese, and chopped fresh cilantro. Let’s fire up that grill!
What’s So Special About Baja Steak Tacos?
- Tender, flavorful steak. The marinade does an awesome job of working its way into the skirt steak, making it so flavorful. Plus, the acid from the lime juice tenderizes the meat beautifully.
- Totally customizable. Whether you want to use a different protein, experiment with toppings, or transform these mini tacos into a jam-packed burrito, there is so much room to experiment here. Check out the section “Fun Variations” below for inspiration.
- Easy peasy. This is a very simple recipe. All you have to do is throw some ingredients in a blender to make a marinade, marinade the steak for a while, and then grill it. All that’s left to do is to slice the steak and use it to fill tortillas along with other favorite taco toppings. It only takes about 20 minutes of active kitchen time.
Ingredients Needed
Here’s what you’ll need to make these easy steak street tacos.
(Be sure to scroll below to the printable recipe card for details and measurements.)
- Vegetable oil – This is a neutral oil and the base of the marinade.
- Fresh lime juice – I highly recommend squeezing your own lime juice from fresh limes, which yield a much brighter flavor than bottled.
- Serrano Chile peppers – Make sure to remove the seeds, otherwise you’ll find yourself with a very spicy marinade.
- Garlic – I used 2 cloves but you can use more if you’re in a garlicky mood.
- Brown sugar – I love the little hint of sweetness the brown sugar brings to the marinade. It balances out the spice of the peppers and the acidity of the lime juice really nicely.
- Seasoning – Cumin, salt, and black pepper. You could add a dash of smoked paprika as well.
- Skirt steak – Flank steak will also do the trick. Check out the section below titled “What Cut Of Beef Is Best For These Tacos?” for more information.
- Salsa verde – I love my homemade salsa verde. If you’d like to use a different salsa (or pico de gallo or chipotle honey vinaigrette), go for it!
- Mini corn street taco tortillas – White or yellow mini corn tortillas will work. I like using some of both for visual appeal. If you want to make bigger tacos, feel free to use larger tortillas.
- For serving – I went with crumbled cotija cheese, thinly sliced radishes, and chopped fresh cilantro. If you have other favorite taco toppings, go for it!
What Cut Of Beef Is Best For These Tacos?
I love using skirt steak for this recipe. The marinade does a great job of tenderizing the meat and packing it with flavor in a relatively short amount of time. It also slices really nicely, making it perfect to load into tacos. If you’re not a skirt steak person (or just can’t find it), flank steak will also work.
How To Make Baja Steak Tacos
Here’s a quick look at how to make these street tacos.
(Scroll to the bottom for our easy printable recipe with the complete directions and don’t miss the video below.)
- Make the marinade. Blend together the oil, lime juice, Chile peppers, garlic, brown sugar, and seasonings until smooth.
- Marinade the steak. Combine the steak and the marinade in a bag and toss to coat the meat. Seal the bag and chill in the fridge for 1-4 hours.
- Prep. Let steak sit out on the counter for 30 minutes and preheat a grill to high. Lightly oil the grate.
- Grill. Shake excess marinade from the steak and grill for 5 minutes on 1 side and then 1-3 minutes on the other.
- Rest. Transfer the steak to a cutting board and let rest for 10 minutes. Slice thinly against the grain.
- Warm the tortillas. Just throw them on the grill for a few seconds.
- Assemble. Fill the tortillas with the steak, salsa verde, and toppings.
Tips for Success
Have a look at these simple tips and tricks before you get to grilling. You’ll end up with the best tacos ever!
- Manage the spice. Don’t forget to remove the seeds from the serrano peppers. If you leave them in, they will make your marinade (and thus your steak) very spicy. Of course, if you’re a spice fanatic, disregard this comment.
- Don’t skimp on marinade time. The marinade works to not only infuse the steak with flavor but also to tenderize an otherwise relatively tough cut of beef. So let it work it’s magic for at least 1 hour, ideally 2-3.
- Don’t over-marinade. If you let the steak sit in the marinade for too long, the acid from the lime juice will break the meat down too much, giving it a slightly mushy texture. So don’t marinade for more than 4 hours.
- Don’t overcook. Skirt steak cooks fast and gets tough if you cook it for too long. Start with 5 minutes on 1 side, and then, once you flip it, only grill it until it gets a nice char (about 1-3 minutes). No more.
- Let it rest. Allow the steak to rest for 10 minutes before slicing. During this time, the meat’s juices will redistribute throughout, making each bite flavorful and juicy. If you slice it too early, the juices will run out of the meat, leaving you with tougher, blander steak.
- Slice against the grain. Make sure to slice perpendicular to the grain (the muscular fibers that run across the steak). This will make for tender, more easily chewable bites.
Possible Variations
One of the reasons I love this recipe is that it is super customizable. Here are some fun ways to make it your own.
- Add extra heat. If you’d like a spicier steak, leave some (or all) of the seeds in the chilis. You could also add a dash of cayenne to the marinade.
- Make it smoky. Sometimes I’ll add a little smoked paprika to the marinade to give the steak a nice smoky flavor. Alternatively, add a tablespoon or two of adobo sauce.
- Consider chicken. If you aren’t a beef eater, feel free to use chicken instead of steak. I recommend boneless, skinless chicken thighs. The chicken will need about 5 minutes per side, depending on its thickness.
- Full sized. You can easily turn these street tacos into full-sized tacos by using full-sized taco tortillas. You could even wrap the filling up in a burrito with some rice, beans, and fajita veggies!
- Experiment with toppings. I kept things simple with cotija cheese, radishes, and chopped cilantro but feel free to experiment with different toppings. See the section below titled “Topping Ideas” for inspiration.
Topping Ideas
Speaking of customizable, there are many options for the toppings. Feel free to use them in addition to (or instead of) the cotija, radishes, and cilantro.
- Avocado
- Pico de gallo
- Pickled Red onion (or raw)
- Candied Jalapenos (or pickled or fresh)
- Grilled veggies (bell peppers, zucchini, corn, mushrooms, onions, etc.)
- Sour cream
- Black beans
What To Serve With Baja Steak Street Tacos
I have been obsessed with this Mexican Street Corn Salad lately. It’s the perfect side for these cute little street tacos. And you can’t have street tacos without chips and salsa (well…you can..but you shouldn’t have to). Try my Salsa Roja or this Black Bean and Corn Salsa. If you’re a guac fan, you have to whip up a batch of my delicious Guacamole.
Wash it all down with a spicy Jalapeno Margarita, a fruity Strawberry Margarita, or a chilled glass of (family-friendly) Mexican Horchata.
Video: Baja Steak Tacos
Proper Storage
- Refrigerator. Once the steak has cooled completely, seal it in an airtight container (separate from the tortillas and toppings – I recommend heating the tortillas up and prepping the toppings when you are ready to serve.) You can store the steak in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Freezer. Allow the steak to cool to room temperature before sealing it in an airtight container and storing it in the freezer for up to 3 months. Allow the meat to thaw in the fridge before reheating.
- To reheat. Heat some olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat and add the steak. Saute for a couple of minutes or until heated through. Warm up the tortillas on the grill, in a pan, or in the oven, chop up your toppings, and assemble the tacos.
More Mexican Recipes To Try
- Mexican Omelet Pie
- Mexican Lasagna Recipe
- Cheesy Mexican Rice Skillet
- Mexican Beef Lettuce Wraps
- Birria Tacos
I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube!
Baja Steak Tacos
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup fresh lime juice (about 3 limes)
- 2 serrano Chile peppers , halved and seeds removed
- 2 cloves garlic , roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 pounds skirt steak , cut in half
- 1 cup salsa verde
- 16 mini corn street taco tortillas (white and yellow)
- For serving: crumbled cotija cheese, thinly sliced radishes, chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Place the oil, lime juice, Chile peppers, garlic, brown sugar, cumin, salt, and pepper in a blender and pulse until smooth (I use my mini Ninja for this.) Transfer to a resealable plastic bag and add the steak. Toss to coat and chill in the fridge from 1 to 4 hours.
- Let steak sit out on the counter for 30 minutes and preheat a grill to high.
- Remove steak from the marinade, shaking off any excess. Lightly oil the grill grates and grill the steak for about 5 minutes, then flip and grill on the other side for 1 to 3 minutes, until nicely charred. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest for 10 minutes, then thinly slice against the grain.
- Warm tortillas on the grill, then fill with the steak and a spoonful of salsa verde. Top with sliced radishes, cotija cheese, and fresh chopped cilantro.
