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Skirt steak tacos made with a quick citrus and garlic marinade and a smoky red salsa. Grill the steak or cook it on the stovetop, then pile it into warm corn tortillas with onion and cilantro.
I love a good skirt steak taco. It’s one of my favorite cuts for marinating because it’s thin and has a loose grain (those long lines running across the meat), so it soaks up all the flavors really fast. Plus, it cooks in just a few minutes per side, and you just can’t beat that.
This version is marinated in orange and lime juice to help tenderize the meat as quickly as possible, then seared in a hot pan, sliced thinly against the grain (very important!), and piled onto warm corn tortillas with a spoonful of the most delicious smoky red salsa made with tomatillos, guajillo, and morita chiles.
My go-to garnishes are diced white onions and cilantro (I like to keep skirt steak tacos pretty minimal to let the steak shine), but pickled onions, pickled jalapeños, or crumbled queso fresco are great too. The queso fresco adds a little creaminess to every bite.
I know you’ll love it! Enjoy!
Ingredients You Need
Here’s what you’ll need. The full amounts are in the recipe card below.
- Skirt steak: I love that it soaks up a marinade really fast and cooks in just a few minutes over high heat, on the grill or in a skillet. If your steak is too long to fit in your skillet, just slice it in half. The flavor won’t change.
- Orange and lime juice: Adds a little sweetness and tang, and the acid helps make the steak more tender. Use freshly squeezed juice here. It makes a huge difference. I’ve tested this with bottled orange and lime juice, and the fresh version wins every single time.
- Garlic, onion, and cilantro: Give the marinade more flavor. They’re the same flavors you’ll add on top of the tacos, so every bite tastes even better.
- Soy sauce: I love adding a little soy sauce to marinades. It adds a savory umami flavor (that rich, meaty taste) you just don’t get from other ingredients. You don’t need a ton, just 1 ½ tablespoons.
- Dry seasonings: Cumin, smoked paprika, and chili powder add warm, smoky spices.
- Guajillo and morita chiles: Guajillos are mild and a little fruity. Moritas are smoky with some heat. Use just one morita if you want the salsa milder. And if you can’t find moritas, use one chipotle pepper in adobo instead.
- Tomatillos: This is the base of the salsa. Roasting them makes them tangy and a little sweet, and it adds a smoky flavor that goes great with the chiles. Even though tomatillos are green, the salsa turns red once you blend them with the chiles. It’s not too sweet or tomato-heavy like some red salsas can be.
- Corn tortillas, onion, and cilantro: The classic taco toppings. Simple, and all you really need. Flour tortillas work too if you like them better. Just grab the small taco-size ones, not the big burrito-size ones.
How to Make Skirt Steak Tacos
Marinate the steak. Add the steak and marinade to a Ziploc bag and refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours.
Make the salsa. Soak the dried chiles in hot water until soft. Char the tomatillos, onion, and garlic, then blend everything with some of the soaking water and salt.
Cook the steak. Pat the steak dry, season with salt and pepper, and cook over high heat for 3 to 4 minutes per side. Let it rest for 5 minutes before slicing thinly against the grain or dicing into chunks. Pile onto warm tortillas and top with salsa, onion, and cilantro.
Recipe Tips
- Pat the steak dry. I know it’s hard to throw away the marinade because it feels like you’re getting rid of all the flavor, but the marinade has already done its job and soaked into the steak, so you’re not losing anything. Take the steak out of the marinade and pat it dry so you get a good crust when it hits the heat.
- Only flip it once. I know it’s hard to let it sit, but doing so gives it a really nice char on each side that adds to the flavor.
- Slice against the grain. Look for the long lines running across the steak and cut across them, not along them. This makes every bite soft and tender.
- Don’t marinate for more than 8 hours. The citrus juice will break down the meat too much and make it mushy.
Skirt Steak Tacos FAQs
Cook it hot and fast. Grill it or sear it in a cast-iron skillet for 3 to 4 minutes per side for medium-rare. Only flip it once so it gets a good char.
Both often use skirt steak. Fajitas are usually sliced into strips and served with cooked onions and bell peppers. For these tacos, the steak is sliced thin or diced into small pieces and topped with onion, cilantro, and salsa.
Almost any salsa works here. My roasted tomato salsa, salsa mexicana, or salsa verde are great options.
Serve them with elotes, Mexican street corn pasta salad, or ensalada de nopales. And to drink, grab an ice-cold horchata or chelada.
If you tried this skirt steak tacos recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a star rating 🌟 and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thank you so much!
Skirt Steak Tacos
Ingredients
For the skirt steak
- ½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice (about 2 medium oranges)
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice (about 1 medium lime)
- ⅓ cup chopped cilantro
- ¼ medium white onion, thinly sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 ½ tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more as needed
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt, plus more as needed
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- 2 pounds skirt steak
- 12-16 corn tortillas, warmed
- Chopped cilantro, for garnish
- Diced white onion, for garnish
For the smoky red salsa
- 3 guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
- 2 dried morita chiles, stemmed and seeded
- 6 tomatillos, husked and rinsed
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled
- ¼ medium white onion
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
For the skirt steak tacos
- In a small bowl, combine the orange juice, lime juice, cilantro, onion, garlic, soy sauce, olive oil, salt, black pepper, cumin, smoked paprika, and chili powder.
- Add the skirt steak and marinade to a gallon-size Ziploc bag or large baking dish. Massage the marinade into the steak until it’s evenly coated, then seal or cover and refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours. Don’t marinate for more than 8 hours, or the citrus will make the meat mushy.
- Remove the steak from the marinade and shake off any excess liquid. Transfer it to a cutting board and pat it dry with paper towels. Drizzle both sides of the steak with olive oil and season with a small sprinkle of salt and black pepper.
- To grill: Heat the grill to medium-high heat (400 to 450°F). Add the steak, close the lid, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes per side, flipping only once.To cook on the stove: Heat a cast iron skillet or grill pan over high heat. Add the steak and cook for 3 to 4 minutes per side, flipping only once. If the steak is too long to fit in the pan, cut it in half.
- Cook until the steak reaches an internal temperature of 130 to 135°F for medium rare. Transfer it to a cutting board and let it rest for 5 minutes.
- Slice the steak thinly against the grain or dice it into bite-sized chunks.
- Add a spoonful or two of skirt steak to each warm tortilla, then top with the salsa, diced onion, and chopped cilantro.
For the smoky red salsa
- Add the guajillo and morita chiles to a small saucepan and add enough water to fully cover them. Bring to a boil over high heat, then remove from the heat. Cover and let the chiles soften for 10 minutes.
- While the chiles soften, position an oven rack near the top of the oven and preheat the broiler to high. Place the tomatillos and onion on a baking sheet and broil for about 8 minutes, flipping halfway through, until charred and softened. Add the garlic to the baking sheet and broil for 1-2 more minutes until lightly browned.
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer the softened chiles to a large blender along with ½ cup of the chile-infused water, the roasted tomatillos, onion, garlic, and salt. Blend until smooth. Taste and season with more salt as needed.
Video
Notes
- Don’t marinate for over 8 hours. The acidity in the citrus juices will break down the steak too much and make it mushy.
- Morita chiles: If you don’t have any, you can use 1 or 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce instead. Just add it to the blender.
- To store: Keep leftover steak in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. The salsa will keep for up to 4 days too.
- To reheat: Warm the steak in a skillet over medium heat just until heated through.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Photography by Ashley McLaughlin.
