Flat Iron Steak Tacos

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Homemade Tacos are a great meal to feed the family on a budget any night of the week. Of course, Tuesdays are the preferred day for Tacos so you can celebrate Taco Tuesdays! This Taco recipe is one of our favorites, our homemade Flat Iron Steak Tacos. What is so good about these Tacos is the simplicity of the ingredients. Good quality Steak, a beautiful Chimichurri Sauce, and some Pickled Onions are all you need. It’s authentic, beautiful, and tastes unbelievable

How to make Flat Iron Steak Tacos

One of the great things about cooking Tacos at home is there are really no rules. We’re not limited to regions in Mexico where you only cook a certain type of meat, or only certain types of fillings are allowed. Tacos are a blank canvas for home cooks to experiment with different ingredients and flavors to see which flavor combinations work the best

Through a lot of trial and error (and by that, we mean we’ve eaten a LOT of Tacos) these Flat Iron Steak Tacos are up there with the best we’ve ever made. I think what is so great about these Tacos is their simplicity. Meat, Onions, and Sauce are all the filling required to achieve this delicious bite of food. So, let’s dive into these three key components:

1. Flat Iron Steak is an underrated, yet amazing cut of Beef for Tacos

For years and years Skirt steak and Flank Steak were our go-to cuts of Beef when making Tacos. Those cuts are fantastic and produce a great flavor and texture for sure. However, if you’re feeling a bit adventurous we highly recommend mixing it up from the traditions and try Flat Iron Steak

Instead of the Belly, which is where Skirt Steak and Flank Steak come from, the Flat Iron is a cut of the Steak from the Chuck, or around the shoulder area of the Cow. It is essentially the ‘prime cut’ of Chuck and has a wonderful flavor

What contrasts the Flat Iron Steak from a traditional Chuck Steak is how tender it is, and I mean tender. This cut is ridiculously tender, almost to the same quality as the Tenderloin is. However, unlike tenderloin it packs in so much flavor. So, it’s perfect for use in Tacos. The tenderness makes eating the Steak a lot easier than Skirt in a taco, as there’s no risk of chewy bits being difficult to break off

The steak loves to absorb marinade, so if you’ve got time give the Flat Iron beef a marinade overnight for the best flavor possible

2. Top these delicious Flat Iron Steak Tacos with a vibrant and spicy homemade Chimichurri Sauce

We’re big fans of Chimichurri here at Dinnertime somewhere. Particularly when it’s used as a sauce in Tacos. Chimichurri is a South American Sauce of original which consists of Parsley, Oregano, Garlic, Shallots, Lemon, Oil, and Salt. Chimichurri Sauce generally has a bit of heat in it, usually by the addition of some hot peppers. For our recipe we’re adding Jalapenos to bring the heat

All these delicious ingredients are blitzed up in the blender to form a lovely, creamy sauce that has a brilliant, bright green color. The sauce tastes magical. Fresh herbs bring that beautiful brightness and combined with the Jalapenos, it brings the heat!

We recommend removing the seeds from the Jalapenos before adding them to the blender. However, if you’re a spice fiend then you can add the seeds. We’ve found the sauce is plenty hot without adding the seeds, and that if you make the sauce too hot it may overpower the flavors in the Flat Iron Steak Tacos

If you’re interested in reading more about making this wonderful sauce, check out our detailed Spicy Chimichurri Sauce recipe here. We’ve also got details in the recipe below on how to make it too

3. For a bit more color and texture, we top our simple Flat Iron Steak Tacos with Pickled Onions

Pickled Onions are a favorite of ours. In fact, we’ve dedicated an entire recipe to them here, going into detail on what makes this wonderful topping so delicious. There are a few ways you can make Pickled Onions, some use sugar and vinegar, however we keep ours very simple. Lemon Juice, and Salt

Simply cut up a Red Onion into thin slices and place into a sealable container. Add a generous amount of Lemon Juice (we use about 2 Lemons to 1 Onion), and liberally season with Salt. Give it a good shake up then seal and refrigerate for at least 24 hours (preferably 48 hours)

The Lemon Juice and Salt will break down the Onions, removing the harshness of their raw flavor. What is left is a vibrant, acidic Onion topping that is a brilliant ruby-red color. They taste even better than they look too, and are the perfect topping for our Flat Iron Steak Tacos

What is the difference between a Chimichurri and a Salsa Verde?

Both sauces are quite similar, with fresh Parsley and Oregano, Acid, and Olive Oil. What separates Chimichurri from Salsa Verde is Spice and Salt. A Chimichurri contains heat, usually in the form of adding Chilis (such as Jalapenos as in our recipe). Whereas Salsa Verde is typically not spicy, but instead has a saltier flavor to it. Traditionally the saltiness is added by Anchovies or Capers

You can mix and match the sauces for your Flat Iron Steak Tacos, both Chimichurri and Salsa Verde will taste great. You can even make both and see which you prefer

You can use the stalks to make the Chimichurri Sauce

We recommend adding the Stalks of the Parsley and Oregano to the Chimichurri Sauce when blending. Just try to avoid the very thick ones at the root of the plants, as they are typically bitter. However, the smaller stalks that are connected to the leaves are perfectly fine to blitz up. They will add more volume to the sauce and, of course, avoid any wastage – which is always a good thing when cooking these days

Toast the Tortillas right before serving

Finally, this is an optional step but if you have a gas stove or any other open flame when cooking we highly recommend toasting your Tortillas right before serving. Turn the flame onto a medium heat then place the Tortilla directly onto the open flame. Leave it for about 30 seconds, then flip over (use tongs, not your hands please!) and toast the other side for the same duration

What this does is toast the Tortillas to the point that it starts to char and blister slightly. The Tortilla will still be pliable so it can be folded into a Taco. The Charred Tortilla adds so much more flavor to the Flat Iron Steak Tortillas. Makes it feel a bit more authentic too we feel

We recommend having all of your other ingredients ready to go, including the sliced-up pieces of Steak before you toast the Tortillas. Toast them, then place them straight onto the plate for filling. That way you’re getting that beautiful, piping hot Tortilla ready to serve immediately

Flat Iron Steak Tacos Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 ½ lbs. Flat Iron Steak
• 8 Taco Tortillas (Flour or Corn)
• 2 tsp. Smoked Paprika
• 2 tsp. Cumin
• 2 tsp. Coriander Powder
• 2 tsp. Salt
• 1 tsp. Onion Powder
• 1 tsp. Garlic Powder
• 1 tbsp. Olive Oil
• Juice of 1 Lime
  
  

Spicy Chimichurri Sauce Ingredients

• 4 tbsp. Olive Oil
• Juice of 2 Lemons
• 1 Shallot
• 1 Jalapeno, seeds removed
• 4 Garlic Cloves
• 1 cup Fresh Parsley leaves
• ½ cup fresh Oregano (alternatively, use 2 tsp. dried Oregano)
• 2 tsp. Salt
  
  

Pickled Onions Ingredients

• 1 Red Onion, thinly sliced
• Juice of 2 Lemons
• 1 tbsp. Salt
  
  

Instructions

1. Make the Pickled Onions by combining the sliced Onions, Salt, and Lemon Juice into a sealable container. Mix through well, seal and then refrigerate for at least 24 hours (preferably 48 hours) before use
2. To make the marinade for the Steak, combine the Smoked Paprika, Cumin, Coriander Powder, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, Olive Oil, Lime Juice, and Salt into a small bowl. Mix well to combine, then Pour into a Ziploc bag along with your Steak. Seal and massage the marinade into the Steak. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight
3. When ready to cook, remove the Steak from the refrigerator and cook it while cold. This will ensure a dark crust on the outside of the Steak while keeping the inside perfectly medium-rare
4. Heat a large frying pan over high heat. Once hot, add the Steak. Cook for 4 minutes, flip and then cook for a further 3 – 4 minutes until the internal temperature of the Steak is 115F. Remove from heat and let rest
5. While the Steak is resting, make the Spicy Chimichurri Sauce by adding all of the ingredients into a blender. Blitz until smooth (about 2 minutes) then pour into a small bowl for serving. Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary
6. When you are ready to serve, toast the Tortillas directly over an open flame on your stovetop or grill. Char each side and then set aside. Slice the Flat Iron Steak against the grain and place in the Tortillas. Top with Pickled Onions and Spicy Chimichurri. Serve with some Lime Wedges
   
   

Recipe Notes

We remove the Steak from the heat at 115F. It will continue to cook while it rests, so when it is ready to be sliced the internal temperature will be around 125F, perfect medium-rare

When it comes to simply and tasty Mexican food, we think these Flat Iron Steak Tacos are one of the best options you can have in the kitchen. They’re so easy to make and are packed with so much flavor. Why not give them a go and let us know how it went in the comments below?

If you’re fans of Mexican food like us, why not check out some of these other tasty Mexican Dishes:

• Pulled Mexican Chicken
• Mexican Short Ribs
• Homemade Enchilada Sauce
• Air Fryer Chicken Nacho
• Mango Pico de Gallo
• Carne Asada Tacos with Cheese
  
  

Happy Cooking!