Flat iron steak is an inexpensive but totally flavorful cut of meat, especially when marinated in a citrus adobo sauce to make my favorite grilled steak tacos.
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“I made this tonight with a flank steak and it was delicious! I couldn’t believe how good the flavor was after only marinating for 5 hours. Thank you for sharing the recipe!” –Kiana, FoodieCrush reader
These Tacos Are an Easy Make-Ahead Meal for Weeknights and Entertaining
Whether it’s 10 people or just two, having people over for a weekend meal doesn’t have to put the host into a stress-induced coma. The trick is to serve a popular main (with a twist) that can be prepped ahead and have your guests put their hands to work.
That’s where these flat iron steak tacos come in. I’ve made them a bunch of times and that’s how I knew they’d be the perfect dish for my Smudge’s birthday celebration with the family. They’re always pretty relaxed affairs, but my goal this time was to have EVERYTHING done ahead of time so I could sit back and actually have fun. I’m always jealous of my sister-in-law Ginni who makes this happen when we head to her house.
And guess what? Smudge may have gotten all the presents, but success was mine.
Enjoy!
Ingredients for the Marinade and Tacos
The full recipe, with amounts, can be found in the recipe card below.
- Steak — Everyone loves steak. It sounds so luxe. But feeding steak to a crowd is a $pendy proposition. However, the flat iron is a very affordable cut and totally delicious, especially after a relaxing dip in an acidic marinade. Flat iron is akin to flank steak, but has a bit more fat, hence the lower price tag and the more delicious bite.
- Carne asada-style marinade — Consider this my take on the classic carne asada marinade. It’s made with basic ingredients like freshly squeezed orange juice, garlic, chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, and fresh cilantro. To season the marinade, I used ground cumin, cinnamon, and kosher salt.
- Tortillas — I prefer street tacos served on lightly charred white corn tortillas, but you can use any tortillas you’ve got on hand.
- Toppings of choice — I’ve given a full list of topping ideas below, but avocado, tomato, onion, and cilantro are particularly good here.
How to Make Grilled Steak Tacos
- Marinate the steak. Normally I marinate the meat overnight or at least all day for max flavor. But I’ve made these even with just 1 hour of marinade time and they turned out just as smoky and adobo flavored. Take note for your own timetable.
- Grill over high heat. My trick is to preheat the grill to high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-high just before adding my steaks. This creates an extra gorgeous sear without overcooking the meat. In total, the flat iron steak will need to cook for 5ish minutes per side, depending on how thick they are and how done you like your meat.
- Rest before slicing. Loosely tent the steak with foil and give it 5 to 10 minutes to rest. This lets the juices time to redistribute and makes for a more tender bite.
- Assemble your tacos. After toasting the tortillas on the grill, pile them high with thinly shaved steak and your choice of toppings.
Our Go-To Steak Taco Toppings
You can pile whatever toppings you want onto these tacos. But our favorite toppings include:
- Sliced avocado or chunky guacamole
- Blender salsa or pico de gallo
- Chopped or pickled onions
- Tomatoes
- Cilantro
- Queso fresco
- Grilled limes
- Fresh or pickled jalapeños
- Shredded cheese
- Sour cream
Sides to Make This a Meal
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below, leave a comment to tell us what you think, and tag me on Instagram @foodiecrush.
Grilled Steak Taco Recipe
Ingredients
For the Marinade:
- 1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
- 2 cloves garlic , peeled
- 2 chipotle peppers plus 2 tablespoons adobo sauce from the can
- ½ cup cilantro leaves and stems
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
For the Tacos:
- 1 ½ pounds flat iron steak
- Corn tortillas , lightly toasted on the grill
- Sliced avocado , for topping
- Chopped tomato , for topping
- Chopped onion , for topping
- Chopped cilantro leaves , for topping
Instructions
- Make the marinade. Add the orange juice, garlic cloves, chipotle peppers and adobo sauce, cilantro, cumin, cinnamon and kosher salt into a blender. Puree until smooth.1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice, 2 cloves garlic, 2 chipotle peppers plus 2 tablespoons adobo sauce from the can, ½ cup cilantro leaves and stems, 1 tablespoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Marinate the steak. Poke holes in the steak with a large knife, taking care to make the holes with the grain. Add the steak to a gallon size freezer bag along with the marinade. Seal the bag and refrigerate for 1 hour (up to overnight).1 ½ pounds flat iron steak
- Let the steak come to room temperature before grilling. This will take 15 to 20 minutes. Meanwhile, oil the grill grates with grapeseed oil and preheat it on high heat.
- Grill the steak. Just before adding the steaks, reduce the heat to medium-high. Add the steaks and grill for 5 to 10 minutes on each side, or until cooked to desired doneness.
- Rest. Allow the steak to rest on a platter, covered with foil, for 10 minutes before cutting.
- Toast the tortillas, then assemble. Warm the tortillas over a gas flame or on the grill. Assemble the tacos with sliced avocado, chopped onion, tomatoes, cilantro, queso fresco, and a squeeze of grilled limes or sliced jalapeño if you like.Corn tortillas, Sliced avocado, Chopped tomato, Chopped onion, Chopped cilantro leaves
Nutrition
More Easy Taco Recipes to Make
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Sue
Made this yummy recipe today ! My only question is the steak was too chewy. Flavor was amazing. Marinated since 9am yesterday ??!! Any suggestions ? Will make this again for sure
Kiana
I made this tonight with a flank steak and it was delicious! I couldn’t believe how good the flavor was after only marinating for 5 hours. Thank you for sharing the recipe!
Lori
I tried the marinade recipe. Super easy and smelled great. But no one was in love with it, including me. We all agreed it does not have an authentic Mexican flavor. I chose this recipe because most Mexican marinades call for lime juice, which I didn’t have. Yours… Orange juice. Fantastic, I have an orange tree. Orange juice made it taste sweet, not tangy like lime juice. I thought the cinnamon was unusual but what the heck its just a small amount. The cinnamon was obvious and distracting from Mexican meat. Sorry, but I had to promise never to make it again.
Nora
Heidy felicidades! Tu menú de cumpleaños sí que es autentica comida mexicana!
Hugs
Marjorie Holste
Made the steak tacos tonight, unfortunately the flat iron steak I bought was tasteless even after eight hours in the marinade. I usually use ribeye for my steak tacos and think I will stick with that. Your pictures are beautiful, and I’m sure you have a better meat store than I do:-)
Jason
What a beautiful plate. So many colors. Those tortillas look perfectly cooked too. There’s just nothing like a perfectly charred tortilla when it comes to tacos. Great pictures too.
JulieD
Beautiful! Happy birthday to your daughter! :D
And these steak tacos!! Swoon!
Maggie
Your daughter is such a doll. Looks like a wonderful Birhtday party…..being the juvenile that I am, I had to laugh at your dog sniffing butt picture:)
Kathleen Levin
BEAUTIFUL FAMILY! ❤️ Thany You so much for sharing Smudge’s Birthday Bash! A Big Happy Birthday to her! I’m drooling over the dinner you served! ❤️. Delish!!! ❤️ I can’t wait to cook this meal! As soon as my kitchen if finished being remodeled….it’s on! ❤️
Laura (Tutti Dolci)
Steak tacos are the best, these look killer!
marcia woolman
What kind/brand of tortillas did you use?
Hi Marcia, my favorite are white corn tortillas made locally by a company called Don Julio.
Becky Winkler (A Calculated Whisk)
What a fun party!! That marinade sounds amazing.
I love having guests put things together themselves. My fiancé and I recently had a joint birthday party with make your own ice cream sandwiches, which was a huge hit :).
Liz @ Floating Kitchen
Love this post and all the party pics! Happy Birthday to your beautiful girl! And thanks for the watermelon love. XO
Alice @ Hip Foodie Mom
Awh, loved this post, Heidi. . Happy birthday to your beautiful Smudge!