We have yet to meet a taco we didn’t love. But the key to the best flank steak tacos is the marinade and then a hot grill for great flavor. Pair with grilled onions and peppers in soft tortillas to take Taco Tuesday—or any day, up a notch!
Flank steak is one of those cuts of beef that loves a marinade and hot and fast cook over a grill. And when it comes to steak taco recipes, it doesn’t get more classic than thinly sliced grilled steak folded into warmed tortillas. We could stop there and be happy, but add your favorite taco toppings, and taco night – or any night – gets better.
Flank is a tough, lean cut from the flanken area of the animal, behind the belly. It’s got long muscle fibers that run the length of the steak. It’s a great choice for easy steak tacos, roulades, and healthy eating, over salads. But, paired with a flame kiss from charcoal, or any outdoor grill and shaved into thin slices may be our favorite way to dish up this steak cut.
Ingredients for Flank Steak TacosFor the Flank Steak Tacos
- Flank steak – this cut is common in most markets, but if you can’t find it near you, see our substitution note below or check out our trusted places to buy meat online for where we order ours.
- Flank steak marinade – our marinade ingredients has fresh lime juice and ground cumin to amp up the flavor.
- Olive oil – or your favorite neutral cooking oil
- Peppers – we use red and green bell peppers. When in season, poblanos are also a great addition for a richer taste.
- Onions – white onions or red onion are great for grilling
- Salt and pepper– always use kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Corn tortillas or flour tortillas
Taco Toppings:
- Fresh Lime Wedges
- Cotija Cheese
- Pico de gallo
- Fresh cilantro
- Sliced jalapeno or hot sauce
How to Make the Best Steak Tacos
Prep & marinate the steak
- Start by removing your steak from the package and patting it dry with paper towels. Trim the meat if needed of any stray pieces of fat hanging off.
- Then marinate the flank steak for 6 to 12 hours in the flank steak marinade. You can marinate the steak ahead of time for an easy weeknight dinner when you get home from work.
- When ready to cook, prep the grill for indirect heat by building a 2-zone fire. Do this by lighting charcoal in a charcoal chimney. When it’s 70% ashed over, carefully pour the charcoal into a pile on one side of the grill. Cover with the grate and lid and adjust the airflow as needed to get the grill to around 400 degrees F. Let the grill heat up.
- Meanwhile, remove the steak from the marinade and pat dry.
- Toss the peppers and onions in oil and season with a light sprinkle of salt and pepper.
Grill the flank steak tacos
- When the grill is hot, arrange the flank steak on the hot side of the grill. Due to the thickness of this cut, it will take a few minutes to cook; stand by with long tongs and rotate the steak as needed to avoid flare-ups.
- After about 7 minutes, when the steak has a good sear from edge to edge, flip the steak and continue to cook until it reaches an internal temperature of 130 degrees F for medium rare. Use an instant-read thermometer to check the temperature of the meat at it’s the thickest point.
- Place the grilled flank steak on a clean baking sheet and tent it with aluminum foil to rest.
- While the steak rests, grill the peppers and onions, rotating from the cooler to the hot side of the grill to avoid burning them. Add the tortillas and work in a rotation as well from the cooler to the hot side to soften them and add a bit of golden brown color. Wrap the tortillas in foil to keep them warm for serving, and add the veggies to the platter with the steak.
- On a clean cutting board, slice the tender flank steak into thin strips against the grain. Then chop the flank steak into bite-sized pieces. Roughly chop the grilled onions and peppers too for these easy flank steak tacos.
- Arrange all of your favorite toppings and let everyone build their tacos (or make this recipe for taco salads) and enjoy.
