Name: Grilled Steak Street Tacos
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 14 min
Total time: 24 min
Ingredients: 1 pound flank steak or skirt steak (top sirlion steak also works); Kosher salt (to taste); 1 tablespoon taco seasoning (click link for recipe) (or steak seasoning); 8 street taco tortillas; 1 white onion (chopped); 1/2 bunch cilantro (chopped); Cotija cheese (to taste)

Grilled Steak Street Tacos are bursting with flavor. Tender steak combined with simple ingredients wrapped in corn or flour tortillas. Taco Tuesday can’t come soon enough!

Jump to Recipe

Three street tacos made with grilled steak folded on a tray

What are Street Tacos?

The main difference between street tacos and regular tacos is the SIZE. Street tacos are a bit smaller than regular tacos. You are supposed to be able to easily hold one in your hand and eat it on the go, thus the name “street tacos”. They are versatile and can be made MANY different ways with MANY different fillings.

Three street tacos next to a plate of cut steak

Ingredients in Street Tacos

Meat: Typically, steak street tacos are made with flank steak or skirt steak. You can also use top sirloin. In addition to tender grilled steak, you could switch out the meat to just about anything! boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts, pulled pork, leftover roast beef, tilapia, even ground beef!
Cheese: In this street taco recipe we call for Cotija cheese, which is basically a Mexican Feta cheese. If you can’t find Cotija, you can use feta, shredded cheddar or whatever you have on hand.
Toppings: The possibilities are endless when it comes to toppings. See the list below for a list of our favorites!
Sauce: What I love most about street tacos is their simplicity. More often than not, they are made with only a few simple ingredients and maybe a simple sauce. Most of the street tacos I have had don’t even have a sauce or salsa on them. For this recipe, there is so much flavor, extra toppings or sauces just aren’t needed. Of course you can add them if you really want to (just please don’t put ketchup on them… talking to you, Dad)

A cutting board with cut grilled steak, limes, shredded cabbage, tomatoes, onion, cheese, and tortillas.

Method

Remove the steak from the fridge and bring to room temperature.
Stir together the salt and other seasonings in a bowl. Then, rub the steak on both sides with the spice mixture.
Grill over medium high heat, only flipping once. For steak cooked medium, cook until internal temperature reaches 155 degrees. Remove from the grill and let sit 5 minutes for internal temperature to reach 160 degrees.
Cut the steak into small bite sized pieces and place on tortilla shells. Top with desired toppings.
Enjoy your new favorite taco recipe!

Street Taco Toppings

There can be thousands of combinations of toppings for street tacos. Especially if you start getting into “fusion” tacos. Here are some toppings we recommend for more “traditional-style” tacos:

shredded lettuce or cabbage
chopped onion
shredded or crumbled cheese
pico de gallo
diced tomatoes
fresh cilantro
grilled corn or the corn from our Mexican “street corn” cups
sautéed peppers
sliced jalapeno pepper
sour cream
hot sauce
diced avocados
thinly sliced red onion
guacamole
lime juice

A close up of a street taco that has slightly been folded and placed next to tomatoes, onions, and lime wedges

The Tortillas

The toughest thing to find at the store for street tacos is the tortillas. I have seen Mission brand street taco-size flour tortilla shells at my grocery store. They are so cute and tiny! If you aren’t able to find actual street-taco tortillas, that is totally okay. Just get the smallest tortilla shells you can find. If you are really wanting to get the SMALL size but can’t find them at your grocery store you can get large tortillas and cut them into smaller tortillas using a large cookie cutter.

Technically there is no actual size requirement when it comes to street tacos, you just have to be able to eat them easily with one hand. Now for the TYPE of tortillas…corn or flour? It’s up to you. Personally, I prefer corn tortillas to flour, but either kind works. Give these little guys a try. You will not be disappointed!

Make Your Own Flour Tortillas

Flour tortillas are the starting point of so many popular Mexican-inspired meals – enchiladas, burritos, tacos, quesadillas and more. Up your taco night game by swapping your regular store-bought flour tortillas for these delicious homemade ones. Sure it takes a little more time, but the resulting taste is well worth it!

When you’re making tortillas, remember to only make what you plan to use. This is not the kind of recipe that you can make it bulk and use for weeks. Most of the time, tortillas tend to get a little stale after a few days.

While the most authentic Mexican tortillas are often made with lard, this recipe uses shortening, which can sometimes be easier to find. However, if you are averse to the idea of using shortening or lard, you can swap butter for shortening in most recipes. One reader suggested trying coconut oil if you’re looking for a healthier alternative. If you try any of these substitutions, let us know in the comments how your tortillas turned out.

Top view of a taco made with steak, shredded cabbage, cilantro, and cheese.

Make Your Own Taco Seasoning

We love to make our own taco seasoning, and you can find our recipe HERE. Not only is making your own mix less expensive than buying the pre-made mixes at the grocery store, it tastes better too. Plus, since you are the one making it, you know exactly what the ingredients in it are. Our recipe for homemade taco seasoning is super simple, and you probably already have most of the ingredients in your pantry already. You’ll need dried minced onion (or onion powder), salt, paprika, cumin, oregano, black pepper, and crushed red pepper (sometimes I throw in some garlic and cayenne pepper for a little more spice). Our recipe makes ½ cup of seasoning, and you only need 1-2 tablespoon per pound of meat. It will last up to a year on the shelf if stored in an airtight container.

How to Make Carne Asada Street Tacos

If you want to take this recipe up a notch, try using our Grilled Carne Asada for street tacos. One of the secrets to this delicious carne asada recipe, is the marinade. Made with jalapeños, garlic, cilantro, soy sauce, vinegar and more, there is so much flavor in this marinade! The process of soaking meat enhances the flavor of the meat. Generally marinades use an acid — like vinegar or citrus juice — to change the surface texture. You can marinade all kinds of meats, but in the case of this Mexican dish, having the marinade on beef turns it from a regular meat into a over-the-top flavorful meal. Letting the beef marinate means planning ahead a little for your meal, but I promise it is worth it!

More Tasty Taco Recipes

Turn ordinary taco night into an extraordinary feast with these delicious taco recipes:

Chipotles Crispy Chicken Tacos in a foil bowl. — Chipotle’s Crispy Chicken Tacos

Grilled Mahi Mahi Fish Tacos on a plate with condiments on the side — Chipotle’s Crispy Chicken Tacos

Chipotle’s Crispy Chicken Tacos: If you like Chipotle, you are going to LOVE these chicken tacos. They taste just like Chipotle’s chicken tacos!
Grilled Mahi Mahi Tacos: These Mahi Mahi tacos are everything you could ever want in a fish taco. Skip the fried fish tacos and give these a try! You won’t be disappointed!
Chicken Lime Tacos: The zesty lime flavor in these tacos are out of this world! You are going to love them!
Easy Shrimp Tacos: These shrimp tacos are some of the easiest tacos you will every make. They only take minutes to prepare and they are AMAZING!
Kalua Pork Tacos with Mango Salsa: If you are a fan of sweet and savory, these tacos are for you. Such a bright, island-y flavor.

Make it a Meal

To turn these street tacos into a full Mexican dinner, add one or more of these sides and dinner is done!