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Mexican Street Tacos - Easy, quick, authentic carne asada street tacos you can make right at home! Top with onion, cilantro and lime juice!

Make authentic Mexican street tacos at home with tender carne asada, fresh tortillas, and classic toppings like onion, cilantro, and lime juice. These street tacos are a quick and easy Mexican tacos recipe, made with juicy carne asada steak tacos cooked in minutes. Easy, quick, authentic carne asada street tacos you can make right at home! Top with onion, cilantro, and lime juice for the perfect bite.

Mexican street tacos recipe with carne asada steak, onion, cilantro, and lime on warm tortillas

Featured Comment

I just discovered your recipe this month. I’ve made and eaten many a taco growing up in Southern California and crossing the border for street tacos. Yours are fabulous! My husband grilled the skirt steak, and as we devoured the tacos with our requisite corn tortillas, we couldn’t stop raving about them! I didn’t want him to take the leftovers for lunch the next day! We’re having them again tonight. Can’t wait! Thank you so much for the recipe!
Peggy
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Now that I’ve moved to the brisk, cold winter of Chicago, I can’t stop thinking about the taco trucks in Los Angeles serving authentic Mexican street tacos packed with carne asada, onion, cilantro, and lime. But until I can get back to sunny California, here is my rendition of my favorite street tacos that I miss so dearly. It’s a super quick recipe using a simple marinade for your skirt steak. It just needs 1 hour of marinating before you throw it onto a hot skillet. From there, you can top off your tacos with diced onion, cilantro and freshly squeezed lime juice. Simple, easy and just perfect.

Why You’ll Love This Mexican Street Tacos Recipe

  • Make-ahead recipe. This is an easy peasy one skillet dinner with a simple 1 to 4 hour marinade, great for prepping ahead of time for those busy weeknights.
  • Favorited street tacos. Mexican street tacos are a crowd-favorite for the entire family, and now you can easily make these tacos right at home with easy-to-find ingredients and pantry staples. No fancy equipment or specialty ingredients needed here!
  • Freezer-friendly. The carne asada meat can easily be frozen, great for batch cooking, meal prep or saving leftovers. This makes it even easier to whip up tacos using fresh tortilla and your favorite toppings, great for Taco Tuesdays!

What Are Mexican Street Tacos

A Mexican street taco is a small taco on a corn tortilla with meats like carne asada, carnitas, or al pastor. They’re part of Mexico’s street food culture and are usually sold from carts or taco trucks, topped simply with onion, cilantro, and lime. Onion, cilantro and cotija cheese are classic street taco toppings.

Carne asada steak cooking in cast iron skillet for Mexican street tacos

Tips for Perfect Mexican Street Tacos Every Time

  • Use a cast iron skillet. Use a cast iron skillet, the same tool used in many Mexico street food stalls. Cast iron skillets retain heat much better than nonstick pans, giving your carne asada that authentic sear for Mexican tacos.
  • Use flour or corn tortillas. Mexican street tacos are traditionally made with corn tortillas but small flour or corn tortillas can be used depending on personal preference.
  • Double up the tortilla. Street tacos are typically served on two tortillas, known as la copia or “the copy”. This practice helps keep the filling together, and if the first tortilla breaks, the back up tortilla can be used for the rest of the filling.
  • Serve with your favorite toppings. Serve with diced onion, cilantro, cotija cheese, salsa verde, guacamole, or salsa. Cotija cheese is a classic Mexican ingredient that adds salty, authentic flavor to any street taco recipe.
  • Freeze as needed. Label, date and freeze up to 2 months.
  • Slice for tenderness. For the best steak tacos recipe, slice the carne asada thinly against the grain so every bite stays tender.

Corn vs Flour Tortillas for Street Tacos

Corn tortillas are the base of authentic Mexican street tacos. They add bold flavor and hold toppings like onion, cilantro, and lime. Flour tortillas are softer and work well for hearty steak tacos recipes. Both options can be used for carne asada tacos, so the choice depends on your taste.

Key differences:

  • Corn tortillas – classic for authentic Mexican street tacos, strong flavor, and traditional style.
  • Flour tortillas – soft, flexible, and perfect for steak tacos recipes or larger fillings.
  • Both are great – work with carne asada tacos and other street tacos recipes depending on preference.

Street Tacos vs American Tacos

Traditional street tacos keep it simple. Small corn tortillas, juicy carne asada, and just a little onion, cilantro, and lime. American tacos go bigger with flour tortillas, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and sour cream.

The main difference is balance:

  • Street tacos bring out the flavor of the meat.
  • American tacos put the focus on the toppings.

If you’re craving authentic Mexican street tacos, go with simple. If you want something heavy and loaded, the American version is your pick.

Street tacos served with onion, cilantro, and lime on corn tortillas

Best Sides to Serve with Mexican Street Tacos

These sides are inspired by Mexico’s street food culture and taste just like what you’d find at taco trucks in Los Angeles.

Tools For This Recipe

You don’t need much to make authentic Mexican street tacos at home, but a few tools will make the job easier:

  • Cast iron skillet – perfect for searing carne asada for steak tacos and locking in flavor.
  • Sharp knife – helps slice the beef thin for tender carne asada tacos.
  • Tongs – easy for flipping steak and warming tortillas.
  • Cutting board – for prepping onion, cilantro, and lime.
  • Mixing bowl or bag – to marinate the beef for your street taco recipe.

Large cast iron skillet

Mexican Street Tacos: Frequently Asked Questions

How do you make Mexican street tacos at home? Just marinate, cook, and serve in tortillas with toppings.

Can I use a different cut of meat?

Skirt steak, flank steak or sirloin steak are all great options.

Can I make this with chicken?

Yes! We have a recipe for that here.

How can I store leftovers?

Leftover steak can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.

Are carne asada tacos freezer-friendly?

Yes! The leftover steak, prior to assembling in tacos, will freeze beautifully. Let cool completely; portion into plastic freezer bags in individual servings, squeezing out any excess air before sealing. Lay the bags flat in a single layer in the freezer (this will help them freeze quickly). To reheat, thaw overnight in the fridge, reheating over low heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through.

What cut of beef is best for Mexican street tacos?

Skirt steak is the best beef for Mexican street tacos, with flank steak also working well for authentic flavor and tenderness.

Are Mexican street tacos served with cheese?

Authentic Mexican street tacos are usually served with onion, cilantro, salsa, and lime. Cheese can be added, but it is not traditional.

How do I make Mexican street tacos ahead of time?

To make Mexican street tacos ahead, marinate the beef overnight and cook just before serving. Store cooked carne asada up to 3 days or freeze for later.

What toppings go on Mexican street tacos?

Classic Mexican street taco toppings include diced onion, fresh cilantro, lime juice, salsa, and sometimes cotija cheese.

What’s the difference between carne asada tacos and street tacos?

Carne asada tacos are a type of Mexican street tacos, made with grilled or skillet-seared beef. Authentic tacos can also feature other meats like carnitas, al pastor, or chicken.

What makes Mexican street tacos authentic

Authentic street tacos use small fresh corn tortillas (often doubled), simply seasoned meats like al pastor, carnitas, suadero, or carne asada, minimal toppings of diced white onion and cilantro with lime, and house-made salsas, cooked on a hot comal or grill.

Street tacos served with onion, cilantro, and lime on corn tortillas

Mexican Street Tacos

Yield: 6 servings
Prep: 1 hour 15 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Total: 1 hour 30 minutes
Easy, quick, authentic carne asada street tacos you can make right at home! Top with onion, cilantro and lime juice!
4.9 stars (398 ratings)
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Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
  • 2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 teaspoons chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 ½ pounds skirt steak, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 12 mini flour tortillas, warmed
  • ¾ cup diced red onion
  • ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
  • 1 lime, cut into wedges

Equipment

Instructions

  • In a medium bowl, combine soy sauce, lime juice, 1 tablespoon canola oil, garlic, chili powder, cumin and oregano.
  • In a gallon size Ziploc bag or large bowl, combine soy sauce mixture and steak; marinate for at least 1 hour up to 4 hours, turning the bag occasionally.
  • Heat remaining 1 tablespoon canola oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Add steak and marinade, and cook, stirring often, until steak has browned and marinade has reduced, about 5-6 minutes, or until desired doneness.
  • Serve steak in tortillas, topped with onion, cilantro and lime.

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