maple chipotle flank steak tacos

You guys, you HAVE to try this recipe for maple chipotle flank steak tacos! Today a few friends and I are talking all about pure maple syrup recipe. Plus what actually happens inside the sugar maple trees to make the sap run.

I don’t want to sound like a broken record, but this spring is really starting to annoy me. And that’s putting it nicely. We normally would be waist deep in sap by this time in March. You can read about our backyard maple sugaring adventures here and what I like to cook for the friends who come to help here.

But instead we have had record breaking cold temps and our trees haven’t been able to do their thing here. (See more about how they do their thing in the blue box below.) There has been some sugaring here in Vermont, but we live in the foothills of the Green Mountains, at about 1,000 ft. altitude, so it is just cold enough here that we haven’t had a run yet.

What Causes Sap To Flow In Maple Trees

Here’s what actually happens inside the sugar maple trees to make the sap run, and why the conditions have to be just so for a run to happen. It starts off when the temps start to dip down for the winter. That’s when the sugar maples flush the water content out of its tiny twigs and branches to protect them from freezing solid and therefore be at risk for damage in the bitter cold temps. The tree produces sucrose to replace it. The sucrose won’t freeze, so the maple tree is protected.

Then in the spring when the days get up above freezing, but it is still cold at night, the ground starts to thaw and the tree will take up water from its roots again to flush out the sucrose. We tap into that flow and draw off the sucrose water. It’s really dilute compared to maple syrup. It actually takes about 40 or 50 gallons of sap to boil down to one gallon of syrup, depending on the sugar content of the sap itself. 

The worst part is that, this year we upgraded our system, note I’m use the word “system” lightly, see above^^^, to double the number of taps and we even got a mini evaporator from Craig’s List.

So my husband is all excited about the new rig and he hasn’t even gotten a chance to use it yet. He is beyond excited that it is supposed to be warm enough today for a run so he’s taking the afternoon off so he can get going! Fingers crossed that it will run.

And below my taco recipe you’ll find even more recipes with pure maple syrup from all over the blogosphere. Bloggers, if you have a pure maple recipe you’d like to link in, the link-up is open until Sunday, March 30th at 4:00 PM EST. And tweet it out with the hashtag #maplelinkparty .

Now on to this recipe.

Just make the marinade, let the flank steak marinate overnight for best flavor. Then grill it, and serve it in tacos with this Mexican Coleslaw recipe and some Slow Cooker Pinto Beans for a complete Mexican feast!! It is naturally gluten free and a smoky sweet and tangy mapley celebration in your mouth. 

Thanks so much for reading! Let me know if you make these tacos by leaving a comment and star rating below! 

Happy Cooking!

~Katie

maple chipotle flank steak tacos

• Author: Katie Webster
• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Total Time: 12 hours 45 minutes
• Yield: 6 servings 1x
• Category: Main Course
• Method: Grilling
• Cuisine: American

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Description

Yummy gluten-free soft tacos made with maple chipotle marinated flank steak with zippy coleslaw and avocado tucked inside warm corn tortillas

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Ingredients

• 3 chipotle chilis in adobo sauce, minced
• ¼ cup plus 2 teaspoons pure maple syrup, dark or amber
• 5 tablespoons cider vinegar, divided
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt, divided
• 1 small grass-fed flank steak, about 1 ½ pounds
• 2 teaspoons canola oil
• 3 cups finely chopped cabbage
• ½ cup julienne-cut radishes
• 1/4 cup roughly chopped cilantro leaves
• 1 avocado, diced
• 12 corn tortillas, warmed

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Instructions

1. Whisk chipotle, ¼ cup maple syrup, 3 tablespoons vinegar and 1 teaspoon salt in a small bowl. Place flank steak in a large re-sealable plastic bag, and add chipotle mixture. Re-seal and turn to coat. Refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours.
2. Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Remove steak from the marinade and discard any remaining marinade. Oil grill rack and add flank steak. Grill steaks, 5 to 7 minutes per side for medium rare, 6 to 7 for medium and 8 minutes per side for medium-well. Let rest 10 minutes while preparing slaw.
3. Whisk the remaining 2 teaspoons maple syrup, the remaining 2 tablespoons vinegar, the remaining ½ teaspoon salt and oil in a medium bowl. Add cabbage, radishes and cilantro and toss to combine.
4. Slice the flank steak into thin strips, across the grain. Fill tortillas with steak and slaw and top with avocado.

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Nutrition

• Serving Size: 2 tacos
• Calories: 322
• Sugar: 14 g
• Sodium: 459 mg
• Fat: 11 g
• Saturated Fat: 1 g
• Carbohydrates: 36 g
• Fiber: 6 g
• Protein: 19 g