Flavorful juicy flank steak tacos are quick and simple to prepare. This recipe comes from the pages of my cookbook (published by Quirk Books) and I am excited to share it with you here on the pages of Healthy Seasonal Recipes.

Allow the easy chipotle marinade to season and tenderize the steak before grilling, then slice thin strips of the steak. When you’re ready to eat, tuck the succulent steak into corn tortillas with cabbage slaw, avocado and your favorite taco toppings for your next taco night. 

two flank steak tacos with toppings in corn tortillas on a black fluted plate

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I’m chef Katie and my superpower is making healthier food taste good, so if you’re new here, welcome to your new favorite website for healthy recipes! This tried and tested recipe is the perfect example of what we do best here at Healthy Seasonal Recipes: create good-for you recipes that taste great with extra veggies and nutrients sprinkled in! Read on to find out how to make this recipe!

Why We Love Grilled and Marinated Flank Steak Tacos

When it comes to grilling, there are steaks you can just slap on the grill, like Grilled Rib Eye or Sirloin, some chewy cuts that destined for kebabs, and there are those like flank steak that really benefit from a good marinade fist. This super-simple chipotle marinade helps to tenderize the beef and adds so much flavor!

To get these delicious tacos on the table all you have to do is whip up the marinade the day before and let the flank steak sit in all of the yumminess overnight to get the best flavor. Then the next day fire up your grill and cook the steak for a few minutes, then slice and serve. If you don’t have a grill, no worries, I have instructions for cooking the steak indoors too.

Try our Tomato Marinated Flank Steak or Grilled Cajun Flank Steak and Chili Marinated Flank Steak and Napa Coleslaw too!

Ingredients For Grilled Flank Steak Tacos

THE STEAK TACOS INGREDIENTS ON A WHITE TABLE WITH TEXT OVERLAY

NOTE: To save time, we let some of the ingredients do double duty: The marinade ingredients are also used in the coleslaw.

  • Flank Steak: The star of these tacos! This is one of my favorite types of beef to grill and hands down the best steak for tacos because it has great flavor and can be sliced super thin. Thin steak is easier to bite through without the tacos falling apart.
  • Maple Syrup: One of the secret ingredients in our flank steak marinade and key to balancing the spicy chiles!
  • Chipotle Chiles: A superpower ingredient adds spicy flavor and smoky taste to make the steak really stand out! Look for canned chipotle in adobo in the Mexican food aisle of large supermarkets.
  • Apple cider vinegar: Adds flavor to the steak and helps to tenderlize the beef. We also use a splash of vingar in the shredded cabbage coleslaw to help bring a tart and refreshing flavor into the mix.
  • Salt: You’ll need salt to season the steak marinade and some will go into the slaw
  • Neutral oil: For oiling the grill and to add to the dressing. I like avocado oil or canola oil because they do not add any extra flavor, but olive oil would be good too.
  • Chopped cabbage: A big part of Healthy Seasonal Recipes mission is to incorporate more veggies into everyday recipes. In these steak tacos, we’ve made cabbage a key ingredient. When dressed with a vinegar dressing, it acts as a crunchy fresh and tangy element to balance the savory grilled beef.
  • Radishes: Radish are a common ingredient in Mexican tacos, so I added them to the slaw. Cut them into matchsticks with a sharp chef’s knife or use a mandoline. Watermelon radish or Daikon are easy julienne cut.
  • Cilantro leaves: For seasoning the slaw and to garnish the tacos
  • Avocado: For topping the tacos
  • Soft corn tortillas: If your family prefers flour tortillas for taco night, look for the smaller taco sized ones. You can also use hard taco shells. No matter what kind you like, just make sure they’re warmed through when the steak is ready to serve.

How To Make Grilled Steak Tacos

Now, before we get into the instructions for this recipe, if you do not have a grill, no worries! There are other options to cook your steak for these tacos. Visit our helpful tips section for broiling or using an indoor grill pan for the flank steak.

the steak in the chipotle marinade in a casserole dish

Step 1: Marinate Flank Steak

Remove 3 chipotle chilis from the can, mince and place in a small bowl. Add 1/4 cup of the maple syrup, 3 tablespoons of the cider vinegar, and 1 teaspoon salt to the bowl and whisk to combine. Place the flank steak in a large casserole dish or Ziplock bag. Pour on the marinade and turn to coat the steak. Cover (or seal the bag) and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours.

the steak on the grill

Step 2: Preheat the grill and cook the steak.

Preheat your charcoal or gas grill to medium-high heat. Remove the flank steak from the marinade and discard any remaining marinade. Oil your grill rack and place the flank steak on the grill. Grill steak, 5 to 7 minutes per side for medium rare, 6 to 7 for medium and 8 minutes per side for medium-well. If you have a reliable digital thermometer the steak should read 135 to 145 degrees F for medium-rare to medium. Let the grilled flank steak rest 10 minutes while preparing the slaw.

the coleslaw

Step 3: Prepare the slaw.

Whisk the remaining maple syrup, vinegar, salt and oil in a medium bowl. Add cabbage, radishes and cilantro and toss to combine.

the mis en place for the steak tacos on a board

Step 4: Slice the steak and serve.

Slice the flank steak into thin strips, across the grain. Fill tortillas with steak and slaw and top with avocado.

To broil flank steak for tacos:

  1. Arrange oven rack in upper third of the oven. Preheat broiler. Coat a broiler pan with cooking spray. Drain steak, pat dry with paper towels and discard marinade. Place steak on the broiler pan.
  2. Broil the beef just below the heat for 3 minutes. Turn the pan 180 degrees and continue cooking until the meat starts to char in areas.
  3. Flip meat over and cook under the heat, rotating once for an additional 4 to 6 minutes. Let meat rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing against the grain.

To cook flank steak on an indoor grill pan:

  1. Make sure your grill pan is wide enough to accommodate the steak. If it isn’t, you can broil it (see above) or pan-sear it in a large skillet. Preheat the grill pan over high heat and set the fume hood on high. Brush oil over the pan.
  2. Remove the steak from the marinade and pat it as dry as possible with clean paper towels. This will help it sear on an indoor grill.
  3. Then place in the pan, and cook until the steak has nice grill marks and easily releases from the pan. This takes about 4-5 minutes on the first side.
  4. Flip over and continue grilling until desired internal temperature (145 F for medium). Remove from the pan, and allow steak to rest on a cutting board for 5-10 minutes before slicing.
four assembled tacos on a sheet of parchment

What Side Dishes Go With Steak Tacos?

What Toppings Are Good For Flank Steak Tacos?

  • Our homemade guacamole or pico de gallo are also excellent taco toppings.
  • Sour cream or Mexican crema are delicious on steak tacos.
  • Our Pickled Onions are wonderful inside grilled steak tacos.
  • While the grill is fired up, make these grilled onions for a side or to add on to the tacos.
  • Creamy cheese like Jack or Pepper Jack are excellent in tacos or a sharp crumbly cheese like Cotija can be added too

Leftovers, Storage and Reheating

  • To me there is no better way to enjoy leftover steak than to make it into a steak salad: Try it by adding the leftover sliced flank steak to our Tomato Salad for a summertime treat.
  • You can keep the leftover tacos, disassembled, in the refrigerator for up to four days. It is best to store the components in separate air-tight containers.
  • Leftover grilled flank steak can be frozen for 2 months.
  • To reheat the flank steak, cut into small pieces and warm in a small non-stick skillet with a little oil or melted butter until warmed through. Serve hot.

Variations To Try

  • Once you try this marinade you’ll realize it is perfect for flank steak for other applications. It would be delicious served sliced and paired with Mango Black Bean Quinoa Salad and Kohlrabi slaw, or in steak lettuce wraps or over a big green salad.
  • If your family doesn’t like spicy food, omit the chipotle chilies and use a much more mild blend of 1 teaspoon each chili powder and cumin in the marinade instead.
  • If the cabbage slaw doesn’t appeal to you, use chopped tomatoes and shredded lettuce instead.

Chef Katie’s Expert Tips and FAQs

Is skirt steak or flank steak better for tacos?

Flank steak is leaner and has an intense meaty flavor making it perfect for tacos. Skirt steak also has good flavor, but tends to more chewy and less tender than flank.

How do you cut steak for tacos?

It is important to cut steak against the grain. Cutting across these fibers shortens them and makes the beef slices easier to chew. The grain is the direction that the muscle fibers run. In the case of a flank, which is long and skinny, they run the longer length of the flank (from end to end.) Cut across the flank from side to side. If you want smaller pieces of steak cut the flank lengthwise once, then crosswise into strips.

Why is my steak tough?

Flank steak is best cooked to medium rare and cut thinly across the grain. It is very important to let the steak rest for 10 minutes to allow the meat to relax, or all the juice will run out as you cut it. It is also important to cut the flank steak across the grain with a very sharp carving knife.

three of the steak tacos on corn tortillas with pickled onions

More Recipes To Try

  • Cod Fish Tacos are a great change of pace for Taco Tuesday! 
  • Try these Healthy Turkey Tacos made with ground turkey in place of beef.
  • These Shrimp Tacos are super flavorful and fast!
  • Try making Beef Barbacoa in your Instant pot or slow cooker and use it to make tacos. 
  • If you’re short on time these Chicken Tacos are ready in only 20 minutes! 
  • if you’ve been trying to make more plant-based recipes part of your menu and you’re looking for a Veggie Taco recipe, this is the one to try! 
  • These easy Steak Fajitas are “amazing” “delicious” and “scrumptious!” And they’re ready in 35 minutes flat! 
  • This Thai Skirt Steak is marinated with lime, coconut and has tons of flavor!

At Healthy Seasonal Recipes, we specialize in cooking with fresh veggies and creating weeknight meals. Sign up HERE to get more produce-forward dinner ideas for FREE! If you make this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review. I would love to hear what you thought! Happy Cooking! ~Katie

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the steak tacos on a black plate with lime wedges and pickled onions

Grilled Marinated Flank Steak Tacos

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5 from 6 reviews

  • Author: Katie Webster
  • Total Time: 12 hours 45 minutes
  • Yield: 6 servings 1x
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Description

Flavorful juicy flank steak tacos are quick and simple to prepare. Allow the easy chipotle marinade to season and tenderize the steak before grilling, then slice and tuck the succulent steak into corn tortillas with cabbage slaw and avocados for your next taco night. 

Ingredients

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

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 steak, 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 (see tip below). Fill tortillas with steak and slaw and top with avocado.

Notes

How To Slice The Flank Steak:

It is important to cut steak against the grain. The grain is the direction that the muscle fibers run. Cutting across these fibers shortens them and makes the beef slices more tender and easier to chew.

To broil flank steak for tacos:

Arrange oven rack in upper third of the oven. Preheat broiler. Coat a broiler pan with cooking spray. Drain steak, pat dry with paper towels and discard marinade. Place steak on the broiler pan.

Broil the beef just below the heat for 3 minutes. Turn the pan 180 degrees and continue cooking until the meat starts to char in areas.

Flip meat over and cook under the heat, rotating once for an additional 4 to 6 minutes. Let meat rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing against the grain.

To cook flank steak on an indoor grill pan:

Make sure your grill pan is wide enough to accommodate the steak. If it isn’t you can broil it (see above) or pan-sear it in a large skillet. Preheat the grill pan over high heat and set the fume hood on high. Brush oil over the pan.

Remove the steak from the marinade and pat it as dry as possible with clean paper towels. This will help it sear on an indoor grill.

Then place in the pan, and cook until the steak has nice grill marks and easily releases from the pan. This takes about 4-5 minutes on the first side.

Flip over and continue grilling until desired internal temperature (145 F for medium-rare). Remove from the pan, and allow steak to rest on a cutting board for 5-10 minutes before slicing.

  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Category: Main Course
  • Method: Grilling
  • Cuisine: American

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

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