Easy Mexican Street Taco Recipe

Easy street taco recipe with chuck roast or cast iron flank steak. Great with leftovers too! Marinated beef inside tortillas with your favorite salsa. Perfect high protein Mexican dinner for taco Tuesday that is a cheap meal for your family.

What makes a street taco?

Usually diced meat grilled with onions and a sauce. If you wanted to make Instant Pot Birria Tacos with Consommé which will give it a huge punch of flavor and spice you could follow these directions. With a more tender texture than on a grill or fried like below it is a great way to make a larger batch under high pressure.

And this is How to Make Air Fryer Tacos if you would rather use that machine instead of your stovetop. We will go over two other ways below too. Depending on what is clean, how much time I have and my mood I will switch it up here and there.

How to Make Street Tacos

A third way to cook the protein to make these would be to follow our Skirt Steak in Oven, rest while you are making or prepping your shells, and slice against the grain.

The last and final way of making these is to follow our Carne Asada Crock Pot Tacos. If you are into low and slow with little to no prep on your part I would go with this method. Great for large parties where it can be kept warm for hours, people can serve for lunch and then dinner again.

• Thinly sliced strips of beef or make chicken street tacos if you prefer
• Marinade ingredients
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Lime or orange juice for a citrus bang
• Soy sauce
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/3 tsp granulated garlic
• 1/3 tsp pepper
• chili powder or dry Sriracha is optional for heat
• Toppings
• Warm tortillas
• Cotija cheese
• Chopped cilantro
• Diced onions
• Sliced avocados
• Queso fresco or Cilantro Lime Sauce for Tacos is yummy too

What are street taco tortillas made of?

If you want to start from scratch this is How to Make Masa to cook on a grill top and toss until both sides are browned but still soft and pliable.

Now we are using beef or steak specifically to make these because that is traditionally what is cooked. You could certainly switch this up with different proteins. Cow Tongue Tacos is popular in Mexico and is fun to try something new sometimes right?

Leftover Steak Street Tacos

I have seen these made as a hot Chorizo Taco Recipe too. That would be a ground pork version vs. beef which may be preferred, cheaper than any other protein really and already has tons of flavor mixed in so there is no need to marinate or add a dry rub to the outsides really.

• In a bag, mix lime juice, soy sauce, olive oil, salt and spices.
• Place the steak in the bag and let it marinate for 15-20 minutes.
• After 20 minutes, dry the steak and cut it into small strips or cubes.
• Fry the beef over medium heat for 7-8 minutes, stirring.
• Then transfer to a plate.
• You can add 1 tbsp butter to the pan and fry the corn tortillas for 1 minute on each side over medium heat.
  • if making Beef Shank with Bone for this you will want to shred meat off the bone at this time
• Place beef, diced avocado, red onion and chopped cilantro inside soft tortillas.
• Sprinkle with additional lime juice and serve. If desired, you can also add tomatoes, corn salsa, and cheese.

The outsides are usually pan fried small corn tortillas so they are still soft but with a bit of a crisp on the outside. If you wanted a crunch I would go with our Air Fryer Taco Shells instead, though that isn’t traditionally how they are served up.

Do street tacos have cheese?

Not typically, sometimes cojita will be offered. Now that you have a choice of many ways you can make these popular carne asada street tacos, we will explain how to make them on the stove too in the recipe card below. All are similar but will have a different texture depending on the cooking method chosen. If you air fry you’ll get a crisp like no other, just fyi.

If you have your own favorite carne asada recipe but want to know how to serve them in the most traditional way we have a suggestion below. I would first get some festive tablecloths and I like using slow cookers on warm to keep meat inside so it doesn’t get cold.

How to Serve Street Tacos

Setting up a street taco bar is a fantastic way to entertain guests and allow everyone to customize their tacos to their liking. Here’s how you can set up a street taco bar:

1. Serve a variety of different Tortillas to suit different preferences, including small corn or flour air fryer tortillas, and even lettuce cups for a low-carb option. Keep them warm in a warmer or wrapped in a clean kitchen towel.
2. Protein options we have gone over, to cater to different dietary preferences.
3. Toppings to allow guests to customize their tacos. Some popular options include:
   • Chopped onions
   • Chopped cilantro
   • Sliced jalapeños or other peppers
   • Lime wedges
   • Shredded lettuce or cabbage
   • Diced tomatoes
   • Sliced avocado or guacamole
   • Salsa (varying levels of heat)
   • Hot sauce
   • Crumbled cheese (such as queso fresco or cotija)
   • Sour cream or crema Mexicana
   • Sliced radishes
   • Pickled red onions
   • Corn salsa
   • Pico de gallo
4. Sides to complement the tacos, such as:
   • Mexican rice
   • Refried beans or black beans
   • Chips and salsa or guacamole
   • Elote (Mexican street corn)
   • Mexican-style coleslaw
   • Grilled vegetables
5. Drinks to accompany the tacos, including:
   • Agua frescas (such as agua de Jamaica or agua de horchata)
   • Mexican sodas (e.g., Jarritos)
   • Margaritas or other cocktails
   • Beer, both domestic and Mexican varieties
   • Non-alcoholic options like water, iced tea, or lemonade