Grilled Flank Steak Tacos
On May 04, 2021 (Updated April 15, 2022)
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These Grilled Flank Steak Tacos combine marinated flank steak that is cooked to beefy perfection and served in a grilled taco shell for the perfect lunch or dinner.
Flank Steak Tacos
These flank steak tacos are full of flavor and lots of good, beef flavor. Bold chili and lime marinated flank steak is grilled to a perfect medium rare and then sliced thin for the ultimate grilled steak taco. The flank steak is coated in a tangy, savory marinade with southwestern spices, making it the perfect base for a steak taco.
If tacos are not your thing, this flank steak is amazing enjoyed as-is or served over rice or beans.
Flank Steak Taco Marinade
This flank steak marinade is the magic in this recipe. The spices help give the flank steak a classic “taco” flavor, and each and every ingredient works together to bring ALL THE FLAVOR to the tacos.
Here’s what you’ll need for this marinade (scroll to the bottom of this post for a printable recipe with all ingredient amounts):
- Avocado oil
- Cilantro
- Lime juice
- Garlic cloves
- Sea salt
- Chili powder
- Black pepper
- Cumin
- Mexican oregano
- Cayenne pepper
Combine all ingredients in a blender and over the flank steaks with the marinade. I recommend allowing the flank steak to marinate in a zip top gallon sized bag for at least 8 hours, but you can let it hang out for up to 24 hours if you’re looking for the most intense flavor.
How to Cook Flank Steak for Tacos
Once you have your flank steaks good and marinated, you’re ready to cook ’em up!
- Preheat. I cooked the flank steak for this recipe on my gas grill, but you can use whatever you have on your back porch. Get the temp up for 450 degrees F. You want to cook the flank steak hot and fast to keep it nice and tender.
- Grill. Place the flank steak directly on the grill grates and close the lid. Cook for 2-3 minutes then flip the steaks. Continue to flip every few minutes until the internal temperature of the steaks reads 130 degrees F for medium rare. You can cook these up to 140 degrees if you want a medium steak. I do not recommend cooking flank steak above 145 degrees F, as the meat will become too tough if cooked to a higher temp. Trust me on this. keep it under 140 and you’ll be sitting pretty with some tasty tacos.
- Rest and slice. Once your steak has reached your desired internal temperature, remove it from the grill and allow it to rest for a few minutes. Slice against the grain, and then cut into small bite-sized pieces for your tacos.
Done and done! You are ready to begin assembling your tacos!
Tips for Making Flank Steak Tacos
Here are some tips for making your flank steak tacos the most flavorful, delicious, and perfect tacos that will please every member of your family.
- Swap the steaks. This recipe works great for flank, but it is also delicious with skirt or flap meat.
- Chop, don’t slice. After your steak rests, slice thin against the grain and then turn 90 degrees and slice again. This steak “chopping” means that each bite will have tender bites of steak vs a steak slice that can be tough to bite through. There is nothing worse than pulling a whole piece of steak out of your taco because you can’t bite through it all the way.
- Go nuts with toppings! Classic toppings are lime, cilantro, and chopped onions, but I also love avocado, pico de gallo, sour cream, and cotija cheese.
More Flank Steak Recipes
Ready to make more flank steak goodness? Check out these other popular flank steak recipes from Hey Grill Hey!
- Stuffed Flank Steak with Spinach, Peppers, and Cheese
- Himalayan Salted Flank Steak with Grilled Pineapple Salsa
- Marinated and Grilled Flank Steak
Flank Steak Taco Recipe
Grilled Flank Steak Tacos
Ingredients
- 1 2-3 pound flank steak
Flank Steak taco Marinade
- 2 Tablespoons avocado oil
- ¼ cup cilantro
- ¼ cup lime juice approximately 2 limes
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Toppings
- 16 street taco shells flour or corn
- 1 bunch cilantro
- ½ cup white onion diced
- 2 limes cut into wedges
- avocado slices optional
- pico de gallo optional
Instructions
- Make the marinade. Combine all marinade ingredients in a large blender jar. Cover tightly with the lid and blend until well combined.
- Marinate the flank steak. Place the flank steak in a glass 9x13 dish and pour the marinade over the steak. Flip the steak a couple of times to ensure it is fully coated in the marinade. Cover the pan with a layer of plastic wrap and top with a plate or pan to press out any excess air and keep the marinade tight against the meat. Alternatively, marinate in a gallon zip top bag, removing any excess air. Refrigerate the steak for at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours.
- Grill the flank steak. Preheat your grill to high heat (450-500 degrees F). Remove the steak from the marinade and allow any excess liquid to drip away. Carefully lay the steak on the grill grates and cook for 2-3 minutes before flipping. Continue flipping the steak every couple of minutes until an internal thermometer reads 130 degrees F (approximately 12-15 minutes total).
- Rest and slice the steak. Remove the steak to a cutting board and allow to rest before slicing into thin strips against the grain. While your steak rests, you can grill your tortilla shells for 30-60 seconds to heat through
- Assemble the tacos. Serve with additional cilantro, fresh chopped white onions, and lime wedges on grilled tortilla shells.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I made this for last night’s Taco Tuesday (08/03/21) and my two boys and wife couldn’t stop raving about it and the boy’s only had the meat with shredded cheese. They didn’t add all the other wonderful toppings (avocado, onion, pico de gallo, lime juice). Super easy to blend the marinade using our little Braun hand blender. This is a keeper for sure!