Steak Tacos with Peppers, Onions & Fresh Pico de Gallo

Strips of seasoned, grilled flank steak and sautéed red peppers & onions are layered inside warm corn tortillas and topped with the bright, fresh flavor of Pico de Gallo.

I’ve cooked the steak for these tacos every which way – on an indoor and an outdoor grill, pan fried (totally smoked up my house), and under the broiler. For the most part, it’s all good. I mean, thinly sliced strips of well seasoned medium rare steak is absolutely delicious, no matter how you get there.

But, some methods are tricker than others and last night, I tried something new. I got a Sous Vide cooker for Christmas and finally took it out of its box. What the heck took me so long???? I don’t know, but the thing is kind of fabulous.

I coated the steak with plenty of cumin, chili power, oregano, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper, sealed it inside a zip top bag, and plopped it into the water that my Sous Vide cooker had heated to 135 degrees. Then I just left it. A couple of hours later, I pulled out a perfectly cooked medium-rare steak.

So, that’s kind of awesome. I think there’s going to be more Sous Vide cooking in my future.

How you cook your flank steak for these tacos is totally up to you.

I’ve included grilling, broiling, and Sous Vide instructions in the recipe. Whichever method you choose, make sure to really rub in the seasoning so that every inch of the steak is coated. If you want, you can even do this ahead of time, letting it rest in the refrigerator until you’re ready to cook it.

If you’re going to grill or broil your steak, I’d suggest making the Pico de Gallo and sautéing the peppers and onions before you get started cooking the steak. If you’re opting for the Sous Vide method, you’ll have plenty of time to prepare the peppers, onions, and Pico while the steak cooks.

Steak Taco Serving Suggestion

Make taco night even better with a fun cocktail. Here are two suggestions…

The Pepper Blossom is a fresh citrusy mix of Gin, St. Germain, Grapefruit juice, jalapeno, basil.

Freshly Squeezed Orange Margarita. While every good margarita should include a splash of orange liquor, this orange margarita includes the addition of freshly squeezed orange juice, brightening the flavors and creating a fresh tropical cocktail, even when the weather outside is frightful.

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Useful equipment:

Weekly Meal Plans that include Grilled Flank Steak Tacos with Pico de Gallo:

Weekly Spring Meal Plan #2

If you give this recipe a try, let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, or take a picture and tag it #alittleandalot on Instagram.

Grilled Flank Steak Tacos with Pico de Gallo

Author: RebeccaBlackwell
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: *Depends on whether you choose to grill, broil, or Sous Vide the steam
Total Time: 40 minutes - 2 hours and 30 minutes, depending on which method you choose to cook the steak
Yield: 4 servings (3 tacos per serving)

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Description

Tender flank steak, red peppers & onions inside warm corn tortillas, topped with fresh Pico de Gallo. 3 ways to cook the steak – Broil, Grill or Sous Vide.

Ingredients

3 red peppers, seeds and stem removed and sliced into strips about 1-inch wide
1 large yellow onions, peeled and sliced into strips about 1-inch wide
About 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp onion power
2 tsp garlic power
1 tsp ground black pepper
2 tsp salt
2 lbs flank steak
About 1/4 cup corn oil
12 corn tortillas (3 per person)
Fresh Pico de Gallo

Instructions

If you haven’t already, prepare some Pico de Gallo and set it in the refrigerator while you prepare the tacos.
Heat about 1 tsp of the olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. When the oil just begins to smoke, add about half the peppers and onions. Using a wooden spoon, spatula, or tongs, toss the vegetables around in the hot oil for a few seconds. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Continue to toss until they are crisp-tender and blackening in spots. Remove from the pan to a plate and repeat with remaining peppers and onions.
Combine all the spices, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Rub each side of the flank steak with 1 to 1 & 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil. Rub the seasoning into the steak, coating it on all sides.
To grill, on an indoor or outdoor grill: Preheat the grill – you want it to be hot. Grill the steak to your preferred level of doneness. Medium-rare (140-145 degrees) will take approximately 6 minutes. Medium (155-160 degrees) will take just a couple of minutes longer. On an outdoor grill, cook 4-5 minutes on one side, flip and cook another 3-4 minutes. Try to remove the steak from the grill a right before it reaches the desired temperature because the steak will keep cooking for a bit after you remove it from the heat.
To broil: Set a rack in the top third of you oven and preheat the broiler. Line a broiler pan with aluminum foil and spray the top with nonstick cooking spray. Broil the steak 4 to 6 minutes per side.
Sous Vide Method: Pre-heat water bath to 135°F, for medium-rare or 145°F for medium. Vacuum seal the flank steak or place it in a heavy duty Ziploc bag and squeeze out as much air as possible. Place bagged flank steak in water bath and cook for 2 hours.
No mater which cooking method you choose, let the cooked steak rest for 5 minutes on a cutting board to let the juices settle. Slice the steak as thinly as possible across the natural grain of the meat.
Brush both sides of a corn tortilla with a light coating of corn oil and place in the center of a damp paper towel. Brush only one side of a second tortilla with a light coating of corn oil and place oil side up on top of the first tortilla. Continue with however many tortillas you plan to serve. Cover with a second damp paper towel and microwave for 30 seconds. Remove from the microwave and feel into the center of the stack to see if it’s warm. If not, microwave for a bit longer.
Serve tortillas with sliced flank steak, sautéed vegetables and Pico de Gallo, letting each person build their own tacos.

Notes

Prepare the Pico de Gallo first, before preparing the tacos. This will give it some time for all the flavors to marinate before serving. Pico de Gallo can be made up to 3 days ahead of time, stored in a covered container in the refrigerator.