Arrachera (Mexican steak for tacos) is marinated with lime juice and sazon seasoning for the most tender and flavorful Mexican steak tacos! Perfect for Cinco de Mayo or your weekly Taco Tuesdays, this mouthwatering grilled skirt steak can feed a crowd. Just pair it with tortillas and your favorite taco toppings!
It's a great Mexican recipe for Cinco de Mayo parties and a favorite for year-round taco recipes!
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I love ground beef tacos as much as the next person, but if it came down to ground beef or steak, I'd pick steak tacos every time! Especially when it's this tender, perfectly charred Mexican marinated skirt steak hot off the grill!
Marinated in lime juice and my homemade sazon seasoning, then grilled quickly over high heat, the beef is full of South-of-the-border flavor and has a savory, charred crust with a tender, juicy inside.
🥘 Ingredients
- Skirt Steak - 2 pounds of skirt steak (cut in half as needed to fit your grill).
- Lime Juice - 2 tablespoons of lime juice adds flavor and helps to tenderize the steak.
- Olive Oil - 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) or your preferred cooking oil with a high smoke point.
- Sazon Seasoning - 3 tablespoons of sazon seasoning (see recipe or notes, or use your preferred brand).
- Fresh Cilantro (optional) - ½ cup of fresh chopped cilantro (to taste).
- Adobo Sauce (optional) - ½ tablespoon of adobo sauce for a little heat.
- Onion (optional) - 1 diced or chopped small white onion (omit onion powder in sazon seasoning if adding, or use yellow onion).
*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*
🔪 How To Make Arrachera
Because the skirt steak is pounded thin, it cooks quickly once it hits the grill! You'll need a knife and cutting board, a meat tenderizer or mallet, measuring utensils, your grill, and grilling utensils.
Two pounds of grilled skirt steak makes about 8 servings. Slice it thinly and serve it with corn or flour tortillas and plenty of taco toppings, and it will go even further!
Tenderize The Meat
Step 1: Cover with cling film. Place 2 pounds of skirt steak on a cutting board or solid surface and cover it with plastic cling film.
Step 2: Tenderize. Tenderize and flatten the meat with a meat mallet, working from the center toward the edges until the beef is even in thickness.
Marinate
Step 3: Make the marinade. Transfer the steak to a large zip-top storage bag or shallow dish with 2 tablespoons of lime juice, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 3 tablespoons of sazon seasoning, and the optional ½ cup of fresh cilantro, ½ tablespoon of adobo sauce, and 1 small white onion if using.
Step 4: Marinate. Squeeze the air out, seal the bag, and then massage seasoning into the meat. Let marinate for at least 10 minutes, preferably 30 minutes (up to 8 hours).
Grill
Step 5: Preheat. Clean and preheat your grill to high heat.
Step 6: Pat dry. Remove the steak from the marinade and discard the excess. Use paper towels to pat any excess moisture off seasoned beef.
Step 7: Grill the first side. Add the seasoned steaks to the grill and grill at high heat for 5-6 minutes or until nicely charred.
Step 8: Flip. Flip and grill the opposite side for 5-6 minutes.
Rest and Serve
Step 9: Rest. Transfer the grilled skirt steaks to a cutting board and loosely tent foil over the top. Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing against the grain to serve.
💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
- I recommend leaving the steak in the marinade for 8 hours or overnight for the most flavor. Any longer, the texture of the meat may start to become mushy.
- It's essential to slice the meat against the grain. Find the lines of muscle fibers running along the meat and cut across them at a 90-degree angle.
- Taco seasoning can also be used, but I think this easy sazon seasoning blends beautifully with the flame-kissed flavor from the grill!
- To make the sazon seasoning batch for this recipe, combine ½ tablespoon of ground coriander, ground cumin, ground annatto seeds (or turmeric, or a turmeric/paprika combo), and garlic powder with 1 teaspoon of dried oregano and ½ teaspoon each onion powder, salt, and ground black pepper.
- To pan-sear the steak, cook over high heat for 2-3 minutes per side, working in batches if necessary. I suggest a cast-iron skillet or grill pan for pan searing.
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🥡 Storing & Reheating
Once cooled, put the leftovers in a zip-top plastic storage bag or airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Slice leftover skirt steak and transfer it to a heavy-duty Ziploc freezer bag. Squeeze out the air and seal it firmly, then freeze for up to 3 months.
Reheating
Let frozen steak thaw overnight in the fridge. Reheat in the oven at 250°F (120°C/ Gas Mark ½) for 20-30 minutes or until heated.
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📖 Recipe Card
Arrachera (Mexican Steak for Tacos)
Ingredients
- 2 lbs skirt steak (cut in half as needed to fit your grill)
- 2 tablespoon lime juice
- 2 tablespoon olive oil (extra virgin)
- 3 tablespoon sazon seasoning (see recipe or notes, or use your preferred brand)
- ½ cup fresh cilantro (optional, to taste)
- ½ tablespoon adobo sauce (optional)
- 1 small white onion (optional, omit onion powder in sazon seasoning, or use yellow onion)
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
Tenderize The Meat
- Place 2 lbs skirt steak on a cutting board or solid surface and cover it with plastic cling film.
- Tenderize and flatten the meat with a meat mallet, working from the center toward the edges until the beef is even in thickness.
Marinate
- Transfer the steak to a large zip-top storage bag or shallow dish with 2 tablespoon lime juice, 2 tablespoon olive oil, 3 tablespoon sazon seasoning, and the optional ½ cup fresh cilantro, ½ tablespoon adobo sauce, and 1 small white onion if using.
- Squeeze the air out and seal the bag, then massage seasoning into the meat. Let marinate for at least 10 minutes, but preferably 30 minutes (up to 8 hours).
Grill
- Clean and preheat your grill to high heat.
- Remove the steak from the marinade and discard the excess. Use paper towels to pat any excess moisture off seasoned beef.
- Add the seasoned steaks to the grill and grill at high heat for 5-6 minutes or until nicely charred.
- Flip and grill the opposite side for 5-6 minutes.
Rest and Serve
- Transfer the grilled skirt steaks to a cutting board and loosely tent foil over the top. Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing against the grain to serve.
Notes
- I recommend leaving the steak in the marinade for 8 hours or overnight for the most flavor. Any longer, the texture of the meat may start to become mushy.
- It's essential to slice the meat against the grain. Find the lines of muscle fibers running along the meat and cut across them at a 90-degree angle.
- Taco seasoning can also be used, but I think this easy sazon seasoning blends beautifully with the flame-kissed flavor from the grill!
- To make the sazon seasoning batch for this recipe, combine ½ tablespoon of ground coriander, ground cumin, ground annatto seeds (or turmeric, or a turmeric/paprika combo), and garlic powder with 1 teaspoon of dried oregano and ½ teaspoon each onion powder, salt, and ground black pepper.
- To pan-sear the steak, cook over high heat for 2-3 minutes per side, working in batches if necessary. I suggest a cast-iron skillet or grill pan for pan searing.
- Once cooled, put the leftovers in a zip-top plastic storage bag or airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Slice leftover skirt steak and transfer it to a heavy-duty Ziploc freezer bag. Squeeze out the air and seal it firmly, then freeze for up to 3 months.
- Let frozen steak thaw overnight in the fridge. Reheat in the oven at 250°F (120°C/ Gas Mark ½) for 20-30 minutes or until heated through.
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