Arrachera (Marinated Skirt Steak) Tacos Recipe

Everyone loves tacos. Even if you prefer flour tortillas instead of corn or are one of those people who hates cilantro, there are still probably plenty of types of tacos out there for you. If you're a fan of beef, look no further than recipe developer Patterson Watkins' arrachera tacos, which wraps pieces of savory marinated skirt steak and smoky grilled onions in a corn tortilla with all the classic accompaniments.

"The name 'arrachera' refers specifically to skirt steak as the choice cut of beef for this style of taco," Watkins says. "Skirt steak is a well-marbled piece of beef with a fair amount of muscle and connective tissue, making it ideal for marinating (tenderizing those tougher bits) and grilling (caramelizing those succulent fatty bits)."

"This taco can be served solo, as a casual meal, or part of a larger feast," she adds. "Feel free to serve these arrachera tacos with any and all of your favorite Mexican grill-friendly sides: elote, guacamole, beans, rice, or nopales." Fire up your grill, and let's get cooking.

This ingredient list may look long, but all those components will ensure your final dish is super flavorful. For the meat marinade, you'll need cumin, oregano, minced garlic, Worcestershire sauce, lime juice, and salt and pepper. For the tacos, you'll need skirt steak (of course), thick-sliced red onions, corn tortillas, and a little oil for the grill. Finally, the accompaniments: Watkins suggests both red and green salsa, lime wedges, and fresh cilantro.

Your first step should be marinating. However, don't do this step too far ahead of time: "You want the marinade to be full-strength (often some of the acidity can fade from pre-made marinades), with fresh squeezed lime juice and just minced garlic, to really infuse and tenderize," Watkins notes. "You also want to avoid marinating for longer than 1 hour, as the acid in the marinade will begin to leach the color from the meat."

When you are ready to marinate, simply combine the lime juice, Worcestershire sauce, cumin, oregano, garlic, and salt and pepper and pour it in a large ziplock bag along with the meat and onion slices. Shake the bag to make sure it's coated, then let it sit for about an hour. While you're at it, prep the tortillas for grilling by brushing them lightly with oil.

Once your meat has marinated, take it out of the bag, brush off any chunks from the marinade (they'll easily burn) and place the pieces on an oiled grill or grill pan that's been heated over medium-high. Let each side cook for a few minutes, or until it's reached your desired level of doneness. While that's happening, grill the onion slices as well so they get a nice char on them.

Once your skirt steak is done, take it off the grill along with the onions and let the meat rest for a bit. While that's happening, place your oiled tortillas on the still-hot grill for just a minute or so on each side — you want them charred but not burnt. Then, cut the steak into pieces, making sure to slice against the grain.

You have your meat and onions, you have some freshly-grilled tortillas, and you have your accompaniments. Congrats: You have everything you need to put together some delicious arrachera tacos. This kind of meal is great for serving guests, as everyone can assemble their tacos exactly how they want.

If you're not serving guests, no sweat. "If you happen to have leftovers, no need to do a deep-reheat," Watkins says. "Just a quick toss in a hot skillet to awaken those flavors and take the chill off (a minute or 2, tops). I love love love eating leftover arrachera for breakfast, all I do is add some scrambled eggs to my tacos and, violá, a great way to start the day!"