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Carne Asada tacos

Carne Asada-Style Cheese Crust Tacos

Finely chopped chuck roast seasoned with Loisa Sazón, cooked with sweet onions, served in yellow corn tortillas with crispy Monterey Jack cheese crust, topped with smoky chipotle salsa verde.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 3 servings (6-8 tacos)
Course: Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Calories: 420
Ingredients Equipment Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients
  

Seasoned Meat
  • 2 lbs finely chopped chuck roast or taco meat from butcher
  • 1 medium sweet onion finely diced
  • 1-2 tablespoons Loisa Sazón or Loisa Sazón de Mi Tierra or your favorite taco seasoning
Smoky Salsa Verde
  • 6 tomatillos husked
  • 2 jalapeños
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 3 green onions
  • cilantro small handful
  • 2-3 chipotle peppers in adobo
  • 1 teaspoon Loisa Sazón optional
  • salt and black pepper to taste
Cheese Crust Tacos
  • yellow street corn tortillas
  • 1-2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Garnish
  • fresh cilantro chopped
  • white onion diced
  • lime wedges

Equipment

  • Griddle or Large Skillet
  • Blender
  • Metal Spatula

Method
 

  1. Heat griddle or skillet to high heat. Char tomatillos, jalapeños, garlic, and green onions 8 to 10 minutes until blistered and blackened in spots.
  2. Transfer charred vegetables to blender. Add fresh cilantro, chipotles in adobo, optional Loisa Sazón, salt, and pepper. Blend until smooth. Set aside.
  3. Heat griddle to high heat. Add 2 lbs chopped chuck roast in even layer. Season with 1 to 2 tablespoons Loisa Sazón. Add diced sweet onion on top.
  4. Cook undisturbed 3 to 4 minutes. Mix and chop with spatula. Continue cooking 10 to 15 minutes until browned and cooked through. Move to low heat to keep warm.
  5. Reduce griddle to low heat. Sprinkle ¼ cup Monterey Jack cheese on griddle. Let melt 45 seconds to 1 minute.
  6. Place corn tortilla on melted cheese. Press gently. Let crisp 45 seconds to 1 minute until cheese turns golden brown.
  7. Flip tortilla. Add 2 to 3 oz seasoned meat to one half. Fold tortilla in half with cheese crust on outside.
  8. Repeat for remaining tacos. Top with cilantro, diced white onion, salsa verde, and lime juice. Serve immediately.

Nutrition

Calories: 420kcalCarbohydrates: 22gProtein: 32gFat: 24gSaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 95mgSodium: 580mgFiber: 4gSugar: 5g

Notes

Finely chopped chuck roast works better than sliced steak. More surface area for seasoning. Cooks faster and more evenly. Better texture for tacos.
Char vegetables for salsa verde. Creates complex flavor through caramelization. Don't char chipotle or cilantro. They're already cooked/delicate.
Cheese crust technique critical. Cheese goes on griddle first, tortilla on top. Creates fused crispy layer. Prevents cheese from sliding off.
Monterey Jack melts and crisps perfectly. Sharp cheddar burns too easily. Mozzarella doesn't crisp properly.
Low heat for cheese crust. Too hot burns cheese before crisping. Medium-low creates golden brown crust.
Yellow street corn tortillas traditional. Better heat tolerance than flour. Authentic street taco flavor.
Serve immediately. Cheese crust loses crispiness as it sits. Best within 5 minutes of assembly.
Make salsa verde up to 3 days ahead. Refrigerate until needed. Bring to room temp before serving.

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