Ingredients
Equipment
Method
Season and Prep
- Pat the skirt steak dry with paper towels. Rub both sides with avocado oil, then season generously with kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, cumin, and chili powder.
Char Salsa Vegetables and Blend
- While the grill heats, char the Roma tomatoes, quartered white onion, whole jalapeños, and garlic cloves directly on the hot grate or in a dry cast iron skillet for 8 to 10 minutes, turning occasionally, until blackened in spots.
- Transfer the charred vegetables to a blender. Add the chipotle peppers in adobo, lime juice, and 1 teaspoon of kosher salt. Blend until smooth, about 30 seconds. Taste and adjust salt or chipotle. Set aside.
Grill, Rest, Slice, and Build
- Get the grill ripping hot (500°F+). Place the seasoned skirt steak directly over high heat and grill for 3 to 4 minutes per side until medium-rare to medium (130-140°F internal).
- Transfer the steak to a cutting board and rest uncovered for 10 minutes. This lets the muscle fibers relax and the juices redistribute throughout the meat.
- Identify the long muscle fibers running along the steak. Slice thin (about 1/4-inch) against the grain at a slight bias to create wide, tender pieces for the tacos.
- Warm corn tortillas directly over a gas flame or grill grate for 10 seconds per side until soft and lightly charred. Double them up for structure.
- Fill each tortilla with sliced skirt steak, spoon chipotle salsa over the top, then finish with diced white onion, fresh cilantro, and a squeeze of lime juice. Serve immediately.
Notes
Slice Against the Grain: Skirt steak's muscle fibers run lengthwise along the cut. Slicing perpendicular to those fibers shortens them and gives you tender bites. Slicing parallel to the grain leaves you with chewy, stringy meat that fights your teeth.
Char the Vegetables for Salsa Depth: Roasting tomatoes, onion, jalapeños, and garlic until blackened in spots transforms the salsa from a bright raw pico into a smoky, complex sauce that stands up to grilled steak. Skip this step and the salsa tastes thin against the bold steak flavor.
High Heat for Skirt Steak: Skirt is thin and cooks fast. Get the grill ripping hot (500°F+) before the steak goes on. Lower heat dries the meat out before it builds a proper crust.
Outside Skirt vs Inside Skirt: Outside skirt is thicker, more tender, and slightly pricier. Inside skirt is leaner and tougher if overcooked. Ask the butcher for outside skirt if available. Both work as long as you don't push past medium and slice thin.
Warm Tortillas Directly Over Flame: Skip the microwave. Warming corn tortillas over an open gas flame or grill for 10 seconds per side creates leopard-spotted char and authentic taqueria texture. Wrap warmed tortillas in a clean kitchen towel to keep them soft until serving.
The Sonoran Connection: This dry-seasoned, hot-grilled style is the northern Mexican (Sonoran) take on carne asada. California-style versions typically use a citrus marinade, but skirt steak's natural tenderness doesn't need the acid — dry seasoning produces a better crust under high heat.