Hot damn just look at this steak, juicy from marinading all night in chipotle margarita steak taco marinade, and ready to be stuffed into pillowy tortillas and topped with allllll my taco vices. This marinade is the building block to all your Taco Tuesday dreams.
Taco night is a weekly occurrence in my house, obviously, and this marinade was born from deliciously random inspiration while rifling through my fridge. As I sipped on my Perfect Margarita after work, the idea hit me: I’m pouring some of this goodness into the marinade. I whipped it up in my food processor with some:
- chipotle peppers in adobo for smoky, spicy flavor
- garlic
- a big bunch of cilantro, (stems and all! don’t waste that flavor)
- a little oil
- s&p
The margarita gave the perfect tart, sweet kick it needed for marinade perfection. The steak itself is obviously up to you, but may I recommend our approach?
I found this pre-sliced ribeye at Publix and was totally sold. Hello, easy! Pre-sliced meat is also perfect for marinating because all the flavor really sinks in and coats every bite. Then, you get a little grill char on every bite. It’s really the only way to go 😉
I topped my glorious steak tacos with freshly diced red onion, cilantro, and some grilled poblano and bell peppers. Okay, okay, there was definitely some cheese and sour cream in there too. My wedding’s over- there’s no skimping on toppings now!
- 1 Tbsp. avocado or olive oil
- 3 chipotle peppers in adobo from can
- 2 oz. silver tequila
- 1 oz. lime juice
- 1 oz. orange juice
- 1 Tbsp. honey or agave
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves and stems
- 1 tsp. salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1-2 lbs. steak, thinly sliced, for tacos
- Place all the ingredients, except for the steak, into a food processor or blender.
- Purée the ingredients until a well-combined marinade forms.
- Place the sliced steak in a dish or gallon-sized ziplock bag, then pour the marinade over the steak. Work the marinade into the steak, covering all the pieces, then seal the bag or cover the dish.
- Marinade at least an hour in the fridge, or up to a day. 30 minutes before you're ready to cook, take the steak out to set at room temperature.
- We grilled the strips of steak over high, direct heat for 1-2 minutes per side.
- Use for tacos, quesadillas, burrito bowls, and more!
- Cooked steak will stay good covered tightly in the fridge for 2-3 days.