Steak Burritos

Content… Homemade Salsa for Burritos Recipe Ingredients How to Make It Recipe Variations Tips and Tricks Make-Ahead Instructions Serving and Storage Instructions What to Serve More Amazing Mexican Recipes to Try

Homemade Salsa for Your Steak Burritos

When I’m in the mood for Tex-Mex, I whip up a batch of salsa (green, red, or both). Having it in the fridge ready to provide an extra kick to any meal is an invaluable prep ahead time saver. You can get store-bought, but homemade is so much better.

Recipe Ingredients

1. Tortillas – It’s what makes a burrito a burrito. Flour tortillas are the traditional wrap, but you can use a gluten-free replacement if necessary.
2. Steak – My preference is carne asada for authenticity. But you can even use leftover steak for a great steak burrito. A grilled flat iron steak will also do well.
3. Filling Ingredients – Here’s where you can get creative with your personal steak burrito recipe. Get your onion, grated cheese (Monterey Jack, mozzarella, and crumbled queso fresco are some good choices), Mexican rice, guacamole, beans (pinto, refried, or black beans), and cilantro ready. Of course, you need a zesty salsa to spice it up. I’ve included a salsa verde recipe made with tomatillos.
4. Salsa Verde – Roasted tomatillos, jalapeño, white onion, and garlic with cilantro and lime make up the iconic salsa verde perfect for your favorite Mexican foods.

How to Make Steak Burritos

Grill the Steak

• Marinade – In a large bowl or sealable bag, combine soy sauce, garlic, pineapple juice, oregano, cumin, white pepper, and onion powder.
• Marinate – Add the skirt steak to the marinade, then add cilantro and mix well. Marinate for at least 2 hours or refrigerate until ready to cook. It can marinate in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours for optimum flavor.
• Grill – When ready, drain the skirt steak and pat dry paper towels. Brush and oil the grill grate. Place skirt steaks on the hot grate and grill for 3-4 minutes per side for medium or until the steak has a deeply browned crust. Cooking times might vary depending on the thickness of the steak.
• Rest – Once done, remove it from heat, place it on a cutting board, and let it rest for about 10 minutes. Then slice thinly against the grain and make your burritos.

Make the Salsa

• Roast – Heat a cast iron skillet or griddle on the stovetop until it starts smoking, and then add the tomatillos, jalapeno, onion, and garlic. Roast, turning occasionally, until they’re blackened and blistered in spots, about 10 minutes.
• Blend – Remove from heat and let the veggies cool enough to handle without burning your hands. Rub off the dark spots and put the roasted tomatillos, jalapeno (carefully removing the seeds and pith), onion, garlic, cilantro, and lime juice in a blender or food processor and puree until there are no big chunks for a slightly chunky sauce. Add salt to taste and adjust lime juice to desired acidity.

Assemble the Steak Burritos

• Assemble your ingredients: the tortillas, grilled carne asada, chopped onion, shredded cheese, rice, guacamole, beans, cilantro, and salsa verde.
• Fill – Place the tortillas on your work surface and divide the carne asada evenly along the middle of each tortilla. Layer the rest of the ingredients (careful not to overfill the tortillas).
• Fold the bottoms in to cover the filling, then fold over the edges and roll them up tightly.
• Heat – You can heat them in a cast iron skillet on medium heat until toasted or wrap your burritos in foil and heat them in the oven at 350℉ (180℃) for 20 minutes.

Recipe Variations

1. Customize the fillings. Since steak burritos are so versatile, you can customize the filling to your liking—mashed beans, Spanish rice, shrimp, vegetarian, and even make it healthy. Oh, and topping it with sour cream is a true upgrade.
2. Leftover makeovers. This recipe also works great with leftover rice and steak. And if you don’t have time to make steak, open a can of black or refried beans. I won’t tell.
3. Salsa swaps. African pepper sauce, restaurant-style salsa, and Peruvian green sauce are just as good in these savory steak burritos. Pico de gallo is also wonderful.
4. Corn tortillas. You can turn these into gourmet tacos. Heat corn tortillas in a cast iron skillet, then load up on the filling ingredients and enjoy.
5. Stovetop steak. No grill? No problem because you can cook it in a cast iron skillet.

Tips and Tricks

1. Pat the steak dry before grilling. It will sear much better and more evenly.
2. Adjust the heat level with less or more jalapenos. I start with half a jalapeno and work my way up.
3. Finely dice your onions and peppers for even flavor distribution.

Make-Ahead Instructions

For an easy 9-5 workday lunch, you can make several burritos and wrap them in plastic. They’ll last in the fridge for 3-4 days or freezer for 2-3 months. Reheat them in the microwave in a flash.

Serving and Storage Instructions

Steak burritos are best steaming hot. But you may prefer letting them cool enough not to burn your tongue.

Store leftover burritos well-wrapped in the fridge or freezer. I think they taste even better the next day.

What to Serve With Steak Burritos

These delicious burritos go great with refried beans and Caribbean coleslaw. Then, top it off with the classic arroz con leche.

More Amazing Mexican Recipes to Try

1. Chorizo and Eggs
2. Beef Birria Tacos
3. Chicken Enchiladas
4. Chocoflan
5. Chicken Tinga

This blog post was originally published in April 2013 and has been updated with additional tips