Chipotle Beef Tacos with Caramelized Onions (Tacos de Carne Asada Enchipotlada)

Name: Chipotle Beef Tacos with Caramelized Onions (Tacos de Carne Asada Enchipotlada)
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1 (7-ounce) can chipotle Pepper, chile:chiles in adobo sauce; 1 pound skirt or Beef flank steak:flank steak (skirt steak should be trimmed of fat and white silver skin); 3 tablespoons vegetable oil; 2 medium white Onion:onions, sliced 1/4 inch thick; 1 teaspoon Salt:kosher salt, plus more as needed; 12 (6-inch) warm corn tortillas; Salsa or hot sauce, for serving

Beef Onions Tacos Super Bowl Cinco de Mayo Father's Day Latin American Mexican Chipotle Chile Main Dish Easy

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4 servings Easy

Total: 1 hr

7 Ratings

Ingredients (7)

1 (7-ounce) can chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
1 pound skirt or flank steak (skirt steak should be trimmed of fat and white silver skin)
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 medium white onions, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
12 (6-inch) warm corn tortillas
Salsa or hot sauce, for serving

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Nutritional Information

Calories482
Fat22.23g
Saturated fat4.96g
Trans fat0.08g
Carbs42.35g
Fiber6.34g
Sugar5.91g
Protein29.78g
Cholesterol77.11mg
Sodium577.73mg
Nutritional Analysis per serving (4 servings) Powered by

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Even without the chipotle, this dish of warm corn tortillas wrapped around slices of seared beef and caramelized onions is Mexico’s taquería crowd-pleaser, captivating crowds of tourists and nationals alike. Round out the meal with some black beans and a salad.

What to buy: For the greatest tenderness, make sure to choose thicker outer skirt steak and cook it medium. (The thin inner skirt that most taquerías and street vendors use is best cooked well-done and chopped into small pieces.) Flank steak is most tender when cooked medium rare and thinly sliced.

This recipe was featured as part of our No-Fail Mexican Favorites for Cinco de Mayo.

Adapted from "Mexican Everyday" by Rick Bayless

Tips for Beef

Tip

How to Thaw Beef

As with most meat, the safest way to thaw beef is in the refrigerator. Small cuts of beef can take up to 24 hours, while larger slabs can take a few days. If you’re in a pinch, frozen beef can be thawed in a bowl or container of lukewarm water. Place the bowl or container in the sink and leave under a running faucet. Never allow raw beef to thaw or sit on a counter or cutting board. Since it takes longer to thaw than most meats, it is more susceptible to bacteria growth.

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Next: How to Freeze Beef

Tip

How to Freeze Beef

In order to effectively freeze beef, you’ll want to limit its exposure to air. This not only prevents the production of freezer burn, but also extends its shelf life to three months or longer. The best way to package beef is to wrap it tightly in freezer paper or plastic wrap. You should then wrap the meat in a layer of aluminum foil or place it in a plastic bag.

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Next: How to Store Beef

Tip

How to Store Beef

For ground beef, keep refrigerated and use within one to two days. It can stay in its original container if the packaging hasn’t been opened. Steaks follow the same protocol, but can last a bit longer at three to five days. It’s actually best to allow a little airflow with stored meat, as tightly-adhered plastic like Saran wrap can make meat sweat and, as a result, less tender. Meat can be transferred to plastic containers, but should be covered loosely.

Never refrigerate raw meat if it’s been sitting out beyond two hours.

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Next: How to Thaw Beef

Instructions

1Heat the oven on its lowest setting and arrange a rack in the middle. Place the chipotles and adobo sauce in a food processor fitted with a blade attachment or a blender and process until smooth. Using a brush, lightly coat the steak with the chipotle purée (go a little heavier on the flank than the skirt steak; you’ll have chipotle marinade left over—cover and refrigerate for up to several weeks). Cut the steak crosswise into 6-inch pieces.
2Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, until golden but still crunchy, about 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a large heatproof bowl or dish, leaving as much oil as possible in the skillet, and place in the oven to keep warm.
3Return the frying pan to medium-high heat (or medium heat for flank steak), add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, and heat until shimmering. Add the steak and brown on both sides, cooking until it reaches your desired doneness (about 3 minutes per side for medium skirt steak, about 5 minutes per side for medium rare for a 1-1/2-inch-thick flank steak). Transfer the steak to a wire rack set over a plate to rest, about 5 to 10 minutes.
4Slice the skirt steak into roughly 3-inch lengths, then cut each piece against the grain into 1/4-inch strips. For flank steak, cut it straight down against the grain into 1/4-inch slices; on the thick end, you may want to cut the slices lengthwise in half into thinner strips.
5Place the meat in the bowl with the onions, add the measured salt, and toss to combine. Taste and season with more salt as needed. Serve with the warm tortillas and salsa or hot sauce.

Steak Taco Riffs from Rick Bayless: I’ll bet you’re already thinking about firing up the grill for cooking the beef and onion, which will, of course, make this fabulous dish Elysian. Red onions cook up sweeter than the white ones, which many people prefer—but not me. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts make tasty chipotle-and-caramelized-onion tacos; and don’t overlook catfish.

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