Raise your hand if you play with your food.
(Confidently steps forward.)
If your mind instantly conjured the image of a toddler flinging marina-slathered strands of spaghetti all over the roomāweāre not talking about the same thing.
I believe that in its purest form, playing with your food can simply mean eating with your hands.
And what better food to eat with your hands than tacos?
Street tacos, to be exact.
If youāre unfamiliar with this term, I know what youāre thinking. What in the world differentiates a āstreetā taco from a regular taco? Do I have to purchase it on a street instead of a road? Is it garnished with gravel?
Let me break it down for you.
āStreet tacoā refers to the type of small, handheld delicacy that youād receive from a street cart, stand, or food truck in Mexico. Ever been to an Americanized version of a Mexican restaurant?
Yeah. Itās not that.
The formula is wildly straightforward and usually follows these rules: miniature corn tortillas (sometimes doubled up) topped with meat, onions, and cilantro. Hot sauce and salsas sold separately.
Street tacos are meant to be simple and eaten in multiples.
At a California-style Mexican eatery or Tex-Mex chain, youāre sure to find some ostentatious variations on the typical street taco. It might come with field greens, citrus vinaigrette, and fried avocado. It might be loaded with Thai peanut sauce and shredded carrots.
But when it comes to basic street tacos, traditional is best.
Ready for the other secret? Shh. Come close.
Itās all in the meat.
Since there arenāt a dozen bourgie condiments to fancy things up, the protein in a street taco is meant to be marinated, griddled to perfection, and exploding with flavor.
Chopped onion adds a crunch and a slight bit of sweetness, while fistfuls of fluffy cilantro lend bright floral notes. A few squeezes of fresh lime and tangy hot sauce and youāve got yourself a date.
I mean, a taco.
Weāve covered the basics, now letās get back to playing with our food.
For my street-style tacos, I wanted to keep one very important rule front and center: letting the meat be the star.
And trust me. After just one bite, youāll be asking for the steakās autograph.
Letās talk about the commonly-used term ācarne asada.ā Translated, it means marinated and grilled steak. When you dig deeper, youāll find that the most common carne asada marinades are mixtures of citrus, garlic, and spices.
Although you can get a pretty solid infusion of flavors in just a few hours, allowing the steak to get a full night of sleep in the marinade ensures that every meaty morsel is a mouthful of heaven.
Seriously. I even impressed myself with this one.
The citrus not only adds a tart pop, but it helps to tenderize the meat. Soy sauce does the sameābut also adds some rich umami flavor. As for the garlicādo I even need to explain the glorious wonders of these pungently perfumed cloves of magic?
The dry spices might seem a little heavy-handed, but once you taste how the smoky cumin and savory chili powder permeate the meatāyouāll be like, āmeasuring spoons, who?ā
While most official street vendors have a flat-top grill for the meat to make its landing, I do not. If you happen to own a taco truck outfitted with one of these convenient griddles, then read ahead.
Also, we should probably be best friends.
If youāre a home cook like me, reach for a heavy-bottomed skillet like a cast-iron (and my backward braising method) to achieve that expert sear.
Backward braising is not, in fact, the new dance that all the kids are doing these days. Itās how I pull off the juicy-on-the-inside, crispy-on-the-outside texture for my carne asada.
With braising, you sear the meat and then finish cooking it in a liquid. I take my steakāmarinade and allāand first, drop it into a screaming hot pan. The sauce sizzles reduce and concentrates (maybe donāt wear your favorite shirt while you do this)āall while beginning to cook the meat.
Once it evaporates, the steak is fully infused and left alone to caramelize and collect its golden-brown crust.
Hungry yet?
Now that youāve perfected the meat, letās bring on the toppings. A true, traditional taco vendor on the streets of Mexico might roll his eyes at you if you ask for cheeseābut I donāt consider myself a taco purist.
Also, cheese is my favorite food and itās my kitchen so Iāll do what I want.
I opt for nutty, sharp white cheddar, but mild Monterey Jack would still provide a salty creaminess. Then, onions for crunch and sharpness, cilantro for herby freshness, and pico de gallo for a burst of zesty acidity.
Cervezas and limes sold separately.
Just kidding, theyāre always invited.
š Recipe
Citrusy Carne Asada Mexican Street Tacos

If youāre on the hunt for a heavenly handheld, look no further than these Carne Asada street tacos. In this irresistible recipe, tender steak is marinated in an aromatic blend of salty soy, sharp garlic, and citrus, griddled to perfection, and topped with crunchy onions and fresh cilantro. Read on for the recipe.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
- Juice of 1 lime, plus more limes for serving
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
- 2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
- ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro, divided
- 3 large cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon minced jalapeno
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 ½ pounds skirt or flank steak, cut into ½-inch pieces
- Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 12 mini corn tortillas
- 1 ½ cups shredded sharp white cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
- ½ cup finely chopped white onion
- Pico de gallo, homemade or store-bought (for garnish)
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk the soy sauce, lime juice, orange juice, 1 tablespoon of the canola oil, ¼ cup of the cilantro, garlic, jalapenos, chili powder, cumin, and oregano.
- Pour the marinade into a large resealable bag and add the steak. Marinate for at least 2 hours or at best, overnight.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the remaining canola oil and swirl to coat the pan. Add the steak and its marinade and season with a pinch each of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often until the liquid has reduced and the steak has browned about 8-10 minutes. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper if necessary.
- Warm the tortillas on a gas burner or a flat-top until lightly charred all over. Assemble the tacos by topping them with even portions of the steak, cheese, chopped onion, Pico de gallo, and remaining cilantro. Serve warm with the lime wedges and additional toppings such as sour cream, guacamole, and hot sauce.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 798Total Fat: 41gSaturated Fat: 17gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 20gCholesterol: 186mgSodium: 905mgCarbohydrates: 43gFiber: 7gSugar: 4gProtein: 65g
Cooking By the Numbersā¦
Step 1 ā Prepare the Marinade and Chop the Steak
Chop the cilantro, garlic, jalapenos, and steak. To make the steak easier to cut, place it in the freezer for 20 minutes beforehand.
In a medium bowl, whisk the soy sauce, lime juice, orange juice, 1 tablespoon of the canola oil, ¼ cup of the cilantro, garlic, jalapenos, chili powder, cumin, and oregano.
Pour the marinade into a large resealable bag and add the steak. Marinate for at least 2 hours or at best, overnight. The longer the steak can marinate, the stronger the flavor will be. I highly suggest marinating it overnight!
Step 2 ā Brown the Steak
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the remaining canola oil and swirl to coat the pan. Add the steak and its marinade and season with a pinch each of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often until the liquid has reduced and the steak has browned about 8-10 minutes.
The steak is essentially boiling in its marinade, and then once the liquid reducesāthe pieces get their golden-brown crisp on the outside. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper if necessary.
Step 3 ā Assemble the Tacos
Warm the tortillas on a gas burner or a flat-top until lightly charred all over.
Assemble the tacos by topping them with even portions of the steak, cheese, chopped onion, Pico de gallo, and remaining cilantro. Serve warm with the lime wedges and additional toppings such as sour cream, guacamole, and hot sauce.
Letās Taco āBout It.
Canāt get Mexican food off your mind? Same. Break out the salsa and give these other zesty recipes a go:
Vaughn G pounds
This is similar to how I make mine but I don't use soy sauce. (don't think it needs it) I add fresh squeeze orange and instead of cooking on the cast iron skillet I marinate the skirt steak then grill it up med rare get a nice char on the outside nice pink inside then cut it in strips put it on corn tortillas with only white onion, cilantro, and a small amount of cojita cheese. Cheddar just doesn't taste right on them to me.